Spitfire formula four

[Xen]

Permission granted! Decks went up and stayed up. Wheels following suit...trucks and everything else next!

I just wanted colored F4s to mix and match.

[Xen]

Permission granted! Decks went up and stayed up. Wheels following suit...trucks and everything else next!

I just wanted colored F4s to mix and match.

Totally jinxed it, shop called to tell me there was an inventory issue, no glows =(

[intendedreceivers]

I love the riding surface and how my flip tricks are on the Classic shape, but like how Conicals are shaped for locking into grinds.

Would anyone else like to see a Conical Slim shape?

Basically, a similar shape to a Bones V5 shape. I’ve skated the V5’s. They’re great. Just not the same performance of a Formula 4.

They’re probably most accurately described as a conical/tablet hybrid, but the OG Classic shape is a pretty good approximation of a hypothetical Conical Slim shape.

[Mbrimson88]

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Are F4 prices trending up everywhere? Seeing more places selling them for $40 to $45 a set?

[close]

I noticed this as well. Just nabbed two sets of classics (chroma yellow, and glow) at the low low price of $39.99

Seems all DLX products have gone up a lot in the last drop.

Also funny that the same product items in some places are still at the old price with the new product items at the higher price, which is making some things weird, but definitely get them while you can, eg Conical Full 52mm to 54mm wheels are between AU $60 and AU $90 right now here, just as one example, RRP was going up to $79 but is now $89 with the bigger wheels over 56mm going to $94 or higher.


I know the AU dollar and exchange rate is rubbish, but when one set of wheels costs more than anything else, then the new decks are showing as almost twice what I had been getting decks for, as well as trucks going up a lot more too, I am glad I don't have to buy anything any time soon.


Sorry to start a panic for anyone wanting things, but if you find something at the old price, it might save you $10 or more to get it sooner than later.

[streetmeat]

Q: I've only ever had 99a du spits, do 101s bark the same as 99s. thinking of grabbing some 101s but i L O V E bark so i wanna make sure i'm not gonna lose that

[BALARGUE]

it's subjective especially if you are that obsessed with the barking
But there's a slight difference between 99 and 101
99 bark best bark

[Frank and Fred]

99s are my go to but currently I have some 50mm Lil smokies 101s and those things are magic. For whatever reason they aren't much slower than my 56mm 99s. I think from now on if I mess with F4 under 54mm I'll go with 101s. I have some conical full 101s next to see how they do with a wider wheel.

Panic bought some 56mm 99a Radials also... $30 shipped...  I'm well stocked for the time being. Hoping my next F4 purchase isn't $45,

[chris.]

Skated non-F4 for a good stretch and I admired a lot of the qualities of those wheels, but I put some 101 radial slims back on and they’re just so much faster.  Thought I might be a non-F4 guy, but I don’t think so.

[rosemaryBB]

Anyone run the big size lock-ins like 55mm and up to lock-in, like, even better?

[thanksgiving]

spitfire msrp and cost went up significantly. from 60-70 here in canada

[Mbrimson88]

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I recently bought a set of 53mm 99a radials from my local, then I noticed on the f4 size chart that there was no 53 listed for radials.

Did I just buy fakes?

I personally know the local owner, he wouldn't sell them intentionally. He gets them all from the same distributor, and I've gotten multiple sets of legit ones in the past, so I'm inclined to believe these are real.

But the lack of mention on the size chart has me puzzled.

[close]

nah, my favorite are the standard conicals, and they are not listed in 53 on the website but are for sale at legit retailers.

[close]

Sick, thanks.

[close]

Are they the standard graphic or a special graphic?

I know they do special graphics in 53mm Radials a fair bit, eg the orange camo colour set I had and more recently the L Baker pro model, red or blue graphic.

It's funny how many "in between" sizes pop up for special releases, like the Andrew Allen 55mm Conical Full wheels.

People were tripping on those things when they came out - they skate more like the 56 than the 54mm size though, just like the Radials in 53mm feel closer to 54 than 52mm, when people ask about them.

Nice little wheel too.

[close]

53mm seems to be their least popular size, my guess is they print pro / special release graphics on shapes / graphics they have excess stock of.

I just happened to be looking for something else and thought to check Spitfire wheel options and SW has a ton of them - everything in Classic, Bighead, Conical Full and others, plus some sizes of other shapes, including the Radials in 53, 54 and 56mm sizes in the graphic below:


https://www.skatewarehouse.com/Spitfire_Formula_Four_Radial_99a_Wheels/descpage-SFFR9WH.html


More just a reference than anything else, but at least people can check to see what is available on there and then go looking locally.

[GBLange]

[tuesday]

For the last couple of years with every new drop I've been hoping that radial slims get a new graphic. Instead fools are making radial fulls instead and I start to worry that the slims might eventually be discontinued...

[LebowskisRug]

Anyone know where I might be able to score some Classic Full?

[Sedition]

For the last couple of years with every new drop I've been hoping that radial slims get a new graphic. Instead fools are making radial fulls instead and I start to worry that the slims might eventually be discontinued...

Considering their availability over the last few years, they essentially already have been.

[roll_dog]

Sometimes I wonder if they have too many shapes. Radial slims and tablets are pretty darn close. Would make sense to only keep one.

I mean in theory lots of shapes isn't a problem but in reality they can't seem to keep them available in all sizes.

[Sedition]

Anyone know where I might be able to score some Classic Full?

Absent a trip back to 2018, good luck.

[144p]

You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.
The confusion with pricing can be summed up like this, wheel prices did go up, it’s a lot of work(meaning on our site I would have to update every product individually as our site is pretty basic) and frankly kind of dickish to go back to product you got for cheaper and raise the price. F4’s have gone up at wholesale $3-4 a set, I still feel guilty raising prices but I had to.

[Ok]

You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.
The confusion with pricing can be summed up like this, wheel prices did go up, it’s a lot of work(meaning on our site I would have to update every product individually as our site is pretty basic) and frankly kind of dickish to go back to product you got for cheaper and raise the price. F4’s have gone up at wholesale $3-4 a set, I still feel guilty raising prices but I had to.

I work, and have worked, in some very different than skateshop industries (restaurants and construction mainly). In both of my main careers, most everyone had the money to sit on the bar stool, or commission the building of a custom home. It was difficult for me to drop some tabs in front of people at the bar, and it’s difficult for my bosses to do invoicing for their clients, particularly as those bosses have aged, gained wealth, and feel like their clients are peers.
Skateshop work would drive me nuts. Many skaters have championed a fairly shitty ethos where they’ll beg poor, and then spend their money in seemingly selfish ways. Trying to juggle that, and apply some type of sliding scale to the ‘homies’ would drive me towards some toxic thought. So as always, salute.
Raise those prices! Don’t feel bad. I’d rather there be a shop I can come to, and bother people, pick decks up and ramble about concave, sniff shoes, whatever my weird ass is up to that day. Please don’t feel bad. Capitalism is shitty

[Sedition]

You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.

First, I hate the Full Connie trend. Are people still buying Classics, en mass? It seems Radial Slims would be popular…wider riding surface than classics, with a bit more lock-in, but not such a sharp edge (as tablets, connies, etc.).

[Xen]

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You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.

[close]

First, I hate the Full Connie trend. Are people still buying Classics, en mass? It seems Radial Slims would be popular…wider riding surface than classics, with a bit more lock-in, but not such a sharp edge (as tablets, connies, etc.).

I would choose Radial slims over any other wheel shape. It's so good....it's just 'right'. Instead, I will ride classics...maybe a conical (but not a fan of wide wheels and classics are a wide wheel, just round with a narrow patch).

[goodatmeth]

Anyone know where I might be able to score some Classic Full?

Titus still has them in 54 and 52

[Mbrimson88]

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Anyone know where I might be able to score some Classic Full?

[close]

Titus still has them in 54 and 52

It's funny how some shops just seemed to stock up on certain shapes and they never sold, or they had so many they always seem to have some, even if people are still buying them.

I think the coversion / shipping from EU to USA would mean that the wheels would not be worth the cost, same as if I sent some from here in AU to USA - just costs so much it is better to get Classics and go skate some really rough parks and carve around at full speed for a session or two just to wear them down a mm to resemble Classic Full shapes.


In saying all that, what would be your preferred size Classic Full wheel?

I really only have lots of 56 and 58 mm sizes in natural colour, with maybe one or two green 54mm Lance Mountain editions, which most people either love or hate, but from other people asking about wheels previously, they would either cost US $50 and take a month surface mail, or US $70 and get there in a few days by express, which is totally not worth the cost or the wait.

[Mbrimson88]

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You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.
The confusion with pricing can be summed up like this, wheel prices did go up, it’s a lot of work(meaning on our site I would have to update every product individually as our site is pretty basic) and frankly kind of dickish to go back to product you got for cheaper and raise the price. F4’s have gone up at wholesale $3-4 a set, I still feel guilty raising prices but I had to.

[close]

I work, and have worked, in some very different than skateshop industries (restaurants and construction mainly). In both of my main careers, most everyone had the money to sit on the bar stool, or commission the building of a custom home. It was difficult for me to drop some tabs in front of people at the bar, and it’s difficult for my bosses to do invoicing for their clients, particularly as those bosses have aged, gained wealth, and feel like their clients are peers.
Skateshop work would drive me nuts. Many skaters have championed a fairly shitty ethos where they’ll beg poor, and then spend their money in seemingly selfish ways. Trying to juggle that, and apply some type of sliding scale to the ‘homies’ would drive me towards some toxic thought. So as always, salute.
Raise those prices! Don’t feel bad. I’d rather there be a shop I can come to, and bother people, pick decks up and ramble about concave, sniff shoes, whatever my weird ass is up to that day. Please don’t feel bad. Capitalism is shitty

I feel for anyone working in a small skate shop environment, given most shops are always doing it tough, but increasingly more so right now than ever before.

There have been so many people over the years who always have their hand out for free or cheap deals and the bottom line with this crowd is they never accept the RRP and the fact that a shop has to pay rent, wages, wholesale costs, etc which are fixed no matter what discount they end up getting, as well as always come back wanting more and want to pay less.  This is also the same crowd that, more often than not, they are the ones going out drinking, buying weed or whatever.

Long story short, these are the people who you can do without, or if they are unreasonable even when explaining some things to them like the last paragraph, I have found it better to say in the nicest possible way "I just can't help you.  That's the price, take it or leave it."

Sure I have lost some business along the way, but I have also lost the most painful customers who never really put anything much back into the business, so I didn't really lose out in the long run.

That's my two cents worth anyway.

[144p]

I think a classic full will be coming soon, Lance and Salba haven’t had wheels in a bit and they both ride em.
I think having the word slim in the name is a deterrent to most customers, I see it a lot where certain things are triggers and will just turn people off of a product.
We sell f4 classics decent, I would say the archetype of skater who buys them is late 20s and not really comfortable sizing above an 8 wide board. Conical full, radial full and standard radial dominate our sales, tablets have a little fan base too but it’s pretty niche here.
when you go to the skatepark probably 70% are riding at least 55s. That Evan smith conical full in black sold really well.

[144p]

And the kids here are pretty broke, living off Depop come ups so a couple bucks is a big deal. I’d rather they be skating and our margins suffering, it makes for a healthy and diverse skate scene and in the long run that means we get to stay in business.

All I gotta do is check out the sale gear topic and see how much most people don’t even consider where they spend their money, as long as they get it for dirt cheap. It’s a tough business and I don’t blame anyone for looking out for themselves. Big ups to the skaters that step back and think about it.

[Sedition]

I think a classic full will be coming soon, Lance and Salba haven’t had wheels in a bit and they both ride em.
I think having the word slim in the name is a deterrent to most customers, I see it a lot where certain things are triggers and will just turn people off of a product.
We sell f4 classics decent, I would say the archetype of skater who buys them is late 20s and not really comfortable sizing above an 8 wide board. Conical full, radial full and standard radial dominate our sales, tablets have a little fan base too but it’s pretty niche here.
when you go to the skatepark probably 70% are riding at least 55s. That Evan smith conical full in black sold really well.

53mm Classics on a DLX 8.25/14.38 is my jam.

[Ok]

And the kids here are pretty broke, living off Depop come ups so a couple bucks is a big deal. I’d rather they be skating and our margins suffering, it makes for a healthy and diverse skate scene and in the long run that means we get to stay in business.

All I gotta do is check out the sale gear topic and see how much most people don’t even consider where they spend their money, as long as they get it for dirt cheap. It’s a tough business and I don’t blame anyone for looking out for themselves. Big ups to the skaters that step back and think about it.

This is an incredibly kind way for you to look at it.

I’ve seen the behavior @Mbrimson88 is talking about, sooooo many times, and I’ve absolutely let it get the best of me.

I’ve got some 56 radial fulls, they don’t say f4 for on them…I’ve yet to set them up. They looked cool, so bought them, now they look comical fulls. I consider 55, and up, to be a big wheel. It’s definitely the trend these days. Maybe I should start skating for distance again, that tends to help me like big wheels
I’ve considered getting the regular formula bigheads many times, just don’t see them very often at shops.

[rocklobster]

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You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.
The confusion with pricing can be summed up like this, wheel prices did go up, it’s a lot of work(meaning on our site I would have to update every product individually as our site is pretty basic) and frankly kind of dickish to go back to product you got for cheaper and raise the price. F4’s have gone up at wholesale $3-4 a set, I still feel guilty raising prices but I had to.

[close]

I work, and have worked, in some very different than skateshop industries (restaurants and construction mainly). In both of my main careers, most everyone had the money to sit on the bar stool, or commission the building of a custom home. It was difficult for me to drop some tabs in front of people at the bar, and it’s difficult for my bosses to do invoicing for their clients, particularly as those bosses have aged, gained wealth, and feel like their clients are peers.
Skateshop work would drive me nuts. Many skaters have championed a fairly shitty ethos where they’ll beg poor, and then spend their money in seemingly selfish ways. Trying to juggle that, and apply some type of sliding scale to the ‘homies’ would drive me towards some toxic thought. So as always, salute.
Raise those prices! Don’t feel bad. I’d rather there be a shop I can come to, and bother people, pick decks up and ramble about concave, sniff shoes, whatever my weird ass is up to that day. Please don’t feel bad. Capitalism is shitty

[close]

Long story short, these are the people who you can do without, or if they are unreasonable even when explaining some things to them like the last paragraph, I have found it better to say in the nicest possible way "I just can't help you.  That's the price, take it or leave it."

"Our prices are competitive and aligned with the market, you're welcome to do your own market research to verify this"

Then add a passive aggressive smiling emoji at the end.

[Mbrimson88]

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You might see radial slims again someday but the trend is big wide wheels.
The confusion with pricing can be summed up like this, wheel prices did go up, it’s a lot of work(meaning on our site I would have to update every product individually as our site is pretty basic) and frankly kind of dickish to go back to product you got for cheaper and raise the price. F4’s have gone up at wholesale $3-4 a set, I still feel guilty raising prices but I had to.

[close]

I work, and have worked, in some very different than skateshop industries (restaurants and construction mainly). In both of my main careers, most everyone had the money to sit on the bar stool, or commission the building of a custom home. It was difficult for me to drop some tabs in front of people at the bar, and it’s difficult for my bosses to do invoicing for their clients, particularly as those bosses have aged, gained wealth, and feel like their clients are peers.
Skateshop work would drive me nuts. Many skaters have championed a fairly shitty ethos where they’ll beg poor, and then spend their money in seemingly selfish ways. Trying to juggle that, and apply some type of sliding scale to the ‘homies’ would drive me towards some toxic thought. So as always, salute.
Raise those prices! Don’t feel bad. I’d rather there be a shop I can come to, and bother people, pick decks up and ramble about concave, sniff shoes, whatever my weird ass is up to that day. Please don’t feel bad. Capitalism is shitty

[close]

Long story short, these are the people who you can do without, or if they are unreasonable even when explaining some things to them like the last paragraph, I have found it better to say in the nicest possible way "I just can't help you.  That's the price, take it or leave it."

[close]

"Our prices are competitive and aligned with the market, you're welcome to do your own market research to verify this"

Then add a passive aggressive smiling emoji at the end.

I guess the difference in overall attitude with some people is so obvious, but some of the most talented skateboarders are also the same people who can never afford rent on time, or even just budget for basics.

When it comes down to it, I have often said it and followed through, that I would rather give away skate product to kids or people who cannot afford it but are so clearly stoked on skateboarding, than have the usual stoner dropout come at me and haggle a few dollars discount for something that they often don't even need under the circumstances.

There was one guy who would get wasted and lose his skateboard on a regular basis, so his mates were always helping him out with things when he couldn't buy a new setup, then would suddenly have the bright shiny new everything if a "payment" came in for him or whatever and we wouldn't see him for a month or more until the cycle repeated again.


I am stoked on people who are stoked on skateboarding, as they are the ones who will still be around and still be rolling, so to me it is worth helping those people, just not some others, so I can pick and choose in that regard, even if it comes across as being a bit of an ass at times, as per my previous post on it.


Sorry for derailing the Spitfire thread, but yeah there are some good ones on the way, so I am told.