Spitfire formula four

[Unkle Fleak]

I love that blue. If it was a little more powdery it would be like the colour that Lavar and i used to ride. Real low riders blue. 48mm. Best sub 50 wheel i ever had. Im 99 sure Lavar had a cover with the same colour might have been the cr fold? I copied that guy a bunch cuz i knew. He had The Glow.

[MC3]

I'm a big fan of the current 97a but also cool with an update to them to get them to slide a bit more. I think i rode the 97a exclusively for about 3 years there. Would just buy 56 conical fulls and skate them til they were about 50mm.

[Mbrimson88]

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I will be incredibly bummed to lose the current 97a formula. I specifically like them because they slide less.

While skating transition, I have a bad tendency to slide out on the flat while at speed. Many a painful slam.

Running 58mm Conical Fulls in Spit’s current 97a is the best combination of speed and sticky that I have found. Those other 95a’s have plenty of grip but feel slow in the bowl. If there was a harder and faster wheel that was stickier, I would buy it in a second.

For my curb set up, I am running 99a Radials. Will try out 93a Radials next.

[close]

Yeah i actually like 97a a lot!

I'm a big fan of the current 97a but also cool with an update to them to get them to slide a bit more. I think i rode the 97a exclusively for about 3 years there. Would just buy 56 conical fulls and skate them til they were about 50mm.

The only thing I can say, that has served me well enough over the years, is when I find something I like, I weigh up how much that thing may or may not be around in the future, then if I am set on whatever that is, I will buy as many of said product as I can, without going overboard or still within my means, so if or when it is no longer made, I still have a supply of it.

That said, there are a ton of the current 97s all out there still, so I can't see any shortage of those wheels any time soon, but getting an extra set or two can never be an issue, unless anyone does happen on a set of the reformulated 97s and do actually find they skate better for their needs.

At least I have the means to resell some stockpiled product, but I have definitely been in a situation where I find I no longer want or need some things, so kind of wish I hadn't bought so many at the time.


To me the current 97s are a good wheel for brand new parks and somewhat of a "safety net" on slippery wood type ramps, which I actually prefer over the 93 duro wheels, which I find are better on road or rough ground than anything else, neither of which I would use for normal everyday skating, being the tried and true 99 formula, but I do pick and choose what I want to ride and where, so at least I have boards with all those options if I need them.

I do find the current 97s a bit slower, but that is to be expected, so am curious to try a set of the new ones coming, but will wait and see, at any rate.

[Ok]

I love that blue. If it was a little more powdery it would be like the colour that Lavar and i used to ride. Real low riders blue. 48mm. Best sub 50 wheel i ever had. Im 99 sure Lavar had a cover with the same colour might have been the cr fold? I copied that guy a bunch cuz i knew. He had The Glow.

lavar might be my all time.
someone (behavioral?) has a gif of Lavar from greatest misses and it’s so perfect.
gino and lavar in trilogy

i can look at the skating that comes shortly thereafter, like say, sorry!, and understand it’s ‘better’….but i just don’t care about it like that.

[MMongrel]

Anyone use Nomads 95a or Slimeballs 95a or team riders 95a?   How do they slide and how do they do on rough roads and park?

I have second hand Nomads in my other setup and honestly they've been great. They slide good enough even on rough asphalt and you  can safely lean on the powerslide. Very nice on crustier curb spots etc. I also think the shape is very good and locks well even though I usually ride wider wheels. I have them with the graphics inwards which I think is the wrong way but at least to my eye the difference on silhouette on the sides is minimal at least after a mm or two of wear. They do seem to wear a little quicker.

The term "smooth park" really doesn't exist here so I can't comment on that.

[JimmyFive]

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anyone know when spitfire is going to release a "full" shape with the 93a formula? really hoping i don't have to buy another set of standard radials. we need some thicc 93a f4 potatoes!!!

[close]

Some around here testing the 97a in the OG classic shape. Kinda hoping for just a regular conical...most likely it's going to a Lock-INDOUBLEFULLRADIALBEYONDOMEGAPAWG or some shit.

[close]

Interesting! I wonder how the new 97a formula is going to skate. If the 93's are comparable to Bones X97 then maybe the new Spit 97's will feel more like X99s or harder..

[close]

If you talking about the 97duro that spitfire released around 2 years agoes or something, im skating those in Classic shape.
They are so good, streets feel less rough and very good also in skatepark/smooth spots. They are still a street wheel like 99's but a bit smoother than 99's on streets.
I had the chance to step up on some 93's lately (my friend's setup) and they felt nice even if i tried them for a minute😁.. but even in a minute i could feel the rubbery feeling that every formula four has.. so i guess they could be pretty nice. They felt soft but rubbery, and they kinda do powerslides (i should skate them more to figure out better).

No I am talking about the reformulated 97's currently being beta tested by a few privileged folks...
Looks like they are being reformulated after the release of the the 93's that utilised whatever this "X formula" wizardry is.
This might not be the first time Spitfire have capitalised on George Powell's innovations. On the Shred Shop's "History of the Skateboard wheel" vid on YT there is a salty comment from George explaining how Spitfire's Formula 4 uses the same high rebound/high abrasion resistance innovation that he developed with Bone's STF formula. He goes on to detail the development of SPF, Dragon/X formula.

[Xen]

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anyone know when spitfire is going to release a "full" shape with the 93a formula? really hoping i don't have to buy another set of standard radials. we need some thicc 93a f4 potatoes!!!

[close]

Some around here testing the 97a in the OG classic shape. Kinda hoping for just a regular conical...most likely it's going to a Lock-INDOUBLEFULLRADIALBEYONDOMEGAPAWG or some shit.

[close]

Interesting! I wonder how the new 97a formula is going to skate. If the 93's are comparable to Bones X97 then maybe the new Spit 97's will feel more like X99s or harder..

[close]

If you talking about the 97duro that spitfire released around 2 years agoes or something, im skating those in Classic shape.
They are so good, streets feel less rough and very good also in skatepark/smooth spots. They are still a street wheel like 99's but a bit smoother than 99's on streets.
I had the chance to step up on some 93's lately (my friend's setup) and they felt nice even if i tried them for a minute.. but even in a minute i could feel the rubbery feeling that every formula four has.. so i guess they could be pretty nice. They felt soft but rubbery, and they kinda do powerslides (i should skate them more to figure out better).

[close]

No I am talking about the reformulated 97's currently being beta tested by a few privileged folks...
Looks like they are being reformulated after the release of the the 93's that utilised whatever this "X formula" wizardry is.
This might not be the first time Spitfire have capitalised on George Powell's innovations. On the Shred Shop's "History of the Skateboard wheel" vid on YT there is a salty comment from George explaining how Spitfire's Formula 4 uses the same high rebound/high abrasion resistance innovation that he developed with Bone's STF formula. He goes on to detail the development of SPF, Dragon/X formula.

Few companies actually innovate (if it ain't broke...)...and when they do few things actually stick. Carbon fiber [glass] boards (been around well before) flight decks, Grindking/IKP, P2s, Ricta Slix, spit firelites (tho welcome ghostlites are stilll around) VX, Dragons, Bone Bushings (even for all the hate they get...anyone remember those rumored bones style spit bushings that were in testing decades ago), STFs/F4s...half threaded /allen bolts, perforated grip....

Most here are too young to remember the glory days of petrolium based wheels...just about every 'street' wheel back in the day (80s) was amazing....everything slid (yes you got flatspots but they smoothed out with just a few more powerslides and wheels wore fast) when environmental laws passed and everyone had to switch to the shitty 'team wheel formula' that everyone uses (think shitty Creative wheels). That's why STFs were the sauce when they hit (and demolished Spits F1s) they slid and didn't flatspot (nearly as easily).

This is why F4s are so great, everyone loves them because they don't feel 'plasticky' like bones, but they give you a close 'feel' of older wheels (101s anyway). It's that ever so slightly 'gummy' feel and sound, yes even on 101s, compared to say, a 101 from Creative or Mearthane (hard, plasticky and grippy, like Snot 101s).

Hate all you want but Georgey P is a solid innovater when it comes to wheels, everyone else follows (or tries to).

On a side note, does anyone else feel like the 99a are different these days? I had a set of lock-ins that were more white (it's many pages back where some chimed in on whiter spits), and much harder at 99a compared to a recent set of 99a classics (the burn squad louies).

[Dwyck]

Powell is a genius but you have to put the little fireball on something for me to buy it. The last ten years of F4 has wrecked my brain. I like yellow wheels white wheels are gross to me.

[cVlt of the hVffer]

No doubt G Powell has pushed skate wheel tech for decades but I have to say in the 80s, I always preferred Speed Wheels. Then in the 90s Spitfire were great until EPA standards changed (Late 90s early 2000s?) and things went to real shit.

SPF/ STF were amazing to have on hand at that point but Bones never ever 'felt' right to me... I can't quite put my finger on how to describe it. F4s were such a huge relief after rotating between (SPF- horrible in the streets) and STF (not so great in parks). I still think Bones wheels tend to be faster but the 'feel' of F4s far surpasses any Bones wheel.

In saying all that Spitfire soft wheels are still lacking. Maybe that's changed with Sapphires and the Ultrawide 80HDs, I don't know but what I do know is Powell's soft wheels that slide are unreal. I'm not talking Dragons but GSlides and Snakes. That's some next level shit for hills, cruising etc... I'm not overly sold on Dragons or X formula. They are amazing and perform as advertised but I still prefer an F4 for what I used them for.

Where I land is F4s for regular skateboarding (I mostly mess with 99s but dig the 101s also and have some 93s to try) that I do 90% of the time.

And Powell snakes for softies that you can push into slides while bombing hills, transport, cruising, pump-tracking... and so on.. that I like to do on occasion.

Either way, the race for better and better more diverse urethane, has given us some sick options and made skateboarding more fun. Keep it up, nerds. We win.

[Lou Strux]

Looking forward to doing a bit of “practical research” into these reformulated F4 97s this weekend.
Might have hit that “bounce & slip” sweet spot between the 99s & the 93s.
54 Coni Fulls.
It’s go time.

[Xen]

Looking forward to doing a bit of “practical research” into these reformulated F4 97s this weekend.
Might have hit that “bounce & slip” sweet spot between the 99s & the 93s.
54 Coni Fulls.
It’s go time.

So, it's Conni fulls and OG classics, then?

I'm out. FFS DLX, not everyone wants big fuggin wide wheels (not that the OG classics are massive or anything, still narrower than classics by a hair).

A plain old conical would have been great. Hopefully more shape options drop with these newer duros.

[cVlt of the hVffer]

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Looking forward to doing a bit of “practical research” into these reformulated F4 97s this weekend.
Might have hit that “bounce & slip” sweet spot between the 99s & the 93s.
54 Coni Fulls.
It’s go time.

[close]

So, it's Conni fulls and OG classics, then?

I'm out. FFS DLX, not everyone wants big fuggin wide wheels (not that the OG classics are massive or anything, still narrower than classics by a hair).

A plain old conical would have been great. Hopefully more shape options drop with these newer duros.

Radials coming in the new 97 also.

[Xen]

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Looking forward to doing a bit of “practical research” into these reformulated F4 97s this weekend.
Might have hit that “bounce & slip” sweet spot between the 99s & the 93s.
54 Coni Fulls.
It’s go time.

[close]

So, it's Conni fulls and OG classics, then?

I'm out. FFS DLX, not everyone wants big fuggin wide wheels (not that the OG classics are massive or anything, still narrower than classics by a hair).

A plain old conical would have been great. Hopefully more shape options drop with these newer duros.

[close]

Radials coming in the new 97 also.

Probably at 90mm

[cVlt of the hVffer]

55 and 57 Pedro Delfino's, which is prob bigger than you'd like... but I'll be snapping up....

[CarcassToss]

I was told the new 97 will come in the shapes the 93 come in, which are a few of the top selling DLX shapes. I think they are thinking "well Classics are Classics we have to have those, it seems people who skate crust skate our wider wheels so lets use those shapes", which isn't a bad idea from a sales perspective, but if the formulas are here to stay hopefully they expand options.

And get rid of how many god damned mega wide options there are. OG Classics, Lock in Fulls, Radial Fulls, Conical Fulls, Radials I'm prob forgetting some. Keep Conical Fulls and Radials as wider options of Conicals and Classics respectively, maybe have a single wheel 56+ that is the 69mm wide shape.

[breezy_again]

it seems like formula4 is closer to white than brown these days

[cVlt of the hVffer]

More potatoes. For some curing and browning up nice in a shoe box.

[camel filters]

I was told the new 97 will come in the shapes the 93 come in, which are a few of the top selling DLX shapes. I think they are thinking "well Classics are Classics we have to have those, it seems people who skate crust skate our wider wheels so lets use those shapes", which isn't a bad idea from a sales perspective, but if the formulas are here to stay hopefully they expand options.

And get rid of how many god damned mega wide options there are. OG Classics, Lock in Fulls, Radial Fulls, Conical Fulls, Radials I'm prob forgetting some. Keep Conical Fulls and Radials as wider options of Conicals and Classics respectively, maybe have a single wheel 56+ that is the 69mm wide shape.

Not saying this is you but the older heads who skate street (like people who like tight ass trucks and skate ledges all day) that I've talked gear with like their wheels small and rock hard. Like some won't even skate f4 101's cause they still feel too soft. I wonder if this is a common thing and it reflects what shape they choose to market soft crust buster wheels to.

[Dwyck]

 og classics are narrower than conical fulls and around the same width as radials and conicals

[Mbrimson88]

og classics are narrower than conical fulls and around the same width as radials and conicals

It is funny how a lot of people categorise the OG Classics into the wider wheel group, I guess mainly because they have a wide contact area, but as you said, the overall width of the wheel puts them into the third thinnest wheel they currently have on offer.

Thinnest overall wheel = Tablets, then Conical, then OG Classic, then Classic, then Radial / Conical Full, etc.

Thinnest riding surface from new = Classic, then Radial, then Conical, then Tablet / Lock Ins, then OG Classic, then Conical Full.

* Going by 52 mm wheel shape for comparison.

[Xen]

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I was told the new 97 will come in the shapes the 93 come in, which are a few of the top selling DLX shapes. I think they are thinking "well Classics are Classics we have to have those, it seems people who skate crust skate our wider wheels so lets use those shapes", which isn't a bad idea from a sales perspective, but if the formulas are here to stay hopefully they expand options.

And get rid of how many god damned mega wide options there are. OG Classics, Lock in Fulls, Radial Fulls, Conical Fulls, Radials I'm prob forgetting some. Keep Conical Fulls and Radials as wider options of Conicals and Classics respectively, maybe have a single wheel 56+ that is the 69mm wide shape.

[close]

Not saying this is you but the older heads who skate street (like people who like tight ass trucks and skate ledges all day) that I've talked gear with like their wheels small and rock hard. Like some won't even skate f4 101's cause they still feel too soft. I wonder if this is a common thing and it reflects what shape they choose to market soft crust buster wheels to.

Small (52 and under), white, rock hard wheels are the best.

[CarcassToss]

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og classics are narrower than conical fulls and around the same width as radials and conicals

[close]

It is funny how a lot of people categorise the OG Classics into the wider wheel group, I guess mainly because they have a wide contact area, but as you said, the overall width of the wheel puts them into the third thinnest wheel they currently have on offer.

Thinnest overall wheel = Tablets, then Conical, then OG Classic, then Classic, then Radial / Conical Full, etc.

Thinnest riding surface from new = Classic, then Radial, then Conical, then Tablet / Lock Ins, then OG Classic, then Conical Full.

* Going by 52 mm wheel shape for comparison.

Yah I'm talking square shape, narrow sidewall, wide riding surface. The OG are my second least favorite shape after Tablets. I don't care if a wheel is 1mm narrower per side than a classic and honestly the middle of the wheel is where small differences in width matter the least. Either it's narrow or wide it's the taper that I notice more meaning does it narrow to a classic or stay wide.

I like the Radials the best out of the wide contact patch shapes because they have a bit more taper.

[tzhangdox]

besides locking in on 5050s etc and having that grind space, og classics don't skate like a narrow wheel in any way

[Mbrimson88]

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og classics are narrower than conical fulls and around the same width as radials and conicals

[close]

It is funny how a lot of people categorise the OG Classics into the wider wheel group, I guess mainly because they have a wide contact area, but as you said, the overall width of the wheel puts them into the third thinnest wheel they currently have on offer.

Thinnest overall wheel = Tablets, then Conical, then OG Classic, then Classic, then Radial / Conical Full, etc.

Thinnest riding surface from new = Classic, then Radial, then Conical, then Tablet / Lock Ins, then OG Classic, then Conical Full.

* Going by 52 mm wheel shape for comparison.

[close]

Yah I'm talking square shape, narrow sidewall, wide riding surface. The OG are my second least favorite shape after Tablets. I don't care if a wheel is 1mm narrower per side than a classic and honestly the middle of the wheel is where small differences in width matter the least. Either it's narrow or wide it's the taper that I notice more meaning does it narrow to a classic or stay wide.

I like the Radials the best out of the wide contact patch shapes because they have a bit more taper.

Radials are pretty much it for me as far as a brand new wheel that I can ride right from go and never have issues with.  The wider riding surface and the fact that the wheel is round on the sidewall means even as it wears down, I can still round off the top edges and it stays round for the whole life of the wheel.

Other wheels like Conical Fulls that I get that are worn down / well used also round off well, but they still have a cutaway sidewall so the wheel gets progressively more narrow the smaller it is.  Funny taking really well worn down 58 mm Conical Full with sharp side edges and really wide riding surfaces and rounding them off nicely to be a bit more like Radials / Classics on the edges anyway.

[Síota]

Anyone got the full listing etc of the grimple stix Collab?

[Xen]

Anyone got the full listing etc of the grimple stix Collab?

Headlining items:

https://dlxskateshop.com/collections/skate-goods

https://dlxskateshop.com/search?q=grimple

[Mbrimson88]

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Anyone got the full listing etc of the grimple stix Collab?

[close]

Headlining items:

https://dlxskateshop.com/collections/skate-goods

https://dlxskateshop.com/search?q=grimple

Just in case they sell out (again) there are two options, Classic in 53, 54 and 56 mm all in natural colour wheels, then Lock In Full in 54, 55 and 57 mm, the 54 and 57 in natural and the 55 in black.

Guessing they will be up on the Spitfire site soon enough, with DLX updating things one brand at a time, but at least that is the Grimple / Spitfire colab package.


There is also a Sapphire wheel in two sizes, two graphics on tshirts, a hoodie, a cap, a towel and stickers.

It is actually a pretty cool "furry" take on the classic Spitfire logos so the shirts and stuff look really good.


* Only reason I posted that is because most, if not all of the product is already out, but I know some people are pretty keen on the Grimple colabs, especially this one.

[Ok]

is anyone skating lock-in fulls?
what do you like about them?

i’m not trying to be convinced, but i am curious.
please and thanks

[moonordie]

is anyone skating lock-in fulls?
what do you like about them?

i’m not trying to be convinced, but i am curious.
please and thanks

I did and hated them. Makes the board look goofy and the contact patch is do damn big that power sliding is a bitch. I guess they're ok if you'll be skating only tranny.

[scab]

is anyone skating lock-in fulls?
what do you like about them?

i’m not trying to be convinced, but i am curious.
please and thanks

I did for a good 3 months or so, the 55mm ones. Mainly to annoy @Sedition  . Jokes aside I'd probably still be riding them if the 93s hadn't come out. I simply skate better with larger contact patches, and the lock-in fulls have an even bigger riding surface than the radial fulls (which I rode before the lock-in fulls and also loved). And no, I'm not a transition skater by any means. Just a big ol' brute who's all power and zero finesse, so the extra weight doesn't bother me at all, quite the opposite. I agree they do look silly, though. But I tend to look silly on my board anyway, so who cares.