How To Go Over Bumps On A Skateboard (Rough Road Tips)

Are you looking for ways on how to go over bumps on a skateboard? If you are a beginner or a pro at skateboarding, riding on bumpy roads is challenging for everyone.

However, with the help of this article, we will provide you with some tips on how to ride a skateboard on rough roads without losing balance or breaking the board.

Let’s get started.

How To Go Over Bumps On A Skateboard

First of all, understand that you can ride a skateboard on bumpy roads. However, to do so, you need to consider a few things like the type of skateboard you own, your riding skill, and safety.

Furthermore, going over bumps on a skateboard is not much fun, but it can be a good learning experience so that if you face such rough roads, you can easily get over it. Firstly, let’s see what kind of skateboard you should use on rough roads. Then we’ll see how to skateboard on bumpy roads without falling and losing balance.

Get The Right Skateboard

The first thing that you need to consider is the type of skateboard you own. If you own a cruiser skateboard or longboard, then it will be easier for you to go over bumps. On the other hand, if you own a street skateboard, then it will be more difficult.

This is because the cruiser and longboard are equipped with big soft wheels that can easily roll over bumps and have a wide deck, making it easy to balance yourself on board. Whereas the street skateboard has a narrow deck with small and hard wheels, which can get stuck in the cracks and make it difficult for you to balance.

So if you don’t own a skateboard till now go for a cruiser or longboard only as they are ideal for rough roads. For those who already own a street skateboard, it’s better to replace the specific part of the skateboard like wheels, trucks, and deck. The most important part to consider is the wheels, and if you don’t replace other parts, you can still skateboard on bumpy roads.

Below is a detailed guide on choosing the specific part of skateboards considering bumpy roads. But the most crucial part is the wheels, so let’s start with it.

Get The Right Skateboard Wheels

If you want to upgrade your existing skateboard for rough roads, the first thing you need to look for is your skateboard wheels. It is one of the most important parts of the skateboard as it helps you grip the ground, decide the gap between ground and deck, and roll on the surface accordingly.

If your skateboard wheels are small or too old, it won’t be easy to go over the bumps. The ideal size of skateboard wheels for rough roads is between 54 to 60 mm. Furthermore, also consider that the wheels are soft (77-87A) and are made of polyurethane for long lasting.

To make your research easy, you can also consider our experts recommended best skateboard wheels for rough roads.

Once you replace the skateboard wheels with the rough road suited wheels, you can go over the bumps. Nonetheless, if you frequently skate on rough roads, you should also consider your skateboard’s trucks and deck.

Get The Right Skateboard Trucks

The next thing to consider is your skateboard trucks. Trucks help in mounting the wheels and support deck of the skateboard. Just like wheels, the size of skateboard trucks also differs according to a rider’s preference.

The ideal size of skateboard trucks completely depends on the width of your deck. You must go for small trucks if you are riding a skateboard with a narrow deck. And, if you’re riding a wide deck skateboard that is obvious on rough roads board, you must go for big trucks.

Also, note that the trucks are not too tight or loose because it can result in losing control over the board. You can check the tightness of your trucks by trying to move them from side to side to check whether they turn and move easily or not. According to that, you can adjust them yourself before you start riding on rough roads.

If the trucks are small, the deck will easily touch the ground if it’s rough roads, but the large trucks make a more gap between the deck and the ground. Hence, always prefer larger trucks, for which you must also consider the deck.

Get The Right Skateboard Deck

As you saw above, for more gap between deck and ground, you need larger size trucks, and for large trucks, you need a wider deck.

A wide deck is ideal for rough roads as it allows you to use larger trucks and helps balance yourself on a skateboard, which is very important on rough roads.

For rough roads, you can look for a skateboard deck 8.0” wide or up. In addition, consider the decks having a concave shape as they perform better on rough roads.

Tips To Go Over Bumps On a Skateboard

Once you own the right skateboard that is suited for bumpy roads, either by replacing particular parts in the existing board or getting a new preassembled skateboard, you’re ready to go over bumps on a skateboard. Below are a few important things you need to consider listed below.

Wear Safety Gears

Riding on rough roads is always risky, and you might fall off the board anytime. Therefore, you must wear all the safety gear such as a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads before you move on.

Get Comfortable On Board

If you are a beginner, then it is challenging to balance on the board and move over the bumps. Therefore, getting comfortable by riding and practicing on smooth surfaces is essential. You can also see skateboarding tips and tricks articles on our site if you’re a beginner.

Learn To Balance

This is the first and most important thing to do before you go over any kind of obstacle on your skateboard. You need to know how to balance on a skateboard yourself so that you don’t fall off the board due to uneven roads. If you don’t know yet, remember that being able to balance on skateboards requires a lot of practice.

Watch Your Speed

You should always keep an eye on your speed while riding on a rough road. If you go too fast, it will be difficult to control your skateboard, and you may lose your balance and fall off.

In addition, riding very slowly can also be dangerous as the board might get stuck in a pothole or any other kind of bump. Therefore, always maintain a good stable speed while skateboarding on rough roads. Before you start learning, you should know how fast can a skateboard go so that you’re aware.

Use Your Legs To Absorb Impact Of Bump

While going over bumps on a skateboard, you should use your legs to absorb the impact of the bump instead of the whole body. By using your legs, you will be able to keep your balance and control over the skateboard.

Stay Calm

When you go over a bump on the board, it is essential to stay calm and not get tense. If you get tense, then it won’t be easy to maintain balance on the skateboard. If you lose balance, just try to be calm and stop the board suddenly to avoid trouble. If you’re afraid of skateboarding, you can learn how to get over the fear of skateboarding.

FAQs

Conclusion

In conclusion, going over bumps on a skateboard is possible, but it is essential to be cautious and take safety measures while doing so. Having the right type of board for the job is also important for rough road riding. Cruiser skateboards and longboards with big soft wheels are the best options for going over rough roads and bumps.

We hope you get answered on how to go over bumps on a skateboard and what type of board you need. If you have any other skateboarding related queries, feel free to comment below.