Spitfire formula four

[munchbox]

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if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

[close]

Radial Slims or Conicals

[close]

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As a general rule, IMHO, the three most critical/crucial Spitfire wheels are Classics, Radial Slims, and Conicals, with the Radials being a great half-way point between Classics and Conicals. It blows my mind that Spitfire has had such minimal production of the Radial slims in recent times. Serious ball drop. Those things should be in constant production.

As to what to ditch...yeah, lock-ins, mostly because they are not reversible. Moreover, if you want a decent lock-in, go for conicals. Beyond that, Tablets and OG Classics wouldn't be missed by me. The Radial Fulls are...laughable. Full Connies...I can't understand those things for anything other big transition where'd you what some decent traction/big contact patch.

Classics. Radial Slims. Conicals. DLX, focus your production powers there.

[close]

Honestly, I think I'd add the Classic FULL to that line up, that way the Radial crowd would still have a fat wheel.

Radial slims are such an underrated wheel...wide patch, slim profile, nice lip, straight cut edge...

to both of you, why conicals over og classics?
@53mm the only difference is 2mm in contact patch
at first glance at least

[Sedition]

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if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

[close]

Radial Slims or Conicals

[close]

Expand Quote

As a general rule, IMHO, the three most critical/crucial Spitfire wheels are Classics, Radial Slims, and Conicals, with the Radials being a great half-way point between Classics and Conicals. It blows my mind that Spitfire has had such minimal production of the Radial slims in recent times. Serious ball drop. Those things should be in constant production.

As to what to ditch...yeah, lock-ins, mostly because they are not reversible. Moreover, if you want a decent lock-in, go for conicals. Beyond that, Tablets and OG Classics wouldn't be missed by me. The Radial Fulls are...laughable. Full Connies...I can't understand those things for anything other big transition where'd you what some decent traction/big contact patch.

Classics. Radial Slims. Conicals. DLX, focus your production powers there.

[close]

Honestly, I think I'd add the Classic FULL to that line up, that way the Radial crowd would still have a fat wheel.

Radial slims are such an underrated wheel...wide patch, slim profile, nice lip, straight cut edge...

Rad Slim: Possibly the most underrated wheel in skate history. Generally, I ride Classics, but that is because I know I can always get them. If Rad Slims were available, on the regular, they would probably be my go-to.

Classic Full: Great wheel...but those are even more of an ancient myth now than Rad Slims are.

[Xen]

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if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

[close]

Radial Slims or Conicals

[close]

Expand Quote

As a general rule, IMHO, the three most critical/crucial Spitfire wheels are Classics, Radial Slims, and Conicals, with the Radials being a great half-way point between Classics and Conicals. It blows my mind that Spitfire has had such minimal production of the Radial slims in recent times. Serious ball drop. Those things should be in constant production.

As to what to ditch...yeah, lock-ins, mostly because they are not reversible. Moreover, if you want a decent lock-in, go for conicals. Beyond that, Tablets and OG Classics wouldn't be missed by me. The Radial Fulls are...laughable. Full Connies...I can't understand those things for anything other big transition where'd you what some decent traction/big contact patch.

Classics. Radial Slims. Conicals. DLX, focus your production powers there.

[close]

Honestly, I think I'd add the Classic FULL to that line up, that way the Radial crowd would still have a fat wheel.

Radial slims are such an underrated wheel...wide patch, slim profile, nice lip, straight cut edge...

[close]

Rad Slim: Possibly the most underrated wheel in skate history. Generally, I ride Classics, but that is because I know I can always get them. If Rad Slims were available, on the regular, they would probably be my go-to.

Classic Full: Great wheel...but those are even more of an ancient myth now than Rad Slims are.

Expand Quote

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if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

[close]

Radial Slims or Conicals

[close]

Expand Quote

As a general rule, IMHO, the three most critical/crucial Spitfire wheels are Classics, Radial Slims, and Conicals, with the Radials being a great half-way point between Classics and Conicals. It blows my mind that Spitfire has had such minimal production of the Radial slims in recent times. Serious ball drop. Those things should be in constant production.

As to what to ditch...yeah, lock-ins, mostly because they are not reversible. Moreover, if you want a decent lock-in, go for conicals. Beyond that, Tablets and OG Classics wouldn't be missed by me. The Radial Fulls are...laughable. Full Connies...I can't understand those things for anything other big transition where'd you what some decent traction/big contact patch.

Classics. Radial Slims. Conicals. DLX, focus your production powers there.

[close]

Honestly, I think I'd add the Classic FULL to that line up, that way the Radial crowd would still have a fat wheel.

Radial slims are such an underrated wheel...wide patch, slim profile, nice lip, straight cut edge...

[close]

to both of you, why conicals over og classics?
@53mm the only difference is 2mm in contact patch
at first glance at least

OGs / Tablets are damn near the same; I'd be hard pressed to come up with a reason to pick one over the other.

Conical for their lip by comparison to the other two.

DLX must know what they're doing, as they're only going to pour what sells through/re-ordered right?

[FuzzGNU]

@Xen

I don't know. I think most skaters probably don't really know or care about shape. Just what they look like and the diameter.

Most skate shops I've been to stock classics, conical full, tablets, and bigheads. So that's what people skate.

Its probably not super easy to understand how demanded all the different shapes are due to that.

It would be interesting if they sold some of the more obscure shapes in MassDrop style batches direct to consumer. I'm sure they would figure out really quickly which obscure shapes are popular or not.

[Xen]

Also, +1 for the Classic Slim =D

[rocklobster]

Also, +1 for the Classic Slim =D

Classic Slims are the skinny technical wheel Spitfire is lacking, but I understand why they skip over a skinny wheel given how unpopular they are. Satori does some comically skinny ones (Vinyl cut) and Bones V3, but that's it.

if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

Radial Slim - 53mm, 99a, shit would be perfect.

[greenbeans]

Also, +1 for the Classic Slim =D

also another +1 cuz thats the boss

[fakiefs180]

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if you were to get one spitfire shape in 53mm what would it be?
personally id go with the og classics

[close]

Radial Slims or Conicals

[close]

Expand Quote

As a general rule, IMHO, the three most critical/crucial Spitfire wheels are Classics, Radial Slims, and Conicals, with the Radials being a great half-way point between Classics and Conicals. It blows my mind that Spitfire has had such minimal production of the Radial slims in recent times. Serious ball drop. Those things should be in constant production.

As to what to ditch...yeah, lock-ins, mostly because they are not reversible. Moreover, if you want a decent lock-in, go for conicals. Beyond that, Tablets and OG Classics wouldn't be missed by me. The Radial Fulls are...laughable. Full Connies...I can't understand those things for anything other big transition where'd you what some decent traction/big contact patch.

Classics. Radial Slims. Conicals. DLX, focus your production powers there.

[close]

Honestly, I think I'd add the Classic FULL to that line up, that way the Radial crowd would still have a fat wheel.

Radial slims are such an underrated wheel...wide patch, slim profile, nice lip, straight cut edge...

[close]

to both of you, why conicals over og classics?
@53mm the only difference is 2mm in contact patch
at first glance at least

I prefer the Conicals because of that little tiny bit more roundness on the edges. They lock in really great on ledges/coping AND feel good for my remaining flip tricks. OG Classics feel a bit more straight cut at the edges and for some reason a little bit more heavy and clunky.

Conicals are like the perfect mix between Regular Classics and Tablets I feel.

But that's all just only my opinion.

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[switchfrontshuv]

Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

[Easy Slider]

On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

[switchfrontshuv]

On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.

I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho

[intendedreceivers]

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Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[close]

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.

[Easy Slider]

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On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

[close]

Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.

I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho

Yes I have been changing a few parameters on my setup lately, bigger wheels, forged hollows instead of hollows, and it has completely messed up my pop. Need to settle down and adjust to it now.

However, I have planned to size down from 8.5 to 8.38 on my next set up so that will take readjusting again.

Ah, the hunt for the goldilocks set up…

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Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[close]

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

[close]

I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.

I was surprised how long I managed to keep the Lil Smokies and also ride them in relatively rough spots. I also hadn‘t really noticed how small they had actually gotten in a few months. One day I went to a spot with very rough ground that I couldn‘t skate but a dude with Dragons let me try his board. That made me realise I was limiting my spot choice with the really small wheels.

[beandemon]

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On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

[close]

Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.

I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho

[close]

Yes I have been changing a few parameters on my setup lately, bigger wheels, forged hollows instead of hollows, and it has completely messed up my pop. Need to settle down and adjust to it now.

However, I have planned to size down from 8.5 to 8.38 on my next set up so that will take readjusting again.

Ah, the hunt for the goldilocks set up…

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[close]

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

[close]

I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.

[close]

I was surprised how long I managed to keep the Lil Smokies and also ride them in relatively rough spots. I also hadn‘t really noticed how small they had actually gotten in a few months. One day I went to a spot with very rough ground that I couldn‘t skate but a dude with Dragons let me try his board. That made me realise I was limiting my spot choice with the really small wheels.

I’m a lifelong big wheel guy, and I’d say little wheels are slower in general, but: 1) they accelerate quicker so can actually feel faster in cramped quarters ii.  can also feel faster when ground is just slightly rough because they make it seem spicier than it is, so you feel like you’re going faster

[FuzzGNU]

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On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

[close]

Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.

I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho

[close]

Yes I have been changing a few parameters on my setup lately, bigger wheels, forged hollows instead of hollows, and it has completely messed up my pop. Need to settle down and adjust to it now.

However, I have planned to size down from 8.5 to 8.38 on my next set up so that will take readjusting again.

Ah, the hunt for the goldilocks set up…

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[close]

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

[close]

I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.

[close]

I was surprised how long I managed to keep the Lil Smokies and also ride them in relatively rough spots. I also hadn‘t really noticed how small they had actually gotten in a few months. One day I went to a spot with very rough ground that I couldn‘t skate but a dude with Dragons let me try his board. That made me realise I was limiting my spot choice with the really small wheels.

[close]

I’m a lifelong big wheel guy, and I’d say little wheels are slower in general, but: 1) they accelerate quicker so can actually feel faster in cramped quarters ii.  can also feel faster when ground is just slightly rough because they make it seem spicier than it is, so you feel like you’re going faster

This.

Small wheels - higher acceleration (feel fast), lower top speed, higher deceleration, rougher ride. More tech and precise with tricks.

Large wheels - slower acceleration (feel slow), higher top speed, lower deceleration, smoother ride. Clunkier tricks.

This means small wheels require less pushes/force to get up to speed for traveling short distance in preparation for a trick BUT you have to push more often and continually reapply force over longer distances. That would make small wheels not as good for "no push lines" as well due to that deceleration.

You also mention small wheels feeling faster on rough ground. That's interesting and I've never thought about that. I totally understand that, though personally I associate that feeling of rough ground with deceleration.

I think you might be describing why some people think Dragons feel sluggish. They're smooth and quieter, and those feelings and sounds are associated with increased speed on hard wheels. The faster you go on a hard wheel, the louder it gets.

I think wheel width also fits into this discussion too. In theory a thinner wheel should be faster, while a wider wheel is more stable and smooth. Obviously thin wheel is also more tech, while wide wheel is clunkier.

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

I dabble with Lil Smokies on 90s inspired set ups on smooth flat and curbs only. They've helped me (re)learn some flip tricks but I am not paying premium price for them and they will likely only last me one deck.

Anything below 52mm is a novelty for that purpose only for me. I'm typically on 54mms and 58mms for big bowls.

[beandemon]

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On smooth ground small wheels are just as fast as big ones, I ran a set of Lil Smokies down to 44 mm and would have been happy to keep them if it wasn‘t for the crusty spots that were getting cumbersome to navigate. I run 52 mm wheels now and struggle with ghost pop since I am not used to be that high above the ground anymore.

[close]

Thanks for the info, will look into it in the future.

I got over my ghost pop frustration slump by skating the same truck/wheel setup consistently; I found if i stuck to a pair of trucks and wheels for an entire year or so I dont have that problem at all anymore (unless im tired). Idk tho

[close]

Yes I have been changing a few parameters on my setup lately, bigger wheels, forged hollows instead of hollows, and it has completely messed up my pop. Need to settle down and adjust to it now.

However, I have planned to size down from 8.5 to 8.38 on my next set up so that will take readjusting again.

Ah, the hunt for the goldilocks set up…

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Seems like more and more shops carrying Lil Smokies for between $20 and $30 if you do some googling... Def worth trying for that price for all your Nineties Needs.

[close]

does it really make a difference in speed when you are skating on smooth ground? like for example I skate 55+ mm, but if i were to get 50mm smokies and skate a ledge in a tennis court, would it really feel slower compared to skating 55+ on same terrain/obstacle?

Id love to have a 8.25/149 thunder/50mm court setup one day

[close]

I definitely notice it, but it’s more that they don’t carry speed. I got frustrated with the 50mm 99A F4 Classics on my Huffer feeling slow even at the park, so I went to the 101A Lil’ Smokies. The harder wheels are better if they’re that small in my opinion, and I only use them on very nice ground.

[close]

I was surprised how long I managed to keep the Lil Smokies and also ride them in relatively rough spots. I also hadn‘t really noticed how small they had actually gotten in a few months. One day I went to a spot with very rough ground that I couldn‘t skate but a dude with Dragons let me try his board. That made me realise I was limiting my spot choice with the really small wheels.

[close]

I’m a lifelong big wheel guy, and I’d say little wheels are slower in general, but: 1) they accelerate quicker so can actually feel faster in cramped quarters ii.  can also feel faster when ground is just slightly rough because they make it seem spicier than it is, so you feel like you’re going faster

[close]

This.

Small wheels - higher acceleration (feel fast), lower top speed, higher deceleration, rougher ride. More tech and precise with tricks.

Large wheels - slower acceleration (feel slow), higher top speed, lower deceleration, smoother ride. Clunkier tricks.

This means small wheels require less pushes/force to get up to speed for traveling short distance in preparation for a trick BUT you have to push more often and continually reapply force over longer distances. That would make small wheels not as good for "no push lines" as well due to that deceleration.

You also mention small wheels feeling faster on rough ground. That's interesting and I've never thought about that. I totally understand that, though personally I associate that feeling of rough ground with deceleration.

I think you might be describing why some people think Dragons feel sluggish. They're smooth and quieter, and those feelings and sounds are associated with increased speed on hard wheels. The faster you go on a hard wheel, the louder it gets.

I think wheel width also fits into this discussion too. In theory a thinner wheel should be faster, while a wider wheel is more stable and smooth. Obviously thin wheel is also more tech, while wide wheel is clunkier.

I’m talking about ground that is well short of what most would call rough-just past notably smooth. Could even be slippery in some cases, but has enough topography to make a loose setup rattle.

[munchbox]

maybe not slower but you will need more pushes to hold speed

[eviltgirl]

Got some classic 53s for Christmas that I'm pretty excited for, only ridden conical fulls before so it'll be a big change but I'm excited to give them a go.  Unfortunately the indoor park here is deadly slippery so I don't think I'm gonna get to try these out until the snow clears up

[Sedition]

Got some classic 53s for Christmas that I'm pretty excited for, only ridden conical fulls before so it'll be a big change but I'm excited to give them a go.  Unfortunately the indoor park here is deadly slippery so I don't think I'm gonna get to try these out until the snow clears up

53 classics are close to the perfect wheel for most skating (IMHO)...except indoor parks. The smaller contact patch, plus indoor dust = super slippery.

[IpathCats]

Yo! Just posted this in the wheels thread and someone suggested i post it here, so here i am.

I tried some 54mm 101a F4 classics recently, I really liked them.

However, I really noticed the difference when riding less than optimal surfaces when compared to the 56mm 99a f4s *classics* that im used to.

My question is, do you guys think a 54mm 101a radial would be a good middle ground?

Would the extra riding surface help handle rougher terrain and maybe make them grippier compared to the 54mm 101 classic?

Thanks in advance

[rawbertson.]

radials skinnier and have LESS riding surface area

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

According to the Spitfire charts...

54mm Classic is 33.5mm wide with 16.5mm riding surface
54mm Radial is 34mm wide with a 20mm riding surface.

I'd say the wider riding surface of a Radial will help a little on rougher ground but I don't know if I'd consider it a true compromise between a 99 classic and a 101 classic.

[Coldcut]

I use both wheels, classics and radials.
54mm so they could easily go down a bit.

Radial has:
54   WIDTH 34   RIDING SURFACE 20

Classic:
54    WIDTH  33.5    RIDING SURFACE 16.5

Try them!

[IpathCats]

radials skinnier and have LESS riding surface area

.....Nah

[Mbrimson88]

.

I have both 54mm Classics and Radials in both 99 and 101 on boards.

The 99s are very consistent in the feel on everything, but the 101s are a bit more here and there in terms of slide, grip and everything else, so it is not so much that they feel harder and slide more, quite often feeling more grippy than 99s but sometimes being a little more slick when you do get into a slide.

Either way, Radial when new is a little bit more of an "all rounder" compared to Classics when new.

I like both, but I can also feel the difference - not a whole lot, but there is a difference there.


Overall I think if I could get 54mm Radials all the time, I might ride those over Classics, but they are somewhat hard to come by at times, so Classics are the easy fall back option, as I do prefer a round edge but a wider profile and riding surface.

[listentoaheartbeat]

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Got some classic 53s for Christmas that I'm pretty excited for, only ridden conical fulls before so it'll be a big change but I'm excited to give them a go.  Unfortunately the indoor park here is deadly slippery so I don't think I'm gonna get to try these out until the snow clears up

[close]

53 classics are close to the perfect wheel for most skating (IMHO)...except indoor parks. The smaller contact patch, plus indoor dust = super slippery.

Classics 53mm are what I ended up with on my main setup after trying a bunch of different shapes and sizes. I use the 97A ones in the winter primarily because they are perfect to counter that indoor dust. No need for bigger wheels if you can go a bit softer.

[Mbrimson88]

Yo! Just posted this in the wheels thread and someone suggested i post it here, so here i am.

I tried some 54mm 101a F4 classics recently, I really liked them.

However, I really noticed the difference when riding less than optimal surfaces when compared to the 56mm 99a f4s *classics* that im used to.

My question is, do you guys think a 54mm 101a radial would be a good middle ground?

Would the extra riding surface help handle rougher terrain and maybe make them grippier compared to the 54mm 101 classic?

Thanks in advance

Of the options, as per my initial post earlier, how readily available are Radials in 101?

I know there are black ones out right now, but as far as any normal (not coloured) options, I don't think there are any, are there?

More just thinking out loud than anything else, re availability.


As for a direct answer, yes Radials are going to feel better than Classics, as are 53mm or even 54mm Conical Full when new, just to throw that in there as well.  At least they come in both 99 and 101 in natural colour, are readily available almost anywhere, if you did want a wheel with a bit more width.


I just had a skate on a board with 56mm Classics and once they are worn down a couple of mm, they are about the same contact patch as Radials anyway (but still a slightly wider wheel) so are any of your usual 56mm Classics down in those 53-54mm sort of sizes?

[IpathCats]

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Yo! Just posted this in the wheels thread and someone suggested i post it here, so here i am.

I tried some 54mm 101a F4 classics recently, I really liked them.

However, I really noticed the difference when riding less than optimal surfaces when compared to the 56mm 99a f4s *classics* that im used to.

My question is, do you guys think a 54mm 101a radial would be a good middle ground?

Would the extra riding surface help handle rougher terrain and maybe make them grippier compared to the 54mm 101 classic?

Thanks in advance

[close]

Of the options, as per my initial post earlier, how readily available are Radials in 101?

I know there are black ones out right now, but as far as any normal (not coloured) options, I don't think there are any, are there?

More just thinking out loud than anything else, re availability.


As for a direct answer, yes Radials are going to feel better than Classics, as are 53mm or even 54mm Conical Full when new, just to throw that in there as well.  At least they come in both 99 and 101 in natural colour, are readily available almost anywhere, if you did want a wheel with a bit more width.


I just had a skate on a board with 56mm Classics and once they are worn down a couple of mm, they are about the same contact patch as Radials anyway (but still a slightly wider wheel) so are any of your usual 56mm Classics down in those 53-54mm sort of sizes?

I'm not sure how readily available 54mm 101a radials are, the guy that runs my local shop will usually just show me what his distributor has and get me whatever. I honestly just assumed i could get them

I dont have any old sets of 56 99a's laying around at the moment, mine are fairly new on my current setup, could def just run them down a bit to see what a 54mm 99a radial would be like. I used to ride the 56mm radials a lot so i have a decent idea.

BUT i never tried them in 101 which is where my dilemma is. I loved the 54mm 101 classics when the ground suited them. I was hoping that maybe a wider 101 with more riding surface would help to make more ground suitable for 101s.

edit: after a quick search, it def looks like youre right about the limited availability. and i cant do black wheels, im not punk rock enough for that. Looks like im staying on the trusty 56mm 99a classics. always available, work in most situations.