Wheels Thread

[Buster_Poosey]

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Just stopping in to say any Loophole fans should definitely try out their new formula. Yeah they're not natural colored urethane anymore, but these are seriously amazing wheels. 99a chirps louder than any wheel I've ever skated, powerslides are controllable and consistent and no slipouts or close calls like spits, and they're fast as fuck. I like them better than formula fours.

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Sounds like confirmation that they are poured by Acid. The loudness being the tell. Excited to try them- I've been wanting to try Acid wheels for awhile but their distribution isn't great.

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Has anyone messed with their 101A?  wonder if they flatspot super bad

The 101A is legit, they don’t flatspot and are loud as hell. I’m stoked people are becoming aware how good the wheels are. They are seriously the best wheels out, especially at the price. I think people let the cool guy image of the logo and team of spitfire, and even OJ, get in the way of showing any willingness to try or even acknowledge that something else is available and might even be better.

[jakeumms]

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I know this is the wheels thread, but those are the worst trucks I've ever seen

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definitely prototypes it would be cool if they was american made powell trucks tho instead of the china mini logo stuff

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Powell was literally the first company to move production to China and they did it in the 80s. There's footage of that move in Ban This along with the only footy of George skating that I know of. There is no chance of this happening.

Can we get a minute marker for these events, please?

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Sorry got the video wrong. It's in Public Domain right before the Doug Smith TJ section.

Set-up at 5:10 (caution longboard territory)
Skating at 12:55

[lulz]

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I know this is the wheels thread, but those are the worst trucks I've ever seen

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definitely prototypes it would be cool if they was american made powell trucks tho instead of the china mini logo stuff

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Powell was literally the first company to move production to China and they did it in the 80s. There's footage of that move in Ban This along with the only footy of George skating that I know of. There is no chance of this happening.

Can we get a minute marker for these events, please?

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Sorry got the video wrong. It's in Public Domain right before the Doug Smith TJ section.

Set-up at 5:10 (caution longboard territory)
Skating at 12:55

Excellent! Thank you for the clarification.

[tzhangdox]

Tried my set of sample andy anderson nano cubics today. They're cool, probably not gamechanging if you're not doing weird freestyle stuff though.

The bearing set offset is crazy it makes your trucks like a full size bigger. My thunder 149s looked like 151s. Great for cross pinching on round bars and chunky ledges, but honestly felt like too much truck room for a lot of tricks. You could probably down size your truck an entire size and then it would line up perfectly. I also wonder if the bearing seat offset would maybe put more stress on your bearings somehow.... hopefully not idk

Shape is nice, classic outside makes climbing onto hard slappies maybe a lil easier and inside locks well but I don't think its gamechanging at all.

97a formula is good its a harder dragon. But they seem to be a bit grippier when new, I think it will slowly wear in over the first few sessions or so but thats kind of annoying out the gate. Definitely still drag on grinds and slides compared to f4s, especially on metal and some other surfaces. Was doing some blunt/noseblunt tricks on this one box, and I had to keep waxing it every couple tries but it was going perfectly on my friends setup with f4s without nearly as much wax.

Still doesn't feel anything like a formula four which is the most satisfying sounding and feeling wheel to me, as long as the ground is decent.

I already have another setup with dragons on it for when I'm tired/sore and want to push less/have a smoother ride. In those cases I might as well just run 93s instead of this 97 middle ground. And f4s on my main setup which to me feels and sounds like a 'real skateboard'.

I can see some people being really hyped on these. But the part of me that cares about aesthetics just cant deal with them so I've listed them in the classifieds section if any of you are interested lol

[Xen]

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Just stopping in to say any Loophole fans should definitely try out their new formula. Yeah they're not natural colored urethane anymore, but these are seriously amazing wheels. 99a chirps louder than any wheel I've ever skated, powerslides are controllable and consistent and no slipouts or close calls like spits, and they're fast as fuck. I like them better than formula fours.

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Sounds like confirmation that they are poured by Acid. The loudness being the tell. Excited to try them- I've been wanting to try Acid wheels for awhile but their distribution isn't great.

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Has anyone messed with their 101A?  wonder if they flatspot super bad

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The 101A is legit, they don’t flatspot and are loud as hell. I’m stoked people are becoming aware how good the wheels are. They are seriously the best wheels out, especially at the price. I think people let the cool guy image of the logo and team of spitfire, and even OJ, get in the way of showing any willingness to try or even acknowledge that something else is available and might even be better.

It's slap, if it's not an 'in' brand, it's shit, no matter how good the product is.

[LebowskisRug]

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Just stopping in to say any Loophole fans should definitely try out their new formula. Yeah they're not natural colored urethane anymore, but these are seriously amazing wheels. 99a chirps louder than any wheel I've ever skated, powerslides are controllable and consistent and no slipouts or close calls like spits, and they're fast as fuck. I like them better than formula fours.

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Sounds like confirmation that they are poured by Acid. The loudness being the tell. Excited to try them- I've been wanting to try Acid wheels for awhile but their distribution isn't great.

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Has anyone messed with their 101A?  wonder if they flatspot super bad

I know a bunch of people that have tried Acid and they were fine with them, but preferred their normal Spitfire/Bones. The loudness is really annoying in real life.

[MC3]

IF anyone from spitfire is reading this, If you sold an all orange F4 Conical Full in any size between 54-58, I'll buy about 10 sets of them

[downtodevin]

Size and Shape of wheel or Durometer of wheel, what do you think is more important for skating crust?

[Samsquantch]

Size and Shape of wheel or Durometer of wheel, what do you think is more important for skating crust?

It's all a sliding scale, but comparing reasonably similar sizes, I'd say durometer hands down. My youngest daughter has an Enjoi complete with super soft 52mm classic shapes, it's way smoother on my front street than my 56mm conical fulls or 58mm OG Classics. My older daughter has 54mm V1 Dragons, also waaay smoother than the big 99a's. My Bones X97's are smaller and narrower than both spits, but much smoother, again, thanks to durometer.

[Xen]

Size and Shape of wheel or Durometer of wheel, what do you think is more important for skating crust?

Duro for sure...followed by rebound (overall urethane quality).

[LebowskisRug]

I've found I enjoy my F4 53 Radials more than my X99 Bones V5 53mm because they feel about the same speed on the rough asphalt I skate and I prefer the F4 on other surfaces I skate so it really depends on what your crust is and how much of your skating it is. If I lived in a rural area or only skated crust then duro and shape could be tied.

I think the reason I notice a difference in the 2 wheels above and preferring the harder/wider one is that the V5 is similar to a Classic shape and the Radial has an almost 5mm/133% bigger contact patch. The duros are not as different as if I were comparing a Dragon to the Radials and then I would imagine the Dragon would be noticeably faster.

[Whicker]

Size and Shape of wheel or Durometer of wheel, what do you think is more important for skating crust?

The majority of what I skate is crust. Having skated f4 99a, f4 97a, clouds 86a, and dragons 93a, all 54mm ish but slightly different shapes. Durometer is the most noticeable, size helps with cracks and rocks though.

There is a small crusty hill I bomb near my house with a digital speed display for cars going too fast. It actually picks up my speed and the dragon wheels were 3km/h faster then the f4 97a lol. Haven't tried the clouds or 99a on it. 

[Twig88]

Probably a super overdone question but Dragons VS 92A Clouds? I'm looking for something that I can mostly skate fairly rough streets on, but occasionally skate in the park... I've had a couple of sets of 92A Clouds before, I like them but if Dragons are as miraculous as the reviews I feel like I should make the switch...

[Samsquantch]

Probably a super overdone question but Dragons VS 92A Clouds? I'm looking for something that I can mostly skate fairly rough streets on, but occasionally skate in the park... I've had a couple of sets of 92A Clouds before, I like them but if Dragons are as miraculous as the reviews I feel like I should make the switch...

I've never skated clouds, but Dragons would be perfect for your use case. Dragons work great in the park. Compared to 99a they grab metal a bit, are weirdly quiet, and a touch slower in transition, but they still work really well and won't hold you back. That they slide really easy is their big party trick, power slides and reverts etc, that's where they're way better than other's softer wheels.

Two of the most impressive transition skaters I've seen at my local this year were on Dragons.

[Musicaldeath107]

Probably a super overdone question but Dragons VS 92A Clouds? I'm looking for something that I can mostly skate fairly rough streets on, but occasionally skate in the park... I've had a couple of sets of 92A Clouds before, I like them but if Dragons are as miraculous as the reviews I feel like I should make the switch...

Skated em both. Cloud are definitely more well cloudlike for cruising.  Dragons are definitely cruisable and will work WAY better in the park vs Clouds

[rikki]

It's funny how for once something really lives up to its hype. Dragons are amazingly versatile wheels for pretty much anything that is not smooth concrete, as e.g. explained above. My local park has a lot of rough-ish asphalt, and I was powersliding my Dragons there the other day. A random gentleman came up to me and asked what wheels as I was using and was blown away by the fact I had 93s. He said he thought I was on 101s or something as my powerslides seemed impressive to him.

That said, a noticeable downside (yes, nothing is perfect) to Dragons is the stickiness to metal coping.

But as for e.g. Bones X97s vs. Dragons, for me the latter take the win hands down, there's really no contest.

[goodatmeth]

Is anybody here still riding 103a bones stf? I don't know where that's coming from but I'm somehow really in the mood to skate super hard wheels again. They obviously suck on skatelite and similar surfaces, but how bad is it really?
I don't want to have more than one setup, so if they're absolutely unrideable on skatelite I'd have to pass.

[FUBAR]

I’m REALLY leaning towards a set of Dragons for my neighborhood cruiser/curb spot board. Thanks for all the input on them! Prob not the green joints tho.

[rikki]

I’m REALLY leaning towards a set of Dragons for my neighborhood cruiser/curb spot board. Thanks for all the input on them! Prob not the green joints tho.

Pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

[144p]

I set up the nano cubics as the hype online and at my shop was next level so i wanted some perspective,
I have skated dragons extensively on all terrains and love them on the streets but at the parks they are just too slow/soft sounding. These sound closer to 99a wheels and still give me the same slide along with not feeling as slow as normal 52mm wheels. For reference i prefer the speed of 54-56 but they often feel heavy for flip tricks for my old legs.
I really like the edge of the wheels being out farther and protecting the nuts/axles.
I've been on them a few days and they feel great and I plan to keep skating them.
 

[rawbertson.]

my friend gave me some dragons where 1 wheel is significantly larger than the others... i can probably just set it up on the front right wheel and it should even out eventually... but wondering if anyone has any other suggestions on how i would equal it out? i dont really have any power tools besides a drill.

[skatebruh]

Put the larger wheel on your back heel for better lock-in on smith grinds.

[GetItStraitRideKrooked]

my friend gave me some dragons where 1 wheel is significantly larger than the others... i can probably just set it up on the front right wheel and it should even out eventually... but wondering if anyone has any other suggestions on how i would equal it out? i dont really have any power tools besides a drill.

I'd say put it on your back toe side and find a hill, then just fs powerslide until it wears down

[Samsquantch]

Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

[bombsaway86]

Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

I was a long time Speedlab rider for the same reason. The 57mm Bombshells were my favorite. They’re fast and grip well.

I’ve only briefly ridden the x97s on somebody else’s board, but they gripped well. They still have that soft feeling like dragons, but I think they’re fine for bowl riding

[schralp pal]

Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

Cherrys
Smokebombs 56mm 99s
Felt softer than 99 and performed well on smooth concrete

[GetItStraitRideKrooked]

Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

X97s could be what you're looking for. They make a 56mm conical full shape, I think it's called V6.

A couple vert dudes I know have been swearing by the X99s for slippery vert ramps and bowls too. Think they make a 56mm V6 in that too.

It's weird, I've got a set of both formulas and it seems like the X97s slide easier than the X99s

[Creachteach]

Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

Sam, Sam, Sam. I know we aren’t the same person, but seriously. Did you just take my story?
I used to slam from slipping out in plywood ramps and bowls on Spit Radial F499A. Check my damn post history.
It’s uncanny.

I got on 56mm X97 V6, and so far, I really, really like them. They’re grippy enough on the plywood as I wanted. They don’t seem to collect dust like my SPFs. They take me to the indoor on shittier and nicer asphalt, and the worst kind of cobbled cement stones.
On the relatively nice concrete between the ramps and banks of the indoor they roll too silent, but I’ll take cause I can still slide whenever.

If you wanna save a buck I know OJ Elite Hardlines come in 56mm 99a, and they are a somewhat grippier 99 than F4s. It’s a good wide Conical full shape.

F4s can’t be a 99a if the spitfire Classic formula is 99a.

[iw0]

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Let's say a person was skating their new (but broken in) F4 99a Radials, slipped out in the bowl and slammed HARD, is now spooked, and is looking for something really grippy that still carries speed, in 55 to 57mm range, what would Pals recommend?

This person isn't super keen on SPF's, too hard outside of the park, or Dragons,  too soft and boring in the park.

Speedlabs? X97's? Bones shapes all have super narrow contact patches. Need GRIP!

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Cherrys
Smokebombs 56mm 99s
Felt softer than 99 and performed well on smooth concrete

someone refresh my memory - cherrys are poured by acid or am i getting that wrong?

edit: found this

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Felt like changing something so I got some cherries 99 56mm classic shape.

F4s are pretty much the feeling of skateboarding to me, but these feel great enough to skate them down and get my moneys worth. Nice creamy color, feel softer than 99 f4s but they slide without too much effort.  not sure who pours them says made in USA

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Man I really want to try some cherries. I’m curious but most seem to be 101 but I was curious about the slide on the 99 they have. I thought I read they was poured in TX. I could be wrong.

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Poured out of aend industries in hutto Texas

[Samsquantch]

Thanks all!

And @Creachteach,  yeah, I'd say we definitely share the same taste in setups!

I wouldn't have thought 4mm of contact per wheel would make much difference but dang, those Radials seemed much slicker than my conical fulls. I'm most definitely also being a big pansy bit holy moly I slammed hard, completely knocked the wind out of myself, pulled my neck, lower back hurts, right hip still hurts, took a bunch of skin off my elbow, laying in the bottom of the bowl groaning... really don't want to do that again.

Unfortunately my locals are all sold out of 97a F4's but they do have X97's. No speedlab dealers locally but really intrigued by the Bombshells. Was also looking at 99a F4 Radial fulls or Lock in fulls or just another set of conical fulls,  but kind of want to try something new.