Getting more legends of speed gems is basically the lifeblood of your progression if you want to be anything more than a slow-moving newbie on the track. If you've spent any time in the game, you already know that speed is great, but gems are what actually let you keep that speed and amplify it through pets. It's one of those things where if you aren't stacking them up constantly, you're going to find yourself hitting a ceiling pretty fast.
I remember when I first started out, I was just running around aimlessly, thinking that steps were the only thing that mattered. I totally ignored the gems for the first half hour until I realized everyone passing me had these glowing trails and pets that were boosting their stats by insane amounts. That's when it clicked: the gems are the real currency that moves the needle.
Why you need to focus on those shiny purple rocks
It's easy to get distracted by the sheer sense of scale in the maps, but the gems are what you use to buy crystals. These crystals give you pets, and pets are the primary way you get multipliers for your steps and your jumps. Without a solid team of pets, you're basically playing the game on hard mode.
Most people make the mistake of just buying the first crystal they see. Don't do that. You want to save up your legends of speed gems for the higher-tier crystals. It might feel like a drag to save up 500 or 1,000 gems when you only have a few dozen, but the payoff is so much better. A single pet from a desert or magma crystal is going to do more for you than five pets from the basic city crystal.
The art of the hoop grind
If you want to gather gems quickly without just waiting for races, you've got to master the hoops. You'll see them scattered all over the sky and on the ground. The blue ones are okay, but the golden hoops are where the real money is.
What a lot of players don't realize is that your pathing matters. Instead of just jumping for whatever hoop is closest, try to find a "circuit" where you can hit several hoops in one jump or a quick succession of moves. As you get faster and your jump height increases, you can start hitting the hoops that are way up in the atmosphere. These often give a higher yield of legends of speed gems and can really pad your wallet while you're just out for a casual run.
I usually find that the city area is a bit too crowded for efficient hoop farming. Once you have enough levels to unlock the other maps, like the desert or the snow area, head over there. There's usually less competition, and the hoops are spaced out in a way that lets you build a nice rhythm.
Winning races for the big payouts
Let's be real: racing is where the most fun is, but it's also a high-stakes way to get gems. If you're finishing in the top three, the rewards are fantastic. If you're finishing in the middle of the pack, it's still okay, but not exactly the most efficient use of your time.
If you find yourself losing races constantly, it might be time to stop racing for a bit and go back to the grind. There's no point in sitting in a lobby for 30 seconds just to get a participation prize. Use that time to run through hoops in the Magma or City maps. However, once you have a couple of decent pets and a few rebirths under your belt, you should be joining every race that pops up. The legends of speed gems you get for a first-place finish are hard to beat anywhere else in the game.
Another little tip for the races: pay attention to the maps. Some race tracks have shortcuts or specific lines that can shave seconds off your time. Even if someone is technically faster than you in terms of raw stats, if you take the corners better or hit the boost pads more effectively, you can still snag that win.
Don't forget the chests
Scattered around the various maps are these big chests that give you a massive lump sum of gems. The catch? They usually have a cooldown. Some of them are hidden behind parkour sections or require a certain level of speed to reach.
Whenever you enter a new area, the first thing you should do is look for the local chest. Getting into the habit of doing a "chest run" every time you log in is a great way to ensure you have a steady stream of legends of speed gems coming in without having to work too hard for them. It's basically free money. If you have the Magma area unlocked, that chest is particularly juicy, so make it a priority.
The rebirth cycle and its impact
Rebirthing is a bit of a double-edged sword for some people. You lose your speed, which feels like a step backward, but you gain a permanent multiplier. This multiplier also affects how many gems you can effectively put to use because you'll be earning steps faster, which leads to more levels, which leads to better access to gem-rich areas.
In the long run, rebirthing is the only way to stay competitive. Don't get too attached to your current speed. The more you rebirth, the faster you'll get back to where you were, and the more legends of speed gems you'll be able to farm because you'll be able to reach those high-altitude hoops and secret chests much earlier in your progression.
Are codes still a thing?
Every now and then, the developers drop codes that give you a bunch of free stuff. Most of the time, these codes include a healthy amount of legends of speed gems. It's always worth a quick search online to see if there are any active codes. It's the easiest way to get a head start if you're new or just need a little boost to reach that next crystal you've been eyeing.
I've seen people complain that the codes don't give "enough," but honestly, when you're starting out, even 250 or 500 gems can be the difference between a common pet and a rare one. Every bit helps.
Spending your gems wisely
Once you've actually started accumulating a decent stash of legends of speed gems, you have to be smart about how you spend them. It's very tempting to just keep rolling for pets on the highest crystal you can afford, but sometimes it's better to look at what you actually need.
Do you need more step multipliers? Or is your jump height holding you back from the better hoops? Different pets provide different bonuses. Also, remember that you can evolve pets. If you have a bunch of duplicates, don't just let them sit there. Combining them makes them way more powerful, which in turn makes your gem farming even more efficient. It's a bit of a "rich get richer" situation, but that's just how the game is balanced.
Wrapping it up
At the end of the day, getting legends of speed gems is all about consistency. You don't need to spend ten hours a day grinding to get a good character. Just hit your chests, jump through the golden hoops when you see them, and don't be afraid to jump into races even if you think you might lose.
The game is designed to reward you for just being active and moving around. As long as you aren't standing still, you're probably making progress. Just keep an eye on those purple crystals and make sure you're always aiming for the next tier of pets. Before you know it, you'll be the one zooming past everyone else, leaving them wondering how you got so fast so quickly. Happy running!