Author Topic: Comparing wheels for transition skating  (Read 3855 times)

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bombsaway86

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Comparing wheels for transition skating
« on: May 18, 2019, 07:34:33 PM »
While there's a ton of information out there about street wheels, there's not much about wheels for transition skating (because vert is dead  ;D). Over the last two years or so I've been skating a lot more vert and big bowls, and I've been searching for the "right" wheel for me. Naturally, I've tried quite a few different wheels in the search and thought I'd share my experiences. All wheels were ridden with Bones Super Swiss 6 bearings. Hopefully somebody out there finds this helpful...

Bones SPF 58mm 84b P5 shape:
These wheels are the gold standard for blazing fast wheels. I barely have to pump when I'm using them, and sometimes find myself actually trying to slow myself down. These are really great wheels, but with that speed comes a few trade-offs. They are grippier than you would expect for the hardness, but I've had them slide out on me quite a few times on me. I find that they work best on surfaces that are newer, but not brand new. I was riding a vert ramp that was just re-surfaced with some new ramp armor, and my board decided to do a 180 powerslide in the flat. I also tried riding them at a brand new concrete park, and I could barely lock into grinds because the wheels kept sliding on the concrete. I would also never ride them at an indoor park. Again, these are really great wheels, just use caution when hauling ass.

Bones SPF 60mm 81b P5 shape
There is almost no information out there about these ones. I found a set on eBay for $23, so I couldn't pass them up. They are very fast, but just a touch slower than the 84b SPF's (barely noticeable). I still find myself not really having to pump and trying to slow down at times. They are much grippier than the 84b's. The few times they have broken loose, it's been very controlled and I didn't get thrown off. The grip is almost as good as the old Bones DTF wheels (discontinued). They are still pretty hard, but not nearly as harsh as the 84b's. They feel very similar to the Spitfire Formula 4 99's. I haven't skated any brand new surfaces with them yet, but I feel like they would do well. I really like these wheels.

Speedlab Bombshells 57mm 99a
These wheels are a great all-around do anything wheel. They are fast, but not as a fast as either of the Bones SPF's. They make up for not being as fast with their amazing grip and smooth ride. They have the most controlled slide I've ever experienced. I've skated slick full-pipes and cradles, lost grip, then held a powerslide the rest of the way through an rolled away safely. It's really that good. These are my go-to wheel for new/slick/indoor parks because of their amazing grip. They also do great on crusty old parks/pools. In my opinion they ride more like 97a Slimeballs, but with a more functional modern shape. I also like the sharp conical cuts. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I lock into grinds better because of the shape. The only thing I don't like about them is they start to feel a bit mushy and get slower when it's hot out (about 80 degrees and hotter). These wheels probably see the most use out of all the wheels in my parts bin. I would highly recommend these for someone learning to skate transition or anyone living in the PNW where the parks are slick and it never gets too hot.

Rainskates Killer Bees 59mm 98a
I kept hearing good things about Rainskates... but I wasn't too impressed with them. They were the slowest wheels out of the bunch, but on a positive note they gripped like all hell. They also had a harder ride than the Speedlabs, despite being a softer durometer (maybe because of the core?). They have some harder wheels that I'd still like to try in the future. Maybe someone else on here would be willing to share their experience.

Santa Cruz Slimeballs 60mm 97a
I bought these with the intention of having maximum grip when I was first getting into vert. They grip very well and they haul ass once you get them going. My issues with these wheels were the size and weight. They are very wide which makes grinds a little bit harder since you have less truck to grind on compared to normal sized wheels. The weight requires some extra effort to move them around. You have to pump harder to get them going, and even simple things like kickturns take more effort than usual. Most people that I see riding them now tend to slide in and out of everything, so maybe that's the trick so getting over the weight.


That's it for now. Hopefully this made some people's wheel decisions easier (and hopefully not harder). Looking forward to hearing other people's experience with either these wheels or others that they'd like to add to the comparison.

givecigstosurfgroms

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2019, 08:35:35 PM »
For me i just ride one board so my street wheels gotta be my tranny wheels.  I get peoples old bones or f4s to scrimp and save, theyre usually 50s by the time i get them.   I just learned backside roll ins, id be amped to do them on vert. Ive come to dislike bigger wheels these days.  I hate having my board feel heavy.
"I just care about the river, I dont care about your back"

Serious Tea Drinker

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2019, 08:53:26 PM »
Until F4s I was on SPFs but they feel so shitty on street I had to give up on them. After my 'vert' or  'transition' wheels wear down from 58mm  to below 56mm they become my 'street' wheels and SPFs just won't do on anything other than smooth tranny.

58mm 99a F4 classics for the big stuff. I'm too old to experiment anymore.

SirPizzaSlayer

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2019, 09:23:33 PM »
Until F4s I was on SPFs but they feel so shitty on street I had to give up on them. After my 'vert' or  'transition' wheels wear down from 58mm  to below 56mm they become my 'street' wheels and SPFs just won't do on anything other than smooth tranny.

58mm 99a F4 classics for the big stuff. I'm too old to experiment anymore.
what’s the real difference between spf and stf? They both claim to be over 100d. The shapes are the same. Also you can use spf on streets, but it’s uncomfortable.

Serious Tea Drinker

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2019, 07:29:14 AM »
SPFs and STFs are very different. SPFs on street, of course you can do it but nothing feels worse. STFs are great, especially the softer ones but F4s seem to have a better all terrain slip to grip ratio for my needs.

SirPizzaSlayer

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2019, 07:37:52 AM »
SPFs and STFs are very different. SPFs on street, of course you can do it but nothing feels worse. STFs are great, especially the softer ones but F4s seem to have a better all terrain slip to grip ratio for my needs.
im skating spitfire classics and I reverted on them yesterday (can’t talk to much about them because it’s been raining) They do have a threaded contact patch but I hear that they will go away fast.

Dustwardprez

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Re: Comparing wheels for transition skating
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2019, 09:45:44 AM »
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These Just came back to me. I got them when they came out and lost them. A friend had them. They replaced my gbones and i took them off when I got gizmos