Longboard Risers Buying Advice

The main purpose of risers is to stop wheel bite. When you turn your board (or maybe try a trick), you take advantage of the flex in your deck to bend slightly. 

When your deck bends, there's a chance it can hit your wheels if they get too close. When this happens, your wheels stop dead, generally messing with the flow of your ride (or sending you plummeting to the ground, which is pretty awkward). 

When you install risers, it lifts the deck away from the wheels, hopefully stopping wheel bite from happening at all.

Another purpose for risers is that they can absorb the shock of impact, meaning your hardware doesn't constantly work itself loose.

There are several different sizes of rises, and it's best to experiment to see which will suit your individual skating style. You also have a choice between angled risers and flat ones. A flat riser will give you extra room between your deck and wheels, but also compromise on manoeuvrability. Angled, or wedge risers, will allow you to take a little more control over how your longboard turns. Angling them in different positions will allow you to increase or decrease the strength of your turn. Again, experiment! Create something that suits you as an individual and makes the most of your kit.

Remember, if you buy risers for your board, you'll need longer hardware to fit it. Here's a rough guide:

No Riser - 7/8" to 1" hardware

1/8" Riser - 1" to 1 1/8" hardware

1/4" Riser - 1 1/4" hardware

1/2" Riser - 1 1/2" hardware

Make sure you have the right hardware to suit your risers. Otherwise, your nuts and bolts could work themselves loose.... Not ideal in the middle of a skate!