Spitfire formula four

[swongolianbbq]

Alright guys my 52 classics are worn down to where I struggle locking into everything. Looking to go up in size to maybe a 56 in 99a. Never had anything larger than a 54 radial and conical full so could use some recs. What shapes do you guys like in 56mm for smoother concrete parks, coping, and those rounded metal ledges? I'm leaning towards classics right now since they'll be going on to Indy 144s and I want to keep as much hangar real estate as I can.

As far as the skinnier ones/preserving truck real estate, classics and radials in 56mm are both the same width, 35mm.

As far as I know, 56mm OG classics are still 33.6mm wide. In addition to being the narrowest overall width, they also have the sharpest edge and widest riding surface out of these three wheels.

 Personally I like the classics for the narrow contact patch/riding surface(speed on smooth surfaces) and the really rounded edge(I think it makes flip tricks roll over easier, and they wear in nicely and don't get too sharp). I also think the classics slide faster/easier on things like crooked grinds on those metal-edge skatepark ledges, especially in softer duros.

 Though a lot of folks prefer the sharper-edge wheels like OG classics, tablets, and conical fulls, usually in 99d because the added 'bite' of the sharper wheel touching the ledge can help with controlling speed and not slipping into a noseslide, and the wider riding surface can feel smoother on rougher terrain, and some prefer the feel doing power slides on wheels with wider riding surfaces, like a NASCAR tire or something.

I always felt classics were 'grippier' for power slides, at least when they're not worn down yet, esp. after A to B-ing conical fulls and classics when it had just started to rain.. but as they wear down the riding surface gets wider

 OG classics are gonna lock in/pinch better on metal coping/round rails/etc.

 radials are like, in the middle. Still rounded but not as round as classics. Same truck real estate as classics with a little bit smoother ride on rougher stuff and a little bit better lock in.

Conical fulls are a little wider than classics/radials and radial fulls are way wider

[radcunt]

Rough driveway, thinking 54mm 93 Radials.  Thank you.

[tzhangdox]

Expand Quote

Alright guys my 52 classics are worn down to where I struggle locking into everything. Looking to go up in size to maybe a 56 in 99a. Never had anything larger than a 54 radial and conical full so could use some recs. What shapes do you guys like in 56mm for smoother concrete parks, coping, and those rounded metal ledges? I'm leaning towards classics right now since they'll be going on to Indy 144s and I want to keep as much hangar real estate as I can.

[close]

As far as the skinnier ones/preserving truck real estate, classics and radials in 56mm are both the same width, 35mm.

As far as I know, 56mm OG classics are still 33.6mm wide. In addition to being the narrowest overall width, they also have the sharpest edge and widest riding surface out of these three wheels.

 Personally I like the classics for the narrow contact patch/riding surface(speed on smooth surfaces) and the really rounded edge(I think it makes flip tricks roll over easier, and they wear in nicely and don't get too sharp). I also think the classics slide faster/easier on things like crooked grinds on those metal-edge skatepark ledges, especially in softer duros.

 Though a lot of folks prefer the sharper-edge wheels like OG classics, tablets, and conical fulls, usually in 99d because the added 'bite' of the sharper wheel touching the ledge can help with controlling speed and not slipping into a noseslide, and the wider riding surface can feel smoother on rougher terrain, and some prefer the feel doing power slides on wheels with wider riding surfaces, like a NASCAR tire or something.

I always felt classics were 'grippier' for power slides, at least when they're not worn down yet, esp. after A to B-ing conical fulls and classics when it had just started to rain.. but as they wear down the riding surface gets wider

 OG classics are gonna lock in/pinch better on metal coping/round rails/etc.

 radials are like, in the middle. Still rounded but not as round as classics. Same truck real estate as classics with a little bit smoother ride on rougher stuff and a little bit better lock in.

Conical fulls are a little wider than classics/radials and radial fulls are way wider

Yeah I've been thinking about the "bite" of a lock in lately, especially on pinched grinds. Been doing way too many crook variations and trying to hold them lol

Imo theres a few main things that can affect how bitey your pinch feels:
1) How sharp the edge of your wheel is
2) How pinchy or turny your trucks are (ventures most bitey/best pinch, ace the least bitey/most articulating hanger etc)
3) How sharp the edge of the ledge is. Also metal coping feels bitier than concrete imo

A bitier combination of the above results in a more secure lock in, less likelihood of slipping into noseslide. However if its too bitey, it feels like you have no room for error/adjustment when aiming and locking into the crook.

Whereas a less bitey setup (ie classics instead of conicals) makes it feel like you could be slightly off when getting in but can then save it by adjusting into the correct position. This wiggle room is also what makes it more prone to slipping into noseslide though.

I usually skate ventures, and found that for the stuff I like to skate, classics or radials usually felt the best on ledges and flatbars. Once in a while I'd find myself in a situation wishing I had a sharper wheel but overall I lean towards the slightly rounder wheels.

Recently set up some Indys and put on OG classics. The bite of the wheel does feel like its helping make up for a little less secure of a pinch that indys have vs ventures. While compensating for a difference in the truck with wheels isn't going to be perfect, it does get me pretty much what I need and its feeling pretty good overall. Only found myself wishing for ventures and a square wheel when skating this really weirdly round, but also smooth curve ledge but not gonna base my setup decisions off of edge cases.

Everyones sweet spot for what the ideal combo of these things will vary. As for keeping hanger real estate with 56mm wheels on indy 144s... maybe regular non full conicals? Those are kinda slim and lock in pretty well

[GashBandicoot]

Thanks guys, gonna check the shop after work today and see what they've got and compare some things side by side. Classic or radial most likely but would be curious to compare with a regular conical. Never seen one of those in person before.

[tzhangdox]

Thanks guys, gonna check the shop after work today and see what they've got and compare some things side by side. Classic or radial most likely but would be curious to compare with a regular conical. Never seen one of those in person before.

They're thinner and squarer than classics/radials. OG classics are a bit more squared off than conicals even, and pretty much the same width so thats another option

[swongolianbbq]

Expand Quote

Thanks guys, gonna check the shop after work today and see what they've got and compare some things side by side. Classic or radial most likely but would be curious to compare with a regular conical. Never seen one of those in person before.

[close]

They're thinner and squarer than classics/radials. OG classics are a bit more squared off than conicals even, and pretty much the same width so thats another option

Supposedly regular conicals are 34.5 wide in 56mm so not really noticeably different from classics or radials. I had a set of not-full conicals in 56mm 4 years ago and my girlfriend has a set of 56mm radials right now and for all intents and purposes they're pretty much the same. 21mm(conical) vs 21.5mm(radial) riding surface, 34.5 vs 35mm width. Conicals slightly sharper radius and slightly lighter weight

[rikki]

To avoid endless madness, I've settled for the middle of the road: regular Radials. I don't know, they just seem to work for pretty much everything for me. Wide enough but not too wide. Wide enough contact patch, but not too wide. Rounded edge, but not too round – or not too conical.

Oh yeah, and they get sharper (but not excessively so) edge-wise as they wear down, which is not a bad thing.

I don't know. I'm lazy and kinda just want an ATV wheel and I think Radials provide that for me.

[swongolianbbq]

I think that's what they're there for! A good in-between of classics and the other ones(conicals and tablets/OGs)

[Llewellyn Moss]

To avoid endless madness, I've settled for the middle of the road: regular Radials. I don't know, they just seem to work for pretty much everything for me. Wide enough but not too wide. Wide enough contact patch, but not too wide. Rounded edge, but not too round – or not too conical.

Oh yeah, and they get sharper (but not excessively so) edge-wise as they wear down, which is not a bad thing.

I don't know. I'm lazy and kinda just want an ATV wheel and I think Radials provide that for me.

This right here. You've nailed my entire thought process when I was choosing between OG Classics (52) which I like so far, and Radials, which I'll try next in a slightly bigger mm. Knew I wanted something slimmer than RF and wider than Classics and choosing between Conical and Radial felt like splitting hairs.

[texasplant]

 New 97s vs old 97s - review? How are they compared to the recent 93s?

[GashBandicoot]

Bought the 56 Classics on my lunch break. Have them set up on some indy 144s with the blue 92a bushings, blue riptide pivot cups, and the real I'm riding also has a blue bottom ply poking through the graphic lol this set up is very blue. Gonna head to the park here in a little bit once I'm off and see how it goes. Been on ventures + 52 classics for the last year so I'm expecting just getting used to timing on the usual tricks but still looking forward to it!

[theloniousmonk]

Bought the 56 Classics on my lunch break. Have them set up on some indy 144s with the blue 92a bushings, blue riptide pivot cups, and the real I'm riding also has a blue bottom ply poking through the graphic lol this set up is very blue. Gonna head to the park here in a little bit once I'm off and see how it goes. Been on ventures + 52 classics for the last year so I'm expecting just getting used to timing on the usual tricks but still looking forward to it!

Let us know how it goes. I too recently set up some 56 classics after being on 52s. It was after some winter time off but I’m loving it and the timing was very quick to get used to.

[baxtercorner]

Have them set up on some indy 144s with the blue 92a bushings, blue riptide pivot cups, and the real I'm riding also has a blue bottom ply poking through the graphic lol this set up is very blue.

this freaked me the hell out because I was just riding this exact setup, exact modded indys..the real deck wasn't the mason cat scratch by chance was it??

[Mbrimson88]

To avoid endless madness, I've settled for the middle of the road: regular Radials. I don't know, they just seem to work for pretty much everything for me. Wide enough but not too wide. Wide enough contact patch, but not too wide. Rounded edge, but not too round – or not too conical.

Oh yeah, and they get sharper (but not excessively so) edge-wise as they wear down, which is not a bad thing.

I don't know. I'm lazy and kinda just want an ATV wheel and I think Radials provide that for me.

They work, they are a good all rounder, as well as having almost every size (counting pro versions in the harder to get sizes too) so I can easily understand how a lot of people are liking them.

Even when worn down a few mm, the edge is not as sharp as Conical or similar shapes, with a little lip but still rounded as per a few I have, eg 56 down to 53 mm, which work better than some other shapes.

What size are you most keen on in the Radial shape?

[GashBandicoot]

Expand Quote

Have them set up on some indy 144s with the blue 92a bushings, blue riptide pivot cups, and the real I'm riding also has a blue bottom ply poking through the graphic lol this set up is very blue.

[close]

this freaked me the hell out because I was just riding this exact setup, exact modded indys..the real deck wasn't the mason cat scratch by chance was it??

Check your garage it might be missing    jk no I'm on the 8.25 easy rider right now which has been fun

[GashBandicoot]

Expand Quote

Bought the 56 Classics on my lunch break. Have them set up on some indy 144s with the blue 92a bushings, blue riptide pivot cups, and the real I'm riding also has a blue bottom ply poking through the graphic lol this set up is very blue. Gonna head to the park here in a little bit once I'm off and see how it goes. Been on ventures + 52 classics for the last year so I'm expecting just getting used to timing on the usual tricks but still looking forward to it!

[close]

Let us know how it goes. I too recently set up some 56 classics after being on 52s. It was after some winter time off but I’m loving it and the timing was very quick to get used to.

Just got back from the sesh had a good time! Like you said it didn't take any time at all to get used to and all of my tricks felt pretty natural. Very happy with these.

[rawbertson.]

New 97s vs old 97s - review? How are they compared to the recent 93s?

I have all 3, they are all great wheels. The new Soft Sliders are very quiet which some people like, and some people dont (me). Also, they don't feel great on skateparks to me, especially the 93a. The new formula doesn't slide very well on smooth surfaces, it feels really sticky. It can also make a squeak if you do a feeble grind on a unwaxed / crusty rail. If you just use some wax, it works really well.

The old 97s are really good, they feel great on transitions. They dont really absorb much more crust than the 99 does though to be honest. They sound good too. Don't really need the extra wax like you do with the new formula. 

Personally, I just use 99a because I like the sound and feel. I use 60mm radial full so i don't need extra softness to go over crust, i would rather maintain that good feeling at a skatepark

i would only use 93a if you only plan on skating really shitty spots for the most part and dont plan on skating skateparks a lot. If i used my board to commute regularly though I would definitely get a new set of 58mm 93a. that would be so fun. If I build another cruiser / filming board I will probably use them.

[Slave IV]

Man, I was kinda set on buying the new formula 97 Classic 54s for my next wheels but now I’m questioning that. Probably best bet is to go with the 99 53 Classic Fulls. Riding Dragon 97s now and like those so I wanted to try Spitfire’s equivalent.

[texasplant]

Expand Quote

New 97s vs old 97s - review? How are they compared to the recent 93s?

[close]

I have all 3, they are all great wheels. The new Soft Sliders are very quiet which some people like, and some people dont (me). Also, they don't feel great on skateparks to me, especially the 93a. The new formula doesn't slide very well on smooth surfaces, it feels really sticky. It can also make a squeak if you do a feeble grind on a unwaxed / crusty rail. If you just use some wax, it works really well.

The old 97s are really good, they feel great on transitions. They dont really absorb much more crust than the 99 does though to be honest. They sound good too. Don't really need the extra wax like you do with the new formula. 

Personally, I just use 99a because I like the sound and feel. I use 60mm radial full so i don't need extra softness to go over crust, i would rather maintain that good feeling at a skatepark

i would only use 93a if you only plan on skating really shitty spots for the most part and dont plan on skating skateparks a lot. If i used my board to commute regularly though I would definitely get a new set of 58mm 93a. that would be so fun. If I build another cruiser / filming board I will probably use them.

I would honestly just be using them either at a smooth park or a curb spot which isn’t insanely crusty. I kind of want a tiny bit of extra grip and a loud bark out of the new 97 formula so maybe they’re not for me. I’m skating 99 radial fulls right now and maybe I’ll just finish those off.

Thanks heaps!!

[rikki]

Expand Quote

To avoid endless madness, I've settled for the middle of the road: regular Radials. I don't know, they just seem to work for pretty much everything for me. Wide enough but not too wide. Wide enough contact patch, but not too wide. Rounded edge, but not too round – or not too conical.

Oh yeah, and they get sharper (but not excessively so) edge-wise as they wear down, which is not a bad thing.

I don't know. I'm lazy and kinda just want an ATV wheel and I think Radials provide that for me.

[close]

They work, they are a good all rounder, as well as having almost every size (counting pro versions in the harder to get sizes too) so I can easily understand how a lot of people are liking them.

Even when worn down a few mm, the edge is not as sharp as Conical or similar shapes, with a little lip but still rounded as per a few I have, eg 56 down to 53 mm, which work better than some other shapes.

What size are you most keen on in the Radial shape?

I'm most often in the 54/55 zone. Some room to wear down. Have ridden 56's but they feel a tad chunky initially.

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

To avoid endless madness, I've settled for the middle of the road: regular Radials. I don't know, they just seem to work for pretty much everything for me. Wide enough but not too wide. Wide enough contact patch, but not too wide. Rounded edge, but not too round – or not too conical.

Oh yeah, and they get sharper (but not excessively so) edge-wise as they wear down, which is not a bad thing.

I don't know. I'm lazy and kinda just want an ATV wheel and I think Radials provide that for me.

[close]

What size are you most keen on in the Radial shape?

[close]

I'm most often in the 54/55 zone. Some room to wear down. Have ridden 56's but they feel a tad chunky initially.

Yeah the 54 mm is a common one that sells well.

You are not wrong about the 56 mm too - too big for me from new these days as I don't skate half as much medium / bigger transition any more which I really liked them for, but someone else skated them down and traded them back in, so that 56 now 53 with 35 mm width is a good shape on the board I have them on.

Also funny to think most of my own boards now have wheels that were 54 to 56 or even 58 and are now around 52 to 53 mm in size, which seems a lot more comfortable, but I am skating smaller transition, easy parks and way less in the way of bowls and things these days.

I guess I am just enjoying being out rolling more than anything most days, so I take what I can get any time I am on a board.

[swongolianbbq]

Screenshot from February 26

Those 53s with the thin orange swirl have been out for a bit now. Still waiting to see those "normal looking" classic swirl 93s, and if they're 51mm! Like what's the deal with those red ones mang

[Chalupa]

^
Upcoming catalogs have that other pattern that the orange ones have. If it’s not a factory error where they applied the wrong graphics, those red ones are either custom or have the wrong insert. Pro model Classics usually have some variation where the ( is different than staple Classics, like the Ishod ones with gold chains or the Tyshawn ones with mandalas.

[swongolianbbq]

^
Upcoming catalogs have that other pattern that the orange ones have. If it’s not a factory error where they applied the wrong graphics, those red ones are either custom or have the wrong insert. Pro model Classics usually have some variation where the ( is different than staple Classics, like the Ishod ones with gold chains or the Tyshawn ones with mandalas.

Do you mean the upcoming catalogs have 93a 51s with that graphic, or do you just mean 93 classics with that graphic are in the catalogs? They've had that graphic since October, but they didn't have 53s with it until recently.

If there's any kind of 93a 51s in the catalog, that's dope. I don't think another wheel company is offering a soft wheel that small.

They say Reynolds 93a on the packaging and he put red race car emojis, maybe he just wanted 93a 51s that look the same as 99a 51s

Since they bothered with the packaging and he posted it with the car emoji, I figured it's something we can look forward to...

...But you're definitely right, they could be 99s with 93 cardboard and he's just teasing us. Or they were made just for him because that wheel might not sell well.

 I know he's been switchin it up for at least ten years now, but for like the first 20 years of his career I usually saw him on 51s or 50s so it makes sense

[Chalupa]

Expand Quote

^
Upcoming catalogs have that other pattern that the orange ones have. If it’s not a factory error where they applied the wrong graphics, those red ones are either custom or have the wrong insert. Pro model Classics usually have some variation where the ( is different than staple Classics, like the Ishod ones with gold chains or the Tyshawn ones with mandalas.

[close]

Do you mean the upcoming catalogs have 93a 51s with that graphic, or do you just mean 93 classics with that graphic are in the catalogs? They've had that graphic since October, but they didn't have 53s with it until recently.

If there's any kind of 93a 51s in the catalog, that's dope. I don't think another wheel company is offering a soft wheel that small.

They say Reynolds 93a on the packaging and he put red race car emojis, maybe he just wanted 93a 51s that look the same as 99a 51s

Since they bothered with the packaging and he posted it with the car emoji, I figured it's something we can look forward to...

...But you're definitely right, they could be 99s with 93 cardboard and he's just teasing us. Or they were made just for him because that wheel might not sell well.

 I know he's been switchin it up for at least ten years now, but for like the first 20 years of his career I usually saw him on 51s or 50s so it makes sense

I just meant that the upcoming staple 93 Classics have the same graphics as the ones that are currently out. I didn’t see any 93s smaller than 53 mm. It looks like they’re doing 53,54,56, and 60. I think they might be getting rid of the 58 or are sitting on a surplus.

Also, I wish they did 51,54,57,60 instead to have a greater range. A lot of people stick with 52-54 mm, so I’m sure they had people look at statistics to determine the size range. Plus, 93s wear down noticeably quicker than 99s, so maybe that’s why they aren’t doing 93s smaller than 53 mm.

[swongolianbbq]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

^
Upcoming catalogs have that other pattern that the orange ones have. If it’s not a factory error where they applied the wrong graphics, those red ones are either custom or have the wrong insert. Pro model Classics usually have some variation where the ( is different than staple Classics, like the Ishod ones with gold chains or the Tyshawn ones with mandalas.

[close]

Do you mean the upcoming catalogs have 93a 51s with that graphic, or do you just mean 93 classics with that graphic are in the catalogs? They've had that graphic since October, but they didn't have 53s with it until recently.

If there's any kind of 93a 51s in the catalog, that's dope. I don't think another wheel company is offering a soft wheel that small.

They say Reynolds 93a on the packaging and he put red race car emojis, maybe he just wanted 93a 51s that look the same as 99a 51s

Since they bothered with the packaging and he posted it with the car emoji, I figured it's something we can look forward to...

...But you're definitely right, they could be 99s with 93 cardboard and he's just teasing us. Or they were made just for him because that wheel might not sell well.

 I know he's been switchin it up for at least ten years now, but for like the first 20 years of his career I usually saw him on 51s or 50s so it makes sense

[close]

I just meant that the upcoming staple 93 Classics have the same graphics as the ones that are currently out. I didn’t see any 93s smaller than 53 mm. It looks like they’re doing 53,54,56, and 60. I think they might be getting rid of the 58 or are sitting on a surplus.

Also, I wish they did 51,54,57,60 instead to have a greater range. A lot of people stick with 52-54 mm, so I’m sure they had people look at statistics to determine the size range. Plus, 93s wear down noticeably quicker than 99s, so maybe that’s why they aren’t doing 93s smaller than 53 mm.

Ah, word.

Maybe they're trading the 58 for the 53 for a bit to see what sells better. I think the big ol wheel trend is dying down a bit. But it's definitely not going anywhere, and it's dope to have more options than ever before.

Totally agree about how they wear down fast and that's another reason against small ones. I doubt they will ever release a 51mm 93. I mean, I wouldn't. It wouldn't sell. Makes sense to me. 53/54 covers the middle, the reynolds 52s cover the smaller wheel fans, and 56-58-60 for the crust crushing youth of today

51, 54, 57, 60 makes a lot of sense to me. But people are picky. Like, I wouldn't mind that lineup at all. I wouldn't mind if Indy deleted 144s and 149s and just had 8.38" stage 11s. But it ain't gonna happen cause people would lose their minds.

I don't know if I've ever seen a 57 classic, but the 55, 56, and 58 shapes are pretty similar, so it would fit right in there and not look crazy.  The 53 and 54mm classics are pretty similar as well.

50, 51, 52, and 60 are kind of each their own shape

Currently I think 53/54 are tied for most popular size, and the second most popular being 52/56, followed by 58/60, with 50/51/55 tied for last.

So I think the run of 54, 56, 58, 60 makes a lot of sense for 93 classics, since they wear down fast and the Reynolds ones already have 52 and 53mm options

[fulfillthedream]

Screenshot from February 26

Those 53s with the thin orange swirl have been out for a bit now. Still waiting to see those "normal looking" classic swirl 93s, and if they're 51mm! Like what's the deal with those red ones mang

whats up with those red swirled ones? i swear they're not the same ones from the reynolds 93s (they have a lighter red and a different swirl pattern)

[Mbrimson88]

I just meant that the upcoming staple 93 Classics have the same graphics as the ones that are currently out. I didn’t see any 93s smaller than 53 mm. It looks like they’re doing 53,54,56, and 60. I think they might be getting rid of the 58 or are sitting on a surplus.

Also, I wish they did 51,54,57,60 instead to have a greater range. A lot of people stick with 52-54 mm, so I’m sure they had people look at statistics to determine the size range. Plus, 93s wear down noticeably quicker than 99s, so maybe that’s why they aren’t doing 93s smaller than 53 mm.

I have had a few trade ins with smaller 93 duro classic shape wheels and yes they get small and feel pretty slow below 50 mm, so if people are wearing them down fast, they get to be small slow wheels very quickly.

Funny though, some places people skate them, they almost never wear down at all, such as the indoor park, where there is no crust, but they feel a little slick at times.

whats up with those red swirled ones? i swear they're not the same ones from the reynolds 93s (they have a lighter red and a different swirl pattern)

Someone had said before or maybe asked on Mr Reynolds instagram and I think the reply was that the red swirl were a special wheel just for him.

I don't know if I've ever seen a 57 classic, but the 55, 56, and 58 shapes are pretty similar, so it would fit right in there and not look crazy.  The 53 and 54mm classics are pretty similar as well.

I know it might look weird with a lot of that I have cut out, but I was thinking over the 57 mm Classics - thought I had skated a lot of 57 mm Bigheads over the years but don't ever recall seeing 57 mm Classics, but they did release them for special editions, like the Skate Like A Girl from this capsule.

Even the 55 mm versions seem to be fairly recent in the grand scheme of things, but the 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 were fairly common Classic sizes that were everywhere, as I guess were the 50, 51, 53 mm sizes, but maybe not quite as common in places I went for whatever reason, least of all they might have sold out more quickly and didn't restock as often as the other sizes.

[swongolianbbq]

I remember seeing 55s a lot actually but that's in like, Midwest usa. For some reason I associate 55 classics with Ed Templeton. Why? Unclear

Thanks for clearing that up about the reynolds wheel... Makes sense that they wouldn't make a 51mm 93a. But it also makes sense that they'd make one special for him that looks like a 99 for stealth hahah
Anyways I do think there's a place for 52mm 93s and I hope they keep them in the lineup at least sometimes

[rawbertson.]

I have pretty much just been skating radial full the past 2 years and they seem to last a lot longer than classics
I didnt really understand why because I was thinking just like, well the entire tread is touching the ground still, so its gonna wear down the same. But I think because not so mcuh of the load is concentrated in a small place,  then its not as hard on the wheels.