Wheels Thread

[DNTRODDEN]

Who makes some of the smaller brands like SML? I had some of their wheels a few years ago and they weren't bad, but they were a clear step down from Bones or Spitfire. I've had a few different Bones shapes and euros recently in a weird bout of wheel madness I've never had before and was thinking of trying something really random just because I hate myself.

Most are Creative or Aend I think.

Have to remember that F4 / Bones / Dragon are probably a highly engineered Urathane

Or at least that is what I tell myself so I can sleep

[bombsaway86]

Has anybody tried the new Spitfire 97s and the Bones x99s that can give a comparison of the two? I’m normally an F4 99 rider, but my back pain has had me on the x99s lately.

I really like the x99s, but I have some nitpicks:
    -not as fast as F4 99s on smooth concrete
    -a little sticky on metal coping
    -they feel slower on really hot days

I’m curious how the new Spitfire 97s compare and if they’re any better than the x99s in these areas

[SwitchBenihana]

Has anybody tried the new Spitfire 97s and the Bones x99s that can give a comparison of the two? I’m normally an F4 99 rider, but my back pain has had me on the x99s lately.

I really like the x99s, but I have some nitpicks:
    -not as fast as F4 99s on smooth concrete
    -a little sticky on metal coping
    -they feel slower on really hot days

I’m curious how the new Spitfire 97s compare and if they’re any better than the x99s in these areas

I thought x99 were cool, but not great. They didn't offer significant relief over a softer wheel like a Dragon or 93 Spit. Good shapes but now that we have so many options I just can't see where they make a ton of sense.

I had the new Spitfire 97s but I honestly couldn't tell if my set was actually new or not. They didn't sound like my 93s, but had the new sticker. I will say that they never squealed on anything and they did slide a tad better.

[GardenSkater77]

Yoooo! These are sick and out of nowhere.

https://nhsskatedirect.com/products/54mm-ed-templeton-vomit-mini-orange-hardline-95a-skateboard-wheels-slime-balls?variant=47665899536541

[moykky]

So this "slime tech" is OJs soft-wheel-that-slides urethane? Interesting if so...

[GardenSkater77]

So this "slime tech" is OJs soft-wheel-that-slides urethane? Interesting if so...

I doubt it. I believe it’s more of an old school wheel. The dual duro and the nomad would be their best sliding wheels. Slimeballs were 95a 60mm in the late 80s. It’s cool they are downsizing their old wheels. I just thought I’d was cool to do a collaboration with Ed since I don’t think he ever rode for any NHS company.

[bombsaway86]

So this "slime tech" is OJs soft-wheel-that-slides urethane? Interesting if so...

These are definitely just the 95a nomad formula wheels with a special graphic and color. Not a bad wheel at all, but feels inferior compared to all the new Bones and Spitfire soft slide wheels

[Chalupa]

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So this "slime tech" is OJs soft-wheel-that-slides urethane? Interesting if so...

[close]

I doubt it. I believe it’s more of an old school wheel. The dual duro and the nomad would be their best sliding wheels. Slimeballs were 95a 60mm in the late 80s. It’s cool they are downsizing their old wheels. I just thought I’d was cool to do a collaboration with Ed since I don’t think he ever rode for any NHS company.

He rode for Ricta but his wheels aren’t memorable. The ones I do remember had his name embossed and the other one had his name printed in a circle around where the bearings go.

[Mbrimson88]

.

From the page sales blurb kind of makes me believe they are different, so maybe, or maybe not?

I always liked the original or older urethane in the softer variants from NHS as those wheels just worked so well, the big old Slimeballs, the Combo / Team Rider / Elites (not the current Elite formula) or whatever other names they had back then, which came in 95 and 97 duro options and more often than not 60 or 61 mm sizes, which could still slide well enough, or at least chirped nicely on most surfaces.

No idea if these are a different formula or the same as the old ones, just in new wheel variants.


https://nhsskatedirect.com/products/54mm-ed-templeton-vomit-mini-orange-hardline-95a-skateboard-wheels-slime-balls


Slime Balls Ed Templeton Orange Hardline 54mm, 95a Wheels in orange 95a high performance urethane featuring artwork by the one and only Ed Templeton.

Slime Tech
95a high performance urethane offers a more forgiving durometer for rough terrain with easy, consistent power slides and bark you normally get with a harder urethane.

Hardline shapes feature a wide road surface for stability and consistent slide with a hard edge and conical cut for controlled tricks on coping and edges.

Slime Balls Wheels: It's Always Slime Time.

[DNTRODDEN]

I am a solid 97 guy,

Mid 50s so I like the cushion, but 95 feels to gummy.

I was out on 2 different set-up yesterday one had 97 X-Formula the other 97 F4, both super wide wheels (54mm Double Locks / 54mm Radial Fulls)  Anyway, the F4 just felt super slow compared the Bones.  So much so I swapped them around to get the Bones on the main set-up.

I also ride some 97 Speedlab Shrimps, and I really like those as well.  At this point, I am just about done dialing in my set-up for a 14.25 wheelbase, I want to try a set of 52mm and see how it feels a little lower to the ground.

I do want to branch out into a smaller wheel brand, so if anyone has ideas for a 52mm wheel with width of about 32mm and a contact patch around 21mm - like them wide - please let me know. 

[DNTRODDEN]

Has anybody tried the new Spitfire 97s and the Bones x99s that can give a comparison of the two? I’m normally an F4 99 rider, but my back pain has had me on the x99s lately.

I really like the x99s, but I have some nitpicks:
    -not as fast as F4 99s on smooth concrete
    -a little sticky on metal coping
    -they feel slower on really hot days

I’m curious how the new Spitfire 97s compare and if they’re any better than the x99s in these areas

I replied to this yesterday, but it got kicked back by some blocker of some sort, but if you see my post above it re-caps it

[AnimalChinaski79]

Hearing good things about the Snot wide boys is making me want to finally get a set of the Jason Adams 52mm Wide Boys. 

[DNTRODDEN]

Pulled the trigger on some Cones, OG Demolition formula in 52mm

[danmasontree]

I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[GardenSkater77]

I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

I am large and in charge as well and I really like Powell Dragons. I ride a 93A but I’m sure the 95a or 97a would be fine. The V6 cut is a good size for reliability of turn w/o looping out. Over time the slide is reduced and the wheels become more grippy. If you like doing slide tricks you should go with 97a. Or get Spitfire fulls and be like the cool kids:)

[SwitchBenihana]

I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

[danmasontree]

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I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[close]

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

Not expecting to land bolts suddenly. Just some more stability and balance when bending to pop tricks

[moonordie]

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I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[close]

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

[close]

Not expecting to land bolts suddenly. Just some more stability and balance when bending to pop tricks

The answer is: Radial full

[DNTRODDEN]

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I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[close]

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

[close]

Not expecting to land bolts suddenly. Just some more stability and balance when bending to pop tricks

[close]

The answer is: Radial full

Or Bones XF V7

[scab]

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I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[close]

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

[close]

Not expecting to land bolts suddenly. Just some more stability and balance when bending to pop tricks

That's exactly why I as a big dude only skate wheels with wide riding surfaces. I struggle with keeping my board level as I crouch down before popping. It's a little more manageable on wider wheels to me. My go-tos are radial fulls, but conical fulls work just as well in that regard imo.

[danmasontree]

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I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

[close]

Stability comes way more from your truck setup and then your deck. Wheels are the icing on the cake. A conical full won't make something that is too short feel longer/wider. Maybe if you skate a lot of crust they smooth it out a bit, but they won't make you land bolts.

[close]

Not expecting to land bolts suddenly. Just some more stability and balance when bending to pop tricks

[close]

That's exactly why I as a big dude only skate wheels with wide riding surfaces. I struggle with keeping my board level as I crouch down before popping. It's a little more manageable on wider wheels to me. My go-tos are radial fulls, but conical fulls work just as well in that regard imo.

Worried the radial fulls will feel too heavy

[The Huffer]

Radial Fulls were too much for me. Felt great until I wanted to flip my board and I usually don't mind heavy equipment.

[Llewellyn Moss]

The 97a Radial Fulls (54mm) I have were amazing for speed and stability. I don't remember them feeling heavy. I didn't notice them affecting flip tricks, surprisingly, although when I slapped a set of Classics on I did begin over flipping and rotating.

My issue with the Radial Fulls is all that wheel estate definitely fucked with nose/tail slides. They're a bulky wide wheel. Grinds weren't bad but are better on Conical Fulls and my current OG Classics. For these reasons I slightly disagree with Spitfire marketing RFs as being versatile.

Conical Fulls always felt stable to me, especially in grinds, but overall riding too, never had an issue.

[ambiguousclarity]

Has anybody tried the new Spitfire 97s and the Bones x99s that can give a comparison of the two? I’m normally an F4 99 rider, but my back pain has had me on the x99s lately.

I really like the x99s, but I have some nitpicks:
    -not as fast as F4 99s on smooth concrete
    -a little sticky on metal coping
    -they feel slower on really hot days

I’m curious how the new Spitfire 97s compare and if they’re any better than the x99s in these areas

I’ve skated both. I’m currently on the new 97a radials and have been the past 5-6 months. Better? They’re similar in feel, yet also feel different. I prefer the spits. Both are noticeably softer than F4 99a. Both grab a bit more on coping, ledges and curbs. More speed and wax sorts this out. Both have a low bark when sliding, F4 97s more so than X99s. Overall differences are minimal but noticeable.My bearings are old so I can’t reliably give an opinion about speed for either wheel. Softer wheels haven’t lessened my aches and pains. Current wheels are very square, so I’ll be switching back to F4 99a shortly when these wheels are done. One note, I flat spotted the 97s reverting on a small quarter when they were new. I wrote about it here and DLX reached out to offer replacements, which I declined but was thankful for. I didn’t get flat spots reverting once they’d worn down a few mms

[Mbrimson88]

I’m a bigger dude. Wondering if conical fulls would actually help with stability and if so which ones?

What size wheels have you usually had on boards and then what size would you be looking at - same size or different?

The reason I ask is some wheels aren't too big in smaller sizes, but then go way wider as you go up, so even 54 mm wheels, Radial Full are not too big but can seem huge to some 54 x 38 mm (especially on smaller boards), Conical Full are still fairly small 54 x 34 mm, then some others like Conical Full are 56 x 36 mm so a fair bit more chunky in size.

If you only ride 52 mm wheels, then there is no Radial Full option, so Conical Full or even just plain Radials might work better in 52 or 53 mm, or even 54 mm for the width and skate them down, as they will last longer than smaller wheels too.

[DarkPools]

@danmasontree  I think Radial Fulls are too big a wheel if you're trying to find  stability + flip ability for your setup.  Especially if you're not 25 or under. It takes more energy to lift those wheels when popping & flipping

Conical, Conical Full, OG Classic, and regular Radial shapes are all far better options to feel stable while riding, yet still flip better than Radial Fulls.

Regular Classic or Tablet shapes, especially in smaller sizes are such dainty wheels fo ride. No stability or heft to anchor the setup in my opinion.  Now, both of those shapes 54mm + will feel better the longer you skate them because they wear down well from those bigger sizes

[ambiguousclarity]

@danmasontree  I think Radial Fulls are too big a wheel if you're trying to find  stability + flip ability for your setup.  Especially if you're not 25 or under. It takes more energy to lift those wheels when popping & flipping

Conical, Conical Full, OG Classic, and regular Radial shapes are all far better options to feel stable while riding, yet still flip better than Radial Fulls.

Regular Classic or Tablet shapes, especially in smaller sizes are such dainty wheels fo ride. No stability or heft to anchor the setup in my opinion.  Now, both of those shapes 54mm + will feel better the longer you skate them because they wear down well from those bigger sizes

I set up classics for the first time today. Definitely feel lighter; no less stable though. They locked in nicely on grinds which surprised me. Also found it easier getting in and out of slappies, particularly crooks. I had a locking in adjustment period when I changed from radials to V5s in the past and expected similar. Wasn’t an issue. That all said, they do look dainty. Will see how they go. An aside, these F4 99a classics are whiter than past sets and feel softer. Not too dissimilar to the new 97s I had set up.

[DNTRODDEN]

Pulled the trigger on some Cones, OG Demolition formula in 52mm

Got these in last week, weather and life kept me out of the board, but got a few sessions in on them.
So far I really like them, they are a step up in hardness, and it is taking a bit for my old ass feet to warm up to them, but I am really enjoying them so far, they are also 2mm smaller than I ride, but that was by design, so I am still trying to find the right set-up for them as well>

But so far, I am really impressed, I love how they revert!

[Richard Skidder]

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Pulled the trigger on some Cones, OG Demolition formula in 52mm

[close]

Got these in last week, weather and life kept me out of the board, but got a few sessions in on them.
So far I really like them, they are a step up in hardness, and it is taking a bit for my old ass feet to warm up to them, but I am really enjoying them so far, they are also 2mm smaller than I ride, but that was by design, so I am still trying to find the right set-up for them as well>

But so far, I am really impressed, I love how they revert!

Stoked to hear this, hope they continue to treat you well!

[Jort250]

I used to love the Bones V2 shape in my teenage years but tried the Spitfire Tablets a few years back and the ledge and flip trick magic wasn’t there..

Tempted to try these X Formulas. I’m assuming 97a isn’t too much worse than a Spitfire 99a for slides? Also is the Bones V1 essentially the same shape as a Spitfire Classic? Does the X Formula offer anything really different or is it all high-performance urethane at the end of the day/session? 

https://bones.com/bones-wheels-x-formula-skateboard-wheels-pudwill-frying-eyes-53-v2-locks-x-formula-97a-4pk