Any good skater would have gone through multiple different set-ups. It can take me a while to get used to a new boot, plate, truck or wheel so be sure to be patient with your adjustment period. We all have individual needs. Your set-ups should be customized to suit the personal style of the skater. Most skaters own more than one pair of skates, plates and trucks and many pairs of wheels, bushings, bearings and other interchangeable parts. It is important to experiment and figure out what works best for you individually. Skate breakdown and advanced hardware. 1. BOOT This simply refers to the boot or shoe that is mounted to the plate. Many skaters customise their own skates by using regular shoes such as Vans. If you are going to go down this path it is important that you choose a sturdy boot (preferably leather) with a strong, supportive sole. 2. EYELETS The holes you lace skates through. This also comes in hook form. 3. LACE The cord passed through eyelets or hooks on opposite sides of a shoe and pulled tight and fastened. 4. TOE STOP Urethane devices screwed into the front of the plate to allow a skate to come to a complete stop while rolling fakie. 5. TOE PROTECTOR This is a non-compulsory, but highly recommended, accessorie for most skaters. Its sole purpose it to protect the front of a skaters boot. 6. PLATE This is the component of a skate that is physically attached to the boot with mounting hardware. This consists of the plate itself (with 4 or 6 mounting holes) and it supports the kingpins and pivot cups. This is the basis of a roller skate. Once you add the truck with all its components you have a roller skate. This is also the base that all sliders are connected to. 7. KINGPIN The kingpins are partially threaded bolts that protrude from the front and back of skate plate. This is the base that holds the trucks together. Connected to it are the bushings, retainers, and the truck, and this is held together with a nut. The tightness or looseness of this determines the ease of turning. These will often need to be altered if using wide trucks to enable grinding. 8. PIVOT CUP A hollowed rubber cup that rests inside the base plate, this supports the truck hanger at the pivot point, allowing it to turn smoothly in both directions. 9. TRUCK The truck hanger is fastened to the kingpin and rests in the pivot cup of the base-plate. It contains the axle on which your wheels are mounted and provides the surface we so relentlessly grind on. CIB have developed Grind Trucks compatible with a wide range of Rollerskate plates. Some skaters choose to alter Skateboard and Penny Trucks, however, this requires a lot of DIY know how. 10. BUSHING/CUSHION Also known as cushions, bushings are urethane rings that slip onto your king pin. There are two bushings per truck, one above and one below where the hanger sits. They come in many grades which determine how soft or hard it will be to adjust the turning radius and the response of the truck itself. Tighter bushings mean stiffer trucks, while loose bushings make for easier turning. 11. BUSHING RETAINER/WASHER A retainer is a simple metal casing that sits either side of the bushings. This helps protect the plate and the bushings. 12. NUTS Also known as axle nut or kingpin nut. The nut is threaded on to the truck axle to hold the wheel in place. The same applies to the kingpin. 13. AXLE The axle extends from the truck base. This is the foundation that your bearings rotate around. One wheel is inserted on either end and held in place by the axle nut. These protrude a couple of inches on either side. Regular truck axels are much shorter than skateboard trucks. 14. BEARING WASHER This is a small metal circle which provides the service of protecting your bearings. Not a requirement, but definitely recommended. 15. BEARING An anti-friction device called a bearing that is inserted between each wheel and axle. This is what allows the wheels to spin freely. They consist of 6, 7 or 8 balls enclosed in races between two shields encased in a shell. There are 2 bearings per wheel. 16. WHEEL The typical size range of wheels for street and vert skating ranges between 45-60mm. We recommend a harder wheel for speed. The harder the wheel, the faster you will go and the less you will stick to the ramp for tricks like slides and grinds. CIB have developed a line of wheels made to help you reach your top speed with minimal effort. The sizes range from 55-58 and hardnesses from 98-101. To find out more check out the CIB wheel line. 17. MOUNTING HARDWARE This refers to any bolt or nut used in the application of putting the skate together. 18. SLIDERS Also known as a grind or slide block. There are a variety of custom and homemade versions out in the world. A slider is made up of 1-2 pieces of HDP (high density plastic) per skate. These are mostly custom-built and come in all varieties of shapes and designs and have been mounted in all manner of ways. The purpose of this is to allow the skater to perform horizontal sides across coping and rails. CIB have developed two models which work on a variety of skate plates. Find out more about CIB Sliders.