Spitfire formula four

[pizzafliptofakie]

I'm really getting into the weeds here, but do y'all compensate your wheel size based on shapes if you change?


I'm usually a Classics guy and have gone up to 55mm without any issues, but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore. This is probably a dumb question but I try to not think too hard about this stuff until I have a bad sesh lol. Might just go buy some Classics after work and never change again.

Update: ended up grabbing some Classics after work and skating a bit. Instantly felt better. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, I guess.

[Mbrimson88]

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I'm really getting into the weeds here, but do y'all compensate your wheel size based on shapes if you change?


I'm usually a Classics guy and have gone up to 55mm without any issues, but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore. This is probably a dumb question but I try to not think too hard about this stuff until I have a bad sesh lol. Might just go buy some Classics after work and never change again.

[close]

Update: ended up grabbing some Classics after work and skating a bit. Instantly felt better. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, I guess.

Did you get 54 mm Classics?


It's a funny thing that I would rather ride Classics, but I do like worn down Conical Full that I take the edges off for smaller all round wheels.  From new I like the Classic shape, especially as a 56 mm wheel for transition stuff, but they are a bit big for everything if I am skating smaller curbs or whatever.  Nice too when they have worn down a few mm.

A set of 54 mm Conical Full wheels from new feel a bit big, which is weird cause 56 mm Classics feel easier.


I had been able to get a whole lot of Classic 56 mm wheels for cheap on a big sale, so I am working my way through them.  It is going to take a while though.

[Plan9Customs]

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Wheel shape absolutely impacts wheel bite potential.

[close]

True

Classics dont bite as easily as raddials/conical/fulls because they are more narrow

And when they do bite, its not as hard because the edges are so round

Correct.

[Frank and Fred]

I like a wider contact patch on 54s and smaller in 58s. But my favorite is wearing down a Classic 58. The amount the contact patch on a classic gets wider as it wears down is perfect. I've taken a few sets of 58s to 50mm. BY the time a 58 becomes a 54 it's looks just like a classic full.

[Ok]

I’ll chime in and probably reheat what others have already said: classics wheelbite the least for me. Classics do feel like what I think a skateboard wheel should feel like. I ride smaller wheels, in general. Usually a 52 ish wheel.
Currently I’m really into some 52 mm conical full 101s. The shape does decent on rough ground, and after breaking in, the 101 isn’t so bad (I need help with slides, lots of help, and these are a little easier to slide).
Conical full 54s and up feel jacked to me. Just so heavy. I just skated some 56 mm radial fulls, huge, but I prefer the shape to larger conical fulls.
Tablets skate good and look weird.
I want to try og classics, smaller sizes of radials…basically smaller, but wider wheels, with a rounded shape. 54 is my usual ceiling.

[Sedition]

...but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore.

That's because the conical full trend is almost as dumb as the tiny wheel trend of the early 90s. Connie Fulls are good for crust and transition. Absent that, cast them to flame. They are called "Classics" for a reason (and yes, they wheelbite far less).

[fakiefs180]

What would the pals advice if I want to flip my board on really crusty ground? Bigger diameter wheel or wider riding surface? I am currently on 52 regular Conicals. Before that it was always 54 Classics, but they don't work that well for the kind of spots I like to ride.

[Mbrimson88]

What would the pals advice if I want to flip my board on really crusty ground? Bigger diameter wheel or wider riding surface? I am currently on 52 regular Conicals. Before that it was always 54 Classics, but they don't work that well for the kind of spots I like to ride.

Conical Full are only a mm or so wider all up than Conicals for the same diameter, so at 53 or even 54 they are still not too big overall, especially compared to the 55 or 56 mm sizes, but anything like that might still feel a touch too big if you are not used to it.

The good thing is Conical Full wheels are usually very easily available in 52, 53 and 54 mm sizes, so maybe even a 53 mm size might be one to try first, unless you can get that set from @pizzafliptofakie

Just a thought anyway.


One guy I skate with only skates Conical Full 54 mm wheels and will swap them out when they are 52 mm or bigger, so I do a trade deal with him to recycle his old ones, which I think are great for all rounders.

He does a lot of flip tricks and has no problem with those wheels for anything, so I would say it is just down to what you are used to more than anything.

[fakiefs180]

Thanks @Mbrimson88

I think it will be 52 Conical Fulls then sometime in the future. I won't do 53 or 55, but that is a completely different topic.

[Sedition]

Thanks @Mbrimson88

I think it will be 52 Conical Fulls then sometime in the future. I won't do 53 or 55, but that is a completely different topic.

I was going to also suggest the 53mm 99a Radials, which seem to be around right now. They have same width as Connie Fulls, but a slightly narrower riding surface. The more curved cut of radials makes them a tad better to get flip tricks started...but if you're not fucking with 53mm... 

[Bill Salt]

STF beat em up good

[Sedition]

STF beat em up good

Wrong thread.

[pizzafliptofakie]

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I'm really getting into the weeds here, but do y'all compensate your wheel size based on shapes if you change?


I'm usually a Classics guy and have gone up to 55mm without any issues, but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore. This is probably a dumb question but I try to not think too hard about this stuff until I have a bad sesh lol. Might just go buy some Classics after work and never change again.

[close]

Update: ended up grabbing some Classics after work and skating a bit. Instantly felt better. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, I guess.

[close]

Did you get 54 mm Classics?


It's a funny thing that I would rather ride Classics, but I do like worn down Conical Full that I take the edges off for smaller all round wheels.  From new I like the Classic shape, especially as a 56 mm wheel for transition stuff, but they are a bit big for everything if I am skating smaller curbs or whatever.  Nice too when they have worn down a few mm.

A set of 54 mm Conical Full wheels from new feel a bit big, which is weird cause 56 mm Classics feel easier.


I had been able to get a whole lot of Classic 56 mm wheels for cheap on a big sale, so I am working my way through them.  It is going to take a while though.

I got 53 mm Classics. On paper only a millimeter difference but as I was swapping them I set the two wheels side by side and the difference was jarring. That surface area really makes a difference.

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...but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore.

[close]

That's because the conical full trend is almost as dumb as the tiny wheel trend of the early 90s. Connie Fulls are good for crust and transition. Absent that, cast them to flame. They are called "Classics" for a reason (and yes, they wheelbite far less).

That's kind of the funny thing is that sounds right up my alley. Transition felt okay enough on them but they felt a little less precise when it came to locking my truck onto coping. I know the theory is that the flat end is supposed to lock in better but with how wide they are I feel like I needed a lot more oomph to get into certain tricks.



thx for humoring my gear madness y'all 

[Pasta Monster]

When was the last time Spitfire did .5 mm wheels? They have 99 duro Radials in 55.5 mm and 57.5 mm (although the stock photo shows 53.5 mm). Someone in the past week or two posted a photo of a garage sale board with 48.5 mm wheels.

[roll_dog]

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...but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore.

[close]

That's because the conical full trend is almost as dumb as the tiny wheel trend of the early 90s. Connie Fulls are good for crust and transition. Absent that, cast them to flame. They are called "Classics" for a reason (and yes, they wheelbite far less).

As an alternative, I am a big fan of the regular conicals, which always seem ignored for some reason.

[Sedition]

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...but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore.

[close]

That's because the conical full trend is almost as dumb as the tiny wheel trend of the early 90s. Connie Fulls are good for crust and transition. Absent that, cast them to flame. They are called "Classics" for a reason (and yes, they wheelbite far less).

[close]

As an alternative, I am a big fan of the regular conicals, which always seem ignored for some reason.

I am bewildered that regular Connies are overlooked to the extent they are (not to mention Radial/Radial Slim).

[roll_dog]

Yeah it makes no sense to me that the clunky conical fulls are the default for some reason. Regs conicals have that great roll and grabby lock in you want from conicals without the absurd size.

[fulfillthedream]

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...but I just bought some 54mm Conical Fulls and I feel like I'm riding a goddamn monster truck. They're comfy to cruise on but popping anything is such a chore.

[close]

That's because the conical full trend is almost as dumb as the tiny wheel trend of the early 90s. Connie Fulls are good for crust and transition. Absent that, cast them to flame. They are called "Classics" for a reason (and yes, they wheelbite far less).

[close]

As an alternative, I am a big fan of the regular conicals, which always seem ignored for some reason.

[close]

I am bewildered that regular Connies are overlooked to the extent they are (not to mention Radial/Radial Slim).

I am currently riding the regular Conicals and i love them. im a big classic shape guy but these work SO good. I got a brand new set of 54mm F4 Classics I wanna trade

[gsosa]

Gods I'm currently in a dilemma. I got my trucks taken away from me a month ago and they had my 55mm OG Classics. Now its fucking impossible to get those in that size or any size for that matter. Now my local only has Classics in 55-56 and has Conicals, Conical Fulls and Tablets in 54mm. Should I get Classics or go down 1mm and get regular squared off wheels? I'm a big doer of the pinch for transition and ledge skating and am wondering if it will be affected much if I go to classic shapes again? I think Im kind of overthinking it but hey some product talk never hurt anyone

[sharkin]

regular conicals i'd say are your next best if you're after OG classics

[Sedition]

Gods I'm currently in a dilemma. I got my trucks taken away from me a month ago and they had my 55mm OG Classics. Now its fucking impossible to get those in that size or any size for that matter. Now my local only has Classics in 55-56 and has Conicals, Conical Fulls and Tablets in 54mm. Should I get Classics or go down 1mm and get regular squared off wheels? I'm a big doer of the pinch for transition and ledge skating and am wondering if it will be affected much if I go to classic shapes again? I think Im kind of overthinking it but hey some product talk never hurt anyone

That's funny. IMHO, Classics work much better for pinch because you can utilize the rounded off sidecut more to your advantage than a sharper angle. To each their own.

[IpathCats]

Gods I'm currently in a dilemma. I got my trucks taken away from me a month ago and they had my 55mm OG Classics. Now its fucking impossible to get those in that size or any size for that matter. Now my local only has Classics in 55-56 and has Conicals, Conical Fulls and Tablets in 54mm. Should I get Classics or go down 1mm and get regular squared off wheels? I'm a big doer of the pinch for transition and ledge skating and am wondering if it will be affected much if I go to classic shapes again? I think Im kind of overthinking it but hey some product talk never hurt anyone

regular conicals i'd say are your next best if you're after OG classics

I second @sharkin

but round ass classics are tight 

[Mbrimson88]

When was the last time Spitfire did .5 mm wheels? They have 99 duro Radials in 55.5 mm and 57.5 mm (although the stock photo shows 53.5 mm). Someone in the past week or two posted a photo of a garage sale board with 48.5 mm wheels.

I think they do them with .5 sizes from time to time, more so just as something fun, but who knows.

Someone else had said a while back it was when their finishing machine was out .5 mm but it takes a while to do all the graphics and other things, so it wouldn't be that easy just to change things up or whatever with some mistake or manufacturing issue.



On another note, Australian shops now have the new drop of wheels, including the Evan Smith mismatched colour box set, which has officially maxed out the highest price I have ever seen normal new Spitfire Formula Four wheels in this country at $99 and they are selling fast too.



https://www.ocdskateshop.com.au/products/spitfire-f4-evan-smith-visions-conical-full-55mm-99a-skateboard-wheels


SPITFIRE - F4 EVAN SMITH VISIONS CONICAL FULL 55MM 99A SKATEBOARD WHEELS
$99.00

[cheekclapper]

does anyone know what makes formula fours turn so yellow? I personally like how yellow they turn but is it just the air, dirt getting soaked it, water, or wax?

[Frank and Fred]

does anyone know what makes formula fours turn so yellow? I personally like how yellow they turn but is it just the air, dirt getting soaked it, water, or wax?

i always assumed it was the result of less dye, making them closer to urethane's natural color. i personally can't stand bright white wheels.

[Mbrimson88]

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does anyone know what makes formula fours turn so yellow? I personally like how yellow they turn but is it just the air, dirt getting soaked it, water, or wax?

[close]

i always assumed it was the result of less dye, making them closer to urethane's natural color. i personally can't stand bright white wheels.

I could be wrong, but I think it is more to do with light, eg uv light on half a wheel will always turn out more yellowed than on the part that is still covered by the cardboard or sticker in packaging in shop counters or on display.

As the urethane cures too, it changes colour, so even the whitest wheels can still colour fade in the better compounds of urethane.

Natural urethane is not at all white in colour, more translucent milky cream that darkens over time, but some wheels will darken a whole lot more than others too.

Just one of those things.

[Frank and Fred]

Sure but if that’s the case all wheels would yellow or brown as quick as F4S. F4s seem to yellow or brown a little quicker.  Some F4s are even brownish to start with. I just assumed it’s bc it’s a purer urethane with less white dye.

[Mbrimson88]

Sure but if that’s the case all wheels would yellow or brown as quick as F4S. F4s seem to yellow or brown a little quicker.  Some F4s are even brownish to start with. I just assumed it’s bc it’s a purer urethane with less white dye.

I am with you on that one - different compounds and additives give them different colouring from go and then they change colour in different ways over their shelf life.

Yes less white dye or no colour additives at all in the Formula Four wheels, some lighter than others right from day one too, even some stay light in colour whereas others really darken a lot more.

[Firebert]

does anyone know what makes formula fours turn so yellow? I personally like how yellow they turn but is it just the air, dirt getting soaked it, water, or wax?

All of the above contribute to oxidation. They all turn yellow, or oxidize, eventually.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670018302995

[rawbertson.]

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When was the last time Spitfire did .5 mm wheels? They have 99 duro Radials in 55.5 mm and 57.5 mm (although the stock photo shows 53.5 mm). Someone in the past week or two posted a photo of a garage sale board with 48.5 mm wheels.

[close]

I think they do them with .5 sizes from time to time, more so just as something fun, but who knows.

Someone else had said a while back it was when their finishing machine was out .5 mm but it takes a while to do all the graphics and other things, so it wouldn't be that easy just to change things up or whatever with some mistake or manufacturing issue.



On another note, Australian shops now have the new drop of wheels, including the Evan Smith mismatched colour box set, which has officially maxed out the highest price I have ever seen normal new Spitfire Formula Four wheels in this country at $99 and they are selling fast too.



https://www.ocdskateshop.com.au/products/spitfire-f4-evan-smith-visions-conical-full-55mm-99a-skateboard-wheels


SPITFIRE - F4 EVAN SMITH VISIONS CONICAL FULL 55MM 99A SKATEBOARD WHEELS
$99.00

well, they are very unique + cool looking wheels, AND you get a cool box with it too though, so...