Wheels Thread

[Xen]

Been back on Bones V5 99a and really like how they work for curbs and ledges....and oddly enough I finally came to realize that they're basically my favorite spitfire (awol) shape:

[switchfrontshuv]

A quick ride report, OJ elites are really fast and slide well. Has the feel of modern high tech thane. They don't get a lot of attention on here but I think they are fair competition to SF and bones. Some people have mentioned flat spots but I wonder if that's their "from concentrate" line.

agreed, skated some 101a mini combos last year and they were good wheels for what they were (small, wide, hard) and worked especially well where other wide wheels fail (slides). Interested in trying the 55mm 99a duro in the hardline shape and seeing how it feels compared to sml 99a formula which ive been skating for a minute now

[Xen]

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A quick ride report, OJ elites are really fast and slide well. Has the feel of modern high tech thane. They don't get a lot of attention on here but I think they are fair competition to SF and bones. Some people have mentioned flat spots but I wonder if that's their "from concentrate" line.

[close]

agreed, skated some 101a mini combos last year and they were good wheels for what they were (small, wide, hard) and worked especially well where other wide wheels fail (slides). Interested in trying the 55mm 99a duro in the hardline shape and seeing how it feels compared to sml 99a formula which ive been skating for a minute now

The regular pro OJs and fthe 'from concentrate' (pp wheel) line are trash.  Elite on the other hand is right up there with bones and spit in terms of quality but they're much MUCH grippier, even the 101s, and they stay white forever. I've a set of 54mm 101 hardlines I use for park/bowl use only - stupid fast and only slide out when you really want it (because you have to nudge them just a bit more).

Seeing as they are NHS, it's no wonder they get passed over on this forum...If wheels ain't brown, slap ain't down.

[GBLange]

anyone tried the OJ Nomads 95a?

[Uncle Jeffrey]

Been running the 92a Chrome Clouds for awhile. Tremendously comfy without feeling "soft". Just put the 83b Smallbeating wheels back on and these things are so hard. Haven't done more than pop a few ollies in the garage but they're immediately more jarring. Will take them to my smooth concrete, mellow bank spot tonight and see which win out for my skating. Probably the softies. Both 56mm

[Sundaynuggets]

Been running the 92a Chrome Clouds for awhile. Tremendously comfy without feeling "soft". Just put the 83b Smallbeating wheels back on and these things are so hard. Haven't done more than pop a few ollies in the garage but they're immediately more jarring. Will take them to my smooth concrete, mellow bank spot tonight and see which win out for my skating. Probably the softies. Both 56mm

I’ve never tried the 92 clouds that I can recall, do they slide at all or are they 100% grippy?

[Uncle Jeffrey]

The reason I switched to hard is I want to get comfortable sliding. So I'm not currently the guy to ask because I'm not competent at it. That said, they do feel as if they're on the slideable end of soft wheels. But I only get little chirps for the most part. They feel like, for a competent street skater, they could be the perfect cruiser wheel set up, as it won't completely kill all your tricks. But I dunno

[Sundaynuggets]

The reason I switched to hard is I want to get comfortable sliding. So I'm not currently the guy to ask because I'm not competent at it. That said, they do feel as if they're on the slideable end of soft wheels. But I only get little chirps for the most part. They feel like, for a competent street skater, they could be the perfect cruiser wheel set up, as it won't completely kill all your tricks. But I dunno

I gotcha, thanks for the info!

[logjammin]

I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

[JimGeko]

I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

if you've tried softish wheels (95, 97) and you are still slipping out I'm guessing it more about you actual board control.

edit: didn't mean to sound like a dick and I'm not assuming you aren't a good skater either. but if you are slipping out and can't always bring it back under control then maybe practice frontside and backside power slides. get used to how it feels to control slide and then maybe when you feel a slip coming you can get it back under control.

[Xen]

I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

99a Hardline OJ elites

[logjammin]

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I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

[close]

if you've tried softish wheels (95, 97) and you are still slipping out I'm guessing it more about you actual board control.

edit: didn't mean to sound like a dick and I'm not assuming you aren't a good skater either. but if you are slipping out and can't always bring it back under control then maybe practice frontside and backside power slides. get used to how it feels to control slide and then maybe when you feel a slip coming you can get it back under control.

Hey man, no worries. My board control is all there, I should have clarified I'm more of the hills/tranny/slappy type so when I'm in concrete bowls or skating indoor I just slip out easily at my weight and strength compared to the smaller sized more lean type dudes when I'm powering through tricks and making sharp turns on my Ace's. Not really much to offer where I live when it comes to street skating unless I make the drive to the city which is rare. The easy break into slides does have its advantage when bombing hills around here and we got some steep ones, but I could still probably manage fine if I find that grippier wheel I'm looking for. Cheers man.

99a Hardline OJ elites

I never mess with OJ's is the hardline shape more grippy? I tend to prefer the round shape and it looks like theirs is the "ez edge". You think that shape will be grippy enough? Thanks for the input man.

[switchfrontshuv]

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I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

[close]

if you've tried softish wheels (95, 97) and you are still slipping out I'm guessing it more about you actual board control.

edit: didn't mean to sound like a dick and I'm not assuming you aren't a good skater either. but if you are slipping out and can't always bring it back under control then maybe practice frontside and backside power slides. get used to how it feels to control slide and then maybe when you feel a slip coming you can get it back under control.

[close]

Hey man, no worries. My board control is all there, I should have clarified I'm more of the hills/tranny/slappy type so when I'm in concrete bowls or skating indoor I just slip out easily at my weight and strength compared to the smaller sized more lean type dudes when I'm powering through tricks and making sharp turns on my Ace's. Not really much to offer where I live when it comes to street skating unless I make the drive to the city which is rare. The easy break into slides does have its advantage when bombing hills around here and we got some steep ones, but I could still probably manage fine if I find that grippier wheel I'm looking for. Cheers man.

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99a Hardline OJ elites

[close]

I never mess with OJ's is the hardline shape more grippy? I tend to prefer the round shape and it looks like theirs is the "ez edge". You think that shape will be grippy enough? Thanks for the input man.

The hardline shape is slightly wider than the bones V5 and resembles a spitfire conical. The wider riding surface will slow down the slide but having skated some rly wide OJ 101a's I can say that the urethane slides nice. 101a is pretty slippery on glassy skatepark ground so 99a definitely feels softer but I cant say how much. I would cop them in 55mm personally and its a potential next wheel for me. The ez edge is only offered up till 54mm so not for me but they are very very similar to spitfire classics (0.6mm wider riding surface but same width and shape). In 99a that should work for you.

[logjammin]

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I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

[close]

if you've tried softish wheels (95, 97) and you are still slipping out I'm guessing it more about you actual board control.

edit: didn't mean to sound like a dick and I'm not assuming you aren't a good skater either. but if you are slipping out and can't always bring it back under control then maybe practice frontside and backside power slides. get used to how it feels to control slide and then maybe when you feel a slip coming you can get it back under control.

[close]

Hey man, no worries. My board control is all there, I should have clarified I'm more of the hills/tranny/slappy type so when I'm in concrete bowls or skating indoor I just slip out easily at my weight and strength compared to the smaller sized more lean type dudes when I'm powering through tricks and making sharp turns on my Ace's. Not really much to offer where I live when it comes to street skating unless I make the drive to the city which is rare. The easy break into slides does have its advantage when bombing hills around here and we got some steep ones, but I could still probably manage fine if I find that grippier wheel I'm looking for. Cheers man.

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99a Hardline OJ elites

[close]

I never mess with OJ's is the hardline shape more grippy? I tend to prefer the round shape and it looks like theirs is the "ez edge". You think that shape will be grippy enough? Thanks for the input man.

[close]

The hardline shape is slightly wider than the bones V5 and resembles a spitfire conical. The wider riding surface will slow down the slide but having skated some rly wide OJ 101a's I can say that the urethane slides nice. 101a is pretty slippery on glassy skatepark ground so 99a definitely feels softer but I cant say how much. I would cop them in 55mm personally and its a potential next wheel for me. The ez edge is only offered up till 54mm so not for me but they are very very similar to spitfire classics (0.6mm wider riding surface but same width and shape). In 99a that should work for you.

Damn, looks like they don't offer the ez edge in a 99a unfortunately. I'll try and scoop the hardlines from a local if they got em, otherwise I'll end up ordering them. Thanks for the response man!

[bombsaway86]

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I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

[close]

99a Hardline OJ elites

Been eyeing these since my local doesn’t have any F4s in my size. How do they compare to F4 99s?

[bombsaway86]

Anybody ridden Acid wheels? The local shop is pretty well stocked on them. Looking for an F4 alternative at the moment

[Sloppy Krooks]

Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

[Xen]

Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

I can't find video but a while back Proff.Schmitt (grain of salt here) mentioned that even for bowls/vert whatever, thin wheels were just as grippy as wider wheels with the benefit of weight savings.

The real benefit is how well a wider wheel handles rough terrain vs a skinnier wheel.

[switchfrontshuv]

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Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

[close]

I can't find video but a while back Proff.Schmitt (grain of salt here) mentioned that even for bowls/vert whatever, thin wheels were just as grippy as wider wheels with the benefit of weight savings.

The real benefit is how well a wider wheel handles rough terrain vs a skinnier wheel.

this!

a wider wheel definitely makes the shit skaters want extra riding surface for easier to handle, it makes sense. I do agree tho that say, on glassy skatepark ground or uniform concrete (Westchester for example) a wider wheel would definitely still slide just as good as a thinner wheel.

[switchfrontshuv]

I kinda have a wheel crisis going on right now and I need some pal recommendations. I've skated everything from 101, 99, 97, 95 in spitfire and others and I don't know if it's my hefty weight that allows me to break into powerslides so easily and also slip out when I don't need to but I really need a wheel that will let me still slide well yet not slip out yet also not pitch me either. Shalom

also bro try SML AG formula in the wide shape (not V cut) its 99a and slides sick once the treads wear off. such a sick wheel I love ripping around on them even at a super slippery skatepark (hella smooth ground and dust from construction) cuz I can just kinda slip and slide around the place avoiding everyone like Kevin Bradley

[Pennybabie]

Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[sketchyrider]

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Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

[close]

I can't find video but a while back Proff.Schmitt (grain of salt here) mentioned that even for bowls/vert whatever, thin wheels were just as grippy as wider wheels with the benefit of weight savings.

The real benefit is how well a wider wheel handles rough terrain vs a skinnier wheel.

Wow, thanks for posting that video. Conclusive proof, I always thought a wider wheel would at least be a little grippier. I was wrong. Of course a wider wheel of the same size will be a few grams heavier but I doubt that makes much of a difference.

While we're on the subject a wheel's shape def has an impact in how it slides, at least in my experience. A classic shaped wheel will slide more easily than a conical, which will slide more easily than an old school vee shaped wheel.

[moonordie]

Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

F4 99 54mm classics.

[Pennybabie]

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Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[close]

F4 99 54mm classics.

Spite fires nice! If you have another rec let me know ill see if I can pick them up too.

[moonordie]

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Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[close]

F4 99 54mm classics.

[close]

Spite fires nice! If you have another rec let me know ill see if I can pick them up too.

Depends of what you want to do regarding crust of the street, etc. I'm way deep down into spitfire country but I would like to try some OJ hardlines for a little change or some STF 99

[backinaction]

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Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

[close]

I can't find video but a while back Proff.Schmitt (grain of salt here) mentioned that even for bowls/vert whatever, thin wheels were just as grippy as wider wheels with the benefit of weight savings.

The real benefit is how well a wider wheel handles rough terrain vs a skinnier wheel.

Ron Whaley's opinion is that theoretically it should't matter - but we don't skate in a lab and real world results show otherwise.

[MaXX_I-D]

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Guys, I’ve heard that a wider wheel patch makes sliding easier, despite what we intuitively think about having more surface=more friction.

From what I understand, it’s the opposite. More surface spreads out the pressure, allowing easier sliding, whereas a smaller contact patch concentrates the pressure on smaller areas.

Is this true or not? In skiing and snowboarding, bigger boards definitely float and go faster than smaller ones.

[close]

I can't find video but a while back Proff.Schmitt (grain of salt here) mentioned that even for bowls/vert whatever, thin wheels were just as grippy as wider wheels with the benefit of weight savings.

The real benefit is how well a wider wheel handles rough terrain vs a skinnier wheel.

[close]

Ron Whaley's opinion is that theoretically it should't matter - but we don't skate in a lab and real world results show otherwise.

Mf said:

[rocklobster]

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Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[close]

F4 99 54mm classics.

[close]

Spite fires nice! If you have another rec let me know ill see if I can pick them up too.

Conicals or Radial Slims in 54mm 99a, I'm just nitpicking about Classics which feel / look chunky, the lock into grinds wasn't working for me.

[dr.prestige]

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Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[close]

F4 99 54mm classics.

[close]

Spite fires nice! If you have another rec let me know ill see if I can pick them up too.

With all due respect to Spitfire fans out there, get Loopholes/NFGs instead! They ride just as well if not better than Formula Fours, and they're made in the Bay Area by actual skaters. If you don't mind cosmetic defects, you can get a set of 2nds on www.nfgmfg.com that ride just as well as their full price counterparts available in skateshops.

[moonordie]

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Wheel recs? Not looking for anything special just doing regular street stuff. 

[close]

F4 99 54mm classics.

[close]

Spite fires nice! If you have another rec let me know ill see if I can pick them up too.

[close]

With all due respect to Spitfire fans out there, get Loopholes/NFGs instead! They ride just as well if not better than Formula Fours, and they're made in the Bay Area by actual skaters. If you don't mind cosmetic defects, you can get a set of 2nds on www.nfgmfg.com that ride just as well as their full price counterparts available in skateshops.

Would love to but down here we don't get shit