Big vs Small Wheels

[raygunpk 0]

I was reading that the all 80mm Hummer chassis gives the best speed, but I couldn't figure out the physics behind that.

Doesn't a smaller wheel spin faster and therefore more speed?

And how does size relate to grip?

[liroadrunners 0]

Direct Power System (DPS™)- This is a cavity in the front portion of the outsole allowing larger 80mm wheels to be recessed into the skate. Therefore, the skate can use all 80mm sized wheels to increase the player’s speed and maximum grip, while still maintaining a low center of gravity.

Low center of gravity = more control more speed!

[top-shelf 1]

I'm not a physics guy, but just going off an observation, have you noticed a lot of the wheels on inline speed skates? They're usually pretty big (well over 80mm most of the time) and they supposedly give the best straight-away speed as opposed to the smaller wheels. Like I said before, I don't claim to know a thing about the science behind the "technology" of big wheels although it sure seems like the bigger wheels would make a positive difference in speed.

[raygunpk 0]

And Olympic speed skaters have those long steels as well.

[liroadrunners 0]

smaller wheels will just make the skates slightly lighter but nothing that noticable.

[DCott 0]

from a physics perspective, it is easier to rotate something if you apply force farther away from the center of rotation (think of the concept behind gear sizes in cars and bikes). Bigger wheels touch the floor farhter away from their center.

EDIT: not sure I like the way I worded that. Basically when you apply a spinning force, the farther from the center you get, the easier the pushing becomes, but that push has less effect. So the friction of the floor on the wheel has less effect on slowing a bigger wheel.

[sdcopp 1]

small wheels require less effort to get going, but generate less speed because they have to rotate more times to cover the same amount of distance a larger wheel does. You also have to account for the larger wheels having more deflection, so they grip better by deforming more to match the surface when you take a big push off step. The smaller wheels are more manuverable however, which is why we've not seen hockey skates go into the obscene wheel sizes speed skates have.

[raygunpk 0]

That makes sense. Thanks !

[Xi Retlah iX 0]

Take a rock or something n put it on the end of a string. The rock moves MUCH faster if the rope is longer than if its shorter when u move ur arm at the same speed. Same thing with the wheels. The further away the end of the wheel is from the center of the rotation, the faster it goes. Not exactly scientific, but i did get a 98 on my Physics regents. ha

[mattzilla 0]

big wheels = speed.

look at speedskaters.

little wheels = agility

look at aggressive inline skaters

[elevation 1]

what about durability of big wheels in tight maneuvers...I mean 76 rolls already having some breaking problems...how about 80s...?

[sdcopp 1]

what about durability of big wheels in tight maneuvers...I mean 76 rolls already having some breaking problems...how about 80s...?

That's all dependant on the quality of the wheel, hardness, etc. Smaller wheels are more manuverable as they have a tighter turning radius than bigger wheels do, so in theory the smaller wheel might last much longer, but there's so many other factors that could change that from one to the next.

[Houls 0]

what about durability of big wheels in tight maneuvers...I mean 76 rolls already having some breaking problems...how about 80s...?

That's all dependant on the quality of the wheel, hardness, etc. Smaller wheels are more manuverable as they have a tighter turning radius than bigger wheels do, so in theory the smaller wheel might last much longer, but there's so many other factors that could change that from one to the next.

I usually tear up my back well before my front wheels even show much wear. It definitely depends on your weight, skating style and durometer of the wheels you're using. I'm always stopping and cutting hard, that's why my back wheels wear out first.

[RevisionHockey 0]

Hi guys,

great subject here, and great to hear your responses. Bottom line is bigger wheels = better roll which means greater speed. That is why you see inline race skaters wearing 110mm wheels. Also in regards to grip, if the wheel is engineered correctly, you get a larger contact patch when you compress the wheel is stop and turns which will give you better grip. In regards to durability, the wheels should actually be just as durable, or even more durable if it equals more urethane.

[drumhitter 0]

I agree with all the above - interesting about the rock and the string I never thought of it in that way.

I skate on 76mm wheels, against some great players in GB, and never noticed that those on the tours (80mm wheels through out) were much quicker than the rest of us. Think it's marginal, if you work at every training session and skate hard I'm sure you'll keep up :-p