Fingerboard Wheels vs Bearings: What Should You Upgrade First?

Fingerboard Wheels vs Bearings: What Should You Upgrade First?

If you have a limited budget for upgrading your fingerboard, should you spend it on better wheels or better bearings?

It is one of those questions that comes up repeatedly in fingerboarding. You have a decent deck, trucks that you are happy with, and perhaps some basic wheels and bearings. You want the board to feel smoother, faster and more refined — but you don't necessarily want to replace everything at once.

So where should your money go?

The short answer is that wheels generally make the bigger difference to the overall feel of a fingerboard, while bearings are more about refining the performance of the wheels you already have.

But there is more to it than simply buying the most expensive option.

WHEELS ARE THE PART YOU ACTUALLY FEEL

Wheels have a surprisingly large influence on how a fingerboard feels.

Their diameter, shape, width, urethane formula, hardness and bearing fit all contribute to the way the board rolls and responds.

A quality set of wheels can immediately change the character of a board.

Different wheels can provide:

  • A smoother roll

  • More consistent speed

  • Better control

  • A different amount of grip

  • Different sound and feedback

  • More realistic rolling characteristics

  • A completely different aesthetic

This is why changing wheels can make an otherwise ordinary setup suddenly feel much more premium.

WHAT ABOUT BEARINGS?

Bearings matter too.

A good bearing should allow the wheel to rotate smoothly with minimal unwanted resistance. Quality bearings can improve consistency and eliminate some of the roughness or grinding that you might experience with cheaper components.

However, there is an important distinction.

A bearing is inside the wheel.

That means its performance is partly experienced through the wheel itself.

If you have very basic wheels with mediocre urethane, replacing the bearings with an extremely expensive set may not transform the board as dramatically as replacing the wheels.

This is where some fingerboarders can spend money in the wrong place.

THE CHEAP WHEEL + EXPENSIVE BEARING TRAP

Imagine you have a basic set of wheels with inexpensive bearings.

You spend €30–€50 on premium bearings but keep the same wheels.

Yes, the setup may become smoother.

But you have not changed the wheel's shape, urethane, hardness, contact patch or overall rolling characteristics.

Now take that same money and put it towards a quality set of wheels.

Suddenly you have changed one of the most noticeable parts of the setup.

This is why upgrading wheels first is often the more noticeable upgrade.

BUT DON'T UNDERESTIMATE BEARINGS

That doesn't mean bearings are unimportant.

Far from it.

Once you have good wheels, bearings become considerably more interesting.

A good set of wheels with poor bearings can feel disappointing. You may have excellent urethane and a beautifully machined wheel, but if the bearing is rough, inconsistent or poorly fitted, the wheel cannot perform at its best.

Think of it this way:

The wheel determines much of the character.
The bearing helps determine how efficiently that character is delivered.

That distinction is important.

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT FROM YOUR SETUP?

Before buying anything, consider what you are trying to improve.

Want a completely different feel?

Upgrade the wheels.

Changing wheel shape and urethane can dramatically alter the character of the board.

Want smoother rolling?

Bearings may be the answer.

Especially if your current bearings are rough, dirty or inconsistent.

Want more grip?

Look at the urethane and wheel shape first.

Want less grip?

Again, look at the wheel compound and shape.

Want a faster, cleaner roll?

Both wheels and bearings can contribute.

Want the biggest noticeable upgrade?

For most setups, wheels are the place to start.

THE IMPORTANCE OF URETHANE

One reason wheels can make such a difference is that they are not simply plastic discs.

Quality urethane can provide a very different experience from cheap hard plastic wheels.

The material affects:

  • Grip

  • Rebound

  • Rolling feel

  • Sound

  • Slide characteristics

  • Consistency

  • Durability

This is why comparing wheels purely by appearance can be misleading.

Two wheels can look almost identical but behave completely differently.

A premium wheel is not necessarily premium because of its graphic or colour.

The material and manufacturing are what matter.

DIAMETER CHANGES THE BOARD TOO

Wheel diameter is another reason wheels have such an influence.

Larger wheels can alter the way the board sits and rolls, while smaller wheels can produce a different visual and mechanical character.

Even a relatively small change can affect how a setup feels when popping, landing and rolling away.

That is something a bearing upgrade simply cannot replicate.

A bearing is designed to make the wheel rotate.

The wheel itself determines what is rotating.

SO WHEN SHOULD YOU UPGRADE BEARINGS?

There is a good argument for upgrading bearings once you already have decent wheels.

If your current wheels are good but your bearings:

  • Feel rough

  • Make excessive noise

  • Have inconsistent rotation

  • Feel gritty

  • Are damaged

  • Have excessive play

then bearings become a sensible upgrade.

You don't necessarily need the most expensive bearings available either.

There is a point where improvements become increasingly difficult to notice during normal fingerboarding.

Marketing can make premium bearings sound revolutionary, but the difference between a poor bearing and a good bearing is generally far more meaningful than the difference between a good bearing and an extremely expensive bearing.

THE COMPLETE SETUP MATTERS

There is another issue that often gets forgotten.

Wheels and bearings don't operate independently.

They work together with the trucks, axles, nuts and deck.

Poorly fitted components can create problems even when individual parts are expensive.

For example, overtightening the wheel nuts can restrict wheel movement. Too much axle play can create unwanted movement. A poor bearing fit can also compromise the experience.

This means that simply buying the most expensive component isn't necessarily the solution.

Good setup and compatibility matter.

WHAT ABOUT ABEC RATINGS?

This is where fingerboard marketing can become confusing.

You will see bearings described using ratings such as ABEC-5, ABEC-7 or ABEC-9.

The important thing to understand is that the ABEC rating is a specification related to bearing manufacturing tolerances. It is not a simple "speed rating" for fingerboarding.

A higher ABEC number does not automatically mean that a bearing will transform your setup.

For fingerboarding, factors such as manufacturing quality, cleanliness, lubrication, fit and consistency can be more relevant to the actual experience.

So don't buy a bearing simply because the number on the packet is bigger.

THE BEST UPGRADE ORDER

If you are building a setup on a budget, a sensible progression is:

1. Get decent trucks

Your wheels need a good foundation.

2. Buy quality wheels

This is where you can make one of the biggest changes to the personality of your setup.

3. Upgrade bearings

Once the wheels are worth upgrading, better bearings can refine the setup further.

4. Fine-tune everything

Wheel nut tension, truck setup and overall compatibility can make a surprisingly large difference.

THE €20 QUESTION

Let's say you have €20 available.

Would you spend it on expensive bearings for basic wheels?

Or would you put the money towards better wheels?

In most situations, putting the money towards better wheels is likely to produce the more noticeable change.

If your existing bearings are damaged or genuinely terrible, however, the equation changes.

The goal isn't to follow a rigid upgrade hierarchy.

It is to identify the weakest component of your setup.

WHEELS VS BEARINGS: THE VERDICT

There isn't a universal answer for every fingerboarder.

But if your question is:

"Which upgrade will I notice more?"

then wheels generally have the advantage.

They change the physical characteristics of the board in ways that bearings cannot.

Wheels change the ride.
Bearings refine the ride.

If you already own excellent wheels, upgrading the bearings can make perfect sense.

If you're running basic wheels and wondering where your money should go first, however, quality wheels are usually the more significant upgrade.

And perhaps the biggest lesson is this:

Don't confuse expensive with better.

A well-designed wheel made from quality urethane with a properly fitted, reliable bearing can outperform a dramatically more expensive setup that has simply been assembled around impressive-sounding specifications.

In fingerboarding, the best setup isn't necessarily the one with the biggest price tag.

It's the one that feels right under your fingers.

Upgrade both when appropriate

Some wheel products already include bearings, making them a practical single-step upgrade. The Fingerboard Mafia High-Speed CNC Wheels with Bearings are one example.

Test methodically

Change one component at a time when diagnosing a problem. That is the fastest way to understand what actually improved the board.

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