Rubber vs Polyurethane Wheels?

[anandosaurus]

What are the pros and cons between rubber wheels and urethane? It seems that almost all longboard wheels are polyurethane and I imagine it’s for better durability but how significant is the difference in durability (especially since car wheels are rubber)?

Right now, I have the 100mm MBS wheels, but I was looking to change to the honeycomb Boundmotor wheels. The advantages I can see is that the wheels are softer and since the roads here are pretty rough, that would make for a more comfortable ride. Also if the roads are slightly damp, I’ve heard rubber gets better grip on roads than urethane.

The board is just for commuting. I won’t be going off road or doing anything fancy. Are there any reasons to not get the Boundmotor wheels? What are the tradeoffs?

[onloop]

This is actually a very technical question, many people will have many kinds of response.

There is already some technical discussion about it hidden deep in the corners of this forum.

Track racing - set up and riding style

I can speak for rubber. It’s all about matching duro/compound to applied force, surface temp and surface type. To hard you lose grip, to soft you lose grip. One compound will make good grip on a 130f track surface and be undesirable at 150f. There is always speed to made with the correct compound for the application. You’re only as good as your contact patch.

But i get the feeling you are asking specifically about this product, i cant personally help because i have never tested it, but there are some people on here who have discussed similar products sold by this company. From my understanding the china company behind this brand BOUNDMOTOR is called elofty. So you can do some research about them directly.

look here:

https://electric-skateboard.builders/search?q=elofty

From my experience over the years; the general consensus is you can’t beat good quality urethane on good quality streets for general cruising. But, If you have really bad roads, you generally can’t beat tires with tubes. Search 8 Inch Pneumatic

[anandosaurus]

I’m not too picky about the brand but I haven’t been able to find another company that sells ~100mm rubber wheels with an ABEC or Kegel mounting system. I say 100mm over the larger pneumatic tires since it’s very hilly where I live so I need the torque from the smaller wheels. Thanks though, I’ll try and look around for more information.

[onloop]

@anandosaurus

~100mm rubber wheels with an ABEC or Kegel mounting system

there might be a good reason its not common. Making really good skateboard wheels is extremely complex,.

[anandosaurus]

Yeah, I was wondering if anyone knew why they’re not that common. My guess was that it’s just how it’s always been and the durability thing but a more detailed pros and cons would have been nice. If it’s just manufacturing complexity, is Boundmotor just the company that managed to pull it off?

[onloop]

Also, another angle to think about… When you cannot find a clear answer about a product, its possible because nobody has bothered to “test” and “review” the product.

Lots of new stuff on the market and not much user data, so this might be your opportunity to add to the community, give them a go and let everyone know your thoughts in a review.

[anandosaurus]

I think I’ll do that if I can’t find an answer from someone else. I didn’t realize it was so new. Almost everything I’ve come across before has had some kind of review or thread on here about it.

[onloop]

@anandosaurus

Almost everything I’ve come across before has had some kind of review or thread on here about it.

But you still want more information it seems?