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On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.
Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.
I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho
Yes I have been changing a few parameters on my setup lately, bigger wheels, forged hollows instead of hollows, and it has completely messed up my pop. Need to settle down and adjust to it now.
However, I have planned to size down from 8.5 to 8.38 on my next set up so that will take readjusting again.
Ah, the hunt for the goldilocks set up…
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Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.
does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?
Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day
I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.
I was surprised how long I managed to keep the Lil Smokies and also ride them in relatively rough spots. I also hadn‘t really noticed how small they had actually gotten in a few months. One day I went to a spot with very rough ground that I couldn‘t skate but a dude with Dragons let me try his board. That made me realise I was limiting my spot choice with the really small wheels.
I’m a lifelong big wheel guy, and I’d say little wheels are slower in general, but: 1) they accelerate quicker so can actually feel faster in cramped quarters ii. can also feel faster when ground is just slightly rough because they make it seem spicier than it is, so you feel like you’re going faster
This.
Small wheels - higher acceleration (feel fast), lower top speed, higher deceleration, rougher ride. More tech and precise with tricks.
Large wheels - slower acceleration (feel slow), higher top speed, lower deceleration, smoother ride. Clunkier tricks.
This means small wheels require less pushes/force to get up to speed for traveling short distance in preparation for a trick BUT you have to push more often and continually reapply force over longer distances. That would make small wheels not as good for "no push lines" as well due to that deceleration.
You also mention small wheels feeling faster on rough ground. That's interesting and I've never thought about that. I totally understand that, though personally I associate that feeling of rough ground with deceleration.
I think you might be describing why some people think Dragons feel sluggish. They're smooth and quieter, and those feelings and sounds are associated with increased speed on hard wheels. The faster you go on a hard wheel, the louder it gets.
I think wheel width also fits into this discussion too. In theory a thinner wheel should be faster, while a wider wheel is more stable and smooth. Obviously thin wheel is also more tech, while wide wheel is clunkier.