Wheels Thread

[dr.prestige]

anyone ever had any of these? found them on amazon, once the cal7 razortails i'm gonna try making my own board

I'm skating the Nano Cubics right now they're pretty good. Haven't skated Super Juices but I know people that have and I've heard good things. Never skated that other one.

I would recommend Nano Cubics if you intend on skating skateparks or street spots. They're good for cruising too but not ideal. I would recommend the Super Juices if you specifically intend on cruising, they'll handle all the rough terrain you can imagine but won't do so well at skateparks.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

I cant explain it and don't have any good reason, but something about the shape of the nano cubics deeply offends me

[bombsaway86]

anyone ever had any of these? found them on amazon, once the cal7 razortails i'm gonna try making my own board

Super Juices rule if you’re just skating hills or using your board as a mode of transportation.

The 95a OJ/Slimeballs are kinda obsolete now that dragons and x97 exist. They’re grippy but feel slow and unresponsive.

I haven’t skated the nano cubics, I’m not into the shape. The urethane is good though.

[Texas_Tone]

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i was handed a prototype in march (Butter formula / S.R shape you can find in the catalog given by @Richard Skidder). They said it's supposed to be as good as F4s. I was kinda sceptical at first and asked for a sample to try them. I gotta admit i've been pleased by how they perform. For all these months I didn't feel the need to swap them for my usual F4s (and i wanted to test their durability too).
They feel a bit different from F4 but not in a bad way (hard to describe though), they are great and they will be way less expensive (70€-75€ for F4 is a bit too much).
I'm really considering making a run of these wheels for my shop.

[close]

I'm wondering if maybe these are the new formula that is "more like NFG" someone mentioned for Loophole a little bit ago

I thought they were going through acid wheel co or whatever? Wonder if they gonna switch up again

[Maccat]

dyed some 60mm classics. after skating conical fulls the classics just feel right

Can’t do colored wheels, but this combo you did a hell of a job on. Can’t go wrong with red and black.

[Musicaldeath107]

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i was handed a prototype in march (Butter formula / S.R shape you can find in the catalog given by @Richard Skidder). They said it's supposed to be as good as F4s. I was kinda sceptical at first and asked for a sample to try them. I gotta admit i've been pleased by how they perform. For all these months I didn't feel the need to swap them for my usual F4s (and i wanted to test their durability too).
They feel a bit different from F4 but not in a bad way (hard to describe though), they are great and they will be way less expensive (70€-75€ for F4 is a bit too much).
I'm really considering making a run of these wheels for my shop.

[close]

I'm wondering if maybe these are the new formula that is "more like NFG" someone mentioned for Loophole a little bit ago

[close]

I thought they were going through acid wheel co or whatever? Wonder if they gonna switch up again

Definitely through Acid right now but unless Acid has a new formula that is wildly different than what they have currently they are very not NFG like.  Really solid wheel just not like NFG

[iw0]

interesting that they are going 99a and 98a, if anyone has experience and can speak to the difference in the two that'd be cool

[jimgrude]

I cant explain it and don't have any good reason, but something about the shape of the nano cubics deeply offends me

Then you're effectively hating on 40 years of skateboarding history. The cubic shape is classic, and was a really important wheel for the progression of street, slappies, and more technical transition skating.

[BALARGUE]

interesting that they are going 99a and 98a, if anyone has experience and can speak to the difference in the two that'd be cool

The butter formula I’m using is 98a.
It’s not like it feels way different than 99a (F4 being my gotos).
It’s been months soooo I’ll swap them with my F4 99a during the weekend and report back

My engineer opinion is humans aren’t able to feel the difference between a 98a and a 99a like a machine would measure it… especially across brands.
I could even say it’s nothing but a number (and some product segmentation / marketing) and what matters is the material / the formula / the feeling you get.

[Creachteach]

i was handed a prototype in march (Butter formula / S.R shape you can find in the catalog given by @Richard Skidder). They said it's supposed to be as good as F4s. I was kinda sceptical at first and asked for a sample to try them. I gotta admit i've been pleased by how they perform. For all these months I didn't feel the need to swap them for my usual F4s (and i wanted to test their durability too).
They feel a bit different from F4 but not in a bad way (hard to describe though), they are great and they will be way less expensive (70€-75€ for F4 is a bit too much).
I'm really considering making a run of these wheels for my shop.

Hope you do!
Sign me the fuck up for 52mm SR shape butters. They look sick.
You have any gist of what the pricing will be like?
I guess it’ll be somewhat depend on the volume one orders?

Here’s a link to HLC’s catalog for those interested:

https://mfg.hlcdist.com/wp-content/uploads/catalogos/hlc-oem-catalogue-skateboard.pdf

Thanks 🙏
They actually look really promising. Hoping brands available to me chooses to pick up sizes/shapes I’m into.

[bombsaway86]

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interesting that they are going 99a and 98a, if anyone has experience and can speak to the difference in the two that'd be cool

[close]

My engineer opinion is humans aren’t able to feel the difference between a 98a and a 99a like a machine would measure it… especially across brands.
I could even say it’s nothing but a number (and some product segmentation / marketing) and what matters is the material / the formula / the feeling you get.

You are absolutely correct. I’ve seen a few tests where the wheels will be several points off from what they are marketed as. I’ve also seen 4 wheels from the same package measure all different duros

[Dong Hanglo]

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I cant explain it and don't have any good reason, but something about the shape of the nano cubics deeply offends me

[close]

Then you're effectively hating on 40 years of skateboarding history. The cubic shape is classic, and was a really important wheel for the progression of street, slappies, and more technical transition skating.

I also think that cubic wheels look gross. Symmetrical shapes are balanced and timeless. I feel like lock-ins and Nano cubics are gimmicky designs that are lying to children.

[Frank and Fred]

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I cant explain it and don't have any good reason, but something about the shape of the nano cubics deeply offends me

[close]

Then you're effectively hating on 40 years of skateboarding history. The cubic shape is classic, and was a really important wheel for the progression of street, slappies, and more technical transition skating.

[close]

I also think that cubic wheels look gross. Symmetrical shapes are balanced and timeless. I feel like lock-ins and Nano cubics are gimmicky designs that are lying to children.

I read a Natas interview where he said he was really glad to ditch the big bulky powell wheels and get on some santa cruz freestyle wheels... that's where the progress really exploded.

[iw0]

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interesting that they are going 99a and 98a, if anyone has experience and can speak to the difference in the two that'd be cool

[close]

The butter formula I’m using is 98a.
It’s not like it feels way different than 99a (F4 being my gotos).
It’s been months soooo I’ll swap them with my F4 99a during the weekend and report back

My engineer opinion is humans aren’t able to feel the difference between a 98a and a 99a like a machine would measure it… especially across brands.
I could even say it’s nothing but a number (and some product segmentation / marketing) and what matters is the material / the formula / the feeling you get.

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

interesting that they are going 99a and 98a, if anyone has experience and can speak to the difference in the two that'd be cool

[close]

My engineer opinion is humans aren’t able to feel the difference between a 98a and a 99a like a machine would measure it… especially across brands.
I could even say it’s nothing but a number (and some product segmentation / marketing) and what matters is the material / the formula / the feeling you get.

[close]

You are absolutely correct. I’ve seen a few tests where the wheels will be several points off from what they are marketed as. I’ve also seen 4 wheels from the same package measure all different duros

thanks you two, that's exactly the info i was after. looking forward to the f4 comparison

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

HLC just posted a video saying something like after 4 years of R and D that they gonna start pouring wheels, have skated a couple shop HLC decks and they’ve been pretty good, not to mention my homie at the park got one of those skate mafia minis and we’ve been having fun on that as well, wonder if the wheels are gonna be worth a shit

Expand Quote

i was handed a prototype in march (Butter formula / S.R shape you can find in the catalog given by @Richard Skidder). They said it's supposed to be as good as F4s. I was kinda sceptical at first and asked for a sample to try them. I gotta admit i've been pleased by how they perform. For all these months I didn't feel the need to swap them for my usual F4s (and i wanted to test their durability too).
They feel a bit different from F4 but not in a bad way (hard to describe though), they are great and they will be way less expensive (70€-75€ for F4 is a bit too much).
I'm really considering making a run of these wheels for my shop.

[close]

Hope you do!
Sign me the fuck up for 52mm SR shape butters. They look sick.
You have any gist of what the pricing will be like?
I guess it’ll be somewhat depend on the volume one orders?

Expand Quote

Here’s a link to HLC’s catalog for those interested:

https://mfg.hlcdist.com/wp-content/uploads/catalogos/hlc-oem-catalogue-skateboard.pdf

[close]

Thanks 🙏
They actually look really promising. Hoping brands available to me chooses to pick up sizes/shapes I’m into.

I'm intrigued by these new HLC wheels for sure (I already like HLC/Jart/Sour deck shapes with their 14.2 wheelbases:) I also think its nice that there will be some made in Europe wheel options too. I certainly don't think it will hurt for Spitfire and Powell/Bones to have some extra competition and agree that their current prices feel somewhat too high (at least here in England where you're talking around £60.00/$73.00 for dragons, F4's etc).   

[Ok]

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I cant explain it and don't have any good reason, but something about the shape of the nano cubics deeply offends me

[close]

Then you're effectively hating on 40 years of skateboarding history. The cubic shape is classic, and was a really important wheel for the progression of street, slappies, and more technical transition skating.

[close]

I also think that cubic wheels look gross. Symmetrical shapes are balanced and timeless. I feel like lock-ins and Nano cubics are gimmicky designs that are lying to children.

[close]

I read a Natas interview where he said he was really glad to ditch the big bulky powell wheels and get on some santa cruz freestyle wheels... that's where the progress really exploded.

the oj 2s? i’m probably misremembering, but a kid in the neighborhood had a set, off of a freestyle board. they were pink. and much smaller, fascinating to look at, as the regular wheel seemed like 60 ish slimeballs

[rikki]

Been enjoying Dragons on crusty asphalt -- no revelation there. However, tried them at my local indoor park (concrete floor with plywood transitions and ramps, all smooth) for the first time yesterday and wasn't feeling them at all. Ok, the upside is that they hardly ever slip out, but otherwise they felt like woollen socks. First and foremost I missed the controlled slide I can achieve with F4 99s. The latter can slip out easier but I'll take that risk for a better feel. Plus on smooth surfaces Dragons literally make no sound, which feels weird and too cruiser-y.

And yeah, the difference is not huge, but they are slower than normal hard wheels. No surprise there of course. On the plus side, they didn't really hinder my grinds on metal coping, didn't feel too sticky at all.

Anyway, I might just stick with F4s at parks from now on. Maybe gonna give the X99s a shot at some point.

[DERBY]

thanks y’all. for the dye. i used rit synthetic. initial boil.  afterwards sat in the bucket for like 3 days. haven’t skated as much so can’t tell about the wear but no problems so far. only notice is that they break into slides much easily but that’s probably cus i came from conical fulls. i’ll post an update pic soon

[Twig88]

I don't know if this is particularly useful, but I've been back-to-backing the Ricta Cloud 92 (56mm) and the Dragons (55mm) for the past few weeks both in the streets of London and bombing hills and cobbles in Switzerland and hopefully can provide some insight.

Clouds provide a better, more consistent grip. I can hold on to harder turns a bit longer without sliding, especially on rougher ground and they do still powerslide pretty consistently, but I have had times when the wheels grabbed randomly. On some slappies etc. i didn't have too many issues with sliding but they are definitely a soft wheel. They feel softer than the dragon both when popping and landing but they also still work fine for street tricks, I don't find them super bouncy but they do absord some of the pop. If sound bothers you, they sound much softer than the Dragon too, they are also MUCH slower on smooth surfaces.

By contrast, Dragons don't feel like a soft wheel to me. I have always preferred a wheel more in the 97-99 range even for street/park back when I was actually a semi decent skater. In terms of bounce/pop etc, the Dragons feel more like those wheels than a cruiser, but they do absorb a ton of vibrations from rough ground. They slide faster and more consistently than the Clouds, and roll MUCH faster on solid ground.

I wouldn't go so far as to back the claim that they slide like a 101 and handle rough ground like a cruiser wheel, that is marketing nonsense. However, they do probably 'feel' like a ~97 wheel in the park and on tricks, and at the same time, they handle rough terrain more or less as well as the 92a Clouds. There is more vibration/feedback from the board but they actually roll just as well.

Essentially, while I think the difference is overstated (Clouds actually slide ok and you can do street tricks, they aren't terrible) there is no reason to ever buy any other wheel in the ~90-95a range because the Dragon is so much better for proper skating while being just as good for cruising around. It's annoying they only offer the V1 shape in 58mm but I will swap my Clouds out for a V6 56mm Dragon as soon as I can find a set at a decent price. Once you drop down into the mid-80s duro range you are getting a wheel that rolls better, but if you ride street spots anywhere in Europe (outside of plaza countries) and actually push around the city, I would argue the Dragon is probably the only wheel worth buying. Maybe if you have young legs the Bones X Formula would be better, but for most, the Dragon is worth the hype.

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

Been enjoying Dragons on crusty asphalt -- no revelation there. However, tried them at my local indoor park (concrete floor with plywood transitions and ramps, all smooth) for the first time yesterday and wasn't feeling them at all. Ok, the upside is that they hardly ever slip out, but otherwise they felt like woollen socks. First and foremost I missed the controlled slide I can achieve with F4 99s. The latter can slip out easier but I'll take that risk for a better feel. Plus on smooth surfaces Dragons literally make no sound, which feels weird and too cruiser-y.

And yeah, the difference is not huge, but they are slower than normal hard wheels. No surprise there of course. On the plus side, they didn't really hinder my grinds on metal coping, didn't feel too sticky at all.

Anyway, I might just stick with F4s at parks from now on. Maybe gonna give the X99s a shot at some point.

I don't know if this is particularly useful, but I've been back-to-backing the Ricta Cloud 92 (56mm) and the Dragons (55mm) for the past few weeks both in the streets of London and bombing hills and cobbles in Switzerland and hopefully can provide some insight.

Clouds provide a better, more consistent grip. I can hold on to harder turns a bit longer without sliding, especially on rougher ground and they do still powerslide pretty consistently, but I have had times when the wheels grabbed randomly. On some slappies etc. i didn't have too many issues with sliding but they are definitely a soft wheel. They feel softer than the dragon both when popping and landing but they also still work fine for street tricks, I don't find them super bouncy but they do absord some of the pop. If sound bothers you, they sound much softer than the Dragon too, they are also MUCH slower on smooth surfaces.

By contrast, Dragons don't feel like a soft wheel to me. I have always preferred a wheel more in the 97-99 range even for street/park back when I was actually a semi decent skater. In terms of bounce/pop etc, the Dragons feel more like those wheels than a cruiser, but they do absorb a ton of vibrations from rough ground. They slide faster and more consistently than the Clouds, and roll MUCH faster on solid ground.

I wouldn't go so far as to back the claim that they slide like a 101 and handle rough ground like a cruiser wheel, that is marketing nonsense. However, they do probably 'feel' like a ~97 wheel in the park and on tricks, and at the same time, they handle rough terrain more or less as well as the 92a Clouds. There is more vibration/feedback from the board but they actually roll just as well.

Essentially, while I think the difference is overstated (Clouds actually slide ok and you can do street tricks, they aren't terrible) there is no reason to ever buy any other wheel in the ~90-95a range because the Dragon is so much better for proper skating while being just as good for cruising around. It's annoying they only offer the V1 shape in 58mm but I will swap my Clouds out for a V6 56mm Dragon as soon as I can find a set at a decent price. Once you drop down into the mid-80s duro range you are getting a wheel that rolls better, but if you ride street spots anywhere in Europe (outside of plaza countries) and actually push around the city, I would argue the Dragon is probably the only wheel worth buying. Maybe if you have young legs the Bones X Formula would be better, but for most, the Dragon is worth the hype.

I know they've been out for a while but I enjoyed reading both of your assessment of Dragons, I've just grabbed my first set of 53mm V4 shape Dragons from one of my local shops and hope to have them set up by the end of the week. I'll be changing from Spitfire 97d 53mm classics so I'm looking forward to comparing those myself!
PS Twig88 The comparison with Ricta Clouds was really useful to me as I'd been considering trying them for a while, I'm curious did you have the Cored or Standard 56mm 92a's? As a side note, have you had any experience with Rictas 95a Crystal Cores? I've only caught the odd review of them here and there online but the feedback on them looks good. The largest size they make of those is 54mm which might be limiting for some.
Cheers!

[Ok]

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

[rikki]

Expand Quote

Been enjoying Dragons on crusty asphalt -- no revelation there. However, tried them at my local indoor park (concrete floor with plywood transitions and ramps, all smooth) for the first time yesterday and wasn't feeling them at all. Ok, the upside is that they hardly ever slip out, but otherwise they felt like woollen socks. First and foremost I missed the controlled slide I can achieve with F4 99s. The latter can slip out easier but I'll take that risk for a better feel. Plus on smooth surfaces Dragons literally make no sound, which feels weird and too cruiser-y.

And yeah, the difference is not huge, but they are slower than normal hard wheels. No surprise there of course. On the plus side, they didn't really hinder my grinds on metal coping, didn't feel too sticky at all.

Anyway, I might just stick with F4s at parks from now on. Maybe gonna give the X99s a shot at some point.

[close]

Expand Quote

I don't know if this is particularly useful, but I've been back-to-backing the Ricta Cloud 92 (56mm) and the Dragons (55mm) for the past few weeks both in the streets of London and bombing hills and cobbles in Switzerland and hopefully can provide some insight.

Clouds provide a better, more consistent grip. I can hold on to harder turns a bit longer without sliding, especially on rougher ground and they do still powerslide pretty consistently, but I have had times when the wheels grabbed randomly. On some slappies etc. i didn't have too many issues with sliding but they are definitely a soft wheel. They feel softer than the dragon both when popping and landing but they also still work fine for street tricks, I don't find them super bouncy but they do absord some of the pop. If sound bothers you, they sound much softer than the Dragon too, they are also MUCH slower on smooth surfaces.

By contrast, Dragons don't feel like a soft wheel to me. I have always preferred a wheel more in the 97-99 range even for street/park back when I was actually a semi decent skater. In terms of bounce/pop etc, the Dragons feel more like those wheels than a cruiser, but they do absorb a ton of vibrations from rough ground. They slide faster and more consistently than the Clouds, and roll MUCH faster on solid ground.

I wouldn't go so far as to back the claim that they slide like a 101 and handle rough ground like a cruiser wheel, that is marketing nonsense. However, they do probably 'feel' like a ~97 wheel in the park and on tricks, and at the same time, they handle rough terrain more or less as well as the 92a Clouds. There is more vibration/feedback from the board but they actually roll just as well.

Essentially, while I think the difference is overstated (Clouds actually slide ok and you can do street tricks, they aren't terrible) there is no reason to ever buy any other wheel in the ~90-95a range because the Dragon is so much better for proper skating while being just as good for cruising around. It's annoying they only offer the V1 shape in 58mm but I will swap my Clouds out for a V6 56mm Dragon as soon as I can find a set at a decent price. Once you drop down into the mid-80s duro range you are getting a wheel that rolls better, but if you ride street spots anywhere in Europe (outside of plaza countries) and actually push around the city, I would argue the Dragon is probably the only wheel worth buying. Maybe if you have young legs the Bones X Formula would be better, but for most, the Dragon is worth the hype.

[close]

I know they've been out for a while but I enjoyed reading both of your assessment of Dragons, I've just grabbed my first set of 53mm V4 shape Dragons from one of my local shops and hope to have them set up by the end of the week. I'll be changing from Spitfire 97d 53mm classics so I'm looking forward to comparing those myself!
PS Twig88 The comparison with Ricta Clouds was really useful to me as I'd been considering trying them for a while, I'm curious did you have the Cored or Standard 56mm 92a's? As a side note, have you had any experience with Rictas 95a Crystal Cores? I've only caught the odd review of them here and there online but the feedback on them looks good. The largest size they make of those is 54mm which might be limiting for some.
Cheers!

Good to hear, glad if my post was useful. Mind you, although I sounded critical of the Dragons regarding using them on smooth surfaces, I still think it's an awesome wheel on crusty asphalt / rough ground.

Having said that, I'm kinda leaning towards the X97s these days on crust because it feels a bit more lively and "real" than Dragons, but that's just me. Dragons are not the wheel to end all wheels, but on rough ground they are definitely worth the hype. I love the powerslide on them on asphalt and the speed they carry over shitty ground.

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Been enjoying Dragons on crusty asphalt -- no revelation there. However, tried them at my local indoor park (concrete floor with plywood transitions and ramps, all smooth) for the first time yesterday and wasn't feeling them at all. Ok, the upside is that they hardly ever slip out, but otherwise they felt like woollen socks. First and foremost I missed the controlled slide I can achieve with F4 99s. The latter can slip out easier but I'll take that risk for a better feel. Plus on smooth surfaces Dragons literally make no sound, which feels weird and too cruiser-y.

And yeah, the difference is not huge, but they are slower than normal hard wheels. No surprise there of course. On the plus side, they didn't really hinder my grinds on metal coping, didn't feel too sticky at all.

Anyway, I might just stick with F4s at parks from now on. Maybe gonna give the X99s a shot at some point.

[close]

Expand Quote

I don't know if this is particularly useful, but I've been back-to-backing the Ricta Cloud 92 (56mm) and the Dragons (55mm) for the past few weeks both in the streets of London and bombing hills and cobbles in Switzerland and hopefully can provide some insight.

Clouds provide a better, more consistent grip. I can hold on to harder turns a bit longer without sliding, especially on rougher ground and they do still powerslide pretty consistently, but I have had times when the wheels grabbed randomly. On some slappies etc. i didn't have too many issues with sliding but they are definitely a soft wheel. They feel softer than the dragon both when popping and landing but they also still work fine for street tricks, I don't find them super bouncy but they do absord some of the pop. If sound bothers you, they sound much softer than the Dragon too, they are also MUCH slower on smooth surfaces.

By contrast, Dragons don't feel like a soft wheel to me. I have always preferred a wheel more in the 97-99 range even for street/park back when I was actually a semi decent skater. In terms of bounce/pop etc, the Dragons feel more like those wheels than a cruiser, but they do absorb a ton of vibrations from rough ground. They slide faster and more consistently than the Clouds, and roll MUCH faster on solid ground.

I wouldn't go so far as to back the claim that they slide like a 101 and handle rough ground like a cruiser wheel, that is marketing nonsense. However, they do probably 'feel' like a ~97 wheel in the park and on tricks, and at the same time, they handle rough terrain more or less as well as the 92a Clouds. There is more vibration/feedback from the board but they actually roll just as well.

Essentially, while I think the difference is overstated (Clouds actually slide ok and you can do street tricks, they aren't terrible) there is no reason to ever buy any other wheel in the ~90-95a range because the Dragon is so much better for proper skating while being just as good for cruising around. It's annoying they only offer the V1 shape in 58mm but I will swap my Clouds out for a V6 56mm Dragon as soon as I can find a set at a decent price. Once you drop down into the mid-80s duro range you are getting a wheel that rolls better, but if you ride street spots anywhere in Europe (outside of plaza countries) and actually push around the city, I would argue the Dragon is probably the only wheel worth buying. Maybe if you have young legs the Bones X Formula would be better, but for most, the Dragon is worth the hype.

[close]

I know they've been out for a while but I enjoyed reading both of your assessment of Dragons, I've just grabbed my first set of 53mm V4 shape Dragons from one of my local shops and hope to have them set up by the end of the week. I'll be changing from Spitfire 97d 53mm classics so I'm looking forward to comparing those myself!
PS Twig88 The comparison with Ricta Clouds was really useful to me as I'd been considering trying them for a while, I'm curious did you have the Cored or Standard 56mm 92a's? As a side note, have you had any experience with Rictas 95a Crystal Cores? I've only caught the odd review of them here and there online but the feedback on them looks good. The largest size they make of those is 54mm which might be limiting for some.
Cheers!

[close]

Good to hear, glad if my post was useful. Mind you, although I sounded critical of the Dragons regarding using them on smooth surfaces, I still think it's an awesome wheel on crusty asphalt / rough ground.

Having said that, I'm kinda leaning towards the X97s these days on crust because it feels a bit more lively and "real" than Dragons, but that's just me. Dragons are not the wheel to end all wheels, but on rough ground they are definitely worth the hype. I love the powerslide on them on asphalt and the speed they carry over shitty ground.

Nice one, your description/criticisms definitely helped as I'm moving towards softer wheels in general and don't often skate at skate parks or on very smooth surfaces. Also, many years of outdoors physical jobs are just starting to give me some knee issues so anything that is a bit less jarring helps in that regard. I've got some Bones ATF 52mm on my spare board that I like quite a lot so Dragons with their ability to slide could be nearly perfect for me - hopefully!
 

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

There are much more qualified people on here to answer this but I'll give it a go from my viewpoint. As the ideal answer is probably wide AND tall, I would say it comes down to preference in terms of diameter. Personally I would do wide and short as I'm much more comfortable really going for it across all surfaces whilst lower down (53mm is my wheel size of choice). It is slow going of course but the increased confidence of being lower helps me push the boundaries of my skating a bit more. I've picked that size and I'm just trying to narrow down the right durometer/shape now.
If you're comfortable higher up however, then a larger wheel size will probably help in regards to actually rolling over adverse surfaces.

So to answer actually your question, of your two options I would say tall and narrow might actually go over bad surfaces better (it just might not feel as comfortable being higher up!).
If there is anyway you could try out both for yourself and see what feels right, that is probably the best course of action. I wouldn't however change the durometer between the two extremes though as that opens up a whole new discussion/madness! Apologies if that all sounds like waffle by the way!
 
 

[Creachteach]

I have a sort of simulator question.

I’m putting together a new small setup.
For that I’m looking at 52 mm Bones wheels.
As I see it I have 3 options.

1. STF99A V4 - on clearance. Saves the money. And is wide enough to have grip.

2. X97 V5. Saves weight. Provides grip from lower duro. Cost more than twice of STF. Jaws put out eyeball graphic.

3. PP && nano cubics. Sure is wide and grippy. Costs even more than x97.

WWYD?

[JimmyFive]

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

Definitely go wide over narrow wheel contact patch when it comes to chunky/rough concrete. I find a wider wheel rolls much smoother over the rough stuff than a narrow wheel of the same duro/same mm diameter.

[rocklobster]

I have a sort of simulator question.

I’m putting together a new small setup.
For that I’m looking at 52 mm Bones wheels.
As I see it I have 3 options.

1. STF99A V4 - on clearance. Saves the money. And is wide enough to have grip.

2. X97 V5. Saves weight. Provides grip from lower duro. Cost more than twice of STF. Jaws put out eyeball graphic.

3. PP && nano cubics. Sure is wide and grippy. Costs even more than x97.

WWYD?

Expand Quote

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

[close]

Definitely go wide over narrow wheel contact patch when it comes to chunky/rough concrete. I find a wider wheel rolls much smoother over the rough stuff than a narrow wheel of the same duro/same mm diameter.

This response should help with your decision making.

I'd avoid the 99a (formerly known as Easy Streets) because of how slow and sticky they feel. If you're skating spots that are smooth they will hold up fine, and I'm a sucker for a good deal, but if you're dealing with any crust and money is available then I'd go for the X97. Bones finally gave Spitfire some legitimate competition with their new 93 / 97 / 99a, plus the V5 is a versatile wheel being a slimmer conical shape.

Can't speak for Nano Cubics but I don't like the shape and how they'd look on my deck.

[Ok]

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I have a sort of simulator question.

I’m putting together a new small setup.
For that I’m looking at 52 mm Bones wheels.
As I see it I have 3 options.

1. STF99A V4 - on clearance. Saves the money. And is wide enough to have grip.

2. X97 V5. Saves weight. Provides grip from lower duro. Cost more than twice of STF. Jaws put out eyeball graphic.

3. PP && nano cubics. Sure is wide and grippy. Costs even more than x97.

WWYD?

[close]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

[close]

Definitely go wide over narrow wheel contact patch when it comes to chunky/rough concrete. I find a wider wheel rolls much smoother over the rough stuff than a narrow wheel of the same duro/same mm diameter.

[close]

This response should help with your decision making.

I'd avoid the 99a (formerly known as Easy Streets) because of how slow and sticky they feel. If you're skating spots that are smooth they will hold up fine, and I'm a sucker for a good deal, but if you're dealing with any crust and money is available then I'd go for the X97. Bones finally gave Spitfire some legitimate competition with their new 93 / 97 / 99a, plus the V5 is a versatile wheel being a slimmer conical shape.

Can't speak for Nano Cubics but I don't like the shape and how they'd look on my deck.

yeah i’ll be checking some of the x99s in a smaller size.
that or original formula spitfires.

i skate some 52 lock-ins now, and they are ok. i have some 101 f4 52 conical fulls and those do alright on bad surfaces. neither flip nearly as well as classics tho
i don’t like the way big wide wheels look, the vast majority of the time, and they could never be my main (fun to cosplay sometimes tho).

i want something that doesn’t exist, a 50 mm wheel, that can still roll over ancient sidewalks and crumbly ground.


thanks for the responses

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

If anyone happens to be curious as to what 53mm Dragons in V4 shape look like up close, here are some (not the best quality) pictures of a set next to some slightly worn Spitfire Classic 97d 53mm. The yellow Enuff truck is used as my tool to get bearings and spacers on/off btw!
My digital callipers aren't working at the moment so just going off the printed/manual scale on the side of them they measure slightly over advertised at what looks like 53.5mm diameter, compared to the Spitfires that are now measuring 52.5mm (they're now slightly worn down of course). If I remember correctly the Spitfires were more or less bang on 53mm diameter when new.
Width-wise the Dragons look like they're around about 34.5mm (they're advertised at 34mm wide).
I weighed them at 36G each minus bearings and spacers.
P.S. The millimetre measurements are approximate of course so please bear that in mind! They certainly feel/seem a fair bit chunkier than the Spitfires and I look forward to wearing them in a bit to get that glassy finish off them.
Cheers all

[pops]

Expand Quote

probably already been asked buuuuuuuut: what’s better for adverse riding surfaces, wide and short, or tall and narrow?

[close]

Definitely go wide over narrow wheel contact patch when it comes to chunky/rough concrete. I find a wider wheel rolls much smoother over the rough stuff than a narrow wheel of the same duro/same mm diameter.

I didn't think width had so much effect until I tried different shapes of Dragons and their widest shape (Rat Bones) seemed to take rough ground much smoother than their V6 which is possiblty the next widest. Both roll super well on uneven ground but the extra width definitely helps. Later tried F4 radial full and classics in 97d and radial fulls rolled much smoother on rougher grounds. Dragons did noticeably better.