A skateboard is generally composed of 6 major pieces: grip, deck, hardware, trucks, bearings, and wheels.
Grip is typically sold in 9″ x 33″ sheets and comes in a variety of grit levels and designs. From my experience, you can’t go wrong with grizzly or mob brand grip for skateboards. Just stray away from clear grip, it seems to wear faster than colored grip.
Skateboard decks have evolved from solely maple construction and now integrate carbon fiber and other polymers to create a longer lasting and more lively and responsive feel. I’m a huge fan of the GX line from Creature and Santa Cruz skateboards. The snap, the rebound, and the responsiveness is next level.
I choose my hardware mainly by color. Krux makes really cute hardware and that’s what I am currently riding.
For trucks, I prefer the traditional feel of Independent but I am also fond of Krux. I’ve tried lighter trucks such as Tensor Mag Lights, only to be let down. They feel too light for my taste.
For bearings, you can find Bones at nearly any skate shop and Reds are a great option for all around skating. However, Zealous brand bearings have integrated bearing spacers and speed rings into their design which makes swapping wheels a breeze and happen to be my personal favorite for every application.
For wheels, Powell Peralta has the finest urethane in all the lands. I’m riding 56mm dragonskins right now and they are my favorite skateboard wheel. For rougher rides, such as blacktop or SF chunder, the G-slides are a solid bet and deliver a crisp and in-the-pavement feeling when put sideways.
Bushings are also fairly important and can drastically alter the feel of your ride. I weigh approx 140 lbs. and typically ride Independent brand soft bushings (the red ones / 88a) in the barrel/cone combo. Currently I am riding 88a barrel bushings boardside and 78a cone bushings roadside. The combo creates a stable yet lively feeling.
Keep in mind this is all personal preference. Anyone can skate any board and only through experimentation will you find your perfect setup
My current build:
-Grizzly Grip
-GX line deck by Creature and Santa Cruz skateboards
-Krux Hardware
-149mm (8.5″) Independent trucks
-Bones Reds bearings
-Powell Peralta 56mm dragonskin wheels
** Truck width should match board width. This is specifically an 8.5 setup. However, 149mm trucks should fit 8.3″- 8.7″ decks (approximately)**
Get the build!
Deck:
Creature Provost Tripz 8.47 VX Skateboard Deck | Tactics
149mm trucks = 8.5″:
Independent Silver Stage 11 Skateboard Trucks – silver 149 | Tactics
Wheels:
Powell Peralta Dragon Formula V6 Skateboard Wheels – off white (93a) | Tactics
Bearings:
Zealous Bearings – Green – CCS
Hardware:
Krux Krome Phillips Hardware – Pink/Blue – 1″ – CCS
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