Spitfire formula four

[Frank and Fred]

Love some Classic fulls again.

Also, why don't they market Lil Smokies more? I see them in online shops priced anywhere from $20 to $49... Those things are little gems for the BPSW curious, if you can get them for the right price. They put some out in a radial shape at some point.

[Mbrimson88]

Love some Classic fulls again.

Also, why don't they market Lil Smokies more? I see them in online shops priced anywhere from $20 to $49... Those things are little gems for the BPSW curious, if you can get them for the right price. They put some out in a radial shape at some point.

Agreed on the Classic Full shape, although I probably have a lifetimes worth still and have been riding other shapes more commonly on smaller setups, but the sets of 56 and 58 mm Classic Full wheels I have are just so good on bigger boards or setups I used more for big transition or going fast type boards.  I just don't skate much of that any more.  The couple of sets of 54 mm Classic Full wheels are still going nicely on smaller setups I skate on my mini ramp, so I could see that size being a bit more common, but they are not that far off the other Classics, compared to these bigger ones that are way wider overall.

Eg

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

*  The 54.5 were the Cardiel specials, just in case anyone was confused.



As to the Lil Smokies, I think it comes down to the fact that they are a cheaper pricepoint wheel that is made from rejects, as others had said, which makes sense, so it is not so much a standard line or product that they want to advertise, but something that has come about more from the need to find a use for wheels that might not have made it for whatever reason in the usual sizes and batches.  In doing so, they are still making use of the product, but as there will never be a set size, shape, colour or whatever, it is just down to the random extras that end up on DLX or associated distributors B2B sites and put on completes, or a smaller cheaper option of a Formula Four wheel, for those who want them.

Besides the usual natural colour, some of the more recent ones include various colours including black, pink, pale blue, green swirl and come in Classic, Conical, Conical Full, Radial, Tablet, etc so it is cool they are mixing them up a lot as well, just to make a few more options.

I have a few sets, more just to put on random setups or that came on custom pro completes, but for the tech people who like small wheels, they are really good and keep some guys happy who just can't get small wheels anymore like they used to, so it covers that area of the market too.

[flintstagram]

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Were F4 og classics not selling well? Why aren't they making them again? Were they too similar to conicals? Superficial reasons for really wanting a set but I liked the black ring on the non swirl side of the wheels and I really want them to restock.

[close]

I keep thinking the same thing. Seems like they enjoy giving us something cool, then immediately taking it away.

I’m with you as well. Love og classics. I’ve got a set of 55mm still new that I’m going to start skating soon. Looking at it this weekend, closest wheel to the same specs of width and riding surface are the tablets (for the 55mm). Don’t really want to be a tablets guy, but may have to give them a shot for that similar footprint.

[commander jameson]

If you like F4 Radial Slims 101 52mm and are located in Europe it seems that Austrian Freedom skate shop has some

https://freedomskateshop.at/collections/skateboard-wheels/products/spitfire-52mm-101a-formula-four-venomous-radial-slims-wheels

[Gandito405]

so about two years ago I bought my first real wheels as a beginner, they are full conical 58mm 97a I skated them till they are all 56mm.  later i got some conical full 58 99as  and have been skating them for bout a year. Today i switched the wheels back yo the 97s I get like a 20% boost of speed from drop ins from 6ft, able to carve way higher on transition than the 99s. is there a reason for that? may just be me overthinking the change in duro.

[Frank and Fred]

Interesting I find the 97As slower in the skatepark.

[Gandito405]

Interesting I find the 97As slower in the skatepark.

I think I’ll put my 99s on another settup and compare the speed by feel.

[Sedition]

so about two years ago I bought my first real wheels as a beginner, they are full conical 58mm 97a I skated them till they are all 56mm.  later i got some conical full 58 99as  and have been skating them for bout a year. Today i switched the wheels back yo the 97s I get like a 20% boost of speed from drop ins from 6ft, able to carve way higher on transition than the 99s. is there a reason for that? may just be me overthinking the change in duro.

What are the current sizes of all those wheels? I have •always• found like-sized wheels to be faster (on smooth park surfaces) in relation to their hardness. However, could see a new 58mm 97a being/feeling faster than an old 101a worn down to a beat-up 55mm.

[Gandito405]

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so about two years ago I bought my first real wheels as a beginner, they are full conical 58mm 97a I skated them till they are all 56mm.  later i got some conical full 58 99as  and have been skating them for bout a year. Today i switched the wheels back yo the 97s I get like a 20% boost of speed from drop ins from 6ft, able to carve way higher on transition than the 99s. is there a reason for that? may just be me overthinking the change in duro.

[close]

What are the current sizes of all those wheels? I have •always• found like-sized wheels to be faster (on smooth park surfaces) in relation to their hardness. However, could see a new 58mm 97a being/feeling faster than an old 101a worn down to a beat-up 55mm.

The size of the wheels are 57 mm in the back and 56 in the front. (Measured to make sure they wear evenly) I could in the future but some new 97 spitfire 58s to make it more accurate. One other thing to add is that the park that I skate is a little bit rough so it’s not slick so that could be a factor to think about.

[DarkPools]

Theoretically, a softer duro (but not too soft) will be faster than a harder duro. Cruiser wheels can usually go much faster than park/street wheels of about the same size. And if they're larger, they'll go even faster - it's what the downhill and cruiser wheels are designed for. Increased speed over longer distance compared to street/park wheels, which grip/slide better at the cost of less speed.

The variables that shake this hypothesis up include quality of the ground (your example), type of bearings, weight of wheel, and shape of wheel (among others not listed).
Some shapes keep speed better than others. Contact patch & aerodynamic (or not) design of A model vs B model can highlight this difference. It's evident in your scenario @Gandito405 with your 97As being faster on the drop in.

Personally, I've always noticed softer wheels are faster on transition than harder wheels. I believe it has to do with the softer duro absorbing surface friction better. As well as the width of the contact patch. They will accelerate & maintain speed from a drop in much better than a harder duro due to reduced friction and better absorb & release of any kinetic energy received that would slow them down.

[Mbrimson88]

so about two years ago I bought my first real wheels as a beginner, they are full conical 58mm 97a I skated them till they are all 56mm.  later i got some conical full 58 99as  and have been skating them for bout a year. Today i switched the wheels back yo the 97s I get like a 20% boost of speed from drop ins from 6ft, able to carve way higher on transition than the 99s. is there a reason for that? may just be me overthinking the change in duro.

How would you describe the surface of the park - slippery smooth new feeling surface, or well worn and rough like a cheese grater?

Interesting I find the 97As slower in the skatepark.

I definitely feel like the 97 duro wheels I have are slower for most things including slippery smooth new parks I usually ride them at, but on some really rough old skateparks, they tend to not be rattled to death like harder wheels feel, so actually feel faster in the long run on one park in particular, compared to my usual 99 duro equivalent wheels.

Theoretically, a softer duro (but not too soft) will be faster than a harder duro. Cruiser wheels can usually go much faster than park/street wheels of about the same size. And if they're larger, they'll go even faster - it's what the downhill and cruiser wheels are designed for. Increased speed over longer distance compared to street/park wheels, which grip/slide better at the cost of less speed.

The variables that shake this hypothesis up include quality of the ground (your example), type of bearings, weight of wheel, and shape of wheel (among others not listed).
Some shapes keep speed better than others. Contact patch & aerodynamic (or not) design of A model vs B model can highlight this difference. It's evident in your scenario @Gandito405 with your 97As being faster on the drop in.

Personally, I've always noticed softer wheels are faster on transition than harder wheels. I believe it has to do with the softer duro absorbing surface friction better. As well as the width of the contact patch. They will accelerate & maintain speed from a drop in much better than a harder duro due to reduced friction and better absorb & release of any kinetic energy received that would slow them down.

Yeah it is kind of funny with some surfaces, where some wheels will feel like they are faster or slower than others, but the different compounds can also really make a difference in some wheels too.

Not saying I really feel any difference in the Spitfire Formula Four wheels of the same durometer, eg three sets of 97s in different shapes all feel about the same (much the same age), even though they perform differently in other ways - Classic, conical Full and Radial Full - but in some of the other 99s and 101s especially, different ages of those wheels can feel quite different, the older ones really chirpy and some more slippery than others.


I also feel like I can really get a much better pump and carve on softer wheels on slippery type skateparks where I would not push quite as hard on more slippery wheels, so this could also have something to do with it.

Just some thoughts anyway.

[fulfillthedream]

Been proudly skating F4's for a decade. I've had many sets of classic 99s and once in the 101s. Recently read something on here on how the Powell Dragons would reduce the stress on the knees.

 Got a set of the 97s and hated them at first. Didn't slide as well as the 99s. But after a few sessions they work pretty good and idk if its an actual result but i skated the last two sessions without my knee compression sleeves and noticed i wasn't aching as much as i would.

[Frank and Fred]

Theoretically, a softer duro (but not too soft) will be faster than a harder duro. Cruiser wheels can usually go much faster than park/street wheels of about the same size. And if they're larger, they'll go even faster - it's what the downhill and cruiser wheels are designed for. Increased speed over longer distance compared to street/park wheels, which grip/slide better at the cost of less speed.

The variables that shake this hypothesis up include quality of the ground (your example), type of bearings, weight of wheel, and shape of wheel (among others not listed).
Some shapes keep speed better than others. Contact patch & aerodynamic (or not) design of A model vs B model can highlight this difference. It's evident in your scenario @Gandito405 with your 97As being faster on the drop in.

Personally, I've always noticed softer wheels are faster on transition than harder wheels. I believe it has to do with the softer duro absorbing surface friction better. As well as the width of the contact patch. They will accelerate & maintain speed from a drop in much better than a harder duro due to reduced friction and better absorb & release of any kinetic energy received that would slow them down.

For me it depends on the surface. If the wheels are the same diameter and shape. Softer wheels are faster on a rough surface, slower on a smooth surface, opposite for harder wheels. 99s are way faster for me in Oregon skateparks.

[Sedition]

For me it depends on the surface. If the wheels are the same diameter and shape. Softer wheels are faster on a rough surface, slower on a smooth surface, opposite for harder wheels. 99s are way faster for me in Oregon skateparks.

This is The Way.

[dstrytruitt]

I also feel like I can really get a much better pump and carve on softer wheels on slippery type skateparks where I would not push quite as hard on more slippery wheels, so this could also have something to do with it.

Just some thoughts anyway.

This is my thinking, as well. I've been using SPFs at newer/slicker parks and F4 99s at older parks but just bought a set of F4 97s to skate a bigger slick park to keep from sliding out and to keep speed at the same time.

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

I also feel like I can really get a much better pump and carve on softer wheels on slippery type skateparks where I would not push quite as hard on more slippery wheels, so this could also have something to do with it.

Just some thoughts anyway.

[close]

This is my thinking, as well. I've been using SPFs at newer/slicker parks and F4 99s at older parks but just bought a set of F4 97s to skate a bigger slick park to keep from sliding out and to keep speed at the same time.

I know some people don't go over certain sizes of wheels, but the slightly bigger 97 duro wheels feel more normal for me on slippery parks that I just want to go fast around, not get so techy if that makes sense?

The 54 mm Conical Full and 56 mm Classics in the 97s I have on my usual boards are good for me for all rounders on slippery newer parks, with the Radial Full wheels just being the top end of bigger wheels in 56 and 58 mm on "go fast" boards, on which I just do laps on really, but I don't often skate those bigger boards as much / don't often skate the bigger ramps as much either.


The only other thing to note is when I want to do more nose / tail slides I will skate boards with the normal 99 duro F4 wheels, but if I want to have a little more safety, the board with the 97 duro wheels come out and I can enjoy doing other things with not a whole lot of nose / tail slides - more lip tricks and carving around the park.

[FGO925]

I have an “old” pair of 58 OG classic F4’s and they seem nearly identical to conical fulls. Maybe it’s just the 58mm size/wider contact patch/side cuts but these look exactly like a conical.

I know for a fact these are OG classics because I still have the original packaging and as far as I know the spiral graphic has only been on “OG” shapes.

[bombsaway86]

I have an “old” pair of 58 OG classic F4’s and they seem nearly identical to conical fulls. Maybe it’s just the 58mm size/wider contact patch/side cuts but these look exactly like a conical.

I know for a fact these are OG classics because I still have the original packaging and as far as I know the spiral graphic has only been on “OG” shapes.

Conical full 58s are slightly wider than the OG 58s. The OGs are more square, like tablets with side cuts. Conical full has a more angled cut.

I rode the OG 58s for a few years and loved them. I’m on the regular conical 56mm now that they don’t make OGs anymore. They’re pretty similar so it was a pretty easy switch

[bombsaway86]

I have an “old” pair of 58 OG classic F4’s and they seem nearly identical to conical fulls. Maybe it’s just the 58mm size/wider contact patch/side cuts but these look exactly like a conical.

I know for a fact these are OG classics because I still have the original packaging and as far as I know the spiral graphic has only been on “OG” shapes.

Conical full 58s are slightly wider than the OG 58s. The OGs are more square, like tablets with side cuts. Conical full has a more angled cut.

I rode the OG 58s for a few years and loved them. I’m on the regular conical 56mm now that they don’t make OGs anymore. They’re pretty similar so it was a pretty easy switch

[Mbrimson88]

I have an “old” pair of 58 OG classic F4’s and they seem nearly identical to conical fulls. Maybe it’s just the 58mm size/wider contact patch/side cuts but these look exactly like a conical.

I know for a fact these are OG classics because I still have the original packaging and as far as I know the spiral graphic has only been on “OG” shapes.

Yes definitely Formula Four OG Classics.

Funny how some people I know keep confusing the Classic (round shape) with the OG Classic (very square but not wide shape) but they both do still have a swirl graphic too, so that might be part of it.  They also make them in original urethane, which is the same shape and swirl graphic, just no smaller black graphic round the inside on the back of the wheel, with the Old English font lettering instead.

They were still the same shape as when they first came out a few years ago too, more narrow than every other similar shaped wheels, which caught me off guard, because I was thinking they were going to be like the OG wheels, in that they were big and wide with a square profile - think Conical Full in a Radial Full width.

By comparison, the 58 mm OG Classics are 58 x 34.8 with a 23.9 riding surface, which would have widened out a bit depending on how worn down they are too, but as they get smaller, they will wear into the shape and have a very sharp edge as they get smaller too.

Other wheels of the same 58 mm size are wider, Conical Full being 37 mm wide, Classic 35.2 mm, then Conical 35.7 mm and Radial (normal ones, not full shape) being 38 mm wide.  Radial Full are 41 mm wide, but I wasn't comparing those at all.


They were supposed to be coming back again, but as the most narrow wheel in the range, I think they might have been dropped in favour of the wider wheels coming out, eg all the Full shapes that are now on the market.

Like the Radial Slims, they might come back one day, but for now, it seems like there will not be any more for the foreseeable future.

 

[rikki]

OG Classics narrow? I beg to differ, sir. I feel that they are wide wheels -- as are most wheels in the Spitfire range these days, to be honest, apart from smaller (new) Classics and Radial Slims. After riding slimmer Bones shapes for a while and getting to really like them, even 55mm OG Classics felt really chunky.

[gsosa]

In my experience the closest to the OG Classics (which were my favorite and am sad to see them go) are the regular Conicals. Still wider than your normal classic but not into the really wide terrain.

[LebowskisRug]

OGs are going? My local just got a bunch in so that's sorta strange. Prefer any rounded shape to Conicals

[OhioGuy]

So are Lock-In Fulls just as wide as Radial Fulls? I'm having issues with the ladder, one of them keeps locking up on me (happens across two pairs), but I'd like another wide Spitfire wheel and I see some LIFs for cheap. I don't do any grinds, so don't care about shape, just want some wide boys.

[Made In China]

This is a stupid question, but does Spitfire make a lot of black or other colored F4s in 54mm or bigger? They seem kind of hard to find. I really like how these Max Palmer ones look but idk if I want to spend $50 on them

https://limosineskateboards.com/products/max-palmer-limosine-54-mm-classic-full-formula-4-spitfire-wheel

[timemachine]

This is a stupid question, but does Spitfire make a lot of black or other colored F4s in 54mm or bigger? They seem kind of hard to find. I really like how these Max Palmer ones look but idk if I want to spend $50 on them

https://limosineskateboards.com/products/max-palmer-limosine-54-mm-classic-full-formula-4-spitfire-wheel

there is a new Nicole Hause 56mm Radials in Black

[Mbrimson88]

OG Classics narrow? I beg to differ, sir. I feel that they are wide wheels -- as are most wheels in the Spitfire range these days, to be honest, apart from smaller (new) Classics and Radial Slims. After riding slimmer Bones shapes for a while and getting to really like them, even 55mm OG Classics felt really chunky.

Ha yeah, compared to all the other shapes and sizes, they are not as wide overall, as per the previous post, with dimensions.

I guess compared to some other brands, or maybe more so just looking at the riding surface, or how square they look, I can easily see how people, others as well in conversations I have had before about them, have said they are not narrow, but in terms of width, they are not a wide wheel.

Going by the 58 mm size before, it was still less than every other Spitfire wheel on the market.

Maybe not when compared to some Bones wheels, but even the V5 is similar width 33 mm, which a lot of people compare to every other wheel.


In the most common size of say 52 mm the OG Classics are only 31.1 mm wide, or the 54 mm size which are 32.3 mm wide.

OGs are going? My local just got a bunch in so that's sorta strange. Prefer any rounded shape to Conicals

Did the OG Classic drop finally happen after all?

The wheels / sizes that were shown a while back were Formula Four 99 duro in 54, 58 and 60 mm, I think.  Most people wanting the 58 or 60 mm sizes in particular.

That will make some people happy then.

[Mbrimson88]

.

Anyone not sure of the wheel shapes and sizes, they are all listed online here:


https://www.spitfirewheels.com/wheel-shapes/


But this is maybe the best (easiest to read) shape guide that I have seen so I will put this up here as well.

[OhioGuy]

.

Anyone not sure of the wheel shapes and sizes, they are all listed online here:


https://www.spitfirewheels.com/wheel-shapes/


But this is maybe the best (easiest to read) shape guide that I have seen so I will put this up here as well.

Very handy. Thanks!

[bombsaway86]

OGs are going? My local just got a bunch in so that's sorta strange. Prefer any rounded shape to Conicals

They still make OG classics in the regular 99a formula. They haven’t made Formula 4 OG classics for a few years now