Spitfire formula four

[Mbrimson88]

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Can someone please tell me what the difference is between Conical, Radial (both offer half and Full versions it seems), Classic etc? i understand its the way the wheels are cut out, but why?

Also, do you guys notice much difference between a 99a and a 101a in f4s?

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https://www.spitfirewheels.com/formulafour/
This is missing radial full but its essentially a radial with wider and bigger contact patch. As for why the different cuts, I can only say, the sidewall cut determines lockability and transition dismount (the ease of reentry that the sidewall allows against the coping). A straighter cut locks in better while a rounder edge lets you come off the grind easier and is easier to get off the ground for scoop tricks since theres less resistance. All this is based off my experience by the way.  The width and contact patch determines stability, slidability (smaller contact patch and width generally slides easier), and weight. The only way to truly know if any of this matters to you is to try them.

99 and 101 definitely has a tangible difference for me. 99 is generally agreed to be a good all around durometer while the 101  felt icy and harsh on rough ground for me but eventually felt normal after breaking them in. 101s felt slightly faster but not enough for me to go with those over 99s in the future.

Yes, I agree with all of that too.


The most common size and shape seems to be the Conical Full 54mm wheel in 99 duro, or at least for people I know and skate with, especially for ledge and rail skating, where they are still wide enough without being too wide, like the bigger sizes.  If you are more into the bigger and wider wheels, the 56mm Conical Full wheel is most likely going to be just what you want.

There are 55 and 57mm Oski Radials out right now, as well as talk of more 56mm Radials too, but I don't know when they are coming out.  They are pretty much the middle ground between Classic and other more squared off shapes like Conical Full wheels.  I have had a few sets of those in 54 and 56 mm sizes, along with the Classic Full and they keep me happy with the wider overall feel, but not the squared off / lock in feeling of the Conical Full wheels.

At least there should be a good number of Conical Full wheels around, way more than Radial or Classic Full, but another one that does come out in bigger sizes and is widely available is the OG Classic, which is a little more squared off, not quite as wide, but definitely does everything a "lock in" type wheel does.


Maybe too many shapes as has been said before, but this link to the posts with all the info should help as well:


https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=68020.msg3724959#msg3724959

[intendedreceivers]

Thank you Camel Filters!

I am just talking to my homey on the discord about it too and he rides the Conical Full @ 56mm and they seem to be some of the widest wheels that they have, which seems in tune with what I like. I dont like the look of those skinny wheels at all and i also just like the way those fatter wheels feel. I think I just need to figure out what size I want (58mm is too big i get bit too much wheelbite but it i also dont mind it too much, probably 56mm is fine but might go bit smaller) but Conical Full 99a seems to be pretty ideal for me!

the main drawback of my soft 95a OJ wheels is metal edges of skatepark do not slide well AT ALL. Seems like even 99a F4 will handle this no problem.

You might look at the 56mm Radial Full, too. If you’re on a wider setup, those wheels are pretty rad for rolling around concrete transition.

[mbam003]

A worn down 54mm conical and 52mm og classic should have very little difference, correct? Going by the measurements.

[beandemon]

Googling “Spitfire wheel shapes” will answer a lot of the questions in this thread. Pics of the shape with height/width/contact patch info.

[iw0]

Googling “Spitfire wheel shapes” will answer a lot of the questions in this thread. Pics of the shape with height/width/contact patch info.

ah, but why google when you are on slap!

For anyone who is in need of a Spitfire Wheel Chart that comes in the packaging of the wheels.

I do have a pic of the card with Spitfire Classic Full wheels too, but the sizes are not correct past 53mm, so I added to this one, which I feel is still not quite correct, but closer than what it was before.

Sorry if I didn't credit your pic, but these were spread throughout this and other threads and I only thought about it afterwards.

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Here's the one from the Oskis if it helps...

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Charts to compare size (incorrect sizes on the Classic full wheels on the chart, but correct below in text):



I had a dig through some boxes and found not only the old Classic Full cards, but also a set of the Spitfire Cardiel Charro wheels, which are actually 54.5 mm and they measure 35 wide with 19 contact (maybe even 19.5 mm contact).

So the sizes are really as follows:


Classic Full chart correct to 54mm and measurements just taken again on wheels I have:

52       33       18
53       33.5    18.5
54       34       19
54.5    35       19.5
56       37       22.5
58       38       24

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[Xen]

Lest we forget the Reynolds classic ’slim’ RIP

[listentoaheartbeat]

Seeing the Classics Full measurements again makes me wonder how relevant the 52 mm ones really are. Same width as 53 mm Classics, which will have a similar contact patch once worn down to 52 mm. I liked my Classics Full (passed them on) but am wondering if I should just go with 53 mm Classics when I am buying my next set of smaller wheels as they are much more widely available.

[Mbrimson88]

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Googling “Spitfire wheel shapes” will answer a lot of the questions in this thread. Pics of the shape with height/width/contact patch info.

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ah, but why google when you are on slap!

For sure.

That is why I tried to get all the information on the same post which could be seen again and again.

Still bugs me I got the Classic Full dimensions wrong in the bigger sizes, when I altered that pic, but I listed them in text below so it is not that big a deal really.


* Thanks again to those contributors as well.

@typeischeap
@Schinken

Seeing the Classics Full measurements again makes me wonder how relevant the 52 mm ones really are. Same width as 53 mm Classics, which will have a similar contact patch once worn down to 52 mm. I liked my Classics Full (passed them on) but am wondering if I should just go with 53 mm Classics when I am buying my next set of smaller wheels as they are much more widely available.

If you can deal with the size and shape to start with, they will definitely be easier to find and last a little longer, being that 1 mm bigger overall.

I have been skating some slightly used Classic 54mm wheels just to see how they add up compared to the Classic Full and I must say that they don't disappoint, that is for sure.  The ride is so similar, as are the current dimensions.



 

[Plan9Customs]

Seeing the Classics Full measurements again makes me wonder how relevant the 52 mm ones really are. Same width as 53 mm Classics, which will have a similar contact patch once worn down to 52 mm. I liked my Classics Full (passed them on) but am wondering if I should just go with 53 mm Classics when I am buying my next set of smaller wheels as they are much more widely available.

Not worth much but I love 53/99 classic shape. Great all around wheel and lock in is good as well as reverts out of grinds.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

[Xen]

Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

54mm Conical

[DERBY]

Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

aces or a deck with a tighter wheelbase

[listentoaheartbeat]

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Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

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54mm Conical

This, or OG Classics (assuming you want to stick to a conical shape). And maybe consider Titaniums if you Re riding Indys, they help a lot with making bigger setups feel lighter.

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

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Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

[close]

54mm Conical

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This, or OG Classics (assuming you want to stick to a conical shape). And maybe consider Titaniums if you Re riding Indys, they help a lot with making bigger setups feel lighter.

Sweet cheers for the advice, can confirm that buying conicals are a nightmare (at least in UK).  Only found one shop that does 54s the rest are all conical fulls.

I skate Venture Lights 5.6 Hi,  been on ventures since a kid.  Maybe time for a change.

... is this how gear madness starts??

[listentoaheartbeat]

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Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

[close]

54mm Conical

[close]

This, or OG Classics (assuming you want to stick to a conical shape). And maybe consider Titaniums if you Re riding Indys, they help a lot with making bigger setups feel lighter.

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Sweet cheers for the advice, can confirm that buying conicals are a nightmare (at least in UK).  Only found one shop that does 54s the rest are all conical fulls.

I skate Venture Lights 5.6 Hi,  been on ventures since a kid.  Maybe time for a change.

... is this how gear madness starts??

I don't think the Indy Titaniums are much lighter than your Ventures. Also they ride differently, wouldn't mess with that. Get some 54 mm F4 OG Classics if Conicals are hard to come by!

[Boog]

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Yo I've got to get some new wheels,  been riding 56mm 99a conical fulls.

Really like them,  but downside is how bulky they feel trying flip tricks &  how much weight they add to my set up compared to mates' set ups.

I mainly skate bowls and ramps,  but want to get into more flip tricks and street stuff.

 Anyone got any recs that'd make it a bit lighter,  but without slipping out in a bowl /having to pump way harder?

Cheers!

[close]

54mm Conical

[close]

This, or OG Classics (assuming you want to stick to a conical shape). And maybe consider Titaniums if you Re riding Indys, they help a lot with making bigger setups feel lighter.

[close]

Sweet cheers for the advice, can confirm that buying conicals are a nightmare (at least in UK).  Only found one shop that does 54s the rest are all conical fulls.

I skate Venture Lights 5.6 Hi,  been on ventures since a kid.  Maybe time for a change.

... is this how gear madness starts??

Don't change your trucks. You've been on them since a kid so you've obviously done your best skating on venture. All changing will do is make you have to re learn everything.

[logjammin]

After drifting away from super hard wheels and going softer 95a-99a for many years now, I decided to revisit some 101a classic shapes and man these are just truly the most premium wheels on the market. The glide and chirp is just un-fucking-matched. I can do a front smith slappy and just glide my front wheels on the ground sloppily the whole way without stopping.

[Gene_Harrogate]

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Anyone know what's going on with radials? Been looking for them for months but they're just not available in 54mm or below.

Might have to get some Classic Fulls but not sure if anyone knows anything and if it's worth waiting a bit longer?

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Yeah I’ve heard rumors there may be some 53-54 radials coming, but no potato colors; all black or swirl or whatever

Just saw this posted to instagram, looks like there will be potato after all.

[fakiefs180]

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Anyone know what's going on with radials? Been looking for them for months but they're just not available in 54mm or below.

Might have to get some Classic Fulls but not sure if anyone knows anything and if it's worth waiting a bit longer?

[close]

Yeah I’ve heard rumors there may be some 53-54 radials coming, but no potato colors; all black or swirl or whatever

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Just saw this posted to instagram, looks like there will be potato after all.

Yoo, 53mm 99a Radials. Each wheel with a different graphic. And Leo Baker. That is all super rad.

Unfortunately I really, really like Standard Conicals.

[listentoaheartbeat]

They look quite chunky at that size, almost Radial Full proportions?

[SwitchBigspinflipBoneless]

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Don't change your trucks. You've been on them since a kid so you've obviously done your best skating on venture. All changing will do is make you have to re learn everything.
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The sensible advice that I needed today

[Paco Supreme]

Bloody finally, gonna have to stock up again

Edit: Of course they release the day after I cave and buy some 55mms

[BartHarleyJarvis]

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Anyone know what's going on with radials? Been looking for them for months but they're just not available in 54mm or below.

Might have to get some Classic Fulls but not sure if anyone knows anything and if it's worth waiting a bit longer?

[close]

Yeah I’ve heard rumors there may be some 53-54 radials coming, but no potato colors; all black or swirl or whatever

[close]

Just saw this posted to instagram, looks like there will be potato after all.

Damn, going to need to cop 2-3 sets...

[handsclapanin]

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Anyone know what's going on with radials? Been looking for them for months but they're just not available in 54mm or below.

Might have to get some Classic Fulls but not sure if anyone knows anything and if it's worth waiting a bit longer?

[close]

Yeah I’ve heard rumors there may be some 53-54 radials coming, but no potato colors; all black or swirl or whatever

[close]

Just saw this posted to instagram, looks like there will be potato after all.

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Damn, going to need to cop 2-3 sets...

Just picked up 2 sets from my local. It’s been a good couple months for me. After years of absence, my #2 favorite, lock-ins, are finally back (I’ve got 3 sets on ice). And now my #1, radials are here! I should be set for a while.

[handsclapanin]

I couldn’t help but notice in the lower left of this insta post from spitfire, I see a Radial Slim package

[iw0]

I couldn’t help but notice in the lower left of this insta post from spitfire, I see a Radial Slim package

saw them on parade earlier too, maybe 5-6 listings?

[sharkin]

whew 53 radial

that's a nice wheel and a dope pro model to boot

[Murge]

I really don’t need new wheels but shit I’m tempted.

[chris.]

Damn, I bought some 53m radials on a whim a few years back and they were great. Very glad to be able to get some more.

[Paco Supreme]

Radial slim on Tactics

https://www.tactics.com/spitfire/formula-four-radial-slim-skateboard-wheels/venomous-101d