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Just ordered some Spitfire 54mm 80HDs for my spare Indies + 8.0 popsicle. I figure that I can create a cruiser board that i can just do ollies / basics on for fun. 54mm seems to be the perfect size for that
Spitfire 80HDs are terrible IMO. If you want something you can use for a cruiser and still ollie with, OJ Keyframes are the best, with Ricta clouds in second.
Doh! What did you not like about the 80HDs?
To help with my own experiences (and I am all for Spitfire, all the time on my normal setups) but the 80HD wheels were only really comfortable going in almost straight lines, for which they were nice, smooth and fairly fast over pretty much everything.
I ride fairly loose trucks, Indy usually but also have some of everything setup, so my trucks turn and I carve a fair bit, so this is where I start to have a problem with these wheels, as once I am into the carve, it is almost like the speed is sucked completely out and they feel like they are almost tipping over (as if the soft outer part of the wheel is coming off the harder core), to the point where if I am not watching out for that feeling, I get thrown off the board.
Apart from that, they skate well as a cruiser wheel, but because of the lack of being able to carve turn easily, I really don't skate the half a dozen sets I have and couple of boards I still have them on, because if I forget, it is not fun.
The weird thing is it never happens on other soft wheels, like OJs, Ricta Clouds, or similar duros in other misc brands, as I can power round a pump track or through the city and not lose speed or have any carving issues on almost every other wheel in the same range.
This might also be why others don't like them, but for the most part, they skate fine from A to B over almost any normal terrain and are still a good size to pop an ollie up a curb or do similar things that are harder on massive soft wheels like those Satori big balls or whatever they were (60mm+) and similar sized wheels.
I am curious to hear what you think of them once you have them set up too, but don't mean to put you off them, by any means.