Getting Groovy – Our Favourite Roller Dance Wheels
Are you a groover and shaker on 8 wheels? Well then, you might want to think about getting some new wheels to help you on your roller dance journey. Having the right kind of wheels can make a big difference in helping you find your flow, hitting your edges and staying in control. To make your wheel choice a little easier we’ve put together a list of the RollerFit Team’s favourite wheels for roller dance, rhythm and jam skating.
To get you started on your new wheel mission, here are a few things we think you should keep in mind:
- What kind of surface do you typically dance on? Is it grippy, rough or smooth as butter? Choose a wheel that has a hardness rating and a urethane compound that will suit the surfaces you skate on.
- Are you a slip or grip kind of person? This is a purely personal preference. Embracing a bit of slip can help with more advanced moves, but if you’ve got lots of power in those legs then you might want something with a bit of grip to stay in control.
- Look for that hard edge! A hard edge wheel has a 90-degree-ish finish on the sides to help you hit and hold your edges. A rounded edge can still be used for roller dancing but you can roll off your edge if you lean too hard into it.
Indoor Wheels
If you skate indoors or on smooth outdoor surfaces then you might like some indoor style wheels that tend to be a bit harder and have a little slip to them. For indoor wheels, we always rave about brands like Roll-Line, Rollerbones and Radar.
Our top picks for indoor dance wheels are:
- Roll-Line Fox – The perfect introductory indoor wheel with a 92a hardness rating, 57mm in diameter, nice width and a hard edge. They are light and have good predictable grip.
- Roll-Line Mustang – For those looking for something a bit harder, these 97a wheels have a nice hard edge with good width and height for dance. Mustang’s still have a moderate grip on some indoor surfaces and will give a little bit of slip on super smooth floors.
- Roll-Line Giotto 57mm – The Giotto’s are a fave amongst our more intermediate to advanced skaters. These wheels use a D class urethane (harder than A scale), and they are narrower than other wheels recommended in this blog, which makes them more agile. These wheels are definitely for those looking to experiment with some slip.
- Rollerbones Art Elite – We find Rollerbones wheels to use a bit more of a grippy urethane than other indoor wheels, but this isn’t a bad thing if you’re skating on slippery surfaces or looking to get a bit more control in your movements. These 101a wheels are nice height and width and just a solid all-rounder with a clean look.
- Rollerbones Team Logo – These wheels are great for people on a budget or who might like something a bit harder to skate on smooth outdoor surfaces. Team Logo wheels come in 98a or 101a hardness, they’re a nice height at 57mm and a great width for dance. They also come in bright and fun colours so you can make your skates as cool as your dance moves.
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Radar Riva – Another great option on the cheaper end of the dance wheel spectrum is the Riva’s. Coming in at a 96a hardness rating these wheels are ideal for those wanting to have a nice grip to slip ratio. They’re also pretty durable so you can use these on smooth outdoor surfaces too.
Outdoor Wheels
Whether you’re an avid outdoor skater or just don’t like hard wheels we still have wheel recommendations for you! We like to cater to all wheel connoisseurs and preferences here at RollerFit.
- Radar Energy – The go-to outdoor wheel for the RollerFit team! These wheels are nice and soft with a 78a rating but they still have that nice hard edge. For dance, we recommend the 57mm size Energy wheels as they’ll still be agile enough but if you skate on some crunchy surfaces or want more control you could give the 62mm ones a go. These wheels can still be used indoors too, don’t let the categorisation box you in.
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Radar Crush – The Crush wheels are made for outdoor dancers, giving a small diameter wheel to improve agility and manoeuvrability. Coming in 84a and 88a hardness you can get a good hardness to match the kinds of surfaces you’re skating on. Just a PSA, the Radar Crush wheels are small so they cannot be used with a Roll-Line plate as they do not provide enough kingpin clearance.
Hybrid Wheels
For those looking for a bit of both the indoor and outdoor wheel worlds, maybe a hybrid wheel could be what you’re looking for. Hybrids are also a great option if multiple types of wheels are not in your budget and you’re a skate anywhere and everywhere kind of person.
- Moxi Fundaes – These wheels are cute and colourful! Whilst they don’t technically have a hardness rating, we think the Fundaes feel around the 90-92a range. Fundaes do have a rounded edge but they have a good amount of grip to help you keep in control.
- Chuffed Chillers – The Chillers are a bit more of an agile hybrid wheel with a bit more height, a thinner profile and a urethane compound that makes them feel noticeably harder than the Fundaes. These wheels have a sort-of hard edge with a slightly conical shape on the outward facing side of the wheel. With a 92a rating, depending on the surfaces you skate on, the Chillers have a nice slip to grip ratio.