I impulsively bought some x99s out of curiosity since I haven’t heard much about them. I bought the 56mm v6. I was previously riding Spitfire F4 99a 56mm conicals. In terms of shape, the two wheels are nearly identical. They’re both the same width and diameter, but the F4s have a slightly wider contact patch.
Feel:
The x99 still have a soft feeling to them. To me they feel very similar to the Spitfire F4 97s. Skating across the parking lot was a much more pleasant experience than my F4 99s. In the park was really nice too. My local is 10 years old, so it’s not crusty but not glassy smooth. It’s a very comfortable ride while still giving some feedback from the ground.
Speed:
The x99 are noticeably faster than the F4s. I’ve always felt that speed is what Bones wheels really get right.
Grip/Slide:
The x99 are significantly more grippy than the F4 99s. Reverts were harder and a bit sticky. When sliding, they have a deep bark compared to the high pitched screech that F4s make. They will still slide and revert, it just takes some more effort.
Grinds:
My biggest issue with the Dragons is that they would catch and drag on grinds. The x99s are a major improvement in this department. There is still just the slightest bit of drag on grinds, but I think I only really notice this because I came from skating F4s. It’s more so that the deceleration at the end of a grind is a little quicker due to the grippier formula. Not a deal breaker.
Weight:
The x99 feel lighter than the F4s. The v6 shape has a pretty significant side cut that gets rid of a good bit of weight. The urethane also seems less dense than F4. My ollies felt better on the x99.
Overall Impression:
The x99 is a very good wheel. Is it a replacement for F4s? Absolutely not.
I would still put the x99s in the same category as Dragons, not F4s. They are an excellent wheel for someone looking for a wheel that does everything well enough. You can comfortably cruise over crusty asphalt and then skate a glassy smooth park. It is also a great wheel for an intermediate skater, someone who wants to go faster but isn’t ready for a wheel like SPF or F4 yet. It’s the kind of wheel I would want to carve around a bowl after a few beers and a j.
I pretty much only skate parks, so after a few sessions I put my F4s back on. If I didn’t do reverts, I would have kept the x99s on my main setup.
I have a crust setup with Dragons on it. When those wheels wear out, I’ll replace them with this set of x99s. I think the difference between x99 and F4 99 is more drastic than the difference between x99 and Dragons.