Spitfire formula four

[Mbrimson88]

Is a 52 mm radial just a worn down 54 mm Classic?

Almost, but not quite but it does start to take on a wider but still semi round shape.

In general Classics, worn down become more like Classic Full in a mm or two smaller (up to 54 mm in size) then if they wear down more they do sort of become Radial in shape, but it is more a cross between Radial and Radial Full, as a Classic wheel is still wider to begin with for comparable sizes. Eg:

Classic 54 is 33.6 mm wide, Radial 52 is 32.5 mm wide, Radial 53 is 33.3 mm wide, Radial 54 is 34 mm wide so even when a Classic wears down it still has a bit more of a rounded edge than a Radial and is wider throughout.


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


* I do prefer Classics worn down a mm or two as the riding surface widens out nicely and the width in some of the bigger sizes is more what I would ride anyway, eg 55, 56 and up, worn down to 52, 53 and 54 mm.  I also like Radials in smaller sizes too, which work well enough for things I usually skate, or Radial Full wheels on bigger boards, but that is a different shape and setup entirely.

[ambiguousclarity]

Flat spotted the new formula 97a reverting at a local park with somewhat rough ground. Kind of surprised. Not fussed, but curious if others have had a similar experience.

[swongolianbbq]

Never forget 2025, the year someone paid 90 US dollars and 37 cents for some 93s on the exact same day they dropped more

[144p]

I know the whole world got restocked but if you wanna support a pal we got all the shapes and sizes they had
https://www.35thave.com/shop/Skate/Wheels/Spitfire.htm

[logjammin]

surprised that many people love the spit 93's that much. mine wore down super fast and were slippery at times. even the old 97a formula is better, to me. I'm on them now and never have speed or slip issues on any terrain as long as I stick with 54mm+. 93's still didn't save me from dreaded indoor, either. need to resort to dragons for that.

[jums]

I just took delivery of a set of 56mm F4 OG Classics and I'm pleasantly surprised by how white the urethane is in this set.

[Mbrimson88]

surprised that many people love the spit 93's that much. mine wore down super fast and were slippery at times. even the old 97a formula is better, to me. I'm on them now and never have speed or slip issues on any terrain as long as I stick with 54mm+. 93's still didn't save me from dreaded indoor, either. need to resort to dragons for that.

I think for some people they solve a lot of their problems, but for others, they might almost create more problems, with it all coming down to where you skate and what you skate, more than anything else.

Example from my own use, as they were too grippy at a normal skatepark (where I use 99 and they just work), even a bit too slippery at a brand new park (where I use the older 97s and they are good), felt like I was going to slide out just doing laps round a carpark on a hill I skate too which I can roll round on nicely on 99s and slide when I want to but never feel like I will slip out, but then skating a couple of other rougher surfaced places, they are great, work so well, don't feel at all slow, can still slide and revert out of things, or can roll for days on a relatively flat carpark at a different location, or push from A to B if I needed to.

If I was skating all those places, I might have about three or more setups in the car, pretty much identical only with the different duro wheels, which I used to do a lot more over the years than I do these days.  For other people they might only skate those crusty spots so only need that one option in wheels, which the 93s do it for them, especially if their board was their transport too.

I also have the reformulated 97s and they have their moments just like any other single duro option, some places work better than others really, but if all I skated was my own mini ramp and then the local concrete park and carpark, I would only ever need 99s and be happy with that.


* To add to that, seeing as I do have them, the 80HD wheels are great doing laps round some fairly rough pump tracks I have here in Brisbane, as well as a set of the 90 duro Sapphires I have set up on another board which work surprisingly well on a really slippery mini ramp and bowl at an indoor park I work at too - not too grippy and have just the right amount of grip and slip, as the saying goes.  The 93 and 97 duro wheels in new formulas are way too slippery there, but the older 97s have a fairly good grip although still sometimes slip out.

[144p]

In my experience the 93 is incredibly fast and makes skating street on a regular basis way less vibration and makes lots of spots a go.
I do like the 97 but noticed they don’t slide as well for nose slides and on metal they squeak and grab.

99 slides on everything and if I’m strictly skating smooth ground or spots they are my go to, but after an hour in the streets my knees start to feel sore and inflamed and the next day I am aching in my hips and ankles for sure.
Mind you im 51, skate almost every day before work and have a pretty strict rehab/workout schedule and use cold therapy regularly.

Wish I could skate 99’s always but 93 fills
Some gaps so I stick with those.

[Slave IV]

In my experience the 93 is incredibly fast and makes skating street on a regular basis way less vibration and makes lots of spots a go.
I do like the 97 but noticed they don’t slide as well for nose slides and on metal they squeak and grab.

99 slides on everything and if I’m strictly skating smooth ground or spots they are my go to, but after an hour in the streets my knees start to feel sore and inflamed and the next day I am aching in my hips and ankles for sure.
Mind you im 51, skate almost every day before work and have a pretty strict rehab/workout schedule and use cold therapy regularly.

Wish I could skate 99’s always but 93 fills
Some gaps so I stick with those.

Are you saying 93 slides better than 97 and are you talking about new formula for both?

[144p]

93 slides better than og 97 and reformulated 97 depending on the ground. Fresh black top is a
Mixed bag, traditional rougher concrete for sure. Skatelite I’ve had mixed results. A waxed curb/ledge that’s cement or granite they nose/tail slide way better than 97.

[Mbrimson88]

.

I remember a couple of guys having a go on the new 93s when they came out here, one ended up flat on his ass when sliding after doing something, as they just slid so much more than he was expecting.

Not to say that is a bad thing, as I have experienced that a bit too, when I go to slide or carve turn back up into the obstacle and feel the board sliding way more than I would expect it to, so it is just something to be aware of and get used to on the 93 duro wheels.

Maybe because so many people get so used to a certain duro, eg the regular 99 duro Formula Four, that anything and everything can then be measured by that, to a degree, so if you have more grip or way more slip, then things can get weird, which I think some people have found.

This accounts for a lot of the like or dislike for the 93 duro soft slider wheel, maybe for younger people I know, way more so than any others who can use the 93 formula to their advantage like 144p to be able to keep skating well past what a 99 would allow.

[rikki]

The new duro 97 slides very well and not totally unlike the 93. However, the 97 feels and barks more like "normal wheel". The slide is a bit more predictable in general, but I did end up on my ass the first time I tried powersliding the 97 on steep street paved with asphalt.

[gsosa]

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

[moonordie]

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

OG classics were my favorite wheel until I tried radial fulls. Idk what is it but they work amazingly for me

[Llewellyn Moss]

I find the CF to lock in better and just be overall better for grinds and particularly slides, as tbe RFs I had in same size as CF just didn't slide well. Granted the CFs were 99a and the RF 97a but I don't think there should be a significant difference there. I felt the RFs were a touch faster.

[swongolianbbq]

I noticed 97s were slightly stickier on crooked grinds than 99s but not much. Both 54mm classics

[tzhangdox]

I noticed 97s were slightly stickier on crooked grinds than 99s but not much. Both 54mm classics

The difference between also varies depending on the obstacle imo

Concrete ledge - slight difference but largely negligible unless you're sitting in the pinch for days
Metal coping - Definitely stickier, nothing that a generous application of wax can't solve
Flatbars - Pretty noticeably different, not a fan of wheel drag flatbars on 97 or 93. Wax helps a lot, but even if you ice it up it doesn't quite feel the same

[Mbrimson88]

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

What size wheels have you had and what size are you looking at?

I have skated most of the Radial Full shapes, but currently riding the 54 mm Radial Full, which I find works well on my 8.75 and up boards, but that is also because I do still like a good amount of truck width to grind and sit on for transition and other things.  I also have Conical Full 54 mm wheels on my 8.38 boards on 149s, or 56 mm Conical Full wheels on other 8.75 boards, 58 mm Conical Full and Radial Full wheels on 9.0 boards, for reference.

OG Classics are a pretty skinny wheel in all sizes, Conical Full about mid in medium sizes and wide in bigger sizes, but Radial Full are wider again than anything else.  It could be a bit too wide, or you could find that it is really good and you don't mind the wider wheels, like a few other people I know who do ride wider wheels on smaller boards and still make them work.

Compare:

54 mm
32.3 OG Classic
34 Conical Full
38 Radial Full

56 mm
33.6 OG Classic
36 Conical Full
39 Radial Full

58 mm
34.8 OG Classic
37 Conical Full
41 Radial Full

[Dmng]

Sorry I’m just unsure, 93 are back in the lineup fully, but what about the new 97 duro ? Any chance to see it on a classic shape ?

[rikki]

Expand Quote

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

[close]

What size wheels have you had and what size are you looking at?

I have skated most of the Radial Full shapes, but currently riding the 54 mm Radial Full, which I find works well on my 8.75 and up boards, but that is also because I do still like a good amount of truck width to grind and sit on for transition and other things.  I also have Conical Full 54 mm wheels on my 8.38 boards on 149s, or 56 mm Conical Full wheels on other 8.75 boards, 58 mm Conical Full and Radial Full wheels on 9.0 boards, for reference.

OG Classics are a pretty skinny wheel in all sizes, Conical Full about mid in medium sizes and wide in bigger sizes, but Radial Full are wider again than anything else.  It could be a bit too wide, or you could find that it is really good and you don't mind the wider wheels, like a few other people I know who do ride wider wheels on smaller boards and still make them work.

Compare:

54 mm
32.3 OG Classic
34 Conical Full
38 Radial Full

56 mm
33.6 OG Classic
36 Conical Full
39 Radial Full

58 mm
34.8 OG Classic
37 Conical Full
41 Radial Full

"Skinny" is not a word I would not use for OG Classics. They're not that much thinner than e.g. Conical Full, just a couple of millmeters.

E.g. the Bones V5 shape, being similar, is a wheel that can be called skinny.

[BALARGUE]

Expand Quote

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

[close]

OG classics were my favorite wheel until I tried radial fulls. Idk what is it but they work amazingly for me

Same, OG classics were my fav until I tried Radial (not full).
I tried some Radial Full. I felt my hanger was smaller, my setup was heavier and I didn't really see any benefits for me. Radial 56 mm are just perfect for me. A more rounded edge was all I needed.

[rikki]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Can anyone help me out? I'v been riding OG Classics for the past year and a half (and was riding Conicals before that). My local skateshop just got a new shipment of new wheels and there a few Radial Fulls grabbing my attention. (Just seen the photos haven't seent them physically) Can anyone compare the Radial Fulls (or radials) to OG Classics and/or Conical Fulls?

I barely flip my board so the effect on that is not that much of a concern, I really want to know what is the difference for locking in/pinching grinds. I skate a lot of tranny, and ledges so my main concern is there a huge difference when it comes to locking in/pinching grinds between a Radial/Radial Full and a Conical/Conical Full//Og classic shape?

[close]

OG classics were my favorite wheel until I tried radial fulls. Idk what is it but they work amazingly for me

[close]

Same, OG classics were my fav until I tried Radial (not full).
I tried some Radial Full. I felt my hanger was smaller, my setup was heavier and I didn't really see any benefits for me. Radial 56 mm are just perfect for me. A more rounded edge was all I needed.

Same – I used to rock OG Classics but then I found Radials (not full, haven't even tried them, too wide for my taste) and haven't gone back. Such a great all-around wheel. Not too sharp-edged, not too round, not too skinny, not too wide.

[swongolianbbq]

TL;DR: the 93a classic 60mm and 93a radial 58mm are really wide compared to the other sizes in the same shape

-

I've noticed for some wheels there's a big jump in width between certain sizes

For radials and conicals it happens at 58, for classics it happens at 60mm

Since they're already wider/kind of like a worn in shape it makes sense to me why they don't really push 60mm radials or conicals outside of pro editions like T-Funk, Kanfoush, Carlyle

The 60mm classic is its own animal and so are the 58mm conicals and radials(I haven't double checked it all but I checked a couple of them before and it happened at 58)

Whereas the rest of the sizes move up incrementally, when they hit 58 or 60 they slap on like twice as much width

I've had 60mm classics and 58mm radials(not full), and 54,56,58 classics and 54 radials(not full) so I can't confirm from hands on experience for the conicals, which I've had fulls in 54 and regular in 56

-EDIT- cause I'm full of shit apparently

I just checked some charts and one of them I looked at, only the radials(not full) did this, but I certainly remember seeing classics do this as well, yet on that particular list, the 60mm classics were actually skinnier than the 58s(makes sense for speed on very ramps)

I think they modify the shapes slightly every couple years or so cause I definitely remember seeing some other shape charts where that was that width hike at 58 or 60, but the ones I'm looking at now it's just radials

I think the ones I'm thinking of are the newest charts from this 93 drop where the classic 60 is real phat

So as far as I know without looking at the most current, updated chart, the only ones like that are the 58mm 93a radials and 60mm 93a classics

Doesn't look like the radial fulls do this at all, and they move up in gradual increments

Can't confirm at all for anything else but doesn't look like it.

[FrAnKenFrEd]

93s unlocked a really tricky spot for me today. Super rough run up to super slick jersey barrier.

I'd prefer a little more grip on slick surfaces but over all an amazing wheel. Forgot how good they were.

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Compare:

54 mm
32.3 OG Classic
34 Conical Full
38 Radial Full

56 mm
33.6 OG Classic
36 Conical Full
39 Radial Full

58 mm
34.8 OG Classic
37 Conical Full
41 Radial Full

[close]

"Skinny" is not a word I would not use for OG Classics. They're not that much thinner than e.g. Conical Full, just a couple of millmeters.

E.g. the Bones V5 shape, being similar, is a wheel that can be called skinny.

I guess it is all about perspectives.  I find any wheel under 34 mm wide is too skinny for my liking, with most of my last 20 to 30 years being on wheels that were the old big and round variety of about 35 to 37 mm in width, so when holding in my hand and looking at the OG Classics in 54 mm size 32.3 mm is skinny to me, even the 56 mm with 33.6 mm in width.

As for the Radial Full, it is almost too wide and I took off a mm from each side on a couple of sets to bring them down to around 36 mm wide, which is way more comfortable anyway, but I didn't want to get too deep in the modifying shapes and sizes for that conversation.


Same as you guys, both Rikki and BALARGUE - the regular Radial shape is just a really good all rounder, usually for me in 54, 55 and 56 mm sizes for most of my boards, which I can round the corners off again when they get down a few mm and I still have a wider but semi round wheel.

Those dimensions of 54 x 34, 55 x 34.5 and 56 x 35 are pretty much spot on for what I consider a "normal wheel width" or at least what I feel works best for me.

[swongolianbbq]

Here's a pic of my 60mm 99a classics when I had them in June

they don't have the conical cutout like they used to for a while

Not sure if they're as wide as the chart in the current catalog for the 93s

I shoulda measured em

[FrAnKenFrEd]

Here's a pic of my 60mm 99a classics when I had them in June

they don't have the conical cutout like they used to for a while

Not sure if they're as wide as the chart in the current catalog for the 93s

I shoulda measured em

60mm Classics have looked like that for years. Maybe you had a set of OG classics before these?

[Hqjdncm]

Expand Quote

Here's a pic of my 60mm 99a classics when I had them in June

they don't have the conical cutout like they used to for a while

Not sure if they're as wide as the chart in the current catalog for the 93s

I shoulda measured em

[close]

60mm Classics have looked like that for years. Maybe you had a set of OG classics before these?

Are these f4s or classic formula? It’s confusing cause I read it as classic formula rather than classic shape cause f4 isn’t mentioned

[swongolianbbq]

Sorry, I was following up on some ramblings from the last page. Those were Formula Four.

For a while at least the classic shape was the same for all the sizes except 60 which had a bit of a cutout. It might still be for the classic formula. It might only be on the classic formula, and not F4. I don't know. I wanna say I saw t funk riding some a while back.

Also at some point, the width of the 60s was narrower than the 58s according to the charts.

Seeing the big width jump on the classic 60mm 93a in the new catalog made me want to look back on my pics and see if my 60s looked that wide. I shoulda measured em

Here's a pic of some classic urethane, spitfire classic(not OG classic) 60s, with the cutout


60mm F4 classics with the normal shape

OG classics, for reference

As you can see the radius and cut on the ones I'm talking about is different than OG classics, especially because the print on og classics is completely inside where as it comes up over a bit on the conical shaped ones.

Found a pic of the 93s, looks the same as my 99s so I think it's safe to assume the current chart for the 93s applies to the F4 99s as well

[Mbrimson88]

Sorry, I was following up on some ramblings from the last page. Those were Formula Four.

For a while at least the classic shape was the same for all the sizes except 60 which had a bit of a cutout. It might still be for the classic formula. It might only be on the classic formula, and not F4. I don't know. I wanna say I saw t funk riding some a while back.

Also at some point, the width of the 60s was narrower than the 58s according to the charts.

Seeing the big width jump on the classic 60mm 93a in the new catalog made me want to look back on my pics and see if my 60s looked that wide. I shoulda measured em

Here's a pic of some classic urethane, spitfire classic(not OG classic) 60s, with the cutout


60mm F4 classics with the normal shape

OG classics, for reference

As you can see the radius and cut on the ones I'm talking about is different than OG classics, especially because the print on og classics is completely inside where as it comes up over a bit on the conical shaped ones.

Found a pic of the 93s, looks the same as my 99s so I think it's safe to assume the current chart for the 93s applies to the F4 99s as well

I feel like no matter what is in the catalogs and spec sheets, those Formula Four Classic shaped 60 mm wheels have always been the same shape and size, but I could be wrong.

Sheets had info of 38 or 39 mm in width, then 37 mm, maybe even another width on one of the cards that come in with the wheels, but the original blue graphic 60 mm F4 Classics I have still line up to the same measurements as the most recent F4 Classic red swirl graphic I have, which comes in both 99 and 101 duro options.

That said, although 60 mm is a big wheel, they really are such a good shape and as they wear down, they go through being the same as a Classic Full 58 mm and then almost end up as a Radial Full when worn down to about 54 mm, for anyone that has skated them long enough to get to that point.


Funny looking at the different measurements on these pages:


60 x 39 x 21.5  - https://www.spitfirewheels.com/formulafour/

60 x 37 x 23.8  - https://www.spitfirewheels.com/wheel-shapes/

60 x 38.5 x 22.5  - https://www.spitfirewheels.com/fall25/02-sf-fl25-93du-classics.jpg


I don't have them on hand to measure and compare right this minute, but I seem to recall around 60 x 38 x 22 to 23 being about right, but any which way, the shape just works great and only gets better as it wears, on bigger boards for me, at least.