Wheels Thread

[JugeL]

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Just wanted to drop by and tell that man i love Dragons

[close]

Did you mean to post this in a Game of Thrones fan page forum?

Oh my bad, no idea how i ended up in skateboard wheel forum

[diplodocus]

Chiming in to say I also enjoy the OJ elite formulas, but in 101a. they’re not icy like bones or spits, but they still slide better than the 99a f4 without being too wild. perfect grip to slip ratio.

[AlumarX]

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Expand Quote

Just wanted to drop by and tell that man i love Dragons

[close]

Did you mean to post this in a Game of Thrones fan page forum?

[close]

Oh my bad, no idea how i ended up in skateboard wheel forum

Dragons are too good I feel like I'm wasting them on a small cruiser with risers lol, gonna switch them over

[frontsideNECKTIE]

Chiming in to say I also enjoy the OJ elite formulas, but in 101a. they’re not icy like bones or spits, but they still slide better than the 99a f4 without being too wild. perfect grip to slip ratio.

Love 101 elites!

I've been switching set-ups around but there's always a deck with 54mm Elites

[camel filters]

So NFG MFG is done right? Anyone know if the guy behind that is planning to do anything else? I really liked the formula they used. Had a set of Loopholes that felt really good.

[toe_knee]

So NFG MFG is done right? Anyone know if the guy behind that is planning to do anything else? I really liked the formula they used. Had a set of Loopholes that felt really good.

Unfortunately the wizard is done, I haven’t seen anything else from him or heard anything about him making anything new, it looks like loophole has found a new home over at acid wheel co. I haven’t tried the new formula yet but people seem to like them, I’m pretty bummed as well I like the wizards products when they were good, I guess the bad QC and sets that made it out with bubbles and bad bearing seats prolly led to the demise of NFG

[kimchi]

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

I enjoyed reading through your wheel assessments, you have a solid process of elimination that seems to be working! May I ask what shape of 54mm Dragon wheels you had? Do you know if they were the narrower V1 or wider V4 shape? PS I do have bad wheel madness at the moment and look forward trying out Dragons (one day) so I'm curious as to how a narrower V1 shape in 54mm would cope with crusty terrain. I'm currently on Spitfire 97a 53mm and like them a lot for general riding around the local streets here in the UK.
Also, I hear you about feeling more comfortable and progressing on smaller wheels, I love how 56mm roll in a straight line but when trying to do anything with the board then my 53mm's certainly feel better/more secure.
Cheers

[AlumarX]

Dragons are pretty cozy, but for real rattly ground I'd want shock pads. So they didn't work in my cruiser, but they're going on my bigger street setup, which might also work for tranny in a pinch.

[Xen]

Dragons are pretty cozy, but for real rattly ground I'd want shock pads. So they didn't work in my cruiser, but they're going on my bigger street setup, which might also work for tranny in a pinch.

I ran dragons and indy shock pads for a bit, talk about cush.

More recently, ran AF1 lows with the 1/16th pads (they're not hard hard, but not super soft like shocks, middle ground) and the x99s, that was super smooth too.

[kimchi]

Expand Quote

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

[close]

I enjoyed reading through your wheel assessments, you have a solid process of elimination that seems to be working! May I ask what shape of 54mm Dragon wheels you had? Do you know if they were the narrower V1 or wider V4 shape? PS I do have bad wheel madness at the moment and look forward trying out Dragons (one day) so I'm curious as to how a narrower V1 shape in 54mm would cope with crusty terrain. I'm currently on Spitfire 97a 53mm and like them a lot for general riding around the local streets here in the UK.
Also, I hear you about feeling more comfortable and progressing on smaller wheels, I love how 56mm roll in a straight line but when trying to do anything with the board then my 53mm's certainly feel better/more secure.
Cheers

I just measured in the basement, the Dragons I have are 54 x 34, so I guess I got the V4s. I actually didn't realize they were available in multiple shapes lol. I just went into a shop and asked if they had Dragons.

Knowing what I know now, I think I just like Spitfire shapes better. I didn't realize until looking at specs how much wider their riding contact patches are across the board basically.

[diplodocus]

So people who run OJ mini combos, do you run the round edge on the inside of the trucks or the outside? I’m intrigued by them, but would want to run the round edge inside. What would having a conical cut on the outside do in terms of performance?

[intendedreceivers]

Expand Quote

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

[close]

I enjoyed reading through your wheel assessments, you have a solid process of elimination that seems to be working! May I ask what shape of 54mm Dragon wheels you had? Do you know if they were the narrower V1 or wider V4 shape? PS I do have bad wheel madness at the moment and look forward trying out Dragons (one day) so I'm curious as to how a narrower V1 shape in 54mm would cope with crusty terrain. I'm currently on Spitfire 97a 53mm and like them a lot for general riding around the local streets here in the UK.
Also, I hear you about feeling more comfortable and progressing on smaller wheels, I love how 56mm roll in a straight line but when trying to do anything with the board then my 53mm's certainly feel better/more secure.
Cheers

Lucky you. They just added what looks like a 53mm V6 shape (their widest and, in my opinion, best)

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

Expand Quote

Dragons are pretty cozy, but for real rattly ground I'd want shock pads. So they didn't work in my cruiser, but they're going on my bigger street setup, which might also work for tranny in a pinch.

[close]

I ran dragons and indy shock pads for a bit, talk about cush.

More recently, ran AF1 lows with the 1/16th pads (they're not hard hard, but not super soft like shocks, middle ground) and the x99s, that was super smooth too.

Nice one both of you for the heads-up, I went through a phase of trying out riser pads a while back and could also recommend Pig Wheels clear soft 1/8" pads. I found them good for rough ground regardless of which wheel I ran including a couple of sets of 101a Pigs and OJs. Ultimately I ditched them as I was finding my whole set-up getting a bit too high for me when trying to do tricks (running Venture Highs).

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

[close]

I enjoyed reading through your wheel assessments, you have a solid process of elimination that seems to be working! May I ask what shape of 54mm Dragon wheels you had? Do you know if they were the narrower V1 or wider V4 shape? PS I do have bad wheel madness at the moment and look forward trying out Dragons (one day) so I'm curious as to how a narrower V1 shape in 54mm would cope with crusty terrain. I'm currently on Spitfire 97a 53mm and like them a lot for general riding around the local streets here in the UK.
Also, I hear you about feeling more comfortable and progressing on smaller wheels, I love how 56mm roll in a straight line but when trying to do anything with the board then my 53mm's certainly feel better/more secure.
Cheers

[close]

I just measured in the basement, the Dragons I have are 54 x 34, so I guess I got the V4s. I actually didn't realize they were available in multiple shapes lol. I just went into a shop and asked if they had Dragons.

Knowing what I know now, I think I just like Spitfire shapes better. I didn't realize until looking at specs how much wider their riding contact patches are across the board basically.

Thanks for the reply, I do also like Spitfires shapes and my current favourite is the classic 53mm - they feel nimble but have a bit of chunk to them. With that being said I'm really up for trying out Dragons (probably the next wheels I'd go for) as my knees aren't feeling great and hope they might just take the edge of some of the ground I like to cover in my local area.
I've noticed you've moved around in sizes (54-56-58 etc.), have you considered sticking to just one size like 56mm in future (and working within their limitations) or do you still enjoy experiencing the change in height? I find personally its quite a big jump from 54 to 56 and I'm considering just sticking to 53mm when I change wheels next in the hope of maintaining any kind of consistency in my skating!

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Went a bit gear crazy on wheels over the past ~6 months or so, various thoughts below. I'm still in the try a bunch of shit and figure out what I like stage.

I'm still pretty new to skating at ~2 years in-- couple years more than that longboarding, and I've been snowboarding near 20 years now. I mostly carve simple transition lines in local bowls and cruise sidewalks around the neighborhood. No curbs or rails, wheels stay on the ground. Working on sorting out rocket ollies and sad quasi-slides.

I've only had these wheels on Indy Stage XIs on a couple boards, a 8.25" and a roughly 8.75". Mostly using Bronson G3s, but I have a set of Bones Swiss on dedicated transition wheels.

If matters I'm 6', 210 lbs, size 10.5-11 shoe.

• OJ Elite Mini Combos 58mm 101a - First set of wheels I bought on this list, local shop guy set me up with these when I said I was mostly interested in carving bowls. I like them, fast, predictable. They feel little sticky sliding but again I don't really now how to slide. They feel a little slick on graffiti'd over concrete transition, but I maybe that'd just what that surface feels like. I think I'd prefer a bigger F4 wheel, but I still like these after having tried a bunch of other wheels. They are awful outside of the skate park, though.
• PP Dragons 54mm 93A - Bought into the hype but not really digging these for my style. Still have some interest in the formula, but I don't like the shape. I feel oddly wobbly pushing and landing on these wheels, I think the contact patch is narrow for my tastes. The formula is fun for sidewalk cruising, but I HATE the way they feel on smooth concrete transition. I may grab a 60-ish mm set for longboards or cruiser setups, but not feeling them on popsicle decks. Maybe if I was more focused on street.
• Bones X-Formula V6 56mm 97A - These are the wheels I skate the most, especially when I feel too lazy to swap out wheels. They work pretty decent on sidewalks and pretty decent at the park, but don't excel in either setting. I prefer the feel of Formula Four on cleaner hard surfaces, but X-formula is a lot more pleasant rolling sidewalks and crust.
• Spitfire F4 Classics 54mm 99A - Got these barely used. The whole "PP / Bones wheels feel plastic-y" made sense to me after I rode these. Can't fully articulate why, but so far F4 just feel the best to me-- I skate better because I have more feedback on what's happening underfoot. They're ok on decent pavement, but still feel bit sketch on crust to me. As someone still getting the hang of sliding, I'm making the most progress on these... they seem to slide most easily and predictably. I got the sense I didn't like the shape but was getting good vibes on the formula, so I grabbed...
• Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 54mm 99A - Also nabbed these barely used. These are probably my favorite wheel I own right now. Really digging this shape. I thought I liked bigger wheels (56+ mm), but I think I just like wider wheels. I've made a lot of progress ollieing on these-- feels like it's because I'm lower to the ground than my 56-58 mm wheels, but the wheel and the contact pact on these is wider than the Dragons or the Spitfire Classic shape. I still don't like them cruising the neighborhood, but they're more manageable than the classics and a lot of fun at the skate park.
• Spitfire Sapphires 56A 90A - I picked these up on a lark after liking the F4s, they're a bust. I was hoping for a non-cruiser shaped wheel could skate more quietly around my house after dark without pissing off my neighbors, but they feel / sound pretty hard because of the 101A core-- noticeably harder than the Bones X97s IMO. Roll speed doesn't seem the best and are stickier than Dragons or X-formula in slides. I don't really get the target audience except maybe those who think colored clear wheels are cool?

Knowing what i know now from trying a bunch of stuff, I'd settle on two sets of wheels:

• A comfy all-around X-formula Wheel in a 54 mm for cruising around the neighborhood, probably still in the V6. Probably the X97, maybe the X99.
  
• A more performance F4 wheel in a 56 mm for the skate park, maybe a Radial shape? I'm intrigued by 101, but 99 feels pretty darn good to me. Conical Full in a 56 feels too aggressively wide but who knows.
  

[close]

I enjoyed reading through your wheel assessments, you have a solid process of elimination that seems to be working! May I ask what shape of 54mm Dragon wheels you had? Do you know if they were the narrower V1 or wider V4 shape? PS I do have bad wheel madness at the moment and look forward trying out Dragons (one day) so I'm curious as to how a narrower V1 shape in 54mm would cope with crusty terrain. I'm currently on Spitfire 97a 53mm and like them a lot for general riding around the local streets here in the UK.
Also, I hear you about feeling more comfortable and progressing on smaller wheels, I love how 56mm roll in a straight line but when trying to do anything with the board then my 53mm's certainly feel better/more secure.
Cheers

[close]

Lucky you. They just added what looks like a 53mm V6 shape (their widest and, in my opinion, best)

Cheers for that, that's an interesting new shape/addition at 33mm wide. I have also spotted that a few 53mm V4 shape 34mm wide Dragons are available online from some shops in the UK which could be great too. If I do go for it and get some as my next wheels I'll upload an update for sure!
All the best

[rocklobster]

Gave the x99 a quick push around on a friends board today, so quiet and they handled the roughest part of the park with minimal slow down. Couldn't tell if they felt gummy and I was ghost popping or his Thunder were too loose for my liking, no slides too, but I must say I'm impressed.

How do the x97 compare to the x99? Aside from feeling softer, in theory.

[skatebruh]

X97 for me was too sticky for ledge skating compared to X99 and too hard for cruising and downhill compared to 93a Dragons.

X99 is my favorite urethane right now.

[Boog]

I talked to whoever runs the Loophole insta a few weeks ago and they said they are going to be switching to a formula that is similar to the nfg formula they were using.

[Murge]

X99 is my favorite urethane right now.

Same here.

[Musicaldeath107]

I talked to whoever runs the Loophole insta a few weeks ago and they said they are going to be switching to a formula that is similar to the nfg formula they were using.

Interesting... Who else makes an NFG esque formula?
The Acid REM formula they are on is a very good wheel just very different than NFG

[Xen]

Gave the x99 a quick push around on a friends board today, so quiet and they handled the roughest part of the park with minimal slow down. Couldn't tell if they felt gummy and I was ghost popping or his Thunder were too loose for my liking, no slides too, but I must say I'm impressed.

How do the x97 compare to the x99? Aside from feeling softer, in theory.

https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=123816.msg4043911#msg4043911

[Buster_Poosey]

Expand Quote

I talked to whoever runs the Loophole insta a few weeks ago and they said they are going to be switching to a formula that is similar to the nfg formula they were using.

[close]

Interesting... Who else makes an NFG esque formula?
The Acid REM formula they are on is a very good wheel just very different than NFG

Very possible Acid is working on a new formula

[iw0]

I talked to whoever runs the Loophole insta a few weeks ago and they said they are going to be switching to a formula that is similar to the nfg formula they were using.

wonderful news

[rawbertson.]

Now that the dust has cleared somewhat...
How many of you guys prefer Dragons / X Formula over F4?

[Samsquantch]

Now that the dust has cleared somewhat...
How many of you guys prefer Dragons / X Formula over F4?

Count me as one. Keep in mind that I'm older and won't be blowing any minds with my skillz, I just skate transition, curbs and smaller ledges.

Got both Dragons and X97's to try and didn't actually dig them that much at first. Found them weirdly quiet and they felt slower in the park, so went back to skating F4's. X Formula/Dragons were waaay nicer outside of the park, but I barely street skate so it was a non issue.

About a month ago I was bored and decided to try them both again. Not sure if it was breaking/wearing them in a bit more, or just getting use to them, but after a month of alternating between them, I don't see myself going back to F4's. X97's in particular are just the perfect wheel for me, no real speed penalty, more grip, more predictable slide, and now that I've really worn in the sidewalls I don't really get any sticking issues on coping. Someone on here called them "lively" and I think that tracks.

Dragons... a bit rubbery and a bit slower *feeling*, but I still seem to be able to carry speed fine and hit coping without pumping that much harder... they work really well too and I still have fun skating them.

I brought out the F4's again yesterday, and yeah, they're great, but almost felt glassy and skittish in comparison, and didn't really do anything better for me.

So yeah, at this point, X97's are my jam.

[rikki]

It's apples and oranges.

X97s and Dragons are a great, great addition to what's available on the market. Been loving both at my crusty street spots.

However, I don't see the point of switching to them from F4s in smooth concrete parks.

[Samsquantch]

However, I don't see the point of switching to them from F4s in smooth concrete parks.

Speaking for myself: Grip

[Murge]

I’m on X99s. At this point I have no reason to go back to F4. Monday when I was going in on my bushing madness I had a back up set up that had f4 conical on it. And they felt icy and I didn’t slide any easier on them. So until spitfire does something different or better I have no reason to switch. X99 feels like an F4 that skates crust better. I assume x97 handles crust better than x99 but for what I skate x99 works for me

[tzhangdox]

Still on f4s. Dragons and x97s ride nice, handle crust better and are easier on the legs. But something about the feedback of a hard wheel just still sounds and feels more "right" to me.

I skate mostly ledges, flatbars and curbs and all my tricks are just a tad more on point and consistent with f4s vs dragons/x97s... even if I wax up the obstacle plenty.

Even flatground, unless the ground is awful.

Do happily skate dragons some days when I'm feeling really dusted and just want to roll around easier/push less, and have low expectations though

[Samsquantch]

Do happily skate dragons some days when I'm feeling really dusted and just want to roll around easier/push less, and have low expectations though

Yep.

I'm kind of over going super hard and chasing every last bit of edge, my skate sessions are pretty chill and 98% in my comfort zone. Mostly just for fun and fitness. Switching back to the F4's the other day after a month on X Formula, I was surprised how (relatively) icy they felt, and that I needed to be just a bit more "on".

One other thing I've appreciated with the "softer" wheels, is that little bit of extra forgiveness they have getting on and off coping. It's subtle, and probably also helped by how round the V6's are, but you don't get that little moment of hangup I sometimes got with Conicals.

[bombsaway86]

I’ve had a “daily driver” setup and a crust/slippery park setup for a few years now. I switched from OJ nomads to dragons on the crust board almost two months ago. I rarely rode the crust board when it had OJs, but now I ride it a lot since switching to the dragons. I still prefer F4s on a smooth park, but I now use the dragons on parks where I might have still chosen to ride F4s over the OJs. I live in Washington where we have a lot of crusty old parks, so the dragons have been a game changer for me.

F4s and dragons each excel at something different, so you can’t really say one is better than the other. The winning move is to have a set of each so you can skate your best wherever you go.

I’ve been really impressed with the dragons. I didn’t want to like them because the association with old dudes riding Powell Peralta reissues, but they really are great. I’m definitely turning into the guy who encourages people to ride my board so they can experience them.