Wheels Thread

[tzhangdox]

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Probably puts my Keyframes out of business if I'm honest.

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a bold statement but i believe it from what else everyone has posted already. and this is probably the strongest selling point mentioned so far (for me).

I feel like I'm definitely one of the people thats been more critical of these new powell/bones wheels on this thread, but I would definitely agree that these would render keyframes irrelevant.

I haven't had keyframes in a few years so this may not be perfectly accurate, but if memory serves me right, then the 93a dragons, as well as the preproduction 90a and even 95as all basically handle rough ground basically as good as a keyframe (if you get the wide ones)... maybe not quite as soft but close enough... except you can powerslide very very easily, and do grinds/ledge slides (albeit not quite as well as a true hard wheel like f4/stf as I have previously stated)

So yeah I don't really see why you would pick a keyframe over these. Keyframes were never a super soft, mash over everything cruiser wheel like the super juices. These bones/powells definitely wouldn't replace my 60mm 78a OJ super juices though... though those are on my strictly filmer/push-ten-blocks-up-the-street-to-get-food-and-back-board which I have never felt the need to powerslide on

[tzhangdox]

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On asphalt it was no contest, but for slappies I still found that they would grip a lot. On slappy crooks they slide fine for the first 1/2, but then rapidly slow and grab. So I was torn because I skate a lot of asphalt but I mostly skate ledges, curbs, manual pads and low impact stuff where they just couldn't hold their own. Id rather do another push then grind 1/3 less on a ledge.

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I will say I wasn't grinding as well on the dragons board this morning, but I had been blaming it more on the trucks.  On the F4 board I had a recent slappy session on a curb that was so waxed that it deposited about 1/2 lb of it in the trucks.

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There is no question that the dragons noticeably drag on grinds if you compare side by side with f4s

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In general when it comes to grinds, it's also worth thinking about wheel shape because that will compound any issues with drag that the formula might have.

V1 and V4 should theoretically drag less than V6 I think. Not sure which would be better between V1 or V4 though. Maybe V4??? Maybe depends on the grind?

My dragons are the v1s as are my preproduction 95a wheels. My f4s are og classics and classics (and between those two I don't notice any difference in grind drag at all).

The only time I ever noticed wheel shape causing grind drag was with f4 tablets and lock ins compared to say classics/radial slims on round rails and specific ledges, and that was barelyyyy noticeable, splitting hairs.

With these powell/bones wheels, the drag on certain grinds is jarring. Its definitely the formula that is causing the drag, not the shape. That being said, I'm happy to have them in hand, probably set them up from time to time when I plan on skating  rougher spots/expect to be pushing more... or if I'm just tired, have low expectations for doing good tricks and want to dick around and push a little less.

[LebowskisRug]

I've had the same wheel drag. I skate the same well waxed slappy curb and with production wheels I notice that about halfway through a slappy crook it feels like all of a sudden my nose is hitting a spot with no wax and that is the pinched wheel. I literally brought a second set of wheels, which are my normal 99 F4 and this doesn't happen I grind the entire section consistently. I even waxed the curb more, which helped a bit, but it's definitely not worth it for me. Maybe the 95 are better I dunno, but I wouldn't even want these on a cruiser setup that I'd slappy.

[Antz]

Was wondering if anyone has had any experience with 87a OJ Super Juice wheels.  Can’t find any reviews about them online so I figured I would try here.

Are there any advantages in getting the 87a over the tried and true 78a wheels?

Thanks for the feedback

[Mbrimson88]

Was wondering if anyone has had any experience with 87a OJ Super Juice wheels.  Can’t find any reviews about them online so I figured I would try here.

Are there any advantages in getting the 87a over the tried and true 78a wheels?

Thanks for the feedback

I think I have had  set or two and to be fair, they are decent cruiser / soft wheels that are a good ride in the larger sizes, but also go fairly well in the smaller sizes too.

I will check and see and if I still have some, get back to you with more info.

[Antz]

I think I have had  set or two and to be fair, they are decent cruiser / soft wheels that are a good ride in the larger sizes, but also go fairly well in the smaller sizes too.

I will check and see and if I still have some, get back to you with more info.
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Thank you much appreciated

[Mulldrifter]

it looks like the size of the older super juice in 78a but with the urethane of the keyframes in 87a.
i have rode keyframes they were great, maybe that will help the super juice not to chip as easily as it would in 78a when you try 50-50 or powerslides.

[saltusnaut]

I personally think the mini 78a ojs are a tad to soft. Feels like they deform to much when carving hard and that slows you down.
Tempted to get the 87a instead.

[fakiefs180]

First "cruise" on the Ricta Clouds. 78a in 52mm.

I was mad tired and didn't think too much while crusing around. Rolling down my usual hill here in the neighborhood. At the end of the hill is a little sewer cap I always ollie. I was already kinda fast. When I popped the ollie, that felt insane with these soft wheels. That was a big and long ollie and I was even faster when I landed. That was scary and there was no way I could run out of that speed, so I prayed and tried to stay on my board.

I think I kept rolling for like a minute until I slowed down. A really scary and fun experience and I had to smoke a cigarette when I got back to my car. My heart was pumping like crazy and I wasn't sleepy anymore.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk ya all.

TLDR , they are smooth and fast.

[Antz]

Has anybody had any experience with 87a oj super juice either in 55mm or the 60mm. Is it worth the bump up in duro over the 78a

[lamfordie]

Roger making some wild claims. I want to try them out.

[iw0]

Roger making some wild claims. I want to try them out.

this video made me feel weird

[FuzzGNU]

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Roger making some wild claims. I want to try them out.

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this video made me feel weird

Yeah WTF, it feels like a strange paid ad or something. But like /r/InterdimentionalCable type shit. Who the fuck approved this thing on their channel? Very strange. Nine Club is on some weird vibes lately.

All that being said... these wheels really ARE amazing. It really feels like a bigger leap forward than either STF or F4 were. Once you get used to these wheels, you won't want to go back (if they fit into your skating... apparently some people don't love them as much).

EDIT: Powering through the cringe to finish this video. Definitely agree that it makes me able/want to skate more. Less pushing, and less "bullshit" slams that frustrate a session like falling on a pebble or twig or slipout. As lame an cliche as it sounds, they let me focus on skating rather than having to worry so much about the terrain I'm skating.

If you can get used to the slide... they are amazing.

[Goodcurbs]

[KGB]

Roger making some wild claims. I want to try them out.

Roger on e confirmed.

[j....soy.....]

It’s the tensor mag of wheels….there you have it….

[Xen]

It’s the tensor mag of wheels….there you have it….

Yep. Can't wait to pair them with a slick and some tensors....easy vibes.

[sk8n hugon]

All the great things that people have said regarding the 93a Dragons are true. They really are magical. However, they can be slippery on transition. My normal transition wheel is 99a OJ Elite which is as grippy as a wheel gets, so I know that the comparison is not really fair. But, I slipped out on the Dragons a couple times before deciding not to use them at the park. Similarly, my friend who normally rides 99a F4 also slipped out on the Dragons. Might be because the soft feeling makes you think you can push them more, but regardless I’ll be sticking to the Elites there. So, for me they are not a ride everywhere wheel. That said, they are my ride everywhere but the transition focused skatepark wheel. I’m curious how people have found them on indoor birch or skatelite mini ramps. My guess is that they would be slippery there as well.

[rocklobster]

Had 2 sessions on the 54mm 95a V1 shape, non-cored over the weekend and I'm very impressed by them. Just pushing on asphalt felt more forgiving and faster than A4. They did have a slight bounce to them with a dampened sound but far from being springy like an OJ or Ricta. I found myself going at obstacles faster than normal because they kept their speed really well.

Slides wise was a mixed bag - nose and tail slides where your weight distribution of forward / side were perfectly fine, zero stick. The stickiness was felt when doing lipslides on ledges with more weight directly over the trucks / wheels. Not pitch you forward and eat shit kind of sticky, but you'd need more wax / speed to push through.

On concrete flooring at the park I did slip out a few times when doing a hard carve to turn. But that was on day 1, after the break in I didn't slip out today.

Last plus would be the slim V1 shape, you get the benefits of a tablet with a slight rounded edge, and skinny (which Spitfire doesn't get as narrow as Bones).

Overall very impressed, the 95a was so-so for light cruising and that's closer to 93a territory. The ride to the bus stop was a more pleasant experience compared to my 52mm F4s, and during the session performed like a softer Bones 99a.

I'd like to try the 97a even though it's in a weird spot. If I wanted a tier up in hardness I'd go for the Easy Streets (99a) and if I wanted something softer I'd do 93a./

[tzhangdox]

Had 2 sessions on the 54mm 95a V1 shape, non-cored over the weekend and I'm very impressed by them. Just pushing on asphalt felt more forgiving and faster than A4. They did have a slight bounce to them with a dampened sound but far from being springy like an OJ or Ricta. I found myself going at obstacles faster than normal because they kept their speed really well.

Slides wise was a mixed bag - nose and tail slides where your weight distribution of forward / side were perfectly fine, zero stick. The stickiness was felt when doing lipslides on ledges with more weight directly over the trucks / wheels. Not pitch you forward and eat shit kind of sticky, but you'd need more wax / speed to push through.

On concrete flooring at the park I did slip out a few times when doing a hard carve to turn. But that was on day 1, after the break in I didn't slip out today.

Last plus would be the slim V1 shape, you get the benefits of a tablet with a slight rounded edge, and skinny (which Spitfire doesn't get as narrow as Bones).

Overall very impressed, the 95a was so-so for light cruising and that's closer to 93a territory. The ride to the bus stop was a more pleasant experience compared to my 52mm F4s, and during the session performed like a softer Bones 99a.

I'd like to try the 97a even though it's in a weird spot. If I wanted a tier up in hardness I'd go for the Easy Streets (99a) and if I wanted something softer I'd do 93a./

Do you notice any drag compared to hard wheels for crooked grinds etc?

[Schinken]

Got myself a set of v6 dragons 56 93a.
For me they feel like a slighty softer 99a stf. Fast on rough ground and very slippery on asphalt. Almost exactly the same slide. Grip, grip.....almost ice out. The slide got more forgiving after the tread was gone and they started to screech.
I think I wouldn't want to ride them on slippery ramps(didn't try yet). 99a elites handle slippery ground way better.

For my usecase the 93a dragons are way better than spitfire f4. I keep them on my board

[manysnakes]

That video is a little off-putting, but I think everything he described has been detailed to some degree by posters here. In particular, the one thing I haven't seen mentioned here (although these posts are long and I'm not always paying attention) is fatigue. I am able to skate longer with less fatigue on these wheels, especially on rough concrete which would normally jar my bones. This is a big one, hard to quantify, but I think older skaters will probably agree.

[Xen]

Ricta/OJ bouncy?  Clouds maybe…regular/from concentrate/Nomad OJs maybe……but not naturals or elites.

[LebowskisRug]

What I don't get is people being like "I can skate so much longer". How are you that broken as a human where the small vibrations are what tire you out not actually pushing, jumping, and smashing into things.

[FatGuy92]

What I don't get is people being like "I can skate so much longer". How are you that broken as a human where the small vibrations are what tire you out not actually pushing, jumping, and smashing into things.

I get this to some extent. As I've gotten older, vibrations from harder wheels on crusty ground really take a toll on my lower back, knees, and feet after awhile.. maybe tiring out isn't the best way too put it. I remember skating 92A ricta clouds for awhile and those helped but I wasn't a fan of how they slid. For what it's worth, I'm overweight and not athletic whatsoever so I guess people that fall into the same category as me might feel an improvement.

X-post from the UWTB thread in case it's interesting to folks here

I remember reading/watching a G-Slides review and the reviewer mentioned that they slid fine for a bit then started behaving more like a typical cruiser wheel. I'm curious to see how if these new joints will keep the same slide as they break in

[FuzzGNU]

What I don't get is people being like "I can skate so much longer". How are you that broken as a human where the small vibrations are what tire you out not actually pushing, jumping, and smashing into things.

You don't have exert as much energy due to not having to push as much, nor to stand up through rough terrain deceleration, etc.

Less deceleration means less overall effort required.

I think the Nine Club guy's video thing might have exaggerated the effects (he probably skated for longer because he was hyped on the wheels and that gave him the energy/motivation to skate more), but its definitely true. I skate to further spots on this wheel for a few reasons. Don't have to pick up my board as often (can ride streets that F4 99a can't), less pushing and more coasting, less getting thrown off my board unexpectedly by rocks and shit (which adds up in terms of fatigue having to catch yourself like that).

The wheels aren't perfect, but they really do make skateboarding more enjoyable overall for me. Its like a ~97a wheel without the downsides of a 97a wheel. Really impressive.

[rocklobster]

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Had 2 sessions on the 54mm 95a V1 shape, non-cored over the weekend and I'm very impressed by them. Just pushing on asphalt felt more forgiving and faster than A4. They did have a slight bounce to them with a dampened sound but far from being springy like an OJ or Ricta. I found myself going at obstacles faster than normal because they kept their speed really well.

Slides wise was a mixed bag - nose and tail slides where your weight distribution of forward / side were perfectly fine, zero stick. The stickiness was felt when doing lipslides on ledges with more weight directly over the trucks / wheels. Not pitch you forward and eat shit kind of sticky, but you'd need more wax / speed to push through.

On concrete flooring at the park I did slip out a few times when doing a hard carve to turn. But that was on day 1, after the break in I didn't slip out today.

Last plus would be the slim V1 shape, you get the benefits of a tablet with a slight rounded edge, and skinny (which Spitfire doesn't get as narrow as Bones).

Overall very impressed, the 95a was so-so for light cruising and that's closer to 93a territory. The ride to the bus stop was a more pleasant experience compared to my 52mm F4s, and during the session performed like a softer Bones 99a.

I'd like to try the 97a even though it's in a weird spot. If I wanted a tier up in hardness I'd go for the Easy Streets (99a) and if I wanted something softer I'd do 93a./

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Do you notice any drag compared to hard wheels for crooked grinds etc?

I couldn't tell, the park I was at had the coping and top replaced so you barely feel any grind. You're right about the harsher pitch when you wheelbite versus a harder wheel.

Ricta/OJ bouncy?  Clouds maybe…regular/from concentrate/Nomad OJs maybe……but not naturals or elites.

I meant to say the Clouds 92a.

[Thebird]

Can anyone share what the drag is like in angle iron?  I don't think I've seen this one covered yet.  Thanks

[LebowskisRug]

I thought that the drag was higher on the angle iron at my local park.

[LebowskisRug]

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What I don't get is people being like "I can skate so much longer". How are you that broken as a human where the small vibrations are what tire you out not actually pushing, jumping, and smashing into things.

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You don't have exert as much energy due to not having to push as much, nor to stand up through rough terrain deceleration, etc.

Less deceleration means less overall effort required.

I think the Nine Club guy's video thing might have exaggerated the effects (he probably skated for longer because he was hyped on the wheels and that gave him the energy/motivation to skate more), but its definitely true. I skate to further spots on this wheel for a few reasons. Don't have to pick up my board as often (can ride streets that F4 99a can't), less pushing and more coasting, less getting thrown off my board unexpectedly by rocks and shit (which adds up in terms of fatigue having to catch yourself like that).

The wheels aren't perfect, but they really do make skateboarding more enjoyable overall for me. Its like a ~97a wheel without the downsides of a 97a wheel. Really impressive.

I could see that if you have to commute via skateboard. The number of pushes is lower, but I don't see this being a massive difference in cardiac output since you might usually push 1 less time. For me the physical stress is actually popping and whatnot. If I still commuted by board I'd probably use em.

I'm going to put more time into my production 93 this week. I haven't put much time into them at a few parks and spots and they seemed ok at the slappy spot.

I think that comparing them to F4 can be kinda tough. I didn't lie 97 that much but love 99. They're neither of those and that's fine. But if people are constantly comparing them to various Spitfire duros I think it creates the idea that they only combine the things people like about each of those duros with no downsides and for some people there might be some downsides.

One thing I did notice was doing 360 no complies when you do the last little revert they definitely don't feel as controlled. Same with half cab flips when I pop them shitty.