Why Is My Skateboard So Slow? [ 7 Reasons With Easy Solutions!]

If you are a skateboard junkie like me, you’d want to go very fast on your skateboard. But, after using your skateboard for a while, you might face the issue of slowing down. And, you might beat yourself up over the fact that your skateboard is so slow.

Well, the major reason for your skateboard being slow is that its bearings might have accumulated some dirt from the road. Or, you might just have the wrong type of wheels installed, to begin with (soft wheels will slow you down).

However, these are not the only reasons why your skateboard is so slow. A bunch of other factors can also play vital roles in making your skateboard slower on the streets.

And, this is exactly what we have discussed in this blog post. If you give it a solid read throughout this article, you’ll find out exactly why your skateboard is so slow in greater detail. Also, you’ll get to know how you can easily fix this issue. Convenient, right?

So, without any more hold-ups, read this post till the end at a steady pace. See you at the finish line!!

 Why Your Skateboard Is slow [At A Glance]

	The Reasons	The Solutions
1.	Overly Tight Skateboard Wheels	Readjusting the axle nuts
2.	Dirt Accumulation	Routine cleanup with degreaser solvents
3.	The wrong type of wheels (in terms of hardness)	Opting for harder wheels
4.	Wrong size of wheels	Opting for bigger wheels
5.	Applying the body weight in the wrong way	Readjusting the bodyweight application
6.	Wheel bite occurrence	Increasing deck height
7.	Deformed truck axle	Repairing the truck

Reasons Explained with Step by Step Solutions

Although in the above section, we have mentioned the major reasons for your skateboard being slow, you need a solid understanding of these issues in order to fix these problems for good. That’s why we have provided detailed and in-depth insights on these reasons below. Here, take a look:

1. Overly Tight Skateboard Wheels

The most common reason why your skateboard is slow is probably that you have tightened the axle nuts of your skateboard too much. When assembling the skateboard, this is the most common mistake that people make. 

More specifically, people apply too much spin on the axle nuts and over-tighten them. As a result, the wheels of the skateboard struggle to spin freely. In addition to that, squeaky noises come from the wheels when they’re on the run.

Solution

In order to avoid over-tightening your axle nuts, we recommend that you follow the below steps:

1. Firstly, Install the first washer down the axle. The job of the first washer is to secure the wheels into the axle. In addition to that, it prevents loosening of the wheel over the days of usage.

2. Then, you can install the wheel on the first washer. Remember, before sliding the wheels into the axle, you will need to install the bearings into the wheels first.

3. At this point, you’ll have to slide the second washer in. After that, we recommend that you tighten the nuts with your hand until you feel that they’re fully secured.

4. Lastly, use a tool to increase the tightening level. Now, don’t forget that too much tightening will cause the wheels to lose their free movement. So, be careful not to thread the nuts too deep so that the wheels can still move freely even after the nuts have been tightened.

2. Dirt Accumulation In The Bearings

Dust, dirt, and soil particles are the second most common reason why people feel that their skateboards are slowing down. How is it so? Well, when you are cruising through the streets, some dirt and filth are bound to get into your wheels and bearings, right?.

Now, because the bearings work by sliding and rotating metal balls, their motion gets obstructed if dirt is accumulated into the balls and into the small pockets of the bearings. That’s why, if you don’t routinely clean up your wheels or bearings on a weekly basis, you’ll feel that your skateboard is increasingly slowing down.

Solution

The easiest way to clean off the dirt particles that are accumulated in the bearings of your skateboard is to use a degreaser solvent. If you want to know how exactly you can use degreaser solvents to clean your bearings, follow the steps below:

1. Untighten the nuts of your wheels and take the bearings in the wheels apart from the skateboards.

2. Now, use a knife or a razor (or any other thin metal object) to pry off the metal shield of the bearings. At this point, you should be able to see the balls of the bearings wide open.

3. After that, keep the bearings in the degreaser solvent for about 5 minutes.

4. Next, you should pry the bearings off. In order to do that, you can keep the bearings in direct sunlight for a few minutes. Or, you can also use a hairdryer to remove the moisture content from the bearings.

5. Now, you can use machine oil on the bearings(it’s optional) and reinstall them back to your skateboard.

3. Wrong Types Of Wheels (In Terms Of Hardness)

There are many types of skateboard wheels depending on their hardness levels: 72a, 78a, 82a, 83a, etc. Depending on which type of wheel you choose, you’ll experience different levels of speed.

For example, if you don’t want your skateboard to withstand high amounts of shocks or impacts on the road, you should pick soft wheels for your skateboard. 

On the other hand, if you want speed and extreme mobility on your skateboard, you should go ahead and pick hard wheels.

The Correct Guide

If you feel that your skateboard is experiencing slow speed, you should pick a set of wheels that has a higher rating on the durometer scale (wheels that are harder). For example, if you have 72A wheels on your skateboard, you should go ahead and grab 78A wheels for your skateboard if you feel that your skateboard is going slow.

4. Wrong Size Of Wheels

The speed of the wheels of your skateboard also depends on the diameter of the wheels. That means, if you choose bigger wheels for your skateboard, you will experience higher speed when you are cruising through with your skateboard. So, if you want lesser speed, change your wheels to smaller ones.

On the other hand, if you install smaller wheels on your skateboard, you’ll feel that your skateboard is going much slower. Therefore, depending on which level of speed you want to achieve with your skateboard, you’ll have to install the right size of wheels.

The Correct Guide

In order to achieve the highest speed with your skateboard, I recommend that you install skateboard wheels that are at least 60 millimeters in diameter. 

However, remember that larger wheels facilitate the speed at the cost of losing maneuverability. That means, if you get bigger wheels to achieve higher speed, you’ll have to sacrifice the ability to make quick turns or funky trick riding.

5. Applying The Body Weight In The Wrong Way

Sometimes the cause of your skateboard slowing down is not the skateboard itself. Instead, your body weight amount and how you apply your body weight might be the cause of the slowness.

To be more specific, skateboards are driven by the force that you apply to your body weight. As a result of the force you apply with your legs, the skateboard gets momentum and carries your body with it.

Now, if you apply your body weight in the wrong way and obstruct the motion of the skateboard, you’ll feel that you’re going much slower.

The Correct Guide

The trick to getting high speed is to apply your body weight through the toe of your feet. More specifically, I recommend that you don’t apply your body weight on your heels while you are on the skateboard.

Rather, you should always apply your body weight to the toes of your feet. As a result of that, you will feel that your weight is contributing to gaining momentum (rather than obstructing the momentum gain). 

In addition to that, I also suggest that you don’t entirely let your feet touch the ground when you are riding on your skateboard. And, this especially applies when you are pushing your foot on the ground ahead (at the time of skateboarding).

Remember, if you apply too much force when you are pushing your foot on the ground, you will actually use your force to decrease the momentum instead of increasing it. 

So, when your foot is making contact with the street, lift your foot back up as soon as you can. That way, you can use your foot and your body weight in the most efficient way to gain momentum and speed.

6. Occurrence Of Wheelbite

Along with the above-mentioned reasons, another reason why you might be facing slowness when riding the skateboard is wheelbite. Wheelbite is the phenomenon when your skateboard wheel accidentally touches the deck of your skateboard.

As a result of that, the free revolution of the wheels gets obstructed by the deck. Thus, making you feel that your skateboard is slowing down.

The Correct Guide

If you want to avoid wheel bites while riding your skateboard, you’ll have to make sure that the deck of your skateboard is optimally higher than your wheels. In order to do that, you can install a new set of trucks that facilitate your deck to be higher from the ground.

Also, you can choose a smaller set of wheels to avoid wheel bite (although you need to remember that getting a smaller set of wheels will make your skateboard go a bit slower). Therefore, changing the truck is the most suited choice in this case.

7. Deformed Truck Axle

In case your skateboard has gone through some rough time and suffered from physical damage, its truck axle can get bent or damaged. As a result of that, your skateboard wheels can lose their synchronization of speed. As a result, you might face slowdowns when riding your skateboard.

The Solution

The solution to this problem is to replace the truck and install a new truck on your skateboard. Also, if your skateboard comes with a lifetime warranty, you can reach out to the manufacturer of your skateboard and get it repaired.

People Also Ask

1. How to make skateboard wheels spin faster?

If you want your skateboard wheels to make revolutions at a faster speed, the easiest way to do this is to apply an optimum level of machine oil to its bearings. 

Also, be sure to run a routine cleanup on your skateboard bearings as well. That way, it is ensured that you will be able to achieve the highest speed that your skateboard wheels can deliver.

Related: How Fast Can a Skateboard Go (Fun Facts Inside!)

2. What to do if one of the skateboard wheels is running slower than the others?

If you feel that one of your skateboard wheels is not running as it should be, you’ll have to take it apart and inspect it individually. Now, in most cases, this phenomenon occurs because of dirt or filth accumulation in the wheels. 

Or, it might be an indication that one of the wheels of your skateboard has been physically damaged. So, go ahead and change it.

3. Does the weight of the board affect the speed of the skateboard?

Yes, in fact, the weight of the board is one of the major criteria that affects the skateboard’s speed. More specifically, if your skateboard deck is made of heavy materials, it will take more time for you to create momentum on the skateboard. 

As a result, you’ll feel that your skateboard is going a bit slower than others. That’s why we recommend that you choose only those skateboards that offer decks that are made of lightweight materials such as maple wood, lightweight polyurethane, etc.

How to Fasten Your Skateboard Video

The Conclusion

Although the question, “why my skateboard is so slow?” is a very common one in the internet forums, the actual reason for the skateboard’s loss of speed can only be ascertained by examining the skateboard itself.

However, the common reasons for this occurrence are usually dirt accumulation, wrong size of the wheel, wrong way of applying force, etc. That’s why, if you can avoid these common problems, you can rest assured that your skateboard will probably not go slow anymore.