Spitfire formula four

[Frank and Fred]

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Just put in an order for my first F4s. Pretty excited to try something new after years of riding Bones SPF 84B. Thanks to all of you posting in this thread I felt I could make an informed decision for 99A, 54mm Tablets.

Hoping for a smoother ride on rough ground as I have started to skate more street again. I don’t mind losing some speed in the bowl. Bit worried about adjusting to a new feel when doing reverts but I cannot imagine it will be too difficult.

[close]

I was anti spitfire for a minute (flat spotted F4’s when they first came out) was on bones 84b just before switching to F4s again. So much better in every way. Your gonna be stoked

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for me, 99a isn’t smooth on rough ground bc it’s still a hard wheel and the shape didn’t seem to completely change that. 97a I am curious to try but have been liking 95a as a middle ground/do it all. Getting my knees back into it and it’s been a good mix for the winter too.

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I'm absolutely loving my 97's, they're so good on rougher surfaces and actually slide amazing with a nice bark. Total game changer, they've opened up a bunch of local spots that my 99's couldn't hack.

I concur. Now that they have broken in my 97s they are amazing. I think I might ride them all the time not just for crust. The only downside is a slight loss of speed in smooth parks compared to 99s but I have different set up for skating bigger concrete transition anyway...

[kimura]

Little birdie sez Conical Full 97s in 54, 56 & 58

I hope birdie is correct. I was hoping for OG Classic but Conical Full will do.

[Frank and Fred]

I want some 56mm Classic Wide shape Orange colored. 97s please, little birdie.

[Sundaynuggets]

Just got some 54mm 97a’s yesterday. I’m surprised at how much I like the slide on these.

 I expected an inconsistent and untrustworthy slide, like softer wheels sometimes do where half the time they slide a modest amount and the other half the time they grip and pitch you forward. These felt consistent like they would slide the same way each time, with little variation.

The quality of the slide feels comparable to normal F4’s too. The harder ones feel like you are sliding on ice whereas the 97a feel like you are sliding on something thicker, like motor oil, but it’s the same smooth and steady slide, just a shorter slide.

Rolling, they feel like they mute the ground a bit more than 99a’s, but not as much as soft cruiser wheels do. To me, 99’s make the ground feel like crunching Frosted Flakes, 97 are like when you first put milk on Frosted Flakes and softer (like 85a) feel like the milk has settled in.

I don’t feel a huge difference in keeping speed from my 99a F4’s, but I’m running new bearings and a different brand than I’m used to, so that may factor in. (Usually use Mini logo bearings but I’m trying out Olympia)

Anyway, I love them so far, looking forward to seeing how the slide feels when they break in more.

[RichardBarkley]

Just got some 54mm 97a’s yesterday. I’m surprised at how much I like the slide on these.

 I expected an inconsistent and untrustworthy slide, like softer wheels sometimes do where half the time they slide a modest amount and the other half the time they grip and pitch you forward. These felt consistent like they would slide the same way each time, with little variation.

The quality of the slide feels comparable to normal F4’s too. The harder ones feel like you are sliding on ice whereas the 97a feel like you are sliding on something thicker, like motor oil, but it’s the same smooth and steady slide, just a shorter slide.

Rolling, they feel like they mute the ground a bit more than 99a’s, but not as much as soft cruiser wheels do. To me, 99’s make the ground feel like crunching Frosted Flakes, 97 are like when you first put milk on Frosted Flakes and softer (like 85a) feel like the milk has settled in.
Hi I'm
I don’t feel a huge difference in keeping speed from my 99a F4’s, but I’m running new bearings and a different brand than I’m used to, so that may factor in. (Usually use Mini logo bearings but I’m trying out Olympia)

Anyway, I love them so far, looking forward to seeing how the slide feels when they break in more.

Give them a week or two of skating and they will break in and feel even better.

Honestly.... They are the perfect wheel.

[Sundaynuggets]

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Just got some 54mm 97a’s yesterday. I’m surprised at how much I like the slide on these.

 I expected an inconsistent and untrustworthy slide, like softer wheels sometimes do where half the time they slide a modest amount and the other half the time they grip and pitch you forward. These felt consistent like they would slide the same way each time, with little variation.

The quality of the slide feels comparable to normal F4’s too. The harder ones feel like you are sliding on ice whereas the 97a feel like you are sliding on something thicker, like motor oil, but it’s the same smooth and steady slide, just a shorter slide.

Rolling, they feel like they mute the ground a bit more than 99a’s, but not as much as soft cruiser wheels do. To me, 99’s make the ground feel like crunching Frosted Flakes, 97 are like when you first put milk on Frosted Flakes and softer (like 85a) feel like the milk has settled in.
Hi I'm
I don’t feel a huge difference in keeping speed from my 99a F4’s, but I’m running new bearings and a different brand than I’m used to, so that may factor in. (Usually use Mini logo bearings but I’m trying out Olympia)

Anyway, I love them so far, looking forward to seeing how the slide feels when they break in more.

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Give them a week or two of skating and they will break in and feel even better.

Honestly.... They are the perfect wheel.

Nice! I’m glad to hear the slide gets even better. With other brands I’ve always had the opposite experience, where they lose slide and grip more as they wear in. Urethane formulas are so interesting

[ballintoohard]

To the poster asking about OG classic weight, it might be a few grams per set. I’ve weighed every spitfire shape and Tablets were the lightest, but even then it was 52 tablets compared to 54 conical fulls and they were 13g lighter, which is basically nothing.

[drinny]

Not gonna switch from the magic 101a Spit or 87a Keyframe combo just yet.... but curious.

Love to know how soft they really feel riding.

[drinny]

Not gonna switch from the magic 101a Spit or 87a Keyframe combo just yet.... but curious.

Love to know how soft they really feel riding.

[drinny]

Not gonna switch from the magic 101a Spit or 87a Keyframe combo just yet.... but curious.

Love to know how soft they really feel riding.

[jay_nev]

Need to try these 97a

And compare how they feel in classic shape to these wide 95a

@Sundaynuggets great description. When you say compared to a soft cruiser wheel are you saying 87a or so or more like a 78a?

[Sundaynuggets]

Need to try these 97a

And compare how they feel in classic shape to these wide 95a

@Sundaynuggets great description. When you say compared to a soft cruiser wheel are you saying 87a or so or more like a 78a?

Thanks! With the cereal analogy I was talking about 85a’s I’ve tried (Powell g-slides specifically but equally true of the Oj key frames I’ve tried) because even those still feel a bit crunchy on the ground.

I usually ride softer cruisers (78a Rictas or 80a Mini juice) and the 97a F4’s feel like they have almost nothing in common with those. The 78a feel more in the soft cereal category haha

With the 95a you mentioned, are you riding the NFGMFG wheels?

[jay_nev]

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Need to try these 97a

And compare how they feel in classic shape to these wide 95a

@Sundaynuggets great description. When you say compared to a soft cruiser wheel are you saying 87a or so or more like a 78a?

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Thanks! With the cereal analogy I was talking about 85a’s I’ve tried (Powell g-slides specifically but equally true of the Oj key frames I’ve tried) because even those still feel a bit crunchy on the ground.

I usually ride softer cruisers (78a Rictas or 80a Mini juice) and the 97a F4’s feel like they have almost nothing in common with those. The 78a feel more in the soft cereal category haha

With the 95a you mentioned, are you riding the NFGMFG wheels?

yes the NFG 95a but the vee shape so super wide and square . and i also have 87a keyframes. so trying to place within your analogy. i have been attracted to the classic shape lately so want to try regardless, but wondering if theyll be serviceable as a transportation type wheel too. something about those classic shape and how they wear down

[Sundaynuggets]

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Need to try these 97a

And compare how they feel in classic shape to these wide 95a

@Sundaynuggets great description. When you say compared to a soft cruiser wheel are you saying 87a or so or more like a 78a?

[close]

Thanks! With the cereal analogy I was talking about 85a’s I’ve tried (Powell g-slides specifically but equally true of the Oj key frames I’ve tried) because even those still feel a bit crunchy on the ground.

I usually ride softer cruisers (78a Rictas or 80a Mini juice) and the 97a F4’s feel like they have almost nothing in common with those. The 78a feel more in the soft cereal category haha

With the 95a you mentioned, are you riding the NFGMFG wheels?

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yes the NFG 95a but the vee shape so super wide and square . and i also have 87a keyframes. so trying to place within your analogy. i have been attracted to the classic shape lately so want to try regardless, but wondering if theyll be serviceable as a transportation type wheel too. something about those classic shape and how they wear down

I gotcha. How do those NFG slide? I have some of their normal formula V and Square shapes and they feel awesome but don’t slide as well as I would like. I imagine their 95a’s don’t slide any better, but how do they feel rolling on crust?

The classic shape is interesting! I have never skated it (I usually skate conical full) but I like the classic shape so far.

As far as transportation wheels go, it’s hard to say. I’m 41 and skate long distances around my city a lot (4-8 miles 3 or 4 times a week) and my legs/feet don’t feel great skating anything harder than 85a for distances like that, especially because much of it is crusty. I carry 99a’s around with me to switch out to if I stop and skate some ledges or something in my travels. So I will likely use these 97a’s for neighborhood skating and hitting ledge or slidey spots nearby, but probably won’t use them for anything longer than maybe 2 or 3 mile travels (roughly 20-30 blocks for me)

[sketchyrider]

finally gave f4's a try after hearing about them, spent several sessions on them now.

first thing i'd say is they aren't wildly different than the bones wheels i'd been using. i noticed differences for sure, but it seems high-rebound wheels are pretty similar, they offer a lot of performance/speed.

that being said there was a lot to like. worked well on the sidewalk as well as the park, slides are effortless, no gashes from doing crooked grinds.

so far the only downside: i haven't quite been able to keep the speed in a concrete pool, coming from bones spf conicals to radial slim 101's in the same size (measurements were really close). i'm not sure if it's because of the wheel formula and/or shape is slowing me down, or if i am just afraid to slip out on a less grippy wheel. maybe i would have been better off with the regular conicals, but they seem to be hard to find.

[Mbrimson88]

finally gave f4's a try after hearing about them, spent several sessions on them now.

first thing i'd say is they aren't wildly different than the bones wheels i'd been using. i noticed differences for sure, but it seems high-rebound wheels are pretty similar, they offer a lot of performance/speed.

that being said there was a lot to like. worked well on the sidewalk as well as the park, slides are effortless, no gashes from doing crooked grinds.

so far the only downside: i haven't quite been able to keep the speed in a concrete pool, coming from bones spf conicals to radial slim 101's in the same size (measurements were really close). i'm not sure if it's because of the wheel formula and/or shape is slowing me down, or if i am just afraid to slip out on a less grippy wheel. maybe i would have been better off with the regular conicals, but they seem to be hard to find.

The weird thing is the 101s have seemed to be inconsistent in the feel and the slide, but the 99s have always been so "normal" and all felt the same, from the many many sets I have had.

I know others have said something like this too, but it is just one of those things, some perceptions of performance will vary depending on where you skate, what else is going on, etc.

I had seen supply almost dry up again in Australia, (as well as some other countries) but from following a lot of US shops on Instagram, there have been so many solid drops of product that I think it really depends on where you are, as to what is available.  A lot of people do order from other countries, but I know many shops don't put stock online and only have it for walk in / local customers too, not that you need more wheels right now, but it is worth hitting up local shops to ask about them.

[sketchyrider]

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finally gave f4's a try after hearing about them, spent several sessions on them now.

first thing i'd say is they aren't wildly different than the bones wheels i'd been using. i noticed differences for sure, but it seems high-rebound wheels are pretty similar, they offer a lot of performance/speed.

that being said there was a lot to like. worked well on the sidewalk as well as the park, slides are effortless, no gashes from doing crooked grinds.

so far the only downside: i haven't quite been able to keep the speed in a concrete pool, coming from bones spf conicals to radial slim 101's in the same size (measurements were really close). i'm not sure if it's because of the wheel formula and/or shape is slowing me down, or if i am just afraid to slip out on a less grippy wheel. maybe i would have been better off with the regular conicals, but they seem to be hard to find.

[close]

The weird thing is the 101s have seemed to be inconsistent in the feel and the slide, but the 99s have always been so "normal" and all felt the same, from the many many sets I have had.

I know others have said something like this too, but it is just one of those things, some perceptions of performance will vary depending on where you skate, what else is going on, etc.

I had seen supply almost dry up again in Australia, (as well as some other countries) but from following a lot of US shops on Instagram, there have been so many solid drops of product that I think it really depends on where you are, as to what is available.  A lot of people do order from other countries, but I know many shops don't put stock online and only have it for walk in / local customers too, not that you need more wheels right now, but it is worth hitting up local shops to ask about them.

word thanks for the reply.

i've posted about it before but i am really just trying to work with an "ATV" setup that works on everything, which is why i tried out the f4's. i went with the 101's coming from the spf 104's, not sure if i would really want to go down to 99a, even though i know they are the preferred one on here.

honestly though the 101a radial slims seem almost perfect, it was just in the super tight tranny of the pool that i felt "slower" but it could have just been me being a poosey, not sure of the limits of the new wheels. i knew how much pressure i could put on the spfs before i'd end up on my ass.

i'll check local shops to see if any regular conicals are around, local scene kinda sucks though. they do seem like a hard shape to find.

[fulfillthedream]

new KB f4's ; 

[rocklobster]

Am I the only one who misses the older Spitfire graphic wheel? Each pro had their own graphic / wheel color, more than just their name.

[Mbrimson88]

Am I the only one who misses the older Spitfire graphic wheel? Each pro had their own graphic / wheel color, more than just their name.

I had a look at the current Spitfire catalog which is out - Spring 2021 Drop 1 Delivery 1, and almost thought nothing of it.  I know covid issues and production dramas but one pro wheel (two shapes) and one other new variation and that is it?  I didn't even think about posting here, but after you put this up, I also remembered another thing from that time.

I had some dudes that wanted a certain size and shape, but didn't like the dude whose pro wheel it was, so were having a whinge about those wheels.  Now to me this is not an issue - I would ride anything and if I wasn't keen on the graphic I would just machine it off, but whatever to those dudes - Spitfires are Spitfires, so they are good no matter what.

Those Cardiel classic full 54.5 wheels were amazing - still have at least one set new in packaging too, but they are the just the right size, shape, especially when they wear down a couple of mm.


I also realised what you did with embedding images to, and didn't know that was possible.

https://www.spitfirewheels.com/

Spring 2021 Drop 1 Delivery 1

[mbam003]

Is anyone able to tell whether these are Spit conicals or conical fulls? Any size estimates? Seem to be on the smaller side to me, perhaps 52?

[white guy in a durag]

They kinda look like tablets to me

[Xen]

They kinda look like tablets to me

Those orange tablets look sick (groan) bummer they're not 51s

[Bigwheelbite]

Hands down the best wheels in the game

[moonordie]

Is anyone able to tell whether these are Spit conicals or conical fulls? Any size estimates? Seem to be on the smaller side to me, perhaps 52?

52mm tablets

[tuesday]

These could be radial slims

[mbam003]

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Is anyone able to tell whether these are Spit conicals or conical fulls? Any size estimates? Seem to be on the smaller side to me, perhaps 52?

[close]

52mm tablets

That's it I think, thanks!

[maggotspawn]

Tried some Autobahn Dual DUro 100A 54 mm. Hard as rocks, so I'm baclk someto F4 99's 54mm Tablets.

[Mbrimson88]

Not gonna lie, just saw these and had to stop what I was doing and fan out for a minute...

[Zark]

FF O.G. CLASSICS 55 MM




Like a fatter conical full.