Spitfire Formula 4 Classics vs Conical Fulls?

[RaptorHunter182]

My past 2 sets of wheels have been the 54mm F4 Classics but after trying my friend's Conical Fulls and feeling how well they maintain speed/momentum on the street I've been thinking about getting some. What are the pros/cons of each wheel and if I get the Conical Fulls should I just get the 52mm since they are a bit chunky? What are your experiences with these 2 wheels?

[DarkPools]

Conical Fulls are a hell of a wheel! A lot of fun once you find your sweet spot in size/duro!

PROS
- Maintain speed well on nearly all terrain
- An ATV of wheels: street and transition work well, but so do park skating or manuals or crust or smooth ground
- Hold grinds well once locked in
- Grip street and park surfaces wheel, but still slide !
- Hefty wheel in larger sizes (this varies from person to person but they're a beast of a wheel if you're used to Thinner wheels/Thinner contact patches.
- Ride over cracks/pebbles/rougher terrain more easily than not (especially 53mm+)
- Easy to initiate a powerslide and hold it
- They last a long time: 6 months - 1 year depending on how small you let them get while still enjoying em

CONS
- Get real square and blocky the longer you skate them and that can make it harder to lock into grinds occasionally (some see this as a pro, though for their own reasons)
- Popping on the bigger sizes can feel like a chore, especially if you have taller/heavier trucks (steep kicks, too) until you get that sweet spot of size and feel.
- Don't initially lock into some grinds as well: takes a little more effort sometimes than a Classic Spit since the edges are little more square than a classic. They still lock in well though.
- Can be too grippy or too slide-ey depending on the duro against the surface you're on.


If you're new to Conical Full, you could try 52 or 53 to start. I'd recommend it over 54 and then go up on your next set! 99 duro is a good sweet spot for hard to soft ratio.

54mm do feel hefty at first but you'll get used to it. I started on those but I was already skating 53-55mm Bones V5 before switching.

See more: https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=68020.4200

[RaptorHunter182]

Thanks!!

[LebowskisRug]

Classic Full are what you want! Or just get a few MM bigger than normal and wait for them to wear a few MM and you get a nice wider Classic.

Another weird con of Conical shapes is the sidewall is sharp and if you ride at certain spots that have wider cracks with grout between them sometimes the edge can catch when riding parallel and you can get pitched. It's likely not a normal scenario, but a round side profile will not have an issue.

[CBP]

Classic Full are what you want! Or just get a few MM bigger than normal and wait for them to wear a few MM and you get a nice wider Classic.

Another weird con of Conical shapes is the sidewall is sharp and if you ride at certain spots that have wider cracks with grout between them sometimes the edge can catch when riding parallel and you can get pitched. It's likely not a normal scenario, but a round side profile will not have an issue.

Had this happen to me so many times just rolling down the sidewalk 🤦‍♂️

[rocklobster]

My past 2 sets of wheels have been the 54mm F4 Classics but after trying my friend's Conical Fulls and feeling how well they maintain speed/momentum on the street I've been thinking about getting some. What are the pros/cons of each wheel and if I get the Conical Fulls should I just get the 52mm since they are a bit chunky? What are your experiences with these 2 wheels?

If you're worried about chunkiness of the wheel, go for the (regular) Conical but in 54mm.  A little skinnier than the Conical Full with all benefits and a slimmer profile, provided you can still find them in stock.

Or Radial Slims which combine the best of a Classic (rounded edge for a easier tip over), Conical (wide riding surface and inward cut for less weight) and Tablet (skinny shape, flat side profile for a cleaner lock in).

[Frank and Fred]

The other con to wider contact patch wheels like Conical Full is more likely to wheel bite than with a narrower, more rounded Classic shape of the same size.

[IpathCats]

The other con to wider contact patch wheels like Conical Full is more likely to wheel bite than with a narrower, more rounded Classic shape of the same size.

Big true. Very important factor. You can get away with 56mm classics on way more trucks without risers, than a 56 mm conical full. This, and how the classics behave on grinds is why I prefer them.

[spanyard]

Classics>conned fools

[Gnarmadillo]

I love the "bulldozer" feel of the conical fulls (especially at around the 54mm range), but have found classics to be my preference because they're WAY harder to get wheelbite and make flips tricks a bit easier, since the rounder edges and smaller contact surface means they can "roll" over easier.

[Murge]

Currently on conical regulars. I’m enjoying them I also love classics. But this thread has me wondering. For the  people that choose classics. Do you buy them bigger and wear them down to ideal? Or what size classics do you prefer? Same with conical full dudes what sizes? Sizes are important. I’m on 54 regulars and I skate some 54s classics that are 51/52mm now. If I can find some more 54 classics cheap I’ll prob get them again but was kinda debating on 55s and wearing them down.

[LebowskisRug]

My wheels are wearing down about 1mm a mo skating more asphalt, but wore 1mm in 4-5mo skating smooth granite so it depends on where I'll be skating.

[DarkPools]

I'm on Conical Fulls and here's my preference when buying new:

- Conical Full: 53 -54mm (52mm in a pinch)
- Conical: 54-55mm

I don't like Classics, too rounded like a Bones V3 almost. So I can't speak on those.

[Mbrimson88]

As others have said I think it depends a lot on where you usually skate, as in what the surface is like.

If you are riding a surface that wears down wheels quickly, getting a bigger size really does make a difference as they will wear down nicely in the Classic shape (which I prefer) but if you are skating smooth glass like surfaces, then getting a wheel in pretty much the exact size you want is best, as they hardly wear down at all on that new skatepark or similar surface for the places I have been.

Ideally, I get a bigger - 55, 56 or 58 mm - Classic shape wheel and skate places I know will wear down the wheels more quickly, so then when they are about 53 to 54 mm, the right size for what I like, I can then use them on the glass smooth parks, or my ramp at home, where they hardly wear down much at all.

This would be a good idea if that is how it worked all the time, but I do have a lot of nicely worn down wheels as trade ins from others as well, including mostly 50 to 52 mm sizes that were 54 mm Conical Full wheels when new, that I round off the sharp edges on, which also works really well for me when I skate smaller stuff, as well as others who like a smaller wider wheel for street tech type stuff too.


Some people love the chunky look and feel of bigger Conical Full wheels, but anything over 54 or 55 mm is not a wheel I like to skate for anything other than just going fast, which is fine for the 55, 56 and 58 mm Conical Full wheels I still have too.

More people skate the 54 mm Conical Full and quite a few skate the 53 mm size that I know, more as a single size and shape all rounder for everything, which makes sense.


Lastly the Classic Full (just a wider profile of the Classic shape) is my perfect go to in 56 mm when new, but besides that wheel being virtually extinct unless you stocked up when they were around, I just don't find myself skating a whole lot of bigger transition the way I used to, so I don't even think I will go through the half a dozen sets I have now anyway, as I am skating a lot more on the other smaller wheels as shown above.

[bombsaway86]

Anyone ever use classics for transition/bowl riding?The only F4s that my local shop has in my size right now is classics, but I’m weary of the narrow contact patch. I might just impulsively buy them, I’ll report back if I do

[LebowskisRug]

Peter Hewitt, Cardiel did, Grant Taylor often does.

[IpathCats]

Peter Hewitt, Cardiel did, Grant Taylor often does.

Seen kanfoush on classics and the older pabich brother.

[bombsaway86]

Peter Hewitt, Cardiel did, Grant Taylor often does.

Solid point. Can’t hurt to try, looks like I’ll be hitting the shop tomorrow

[Xen]

My vote is for standard conicals.

[mamba]

I love classics for transition. I’ve ridden 55 classics for a few years now. I love how they lock in for grinds and i think the narrow contact patch makes it easier for coming into tricks fakie

[BALARGUE]

I'm about to go for a new set of OG classics 55, very close to conical full (coming from Classic 54, pretty sure they are now around 50mm).
Does the squarish shape change the way slappies work ?
I just got back into them and i'm wondering if it's going to be way different

[IpathCats]

I'm about to go for a new set og OG classics 55, very close to conial full (coming from Classic 54, pretty sure they are now around 50mm).
Does the squarish shape change the way slappies work ?
I just got back into them and i'm wondering if it's going to be way different

I feel like classics get in/out of grinds easier in pretty much every circumstance, including slappies. I feel like these also allow you to grind faster since there isnt a hard edge gripping the grind surface. Plenty of people slappy with square edge wheels though.

[Ok]

My vote is for standard conicals.

This is the answer you deserve: an option that very well may be correct, but wasn’t part of your either/or question…that definitely didn’t need a new thread.

I like my 52 conical fulls. The larger cf’s, although great for cruising, start to bug my flip trick attempts.
If it’s only one wheel, it’s classics. They are excellent. And they wear in better.

[Roisto]

I'm about to go for a new set of OG classics 55, very close to conical full (coming from Classic 54, pretty sure they are now around 50mm).
Does the squarish shape change the way slappies work ?
I just got back into them and i'm wondering if it's going to be way different

Wheel shape definitely affects how slappies work but overall it’s a rather minor adjustment IMO. I prefer bigger more square shapes as they lock in better. With small classic shape wheels I tend to slip out easier. Gotta be a bit more precise with those.

[downtodevin]

I'm about to go for a new set of OG classics 55, very close to conical full (coming from Classic 54, pretty sure they are now around 50mm).
Does the squarish shape change the way slappies work ?
I just got back into them and i'm wondering if it's going to be way different

We’re in the same boat, I just picked up some OG Classic F4s to replace my Classic F4s. Let us know how you like them I’ll be throwing them on in a few weeks.

[BALARGUE]

Thanks guys

downtodevin am i cannon fodder to you ?  :'(

[downtodevin]

Thanks guys

downtodevin am i cannon fodder to you ?  :'(

Absolutely not! My wife and daughter just said I can’t setup my new board and wheels until Father’s Day lol.

[BALARGUE]

Fair enough 

i'll report back after this weekend session

[BartHarleyJarvis]

My vote is for standard conicals.

Seconded

[Knee Pain]

I've just swapped to 53mm classics after skating conical fulls for over a year... mainly because i feel like the conicals make my board look and feel clunky/heavy.

Not had session yet but i'm hoping for positive results.