I tried and was disappointed by dragons and I really liked my first and second sessions on the soft sliders. The sound is turned up and they dont screech to a halt on rails and transition coping. I might be sold.
I've ridden each iteration of the dragons/x-formula + 97a F4s (and 99a etc) and found that the x99s were the best of the powell/bones offerings in terms of soft slidable wheels and didn't impacting my tricks (bluntslides specifically). The spits, like the dragons, are not a replacement for 99a spits...but they sure as hell are for those 97a spits. 100%.
Initial first blush/[two separate session] impressions in parking lots (regular/mixed/patched asphalt and some of that beige shit) and curbs (note: I went back to skating x99s since these 93s were announced in prep for these - prior to that 101a spit classics for about 3wks and prior to that mostly dragons/x97s/x99s, x99s since they dropped - and slapped my x97s on a board for comparison's sake, haven't touched them in months)
TL:Don't want to read this wall of text summation:I'll come back after a week with more skating on them but [to me] they are much closer to the x99s in terms of performance than they are to dragons/x97s, while still doing exactly what dragons and softer x-formulas do; I can't be sure but I think they might just slide a tad better overall (since they don't pinch squeal, i.e., 93a/x97) and sound better doing it (which is a big deal)...I really like how they sound. These are close to what I expected out of x97s / x99s sound-wise- Bearings slide in just as easy as in dragons/x-formula
- They're whiter than regs spits and have that same 'milky' look the X99s do (they are not brown); but do not have the same 'white' look that the newer white/white spits have (which to me looks sort of blue white vs the yellow white).
- They're smooth - The shock/rattle absorption feels...the same-ish - I'm hard pressed to say if either is 'better' as they both do the job but feel different at doing it (duh they are different brands/formulas); not sure this is capable of being quantified based on all the 'common' variables (board wood [shop], terrain, socks/shoes, height of the tricks, bolts vs sketch, etc.).
- They're still bouncy compared to a spit 99a. I honestly couldn't tell you if they were less or more bouncy [rebound] than my x99s (I don't have dragons on hand anymore but have a feeling they are def less bouncy than dragons as they are less bouncy than the x97s), they all have that soft 'boing' plopping your board down sound; they are not a hard wheel. Landing ollies over things felt they same: softer landings/less jarring.
- They are not gummy like the dragons/x97s (which makes me think they're physically harder or it's just differences in 'formula')
- They do not squeak on pinch grinds like the dragons/x97s - the x99s do not squeak either (this leads me to, again, to think they're actually harder than 93a or it just comes down to the formula).
- Out of the plastic they slide...just as well as the x99s? (caveat here is they are brand new the other wheels are broken in/have that 'street' coating on them you know?). I wouldn't say they slide better or worse just that they feel different - but also the same (I know that's weird but it's that soft wheel slide). 6 of one, half dozen of the other. If anything they sound/feel less smooth/quiet than x97s much closer to the x99s but less muted. Powerslides felt just as 'meh' as the x99s (but for some reason the x97s were really surpassing both today), sure they do it but the feedback just isn't what a harder wheel gives you, you're not going to set any distance records and at the end of the slide you are going to have to pay attention/push as you are not slipping out on these but most likely stick and get pitched.
I still stuck on nose/tail slides like you would do with any wheel and they really felt the same as x99s here...stickier than a 99a spit or harder.
Bluntsides felt pretty much the same as the x99s, as in just not as good as a 99a/101a spit, let alone the king of blunts, the 103a stf V3ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssslide for days. They required the same wax/mental effort as the x99s, really have to focus to get them going vs the get on and goooooooo with harder wheels. Like the x99s I didn't feel like I was getting the full amount of slide based on the speed at which I was going.
- As
@camel filters said above, the sound is 'tuned up', they have a different bark all to themselves and for sure higher pitched than dragons/x-formula, no question..I'd say they sound 'crisper' but they don't sound harder...like they have more treble than the bass heavy dragons or x99s...so louder? This is also at play when you are pushing.
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Topic: Spitfire formula four (Read 1058977 times)