Spitfire formula four

[rawbertson.]

have rode these wheels now for about 6 weeks and they have some small chunks out of them. they are so small i cant hear them or feel them yet though, but i imagine once i hit 12-16 weeks it will be more noticble. i have heard spitfire flatspot easily but i have put these through a lot of fs slappys and nothing remotely close to a flat spot. i think that might be contributing to the chunks i have, proably just powerslid into some sharp rocks on the way on to a fs slap. so could be more the way im skating and not so much the wheels too cause i just learnd this trick few weeks ago.

[Mbrimson88]

have rode these wheels now for about 6 weeks and they have some small chunks out of them. they are so small i cant hear them or feel them yet though, but i imagine once i hit 12-16 weeks it will be more noticble. i have heard spitfire flatspot easily but i have put these through a lot of fs slappys and nothing remotely close to a flat spot. i think that might be contributing to the chunks i have, proably just powerslid into some sharp rocks on the way on to a fs slap. so could be more the way im skating and not so much the wheels too cause i just learnd this trick few weeks ago.

The original formula definitely had more flatspot issues, but the Formula Four wheels have way fewer problems overall and although I have seen a few sets over the years with flatspots or problems, they are all what I would consider "user error" or not defective, eg nail sticking out of a box took a chunk out of a wheel, board ran under a car and got major flatspots from being dragged, power slides to a dead stop that caused small flatspots, etc.

I guess everything in skateboarding is going to get used, abused, worn and destroyed, but it sure is nice to have things like wheels that tend not to flatspot as much as others.

That is why my pick is Formula Four wheels, but everyone is entitled to make up their own minds too.


More often than not when I hear some older guys or people who have been skating for a while talk about "Shitfire wheels" and saying Spitfires suck, it is more often than not because they had the original formula and not the Formula Four wheels, but sometimes that one set they didn't like will give them an opinion on things for the rest of their life.  Again, not a big deal, but it is funny to hear some people go on about things, when I feel like they know little to nothing about them in the current day and age.


What size and shape are you currently riding?

[rawbertson.]

the Mark Suciu one



53mm conical full 99a

i really wanted to get the normal graphic with this but the skate shop only had the suciu one, but luckily it was the exact shape, size, and duro i wnated anyway. plus Suciu is awesome so why not? great all around wheel. i was worried i might want a 97a which has been hard to find but i am very happy with this duro.

This wheel is a lot more fun for me than my past 2 wheels. OJ 95a feel like i need so much wax to do noseslides and i got a bit tired of constant waxing and sticking. i am probably gonna switch those for dragons next time, it is more of a crusier board setup (9.1" egg, ace 60s). i had bones STF 104a or something wild like that, and it was just way too slippery. some spots were really hard to skate like that, like if you have to make a fast turn. this feels perfect in between. no problem on my slide tricks at all but i can also still turn without slipping all over the place.

i think next time though i would go to 52mm or maybe even smaller. the skate shop had this breana wheel that i considered getting that i think was smaller. fabiana delfino has one in 52 that looks good too.  i am in a location now with much better ground and i want less drag on the slide tricks / easier to pop up to grinds from slides.

[IpathCats]

56mm 99a F4 Classics are the best wheel.

That is all.

[rawbertson.]

i have bene skating 56-58mm for a long time maybe just say fuck the dragons and just get a bigger f4 for my cruiser setup. it sounds like dragons will have similar problem to my OJ you need a lot of wax to do noseslides.

[logjammin]

I'm on those new 97a 56mm radial fulls, had a few sessions including an indoor skatepark. Definitely adds to the all terrain feel of these in this shape since they're so fat and that slightly softer durometer really smooths things out and makes everything feel less teeth chattering. Little more effort required to slide but it's nothing crazy. Highly recommend em, cheers

[FuzzGNU]

I'm on those new 97a 56mm radial fulls, had a few sessions including an indoor skatepark. Definitely adds to the all terrain feel of these in this shape since they're so fat and that slightly softer durometer really smooths things out and makes everything feel less teeth chattering. Little more effort required to slide but it's nothing crazy. Highly recommend em, cheers

Glad to hear. I really think it was the right call to move that shape to 97a. Must feel like monster truck tires skating on that.

Any more news on their 95a? Honestly seems like that would be too soft, but I'm still curious.

[switchfrontshuv]

56mm 99a F4 Classics are the best wheel.

That is all.

try skate them skinny ass shits off rip in NYC

[logjammin]

Expand Quote

I'm on those new 97a 56mm radial fulls, had a few sessions including an indoor skatepark. Definitely adds to the all terrain feel of these in this shape since they're so fat and that slightly softer durometer really smooths things out and makes everything feel less teeth chattering. Little more effort required to slide but it's nothing crazy. Highly recommend em, cheers

[close]

Glad to hear. I really think it was the right call to move that shape to 97a. Must feel like monster truck tires skating on that.

Any more news on their 95a? Honestly seems like that would be too soft, but I'm still curious.

In this radial full shape, they feel extremely similar to those 60mm OJ 95a's in terms of softening things up, but since these are F4 the slide is unbeatable. I'd say the 95a in F4's is kinda overkill.

[nekro]

Are there any fake Lock-Ins in circulation or is that just Conical Fulls?  I've seen a cheap set on ebay but they look more white rather than natural. 
Is there anything that will give them away as fakes just from looking at them?

[Mbrimson88]

Are there any fake Lock-Ins in circulation or is that just Conical Fulls?  I've seen a cheap set on ebay but they look more white rather than natural. 
Is there anything that will give them away as fakes just from looking at them?

At last check, I think there were really only still a few sets / options in the fake ones, Conical Full in blue graphic 99 and red graphic 101 around 52 to 54, along with some other older versions that are mismatched, eg Conical or Radial graphic on a Classic wheel and similar, as well as all those Radial Slims.

As to the colour, a lot of the newer Formula Four Spitfire wheels have been a lot less natural in colour and a lot more pale, almost white, so I think they should be fine - they are brand new wheels and freshly poured is always going to be a bit lighter in colour than something that is months old, especially comparing some I have here that were pre pandemic, to more recent to freshest wheels just out.

[rocklobster]

No fake Lock-Ins to my knowledge.

The common ones are 52mm Classics, Conical Full (red / blue), and 54mm Radial Slims (shaped like classics).

[typeischeap]

As to the colour, a lot of the newer Formula Four Spitfire wheels have been a lot less natural in colour and a lot more pale, almost white, so I think they should be fine - they are brand new wheels and freshly poured is always going to be a bit lighter in colour than something that is months old, especially comparing some I have here that were pre pandemic, to more recent to freshest wheels just out.

This. Just copped some lock-ins to try out and they seemed significantly lighter than my other various sets of F4s.

[nekro]

Expand Quote

Are there any fake Lock-Ins in circulation or is that just Conical Fulls?  I've seen a cheap set on ebay but they look more white rather than natural. 
Is there anything that will give them away as fakes just from looking at them?

[close]

At last check, I think there were really only still a few sets / options in the fake ones, Conical Full in blue graphic 99 and red graphic 101 around 52 to 54, along with some other older versions that are mismatched, eg Conical or Radial graphic on a Classic wheel and similar, as well as all those Radial Slims.

As to the colour, a lot of the newer Formula Four Spitfire wheels have been a lot less natural in colour and a lot more pale, almost white, so I think they should be fine - they are brand new wheels and freshly poured is always going to be a bit lighter in colour than something that is months old, especially comparing some I have here that were pre pandemic, to more recent to freshest wheels just out.

Thanks mate. Yeah most fake listings seem to use the same stock photos which is a giveaway. These ones have been skated a bit and look ok. I'm recently back into skating after a long break and now do remember wheels discolouring after a while.

[Bror]

Is there a Big size difference between 56 conical fulls and reg conicals? Got the fulls on sale but theyre soo wide n heavy. Dummy thick.

[Steely Daniel]

Is there a Big size difference between 56 conical fulls and reg conicals? Got the fulls on sale but theyre soo wide n heavy. Dummy thick.

There is yeah. It seems to go up exponentially as you size up in the conical fulls.

For example, 51 conicals have 31mm width and 19mm riding surface whereas 51 conical full have 32mm width and 20.8mm riding surface. Not a huge difference.

Scale that up to the big boy sizes and its 33mm width and 20.5mm surface on 56 conical vs 36mm width and 25mm surface for the 56mm conical fulls.

I'm currently riding 56mm conical fulls in 99 duro and they feel great on the crusty 27-year-old weathered Canadian PNW park I try to skate daily. I also just figured out I'm skating 159's on a 8.375 board with these big ass wheels and they have given me no problems on my 2-3 flatground flip tricks but your mileage may vary. I can't 360 flip so can't vouch for scoopy flip tricks but they feel fine to flip, and 180 flip to keep things simple.

[IpathCats]

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56mm 99a F4 Classics are the best wheel.

That is all.

[close]

try skate them skinny ass shits off rip in NYC

The riding surface/width to diameter ratio changes greatly at 56mm on the classics. That's why I like them. I've ridden them in NYC, Baltimore, Philly, and RVA just fine. Would say DC too, but it's pretty smooth there.

[art hellman]

id love to see a radial full in 52-53. 

[dstrytruitt]

Is there a Big size difference between 56 conical fulls and reg conicals? Got the fulls on sale but theyre soo wide n heavy. Dummy thick.

My 54 fulls vs regular conicals also feel way bigger and more difficult to get on/off coping on grinds.

[BartHarleyJarvis]

The wheel i keep coming back to are my 52mm conicals. I kept think radials were going to do it for me but they just end up feeling sort of big and clunky.

[Ok]

The wheel i keep coming back to are my 52mm conicals. I kept think radials were going to do it for me but they just end up feeling sort of big and clunky.

I haven’t tried regular conicals.
I skate classics the most, 52s.
I have some 52 conical fulls, 101s that I really like.
I’ll try the regular conicals next.
I don’t like a wheel larger than 52, for anything other than rolling.

[fs1/2cab]

The wheel i keep coming back to are my 52mm conicals. I kept think radials were going to do it for me but they just end up feeling sort of big and clunky.

I was rolling on the 52mm conicals for almost a year, then recently tried the 53mm Lock Ins. The Lock Ins were pretty good for some crusty spots here in the suburbs of East Berlin, but they can feel also pretty clunky sometimes.
I am curious about the 54mm conicals now, but the specs are very similar to the 53mm Lock Ins so I am hesitant to try them. Back on the 52mm Conicals which are 50mm now and I hope to roll around a bit on sunday.

Anyone have opinions on the 54mm 99a Conicals?

[rawbertson.]

man i think radials look really gross but they must work way better than fat wheels. if you think about it there should be way less drag and resistance. i wonder maybe they dont last as long though or maybe that doesnt even matter because the fat wheel is still touching the floor the entire time anyway.

[fs1/2cab]

Radials are pretty sick, just a bit clunky for my taste.
But I think they would be awesome in 50mm.

[Ok]

Radials are pretty sick, just a bit clunky for my taste.
But I think they would be awesome in 50mm.

I like low trucks, and as such, skate 52s (or smaller), some wide ones in these sizes would be fun to try, but I feel like that would be a really small niche.
Late 90s/2000s, in my memory, some of the wheels were sorta wide

[Murge]

Expand Quote

The wheel i keep coming back to are my 52mm conicals. I kept think radials were going to do it for me but they just end up feeling sort of big and clunky.

[close]

I was rolling on the 52mm conicals for almost a year, then recently tried the 53mm Lock Ins. The Lock Ins were pretty good for some crusty spots here in the suburbs of East Berlin, but they can feel also pretty clunky sometimes.
I am curious about the 54mm conicals now, but the specs are very similar to the 53mm Lock Ins so I am hesitant to try them. Back on the 52mm Conicals which are 50mm now and I hope to roll around a bit on sunday.

Anyone have opinions on the 54mm 99a Conicals?

I’m
Skating 54mm 99a conical now. I love them. I was sharing 55mm classics but I think I prefer the conical shape for street. Classics was nice for coping. But just barely nicer on coping.

[dstrytruitt]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

The wheel i keep coming back to are my 52mm conicals. I kept think radials were going to do it for me but they just end up feeling sort of big and clunky.

[close]

I was rolling on the 52mm conicals for almost a year, then recently tried the 53mm Lock Ins. The Lock Ins were pretty good for some crusty spots here in the suburbs of East Berlin, but they can feel also pretty clunky sometimes.
I am curious about the 54mm conicals now, but the specs are very similar to the 53mm Lock Ins so I am hesitant to try them. Back on the 52mm Conicals which are 50mm now and I hope to roll around a bit on sunday.

Anyone have opinions on the 54mm 99a Conicals?

[close]

I’m
Skating 54mm 99a conical now. I love them. I was sharing 55mm classics but I think I prefer the conical shape for street. Classics was nice for coping. But just barely nicer on coping.

I'm on 54 conicals for small tranny. 58 classic F4 on big tranny. Love the smaller conicals for tranny and on/off coping.

[Xen]

SW got them sweetass F4 56mm Radial Fulls in 97a

https://www.skatewarehouse.com/Spitfire_Formula_Four_Radial_Full_97a_Wheels/descpage-SF4RFWH.html

ACTUAL SIZE

[gaunting]

Radials are pretty sick, just a bit clunky for my taste.
But I think they would be awesome in 50mm.

spitfire just re issued the “lil smokies” wheel in a conical and conical full I believe. 48mm,49mm and 50mm

[Easy Slider]

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Radials are pretty sick, just a bit clunky for my taste.
But I think they would be awesome in 50mm.

[close]

spitfire just re issued the “lil smokies” wheel in a conical and conical full I believe. 48mm,49mm and 50mm

A great wheel, I had the 48s (not sure which format). However, they wore down rather quickly to 44 so I had to ditch them because it became increasingly difficult to skate slightly crustier spots. I still have them on a spare set up tho, for those 90s vibes.

Conical fulls should be good for crust even at a small size, right?