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Can someone advise me on wheels? Currently in my first bout of wheel madness.
Usually i’ve just been someone who rides classics. I think the last 4 wheels have all been classics/classic shapes. I finally decided to switch it up as my skating has changed, and I wanted to experiment what would be more optimal. before my current wheels I was using 101 Ez edge oj wheels. Really liked those
I tried OJ 101 Elite Hardline (conical shape) for better lock in on grinds. Little did i know, I do not like the way they lock in at all. It’s almost too locked in if that makes sense. I don’t like the square edge for these reasons. I also noticed it’s a lot easier to hang up on 5-0 fakie and other tricks where you’re using heel/toe pressure to back in a ramp. Haven’t tried slappies yet but the square edge has me worried. Doesn’t slide as well.
So i’m thinking I still want to try a wheel that’s wider than a classic shape, but not as wide as a conical full type shape. Any suggestions? I was looking at radials and the regular conicals, but i don’t know much about other brands. Maybe I’m naive that the regular conicals would be that much different but it looks pretty skinny.
I’m a transition skater, smaller stuff, no huge bowls or vert. But lots of tight transition and the occasional flip tricks.
I would try the Radials. They're wider than the Classics but not too conical-shaped. In my opinion they're a very good all-around wheel.
Vouching for radial fulls
I'm a big fan of the Elite 101s, love the shape and they feel super fun and wild on the super smooth crete at the newest park in town. The shape did have some quirks that made certain moves harder, as was mentioned.
I picked up 56mm Radial Fulls 97a and they're my favorite wheel all around (probably will get 54mm next time). I'm terrified of pivot fakie, but they lock-in and out of similar tricks beautifully (hurricanes, nosepicks), whereas I couldn't get these moves consistent on the hardline shape.
They definitely feel pretty bulky though
What size / width trucks are you both using?
* Mamba 149s (same as me) I see from previous posts.
I put Radial Full 58 and then 54 mm sizes on my 149s and both just felt too wide for the trucks, but they work a lot better on wider trucks, maybe more so just the overall proportions look more normal to me. That is funny too considering I prefer bigger and wider wheels in general, but it messed with my timing and placement when I would go to lock into any grinds, even the smaller 54 mm width still being 38 mm wide, compared to most others which are around 34 mm wide in the same 54 mm diameter.
The Radials (normal ones that is) are pretty much the middle ground between Classic shapes and any of the wider more bulky wheels, so I can easily ride the 54, 55 or even 56 mm sizes on smaller boards without feeling like they are too wide for the overall setup, be it on 149s or smaller like 144 or 139 widths too.
I would usually have the nicely worn in 56 mm or worn down 58 mm Classics on my usual boards, as well as the Classic Full shaped wheels, but as they are not available take those out of the equation for now, but the 54 mm Classic Full is a really comfortable wheel right from go for me.
For any of the wider profile wheels, I have to round off the edges a bit more with an angle grinder just to make them feel more "normal" for me, also more transition based, so finding something with a locking in effect is actually not at all what I want, even though a wider surface area works well for me. Unless you have wheels you don't want or don't mind messing up a few, I wouldn't recommend taking a grinder to them, but I know other people who have and they have worked out well, once they got the hang of it.
It comes down to personal preference really, so if you lke the sharper edge, over the rounder edge or vice versa, I would be sticking with certain shapes that go along with that wheel profile, more so than trying to slog through sets of wheels that just don't work for you.
Topic: Wheels Thread (Read 1102615 times)