Bones X-Formula will be 97a and released Spring 2023

[256 Ply]

[LebowskisRug]

I've got the testers and I gotta say, only one sesh in (lengthy tho) and either I got a defective set or I'm liking them less than Dragons.

[huggernaut]

I've got the testers and I gotta say, only one sesh in (lengthy tho) and either I got a defective set or I'm liking them less than Dragons.

In terms of what?

[tzhangdox]

https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=82118.5700

Posted some thoughts about them here a while ago ^

I think the speed + softer landing is definitely true.

They're basically a harder feeling dragon but still feel much softer than a f4. Still have similar drag issues to dragons on many grinds n slides, and pitch you harder if you wheelbite.

Keeping mine around as there's definitely use cases for them, but I'm back on f4s again most of the time. These are really nice to ride, handle shitty ground very well and do absorb more vibration so I think I feel a little less sore after a long session.

But as long as I'm not super toasted or skating really shitty ground, I just do all my curb/rail/ledge tricks better/longer/more consistent on hard wheels. Plus hard wheels just feel better as long as the ground is okay.

[LebowskisRug]

What he said but oddly the powerslides and reverts are stickier for me than Dragons, which is really weird. Hoping that maybe some wears off the top of the wheels more and that is a bit smoother.

I was going to use them for my street in front of my house and for a few asphalt slappy spots. I net about 1 less push per trick on them, but that is made up for less total grinding/sliding. I made sure to wax the sides and top of the curb and skated my normal wheels so I could see where the wheels slide. Before putting the 97's on I re-waxed those spots. And just did the same tricks. Definitely found the same issues I had with Dragons BUT I liked the way Dragon's reverted when skating them flat. Mine are still prototypes that I bought from a local shop so there is the off chance something could be weird so I am going to keep using them and hope they wear in a bit.

Lots of shops have prototypes that you have to ask for and they will sell you.

[huggernaut]

Lots of shops have prototypes that you have to ask for and they will sell you.

I had no idea this was a thing. Sounds like these are just worse dragons though… hmm

[theloniousmonk]

I will be picking up a set for sure. Got to say this is the cleanest/most modern marketing that bones has done and I’m surprised that it doesn’t have stf anywhere on it.

[iw0]

I will be picking up a set for sure. Got to say this is the cleanest/most modern marketing that bones has done and I’m surprised that it doesn’t have stf anywhere on it.

yeah i was surprised at the promo images posted being so straight forward. straight to the point, of course we'll see if these get the same social media treatment the dragons did

[j....soy.....]

Kinda smells a bit like Ricta….

[Mall Grab Mike]

These feel a lot different than Dragons, 93a to a 97a is a huge difference. I've ridden both and am currently riding the X formula. They feel similar to the 97a Spits. They slide better and feel nice on rougher spots. Not as cruiser smooth as the Dragons but, much smoother than 99s/101s. Powell/Bones is killing it and I hope they continue to "experiment" with duros and shapes. I'd like to see them offer more shapes. Conical Full Bones would be sick.

[LebowskisRug]

I must have a bunk set cuz 97 Spits slide better and don't have that dead sound. The v5 side cut shape is pretty nice though. If they don't wear in in a few sessions I'll keep the Dragons and sell these.

[lamfordie]

How are you guys able to test of the wheels before they're out? Would love to try them.

[LebowskisRug]

If you're not a kook and ask a shop they usually have 5-10 sets below the counter to sell to customers.

[Xen]

If anyone has some they don't want or can get a pair, I'll cover costs.

[LebowskisRug]

Give it a week or 3-4 more sessions and I might be selling mine.

[Xen]

aren’t there 95a ones coming out too?

They've gone quiet on the 95s

If I had to guess, especially after reading the posts from riders on both 93 and 97s, the 95s would be redundant/not offering anything different enough for anyone to tell the difference...almost like they should have just released the 95 as stand alone.

[LebowskisRug]

I will say that the 93 to 97 gap seems way less than 97 to 101 F4. My guess is that as soon as these drop the sales on Dragons will drop because no one wants to admit to riding a Powell wheel.

[yourbreakfsat]

https://bones.com/skateboard-wheels/x-formula

52mm V5, 54mm V5, 54mm V6, 56mm V6.

[rocklobster]

https://bones.com/skateboard-wheels/x-formula

52mm V5, 54mm V5, 54mm V6, 56mm V6.

Weird choice of shapes, thought they would do the 97a in V1 and the 93a in V5 / V6

[BMCsteve]

Can anyone confirm that they wont be released until spring?  Seems odd to have them on the Skateone site already

[Xen]

Can anyone confirm that they wont be released until spring?  Seems odd to have them on the Skateone site already

SkateOne has them as Holiday 2022:

https://www.skateone.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=X97+Holiday+2022#:~:text=X97%20Holiday%202022%27-,Search%20results%20for%3A%20%27X97%20Holiday%202022,-%27

So maybe sooner than expected. People seem to like them enough to not be selling/trading...

I'm still on the 93a Dragons. Aside from smooth Plaza or Park, I don't feel the need for any other wheel....can't wait for the 97a.

@rocklobster yeah, weird shape choices...thankfully I love the V5 for an all purpose wheel, but no V1? Seriously? that'd be like Spit making a new wheel and not using the classic mold.

[goodatmeth]

Does somebody know how these and dragons handle wet ground? Since they rely on vibrations to slide, wet ground shouldn't really change the slide all that much.
Regular 97a wheels probably slide on wet ground anyway, but 93s might not.
Winter wheel?

[Schinken]

Does somebody know how these and dragons handle wet ground? Since they rely on vibrations to slide, wet ground shouldn't really change the slide all that much.
Regular 97a wheels probably slide on wet ground anyway, but 93s might not.
Winter wheel?

Tried them several times on wet asphalt. Very slippery as soon as they start sliding. They are just like any other bones / powell wheel under 101a. No honest wheels

[TheLurper]

I just got a set this week.

I've only skated with them once. So far, I'm amazed how smooth everything feels while rolling around. They almost felt like cruiser wheels, but they also still slid.

I need to get to used to them as they feel completely different than the STF that I've been skating for the past 20 years.

[Samsquantch]

This spring I've tried Dragons, X97's and 99a Formula Fours.

The X97's are pretty impressive actually, and are A LOT smoother than F4's on rough ground while still feeling like a hard wheel. I don't find F4's enjoyable to cruise on, but I've used the X97's to take the dog for a walk a few times and they were pretty good. They roll way faster than spits on asphalt. They're actually almost as good as the Dragons on crust, but don't feel as rubbery and slow in a smooth park. Biggest downside to Dragons is how slow and rubbery they feel in transition and smooth park. Mind you there was a guy at my local the other day absolutely killing it on Dragons, so yeah...

I still like F4's better for skatepark, and they just sound and feel like skateboarding to me, but the X97's are damn good. If all your spots are crusty but you still want a "hard" wheel, absolutely recommend trying them. They're a bit more rubbery feeling than spits but nothing like Dragons. Between the three, they sound more like F4's but absorb crust more like Dragons.

Only weird thing is that Dragons actually slide better, both on smooth concrete and asphalt. They still have a good slide, just thought that was odd.

[Roisto]

This spring I've tried Dragons, X97's and 99a Formula Fours.

The X97's are pretty impressive actually, and are A LOT smoother than F4's on rough ground while still feeling like a hard wheel. I don't find F4's enjoyable to cruise on, but I've used the X97's to take the dog for a walk a few times and they were pretty good. They roll way faster than spits on asphalt. They're actually almost as good as the Dragons on crust, but don't feel as rubbery and slow in a smooth park. Biggest downside to Dragons is how slow and rubbery they feel in transition and smooth park. Mind you there was a guy at my local the other day absolutely killing it on Dragons, so yeah...

I still like F4's better for skatepark, and they just sound and feel like skateboarding to me, but the X97's are damn good. If all your spots are crusty but you still want a "hard" wheel, absolutely recommend trying them. They're a bit more rubbery feeling than spits but nothing like Dragons. Between the three, they sound more like F4's but absorb crust more like Dragons.

Only weird thing is that Dragons actually slide better, both on smooth concrete and asphalt. They still have a good slide, just thought that was odd.

Have you tested the 97A Formula Fours? Those are awesome hard wheels for rough ground spots IMO. Best all around wheels for skating in Finland that I have tried. They slide really well too. I’d be interested in a comparison between those and the Bones X- formula 97A.

[cucktard]

Expand Quote

This spring I've tried Dragons, X97's and 99a Formula Fours.

The X97's are pretty impressive actually, and are A LOT smoother than F4's on rough ground while still feeling like a hard wheel. I don't find F4's enjoyable to cruise on, but I've used the X97's to take the dog for a walk a few times and they were pretty good. They roll way faster than spits on asphalt. They're actually almost as good as the Dragons on crust, but don't feel as rubbery and slow in a smooth park. Biggest downside to Dragons is how slow and rubbery they feel in transition and smooth park. Mind you there was a guy at my local the other day absolutely killing it on Dragons, so yeah...

I still like F4's better for skatepark, and they just sound and feel like skateboarding to me, but the X97's are damn good. If all your spots are crusty but you still want a "hard" wheel, absolutely recommend trying them. They're a bit more rubbery feeling than spits but nothing like Dragons. Between the three, they sound more like F4's but absorb crust more like Dragons.

Only weird thing is that Dragons actually slide better, both on smooth concrete and asphalt. They still have a good slide, just thought that was odd.

[close]

Have you tested the 97A Formula Fours? Those are awesome hard wheels for rough ground spots IMO. Best all around wheels for skating in Finland that I have tried. They slide really well too. I’d be interested in a comparison between those and the Bones X- formula 97A.

I’ve tried both, and for me, the XF are completely superior to the Spit F4 97a.
The 97a spits feel pretty average. Slightly softer, with a bit of that gummy stickiness. Like a regular 97a. They absorb vibration ok, but feel a bit ‘damp’. The slide is ok, but you need to work a bit more for it than a harder wheel.

The XF feel ‘lively’ (some say ‘bouncy’). They absorb rough terrain, but don’t have that same slight mush, and grip.
They feel a bit faster and slide great on rougher surfaces. There are NOT park wheels. They grip more (more than the Spits) on very smooth surfaces, but on rougher ground they slide pretty much like a normal wheel.

Most of the parks where I am are older and rougher, and the XFs are ideal. I consistently enjoy them more than the Spits.

[AppleNick]

I did my first sesh today with my new 52 V1 x97s.
They're softer feeling than I expected and are quite bouncy. Fairly different wheel than 99a F4 classics of the same size I was running before. Being so soft, I feel like I have permission to be less tense in my legs and trunk. So my posture is better when there's non-perfect ground and cracks, ie 90% of what I skate. On that alone I'm happy with them.
Very quick to gain speed pumping up and down any transition.
If I'm too heavy on the back foot popping and leaning back, the board can roll ahead and jump forwards from under me when I snap, which didn't seem to happen on 99 F4's.
It's a little slower with 50-50s/5-0/nosegrinds when the inside of the wheel rubs on less waxed metal. Very waxed metal is fine. Crooks didn't seem any stickier anywhere on the other hand.
Little shuffling movements were stickier, but full-on powerslides all went just as well once I dug in my heels and insisted.
I'm having some trouble with getting into all the ollie-manuals but holding manuals in all positions is not a problem, but this may be more to do with 3 weeks off the board.

[truthislie]

No idea about these wheels but I hope some company comes out with a proper F4 alternative. I love them and I know inflation blah blah blah but paying more than 70 Euros for a set of wheels is just ridicolous.

[rikki]

No idea about these wheels but I hope some company comes out with a proper F4 alternative. I love them and I know inflation blah blah blah but paying more than 70 Euros for a set of wheels is just ridicolous.

Where exactly do you pay more than 70 eur for a set of wheels?