I accidentally ordered some spitfire classic 52mm 99a wheels, assuming they were F4 but not checking.
I’ve never skated this urethane before. Should I just skate them? (which could be for the next year). Or should I get some f4 as intended? If f4 are clearly a better ride then the cost is justified. If it’s marginal then I’ll just ride the classics.
Non F4 formula wheels always tended to flatspot pretty quick in my prior experience. Use at your own risk. They'll get the job done, I'm sure, but F4 is justified in its cost over non F4 wheels: longevity/lack of flat spotting mostly.
Many people still like skating classic formula so they're not bad wheels by today's standards
I could be polite, or I could be blunt and very honest regarding the old formula Spitfire wheels.
Quite simply some people, even some pros still prefer the old formula maybe because that is what they know or for how white the wheels are from new (compared to the more natural urethane colour of Formula Four), but in general, most people say they suck and hate them, so you have two sides right away. Compare that to the amount of positive feedback for Formula Four and it is absolutely a much better quality wheel and will usually skate the same from the first minute you roll on your board, through every single day and last a good amount of time.
The original Spitfire wheels on the other had were always a little more funny - if they were the bright white wheels, they often felt softer, would wear faster and unevenly and would flatspot very easily too, which made them just another wheel in the market for many average wheels. If they were older, a little yellowed or had time to age somewhere like in a skate shop cabinet under fluro lights for a while, then they would usually skate way better and once past the wear in period - getting the lines off them and skating them in nicely, then they were excellent wheels and held up really well for me.
I had a board come in as a trade recently that had a set of original Classic 53 mm wheels, pretty much still brand new with tread / lines. A couple of people had a go on it and one flatspotted the wheels in the first few runs, from landing sideways and slipping out. I was able to wear them down enough to take the flatspot out, but they were still a bit funny feeling and a touch slower than Formula Four wheels in the same size.
Long story short, if you haven't opened them, I would recommend returning them for any version of Formula Four wheels instead. They are absolutely worth it.
Topic: Spitfire formula four (Read 1058966 times)