What Is a Freestyle Scooter Made Of? A Part-by-Part Breakdown

⚡ In brief: a freestyle scooter is a kit made up of around 14 types of parts, and every one of them can be replaced.

The setup consists of a deck, fork, headset, compression system, clamp, and handlebars; these will last for years. Grips, grip tape, wheels, bearings, and the brake are consumable parts. Most repairs involve replacing a single consumable part, not buying a new scooter.

The only thing that needs to “fit” is the compression system (SCS, HIC, or IHC; the older ICS is no longer used). It determines which handlebars and clamp fit the scooter.

🗺️ Scooter map: what parts is it made of?

From top to bottom: grips and bar ends, clamp, with the compression system underneath that pulls the handlebars, headset, and fork together. The fork passes through the plate and carries the front wheel. Rear wheel with a brake, grip tape on the deck. Each wheel has two bearings, a spacer, and an axle.

If you count each piece separately (2 grips, 2 end caps, 2 wheels, 4 bearings, 2 axles, spacers), you get roughly 20 parts excluding the screws. They are all in the freestyle scooter parts category.

👨‍👩‍👧 For parents: why is it good to know what a scooter is made of?

Because a freestyle scooter is a build kit: every part can be unscrewed and replaced. Two practical consequences:

• You don’t buy a new scooter when something breaks. A worn wheel, torn grip, or rattling bearing are consumable parts. In our experience at the service center, the vast majority of repairs—an estimated 80%—involve replacing a consumable part.
• You don't buy a new scooter when your child outgrows it. Just replace the handlebars with higher ones.

Only compatibility is checked: the handlebars and clamp must match the fork compression system, and the wheel must fit the fork and deck. The rest is a matter of an Allen key. If you’re just choosing a complete scooter, start with our guide How to Choose a Freestyle Scooter.

🛹 Deck: what is it and what should you look for?

The deck is the scooter frame made from a single piece of aluminum. At the front, it has a head tube through which the fork passes; at the rear, it holds the rear wheel and brake. It takes the most abuse: people stand on it, land on it, and grind on it.

What to look for when choosing:

• Width. Park: approximately 4.5–5", street: 5–6" or more. The narrower one is lighter and spins faster; the wider one is more stable on impact. Narrower and lighter for small children.
• Length. Shorter for whips and rotations, longer for stability. The legroom between the neck and the brake matters, not the overall length.
• Head tube angle. Usually 82–84°. Steeper responds faster; lower is more stable. Meaningless for a beginner.
• End shape. Square “boxed” (street, resists bending) or diagonally cut peg-cut (park).

How often is it replaced: practically never, unless it bends or cracks. After a hard crash, check for hairline cracks around the welds and the head tube.

Category: decks for freestyle scooters.

🍴 Fork: which part determines what fits on a scooter?

The fork holds the front wheel, and its steerer tube passes up through the deck to the handlebars, where the compression system and clamp sit. Today, made from a single piece of aluminum; old steel threaded forks are no longer used.

What to look for when choosing:

• Compression system. The fork determines whether you have SCS, HIC, or IHC. SCS and HIC forks are the same; IHC has a narrower steerer tube. The historic ICS (bottom-entry bolt) is found only on old scooters.
• Maximum wheel diameter. Most forks take 110 mm, while many modern ones take up to 120 mm.
• Wheel width. 24 or 30 mm. A narrower wheel fits into a wider fork with spacers; the reverse does not.
• Axis and offset. Standard 8 mm axle. Offset is most commonly 10 mm, which makes no difference for a beginner.

How often is it changed: rarely, usually when converting to a different compression system or larger wheels.

Category: forks for freestyle scooters.

⚙️ Headset: what allows the handlebars to turn?

The headset consists of two bearings in the board’s head tube, in which the fork rotates. Without it, neither a tailwhip nor a barspin would be possible. It includes a compression ring (C-ring) around the fork steerer tube and a dust cap (top cap).

What to look for when choosing:

• Integrated. Only integrated headsets are sold today: you can recognize an integrated head tube by its machined head tube, into which the bearing fits directly. The non-integrated headset (cups pressed into the tube) is a thing of the past and belongs to the budget segment.
• Sealed bearings. Protects against water and sand; commonplace today.

How often is it replaced: rarely, only when the bearings start to seize up. More often, it’s enough to clean it and lubricate it with petroleum jelly.

Category: headsets for freestyle scooters.

🔩 Compression system: what do SCS, HIC, and IHC mean?

Compression pulls the handlebars, headset, and fork together so there is no play in the steering, while still allowing the handlebars to turn smoothly. Three common systems (and the historical ICS); the fork determines the type, then choose the handlebars (diameter, slit) and clamp to match.

How often it is changed: it is not changed, only tightened, always before the clamp. The goal is to find the “sweet spot”: no play, but not tightened to the point of being “as tight as possible”; the handlebars must still turn freely.

In detail, including compatibility rules, in the guide Compression Systems Explained. Parts: HIC, IHC, ICS compression and shims and SCS.

🧷 Stem clamp: what holds the handlebars to the fork?

An aluminum ring with 2–4 bolts that clamps the handlebars around the fork steerer tube. For SCS, it is also the compression component; for HIC and IHC, it is a separate part.

What to look for when choosing:

• Inner diameter. 32 mm (standard) or 35 mm (oversized), depending on the outer diameter of the handlebars. Oversized can be reduced with a shim.
• Number of screws. 2, 3 or 4; the number of screws is irrelevant.
• Height. For handlebars with a notch, the notch should overlap but not extend beyond its end.

How often does it change: practically never. Tighten the screws in a crisscross pattern, only after compression.

You can find clamps in the clamps category.

🚲 Handlebars (bar): what determines their height and strength?

T- or Y-shaped pipe. They determine the scooter’s height, so they are the first parts to be changed as the child grows. Handlebars (as people often type into a search engine) can be shortened, not lengthened.

What to look for when choosing:

• Height. It is measured from the bottom of the tube to the top edge. Rule: the upper edge should be between the navel and the waist when the rider is standing on the board. In detail in the article How to choose a freestyle scooter.
• Averages. Standard: 32 mm outer / 28 mm inner, oversized: 35/32 mm, aluminum typically 35/28 mm. It must fit the fork and clamp.
• Notch (slit). Handlebars for HIC and IHC have it; handlebars for SCS must not have it.
• Material. Aluminum is lightweight and less durable (hence the Y-shape with reinforcements), steel (chromoly) is strong and heavier, and titanium is lightweight and strong, but expensive.
• Width. Approximately the rider’s shoulder width.

How often to change: as the child grows. Bent or cracked ones cannot be repaired; they must be replaced.

Category: freestyle scooter handlebars, guide How to choose handlebars.

🧤 Grips and bar ends: why are they replaced most often?

Grips are rubber handles on the handlebars. Bar ends are plugs at the ends of the handlebar: they protect your hands from sharp edges in a fall and keep the grips in place. They are important, not an add-on.

What to look for when choosing:

• Grip length. Usually around 15–17 cm; shorter ones are suitable for small hands.
• Hardness. A softer grip absorbs shock better; a harder one lasts longer. The grips are universal, just like BMX grips, and fit all freestyle handlebars.
• Handlebar ends according to handlebar material. Plastic or aluminum; they are made for either aluminum or steel handlebars. If they don't fit exactly, they can be trimmed or wrapped with tape.

How often should they be replaced: Grips more often than any other parts; sooner if you fall frequently. Replace them when they become sticky, torn, or worn through: cut off the old ones and put on new ones with a little hairspray or rubbing alcohol. End caps, when they break or get lost.

You can find grips and bar ends in the freestyle scooter parts category.

🛞 Wheels: what diameter, width, and hardness?

Core (aluminum or plastic) and polyurethane (PU) tread. Small and hard, because it has to withstand impacts and lateral loads during whips.

What to look for when choosing:

• Diameter. 110 mm is the standard and the easiest to find replacement parts for; 100 mm on the smallest, cheapest complete setups, 120 mm for advanced riders and park. The new wheel must fit in the fork, the deck, and under the brake.
• Width. 24 mm standard (fast, nimble), 30 mm more stable for street, but it only fits forks and decks designed for it.
• Hardness. In hardness grades, mostly 85–88A. A harder one is faster and lasts longer, while a softer one offers better grip and cushioning.
• Kernel. Solid (strongest), spoked (with cutouts, lighter), hollow (hollow, lightweight). An aluminum core is a must for tricks; a plastic one bends.

How often should they be changed: the rear ones wear down faster, so the wheels are swapped around occasionally. Replace them when the PU is worn, has a flat spot caused by brake lockup, or is peeling away from the core. How quickly it arrives depends on how often the trips are made.

Category: wheels for freestyle scooters, guide All about wheels.

⚙️ Bearings: what do 608 and ABEC mean?

Two in each wheel, four on the scooter. They are sold in sets of 4 (2 per wheel + a spacer between them). Almost all freestyle scooters use the 608 type for an 8 mm axle, the same as skateboards and rollerblades.

What to look for when choosing:

• ABEC. Manufacturing accuracy (odd numbers 1–9), not durability or quality. Some good brands don't specify an ABEC rating.
• Marbles. Steel ones are durable and inexpensive, while ceramic ones are smoother and more expensive. Steel is sufficient for a child.

How often to replace them: when they crunch, grind, or spin for only a short while after being spun (healthy ones spin for 2–4 seconds). Water and sand are destroying it; WD-40 isn’t a lubricant, it only degreases. They are pressed straight into the little wheels, never hammered in.

Category: bearings for freestyle scooters, guide How to Choose Bearings.

🔧 Axles and spacers: what holds the wheels?

The axle is a strong bolt (typically 8 mm) that passes through the fork or plate and both wheel bearings. A spacer is a distance sleeve between the bearings that prevents them from being compressed together when tightened; additional spacers fill the fork or plate when the wheel is narrower.

What to look for when choosing:

• Axis diameter. 8 mm standard. The Edge 12STD (mainly Ethic) has a 12 mm axle and different bearings; it’s ridden by, for example, Street professionals in France; it isn’t widespread in the Czech Republic.
• Axle length. Depending on the width of the fork or deck; for pegs, it varies by product, so check the specifications of the specific peg.
• Spacers. Use those designed for your board and fork.

How often should it be replaced: only if it is lost or the thread strips. They are tightened fully; the permissible axle is the most common cause of knocking.

You can find axles and spacers in the freestyle scooter parts category.

🛑 Brakes: what type and why do they crack?

Plate above the rear wheel, pressed down with the heel. There is no handbrake. Today, practically always a flex fender (a flexible, pre-bent sheet metal piece that is quiet and simple). Spring brake (with a spring-loaded pin) is an older type found on inexpensive scooters.

What to look for when choosing:

• Wheel diameter. For 100 or 110 mm; a 110 mm wheel will not fit under a brake designed for 100 mm.
• Motherboard compatibility. The safest choice is the same brand as the board.

How often it is replaced: consumable part. The Flex fender will eventually crack, especially above a worn wheel. Do not hold the wheel (pad) in place to stop it from turning, and do not overtighten the screws, which are usually 3 mm Allen screws.

Category: brakes for freestyle scooters.

🩹 Griptape: why is the board rough?

Self-adhesive grip tape on a board, the same as on a skateboard. The foot does not slip thanks to it.

What to look for when choosing:

• Dimensions. It must cover the entire board; any excess should be trimmed.
• Coarseness. A coarser grit provides more grip but wears out shoes. Common for children.

How often to change it: as soon as it stops holding. Clean it dry with a brush; clean the surface before applying a new board. Because of the grip tape, ride in skate shoes; regular sneakers will wear through in just a few weeks.

You can find griptape in the freestyle scooter parts category.

🪝 Pegs: Does a Beginner Need Them?

Metal tubes on the sides of the wheel axles, for grinding on rails and edges. A beginner doesn’t need them, and in general they’re becoming obsolete; they only become relevant once a child starts grinding.

What to look for when choosing:

• Compatibility with the board and fork. A peg always fits on the fork; all you need is a longer bolt or axle. The board must have peg-cut ends; the safest choice is the same brand.
• Material and axle. The material and whether a longer axle is included in the package vary by product; check the details for the specific peg.

How often should it be replaced: only when it wears down or bends.

You can find pegs in the freestyle scooter parts category.

🔁 Which parts are replaced most often?

Order according to what we change most often. How often it arrives depends on how often it is used; at the start of each season, check everything and replace anything that is damaged.

Board, fork, headset, compression, socket, Axles and pegs are long-term components. It will last the entire lifetime of the scooter. Care: freestyle scooter maintenance.

⚠️ Common mistakes when replacing parts

• Handlebars that don't fit the compression system. With a slit for SCS (they will crack), without a slit for HIC/IHC (the clamp won’t tighten them). Check the fork compression before purchasing.
• Collar tightened before compression. The compression cannot then be tightened fully, leaving play in the steering.
• A wheel that doesn’t fit. 120 mm into a 110 mm fork, 30 mm wide into a 24 mm plate. Check the fork, deck, and brake.
• Bearings struck with a hammer. It will destroy both the bearing and the wheel core, and the manufacturer will not accept the claim.
• Riding on a worn-out wheel. The brake will fail. A wheel costs less than a wheel and a brake.
• Ignoring knocking. After riding, drop the scooter onto its wheels from a few centimeters up: a dull sound is fine; a sharp clanking means something has come loose. What still needs to be tightened is covered in the guide How to assemble a new freestyle scooter and what to check before your first ride.

❓ FAQ