Wheels Thread

[Xen]

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I think i like Spitfires og formula better than F4s

Anyone with this opinion or am i trippin?

[close]

Are you talking about the F1 urethane?  Not when it comes to flatspots. I like the way the felt, hard and slidey, different feel than F4; F4s are the closest feeling wheels you can get (well maybe NFG) to what 'old school' / petrolio=um based wheels felt like from the 80s.

[close]

Are the OGs F1? Not sure

But yea when it comes durability you can't beat f4s. Performance wise i like those ogs better. They grip better but slide when you want them to slide. With f4s, indoor parks in winter have been too slippery most of times.

Also, i kinda fuck with the sound ogs make compared to f4s, brings back memories

The OG chirp was pretty rad, no doubt.

F4 99a are damn near perfect tho.

[Ok]

The og formula feel great. Until they flatspot. Which for me usually happens quick. I need to try them again.
I really like the Manderson sfw 53s. Felt rad to use those skating across town.

[layzieyez]

The only OG spitfires I didn't flatspot were the Spitfire II (yes, that far back).

Every spitfire wheel I rode before f4 came out, I flatspotted.

One set, I flatspotted so bad in the first day that it was essentially a bloated pentagon because I tried to powerslide out the original flatspot and just kept adding more and making the original one worse.

[Mbrimson88]

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I think i like Spitfires og formula better than F4s

Anyone with this opinion or am i trippin?

[close]

Are you talking about the F1 urethane?  Not when it comes to flatspots. I like the way the felt, hard and slidey, different feel than F4; F4s are the closest feeling wheels you can get (well maybe NFG) to what 'old school' / petrolio=um based wheels felt like from the 80s.

[close]

Are the OGs F1? Not sure

But yea when it comes durability you can't beat f4s. Performance wise i like those ogs better. They grip better but slide when you want them to slide. With f4s, indoor parks in winter have been too slippery most of times.

Also, i kinda fuck with the sound ogs make compared to f4s, brings back memories

The original Spitfire formula (no name, just 99 duro) certainly had their issues with flatspots but they definitely worked and still are an amazing wheel to me, but I guess I have a whole lot more old originals, than the newer ones.

When they were brand new and very white, they would wear down faster and flatspot way more easily too, but as they yellowed and turned into onions, as some people call them, they last so much better, to me at least.

They feel hard and slide well, but still have more grip when I needed it on the indoor park ramps too.


When the F1 wheels came out maybe 2006 2009 or so, they were supposed to be awesome, but I think they ended up with more flatspots and they just didn't feel right for a lot of people, feeling chalky or a bit inconsistent.


Then Formula Four rumours were going around in 2012 and came out in 2013 and everything changed.


I still have a set of these on a board, the F1 58mm Multiballs and although they skate fine, they are so different to the original and Formula Four:

[Frank and Fred]

Original Spitfires were great. They went south in the early 2000s. This may have had something to do with EPA regulations changing. F1s were an improvement for sure but it wasn't until F4 that Spitfire found their ground again. They did tweak the Classic formula a few years back. It still isn't as good as the 90s Spitifres but its better than the early 2000s. Slower and not as durable and more prone to flat spotting than F4.

[Xen]

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I think i like Spitfires og formula better than F4s

Anyone with this opinion or am i trippin?

[close]

Are you talking about the F1 urethane?  Not when it comes to flatspots. I like the way the felt, hard and slidey, different feel than F4; F4s are the closest feeling wheels you can get (well maybe NFG) to what 'old school' / petrolio=um based wheels felt like from the 80s.

[close]

Are the OGs F1? Not sure

But yea when it comes durability you can't beat f4s. Performance wise i like those ogs better. They grip better but slide when you want them to slide. With f4s, indoor parks in winter have been too slippery most of times.

Also, i kinda fuck with the sound ogs make compared to f4s, brings back memories

[close]

The original Spitfire formula (no name, just 99 duro) certainly had their issues with flatspots but they definitely worked and still are an amazing wheel to me, but I guess I have a whole lot more old originals, than the newer ones.

When they were brand new and very white, they would wear down faster and flatspot way more easily too, but as they yellowed and turned into onions, as some people call them, they last so much better, to me at least.

They feel hard and slide well, but still have more grip when I needed it on the indoor park ramps too.


When the F1 wheels came out maybe 2006 2009 or so, they were supposed to be awesome, but I think they ended up with more flatspots and they just didn't feel right for a lot of people, feeling chalky or a bit inconsistent.


Then Formula Four rumours were going around in 2012 and came out in 2013 and everything changed.


I still have a set of these on a board, the F1 58mm Multiballs and although they skate fine, they are so different to the original and Formula Four:

I wasn't going in the waaaay back machine to the OG OG Spits, F1s are more 'relevant' to most people since they are not that old and were just before F4s.

[Mbrimson88]

I wasn't going in the waaaay back machine to the OG OG Spits, F1s are more 'relevant' to most people since they are not that old and were just before F4s.

Ha yeah sometimes I think I say too much and talk a whole lot of crap, as well as being unable to get rid of anything, so I have way too much "history" in skateboard product still.

At first I thought F1 came out earlier than that but the earliest I can find is 2009 from old catalogs and online info.

Before that was like the Bronze Age for skateboard wheels, I guess.


I had seen a few older / early Spitfire wheels around too, but never had any interest in collector prices for wheels I didn't even know existed back in the late 80s.

All we had back then was Powell and Santa Cruz wheels, as far as I can recall from the big names, along with Cockroach wheels here in Australia.

[Xen]

When spits first hit Thrasher and the streets it was a game changer.

A true 'street' wheel....back when 55s were considered small Alva Rock IIs, Vision Blurrs and then the mighty OJ Street Razor (another 55mm wheel), were all we had to choose from...tho a friend of mine and I ran bones freestyle wheels (super hard to get back then, basically a tablet shape but still 57mm and only 95a) and no risers well before that was the norm for wheels size or truck height.

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I wasn't going in the waaaay back machine to the OG OG Spits, F1s are more 'relevant' to most people since they are not that old and were just before F4s.

[close]

Ha yeah sometimes I think I say too much and talk a whole lot of crap, as well as being unable to get rid of anything, so I have way too much "history" in skateboard product still.

At first I thought F1 came out earlier than that but the earliest I can find is 2009 from old catalogs and online info.

Before that was like the Bronze Age for skateboard wheels, I guess.


I had seen a few older / early Spitfire wheels around too, but never had any interest in collector prices for wheels I didn't even know existed back in the late 80s.

All we had back then was Powell and Santa Cruz wheels, as far as I can recall from the big names, along with Cockroach wheels here in Australia.

That's what this forum is for!

[beandemon]

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I wasn't going in the waaaay back machine to the OG OG Spits, F1s are more 'relevant' to most people since they are not that old and were just before F4s.

[close]

Ha yeah sometimes I think I say too much and talk a whole lot of crap, as well as being unable to get rid of anything, so I have way too much "history" in skateboard product still.

At first I thought F1 came out earlier than that but the earliest I can find is 2009 from old catalogs and online info.

Before that was like the Bronze Age for skateboard wheels, I guess.


I had seen a few older / early Spitfire wheels around too, but never had any interest in collector prices for wheels I didn't even know existed back in the late 80s.

All we had back then was Powell and Santa Cruz wheels, as far as I can recall from the big names, along with Cockroach wheels here in Australia.

Please, talk all the crap you can!

I do remember the late 80’s- early 90’s wheels. You’re pretty spot on about Powell and Santa Cruz being huge, but g&s, vision, Schmitt stix and Simms were all popular. That gave way to the small company/small wheel era. I remember early Spitfires, Real small wheels in the sixpack, A1. My recollection was that they were equivalent to board brand wheels today, but it was super trendy to not ride wheels from one of the dinosaurs, notably PP or SCSWs.  Cockroaches enjoyed some action in my scene being adjacent to some guys that were hooked up. I remember getting a set for a few bucks - basically buying the dude a cup at a kegger- because they were “too soft”.  Great wheels.

I’m still not 100% how much is nostalgia, but I still think Santa Cruz wheels from back in the day are the gold standard. I know they didn’t/don’t suck because about 5 years ago I stumbled across a set of 60mm/95a street razors on an old bort in the basement and skated them pretty hard. I preferred them to the spitfire soft-d’s I was riding. I’ve got an OG set of Powell G-bones I’ve fiddled with, and they’ve got some of that old magic too, but they’re too tall, soft and goofy-shaped to work for me.

@xen nailed it, too. That’s what happens when you come back and finish a post a day later.

[switchfrontshuv]

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Anyone have a review of Dialtone wheels? Looking to size down from 54mm NFG, are Loophole on par with SML? Last set I rode were petty good.

[close]

loophole are just nfg with a different graphic if that helps

[close]

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Anyone have a review of Dialtone wheels? Looking to size down from 54mm NFG, are Loophole on par with SML? Last set I rode were petty good.

[close]

It's my understanding that Loophole and NFG are identical wheels. I've had SML and I'm skating Loopholes now, and the Loopholes are vastly better.

I don't know anything about Dial Tone, so correct me if I am wrong, but they look to be more generic Creative Urethane wheels.

[close]

I mistyped and confused everyone, no coffee

Currently on NFG
Not ridden Loophole, they are the same as NFG
I was asking about Dialtone, and wanted to know if they rode similar to SML which I rode late last year.

[close]

i rode some alexis sablone dialtones last summer and they were pretty average. i got the 99s and they were pretty smooth in the streets but they got kinda lopsided and lumpy after about 2 months or so, also didn’t have a lot of give when i tried powerslides. i’m not sure how they compare to sml wheels tho, i haven’t ridden those in a few years

Ehh I think the new SML formula is on par with your experience. I find they slide a lot better in the streets as opposed to smooth, glassy surfaces. I also feel that they wear down more irregularly, are more prone to flatspots, and feel slower at skateparks, and for some reason I only get flatspots at skateparks on those wheels

I think the greater micro-surface area of smooth ground has something to do with it, since as a result of being smooth more floor surface would be in contact with the surface of the wheel, causing more friction and wearing more of the wheel off as a result of softer/friction-prone urethane. (especially considering they don't have as much of a "frictionless" feeling slide like F4s on street, which would result in more wheel material getting shredded off in general).

I've skated like 4 sets of SML (recent drops) and have always found them faster on street and also faster to wear down compared to F4s imo. If dialtone is creative they're likely the same urethane as SML (also threaded like SMLs).

Either way I don't think creative urethane is bad or unskateable, I think it actually has its strengths in being a softer-feeling 99a especially on street where they feel super smooth, fast, and shock-absorbing at 54mm+. It's actually the main reason I usually find myself compulsively buying a set of 54mm OG wide SMLs in the summer when I know the extra 15$ on spitfires would be well spent.

[Ok]

What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

[braksabbath]

What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

Extra hard. My OJ 99a were too grippy at any park that wasn’t brand new with that mirror finish. Been liking the NFG Vee

[Frank and Fred]

What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

Really Bones SPFs are pretty amazing if you are just going to skate new Dreamland/ Grindline parks. However, some of these parks are getting a little older and rougher now and need a slightly more forgiving wheel. My wheel of choice is still F4 99as b/c they are more versatile. But before F4s and when most the Dreamland/ Grindline parks were still relatively new, SPFs were ideal.

In saying all that, if you are just learning to skate this type of terrain, I wouldn't worry about it that much. Its only when you really start cranking around corners to generate speed that it will really matter.

[bombsaway86]

What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

If it’s a glassy new park and you’re just learning you should go for something a little grippier until you’re comfortable going fast. 97a Spitfires or OJs would be good to learn on. 56-60mm is a good size if it’s a big gnarly park.

Once you’re comfortable going fast, SPFs are good for smooth new parks. Spitfire F4 99a are good for new or crusty old parks

[switchfrontshuv]

just copped the ishod black  55mms im so hyped

[manysnakes]

What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

Bones SPF are on another level. If I were one of those guys who lived in socal and had amazing glass-smooth parks to skate every day, I’d be on SPF exclusively.

[Ok]

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What’s the preferred wheel for the dreamland/grind line type parks? I’ve absolutely ignored that type of stuff, making sure to only scurry about in some forgotten parking lot. Considering being the old person trying to learn how to drop in and such. Can’t wait.

[close]

Bones SPF are on another level. If I were one of those guys who lived in socal and had amazing glass-smooth parks to skate every day, I’d be on SPF exclusively.

I appreciate all of the responses. SPF’s sound fun, but I live in a really rain soaked area where the ground is totally jacked. The parks are in good shape, for the most part, but I already have my setups with venture lo’s that require real small wheels (basically need to carry them to the spot), I don’t want to set up anything else that needs to be shuttled to and fro, if I can help it.
Again thanks for all of the feedback.

[Bror]

Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

[manysnakes]

Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

I’m not exaggerating when I say that about half of my little grom friends and acquaintances from the skatepark (the under-18 crowd) are skating the new 60mm Kader wheels and they’re all street rippers. Make of that what you will.

[Sundaynuggets]

Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

I skate 60mm classics on one of my set ups. For me, the size doesn’t handle too different for trucks than 55’s, but I can skate faster and crust bugs me less. They are great when I’m skating through big parts of the city and not lingering in any spot too long

[roba]

Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

dumb answer incoming

for me it's the way they wear down. you could shave off a few millimeters and they would still look just fine. 56 or 58mm classics are wider than the smaller sizes, and when they wear down they get even wider. a 58mm classic kinda looks like a radial full at 50mm. right now i'm on 58mm og classics and while they're great now i think i'm going to pass them on at 54 and cop another set of 56 or 58 classics, simply because they will look better when small.

[Ok]

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Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

[close]

I’m not exaggerating when I say that about half of my little grom friends and acquaintances from the skatepark (the under-18 crowd) are skating the new 60mm Kader wheels and they’re all street rippers. Make of that what you will.

The local told me something to the same effect: they are all out in the streets, need them big wheels.

As usual, I have questions. What size boards are these going on? Wheels can be the heavy part of the setup, how, are these setups just heavy tanks? Most importantly: are these big wheels unlocking any spots? I wonder if the bigger wheels help with pop/leverage on the larger setups?

[LebowskisRug]

Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

1. Copying Kader

2. Kids that aren’t as well off and skate a lot can skate those for a long time.

3. If you have to push everywhere it’s actually pretty noticeable over a day.

[LebowskisRug]

Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

[roba]

Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

dialtones are ok, not great, but they get the job done. they roll and they slide. i had 99s and they wore down much faster than 99 f4s and they definitely feel worse. also, they flatspot, not easily, but i did get a flatspot.

haven't had loopholes but people on here have been praising them a lot.

[Gene_Harrogate]

Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

This is basically the reason I skate dialtones. I mean I think they're good wheels too, but from a pure performance standpoint they don't offer anything that you can't get from an F4. I've got dialtones, loopholes, and F4s that I rotate in and out depending on how they treat me on a particular setup. 

After all, variety is the spice of life.

[manysnakes]

Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

I don't know anything about Dialtone, so I won't comment, but I got Loopholes during the Thanksgiving sale back in November and they are honestly great wheels - IMO as good as the F4. I find it impressive that a small company (NFG) is able to actually make something unique, in their own factory, which stands up favorably to the biggest name in the business. A very impressive product.

It's up to you whether not or if that's enough of a reason to switch. This is a matter of strict personal preference, so I completely understand why someone would just skate F4 wheels forever, if that's what they know are are comfortable with, but if you're coming from F4 wheels and looking to mix it up, you can hardly do better than Loophole/NFG.

[beandemon]

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Maybe dumb question incoming.. what are people using bigger 56mm+ wheels in the classic shape for?

They seem really popular on here but I can't figure it out. Bigger wheels are generally for transition and the classic shape is for street/tech. Is it a best of both worlds thing?

I'm on big boards again and the thought of shaving some weight off with slimer wheels is tempting but learning to ride transition on them feels like it could be slippery

[close]

I’m not exaggerating when I say that about half of my little grom friends and acquaintances from the skatepark (the under-18 crowd) are skating the new 60mm Kader wheels and they’re all street rippers. Make of that what you will.

[close]

The local told me something to the same effect: they are all out in the streets, need them big wheels.

As usual, I have questions. What size boards are these going on? Wheels can be the heavy part of the setup, how, are these setups just heavy tanks? Most importantly: are these big wheels unlocking any spots? I wonder if the bigger wheels help with pop/leverage on the larger setups?

Honestly, big ‘uns are just fashionable right now. 5 years ago, I was riding big, square 58’s and considered an old eccentric kook.  Yes, they will roll over some stuff, and pop later, steeper and higher. They also weigh more, wheelbite more, and take more effort to pop. I think 56mm-ish is kind of a goldilocks size that will roll, isn’t too heavy or need too much riser. And yes, I’m still an eccentric old kook.

[rocklobster]

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Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

[close]

This is basically the reason I skate dialtones. I mean I think they're good wheels too, but from a pure performance standpoint they don't offer anything that you can't get from an F4. I've got dialtones, loopholes, and F4s that I rotate in and out depending on how they treat me on a particular setup. 

After all, variety is the spice of life.

SML (which are from Creative, same as Dialtone) are good wheels, a solid 7.5/10 with Spitfire being a 10/10. You can do far worse than wheels from Creative.

To me it's about the price point, if I can get the Dialtone / SML for under $25, I'm biting and just having fun with them. They are great under $25, but if I were paying MSRP I'd go with Spitfire or Bones.

[Gene_Harrogate]

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Every time I think of migrating to another brand from F4 it’s like I cant quit an addiction. I mostly skate smooth ground but not parks. Is there any reason to fuck with Dialtone or Loophole? Their shapes seem reasonably close to Spit but I like the smaller brand vibe and their teams.

[close]

This is basically the reason I skate dialtones. I mean I think they're good wheels too, but from a pure performance standpoint they don't offer anything that you can't get from an F4. I've got dialtones, loopholes, and F4s that I rotate in and out depending on how they treat me on a particular setup. 

After all, variety is the spice of life.

[close]

SML (which are from Creative, same as Dialtone) are good wheels, a solid 7.5/10 with Spitfire being a 10/10. You can do far worse than wheels from Creative.

To me it's about the price point, if I can get the Dialtone / SML for under $25, I'm biting and just having fun with them. They are great under $25, but if I were paying MSRP I'd go with Spitfire or Bones.

Yeah, good point.  I grabbed my current set of dialtones from the end of the year sale Parade had for $26, makes it an easy decision.