Risers do two things. They help relieve stress from the trucks, which helps keep the deck from cracking (also called pressure cracks, which are produced by over tightening of the hardware and general wear and tear). More importantly, risers help keep the wheels from biting into the board on a hard turn, causing the board to suddenly stop, also known as wheel bite. It's a bad thing to have happen. Most risers are about 1/8" high. If you have extra large wheels, you'll want higher risers. On the other hand, if your wheels are small (52mm), then you might not need risers at all. Most people who ride street style boards with smaller wheels do not use risers. Most people use risers for longboards or cruisers because they ride fairly loose trucks with those types of set ups. It all depends on your personal preference and trial and error is the name of the game.

Trucks are the metal parts under the deck that the wheels are attached to and they enable your board to turn and grind. They are comprised of a baseplate, kingpin, bushings, hanger & axle. The baseplate is the bit that is bolted to your board. The kingpin is the big bolt that comes up through the middle of the baseplate. It is used to adjust the turn response of your board; the tighter it is the less your trucks will turn, that is what it means to tighten your trucks. The hanger is the bit that you grind and the wheels are attached to the axle. When choosing what trucks to ride, first consider the size of your board and the type of terrain you want to ride. Trucks come in many different lengths and heights. The length of the trucks is determined by how long the axel is. Most people try to ride trucks that are about as long as their boards are wide. For instance, if you ride a 7.75 inch board you would want to find a pair of trucks that is 7.75 inches long, or close to it. As for the height (how tall the trucks are) most people who skate a lot of street, prefer to use a lower profile truck with smaller wheels.  While most vert or bowl riders choose to use a higher profile truck with bigger wheels (the lower your trucks, the smaller your wheels should be and vice versa).

Like all skateboard parts, wheels come in all sizes. The larger wheels are best for vert riding, anywhere up to the 60-millimeter range. Street skating wheels are generally 50 mm to about 57 mm, sometimes even smaller. An interesting attribute to wheels is durometer. This is a measurement of the hardness of the wheel. Because wheels are made of urathane that can vary in hardness. A simple test of durometer is to push your thumbnail into the edge of a wheel. You can also check the durometer printed on the wheel. The durometer value has the letter "a" after it and can range from 0 to 100. The larger the number, the harder the wheel. soft wheels have a durometer of about 85, and hard wheels have a durometer of 97 or higher. Softer wheels are usually clear and used for long boards or “cruiser” type boards. While the harder wheels are for the more stunt oriented boards. Usually the smaller wheels are harder and the larger wheels are softer. It’s worth mentioning that it is best to have a matching set of wheels on your board. This means all four wheels are matched in size (mm) and durometer (a).

Bearings enable the wheels to turn and there is a vast range on the market. They usually have an ABEC rating and generally range from ABEC1 to ABEC9. According to Ninja, "ABEC is an acronym for the Annular Bearing Engineers Committee, a US organization which long ago developed a rating system based on the tolerances of a bearing’s inner and outer diameter, width and width variation, radial run-out, side run-out, and raceway run-out. Unfortunately, several factors which greatly influence bearings performance in skating use are not directly measured by the ABEC system; ball size and uniformity, lubrication, shield construction, material composition, and construction durability." So ABEC ratings are not always an indication of how the bearings will perform in the harsh skating environment. A higher rating means the bearing is made with tighter tolerances, and can spin faster, but the truth of the matter is skateboarders never come close to the maxing out the speed of their bearing, even when you bombed that super death hill. Bones bearings are considered to be in a class of their own. Bones does not specify ABEC ratings because they are specially designed for the unique stresses of skateboarding and therefore bones calls them "Skate Rated."



While most brands rate their bearings with the ABEC system, there are also Swiss and ceramic. These bearings offer the best speed and durability, but cost considerably more because they are made with extra precision. Ceramic bearings are special because the balls in the bearing are made of ceramic not metal which helps reduce wear caused by heat and friction. While Swiss bearings are made with extremely high precision.



Most street riders use ABEC3 – 5, this gives them a solid, durable, and fast bearing depending on the brand. Most people who long board or just ride casually will go for the higher ABEC bearing because they provide a faster ride and will not encounter much impact. If you are looking for long lasting fast bearing, check out Swiss, ceramic or Bones. Bearings are available in packs of 8 (2 for each wheel).

When choosing a skateboard, consider your weight and height before deciding what size board to go for. The heavier and/or taller you are the better off you'll be on a larger, wider board, however you may prefer to start off on a larger board anyway to provide you with stability until you decide what style of riding you are going to adopt. Decks are usually made from layers of laminated wood plys (usually 7) and vary in length and size. Most deck widths range between 7.5 and 8.5 inches, and lengths, from around 31 to 33 inches. Your choice will depend on the type of riding you want to do. The smaller, lighter decks are usually easier to control and flip. Whereas the larger, heavier decks are more stable and are good for riding transitions or doing stairs and gaps. The rest is down to personal preference in terms of wheel base, nose, and tail length. Most decks (except for some longboards) have a raised nose, tail, and sides. This is called the concave. The depth and overall shape of the concave has a dramatic effect on the response of the skateboard. The deeper the concave, the more aggressive the skater can be with their tricks. The shallower the concave, the more forgiving the deck is for newer skaters. Grip Tape is applied to the top of the deck and provides you with traction. There are loads of different colors & graphics available but they all do the same basic job.