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| Wheel Reviews (7945 Posts)
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durometer
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On 9/17/2000
Kaylee
wrote in from
(216.225.nnn.nnn)
I read once that the "a" scale ends at 97a, so no wheels are really harder than that, no matter what they say. I read it in an old UFO wheels ad in Thrasher years ago. They used to be popular among lugers, and I liked their wheels. Their sizes ran from 32mm to 65mm in 95a and 97a, if I remember correctly. They also marketed a 70mm soft wheel like in '93, when most wheels were bearing wrappers. Anyone still ride them, they are still around I think.
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durometers
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On 9/17/2000 Glen
wrote in from
(216.102.nnn.nnn)
I forgot where I read it but, I read that the A scale is only accurate to about 97 duro, after that, you need to shift to the D scale, I believe, to get an accurate measurement. Thus Hugh, you're right, the measures of 99-103 duro wheels is just info from the marketing department.
BTW, I have a set of the 92 duro 60mm Spitfire Big Bombers and they are the slowest, lamest wheels I have ever ridden on pavement, cement, masonite, steel, plaster or Finland Birch.
My friend has a set too and feels the same way.
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more durometer stuff
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On 9/17/2000
Ryan M
wrote in from
(165.236.nnn.nnn)
even if that durometer scale is not super-accurate or representative of any real scientific measurements, it's still fine for choosing wheels. Most wheels now don't even have durometers, next time you're at the skate shop stop drooling over the randals and check out the spitfire wheels section. There's like 5 different designs in the same size, a few different sizes, and all between 97 and 101 durometer with maybe one 95 model and one 92. Not really much of a selection...remember when 60mm ratbones came in 85, 90, 95, and 97a hardness?
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dura/durometer
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On 9/17/2000
hugh r
wrote in from
(205.216.nnn.nnn)
I have been noticing some different wheels out there claiming hardnesses of 101a to 103a... this is starting to bug me just a little.
I looked into durometers a little (the insturment used to quantify these readings) All of the "a" scale meters I was able to find max out at the 100a mark. For a quick calibration the instructions state to take a reading on a sheet of glass or steel. The reading should be within 1 pt of 100.
Anything squishier (I think that may not be a real word) than glass or steel must then have a reading of less than 100. Guess that would include ALL modern wheels. Of course Ant's wooden wheels will probably hit 100, and old metal wheels would too. But not any of these new ones.
If I am wrong, please set me straight... HR
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Hyper Strada 66mm
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On 9/17/2000
john gilmour
wrote in from
(149.130.nnn.nnn)
Rogerj great score on those wheels. I like those for GS racing. Very nice and predictable. Runb teh greens in ft- yellos rear.
JG
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"Hawk maliegns white Powerpaws"
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On 9/16/2000 Herbn
wrote in from
(216.107.nnn.nnn)
I took my speedboard to a hill ,that was new to me. Last time i was there on my Sector Con.pin. which is set so loose it was restricted to low speeds(lots of carving),it has my new translucent red paws which seemed real fast especially compared to the white paws,which i've always posted as being cool high grip wheels but just a bit sluggish. The only variable i realized was the hawk bearings in the white paws.Last night,after two high speed runs,minimal carves low tuck,but probabely still under 40,i stopped skated and swapped out the bearings with spacers on aluminators in the dark, like a navy seal fixing his weapon during a night mission.I put in a set Speedemon gold Abec 5's and let me tell ya,they seemed faster almost immediatly but in the second turn in the esses,leaning while tucked you can really tell you're going faster if you have to lein a lot further to do the corner,the left hand corner at the bottom takes a couple of breaking turns and i still drift dangerously as i cross the painted crosswalk lines.If i wasn't sure of it before i am now sure HAWK BEARINGS are duds.The difference between clear red paws and the white formula is not quite as big as i thought it was.
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summit Slick
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On 9/15/2000
Mike
wrote in from
(4.54.nnn.nnn)
Hi G,
the Slicks com so far in 3 different duros,65A/75A/85A this is in rubbe size 70mm.
We also work on PU and this one will be arounde 78A and size
74mm
Mike
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kryptos
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On 9/14/2000
rob k
wrote in from
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
i saw some 76mm red kryptos at my local skate shop. they looked pretty nice. they were cheap too, $24.95 or something.
later,
rob
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surf one
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On 9/14/2000 justin.
wrote in from
(24.4.nnn.nnn)
These wheels are the bomb. Fast, sticky, and made by bones. They hold up and dont chunck out. Check'em out.
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RED KRYPTONICS
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On 9/14/2000 WINSTON T.GRANT
wrote in from
(209.240.nnn.nnn)
RED KRYPTONICS
Don't be the only one in YOUR crew without a set on that one morning when the street you've been praying they'd refinish gets done, cools off and hardens up...just before the guy with the yellow line-truck shows up..and the sun hits it just right..DON'T EVEN TRY to tell me that last sentence didn't send SOMEBODY to the window to look out..I'm tellin'ya,I used to think that's why Saturdays were invented..NEW STREETS AND RED KRYPTOS.....whatEVER's wrong with ya....that'll fix it...The sure cure for (1)lack of skating ability;and (2)boredom with wherever you're CURRENTLY skating !Slap on a set o'these and it won't matter if you're (A.
SLOW (Need i say more,CASE CLOSED.)(B.NEW (Hi CHRIS!) IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ANYBODY ELSE IS RIDING,UNLESS THEY WERE JUST AHEAD OF CHAPUT IN SEATTLE,THEY AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO DUST YOU..BY MUCH.(C.OLD Well,even Kryptos can't help you here,you won't GET any younger riding them, but you can go fast enough to go back in time,catch up with your younger self,and advise him to buy lots and lots of Turners,and to invest $1000 in a company called Microsoft.That way,when you decelerate and return to the present day,your ride back at the top of the hill will be a Bentley Continental T.
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Re: summit slicks
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On 9/13/2000
Gunnar
wrote in from
(193.217.nnn.nnn)
Hey Mike, can u tell us what size and durometer they have
///G
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Kryptonics
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On 9/13/2000 Bob Ozman
wrote in from
(209.138.nnn.nnn)
Chris, Chris, Chris. I was kinda asking a question. But it sounds like the Krypy's are hanging tough with the exkate's. I really happy for all of the winners and all of the other riders. I'm glad everybody had a great time. I'm also glad to know that Kryptonics is coming back and playing tough. I say a lot of speed boarders at the Gravity Games running the Classic Krypto's. I'm starting to get a clue that these guys are liking to grip?
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Ink /Paint
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On 9/13/2000 roger
wrote in from
(198.206.nnn.nnn)
Hey Herbn,
For correct steering geometry make sure that the paint roller handle points towards the ends of the raft. For best results use short nap rollers soaked with eurothane vanish. Always wear safety gear and a coast guard approved life vest when operating any raft.
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Wood wheels
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On 9/13/2000 Glen
wrote in from
(216.102.nnn.nnn)
Wood wheels, while seeming crazy, actually did exist. Before the clay wheels came out for roller skates, wooden wheels were the indoor rink wheels of choice. I actually had a set of them 20 years ago. I found some old roller skates that belonged to my step father and pulled the wooden wheels off to check them out. They were proably great for roller skates...they sucked on my old Bahne.
SAVE THE TREES ... for the deck manufacturers.
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Ink /Paint rollers
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On 9/13/2000 Herbn
wrote in from
(216.107.nnn.nnn)
Hook up a couple of rollers on a landraft Hobie sundancer style and you have a real Flintstones skateboard.
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summit slicks
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On 9/13/2000
mike
wrote in from
(4.54.nnn.nnn)
Just like to let you know that we are aboud to set up distribution for the US, and that the Slick Wheel will be on the US market sometimes in spring 2001.
P.S. quality products just teak a little longer to be put on the market.
Mike
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Kryptos
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On 9/12/2000
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
(63.168.nnn.nnn)
Bob, Bob, Bob. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Now I admit that the Krypto's performed beautifully up in Seattle. I will also admit that I wish I had a couple of pairs in the bag for myself. I will further admit that my Cherry Bombs had me drifting a little closer to the hay bales out of the hairpin than I wanted to. However, an inexperienced rookie who'll turn forty in the spring nearly double Golded in his first professional race ever on Cherry Bombs, and Leemo and Hardwick could never be counted out until the checkered flag was waved. This was the closest racing in standup that I've ever seen, the qualifier ended up determining the King of the Hill. I don't know if I would call that dominating the world of standup, but I do know that you would spank me all the way down the hill if we were luging, and you'll have your first chance to do so at Barrett Junction in October. I'll be running some of the old Super Surfer clay wheels until I can afford the new 90mm Wooden Wheels ;-)
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KRYPTONICS
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On 9/12/2000 Bob Ozman
wrote in from
(209.138.nnn.nnn)
WELL JUST A QUICK NOTE: IT LOOKS LIKE KRYPTONICS ARE STARTING TO DOMINATE THE STAND UP WORLD NOW????
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Wood wheels
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On 9/12/2000
Neil G
wrote in from
(198.169.nnn.nnn)
Could you be thinking of Lignum Vitae? This is an extremely dense, kind of greenish wood. It's so tough it was used for propeller bearings on ships. I have a friend who uses it to make bokken (wooden practice swords), they never break and pretty much crush any other kind of bokken.
Neil
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Hyper Stradas
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On 9/12/2000 Pre-School Rider
wrote in from
(209.198.nnn.nnn)
You are one lucky skater,Rogerj! It took me 5 years of scrounging through various skate rinks to find my previous set of Stradas(yellow,62mm,78a;now brownish,56mm,and not round anymore)and another few years to aquire the 66mm,78a(pink,Oy)set I ride now.Best darn slalom wheel I know of...
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chewing gum
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On 9/12/2000 alfred
wrote in from
(130.212.nnn.nnn)
try this: wrap some well chewed and flattened out chewing
gum around your warm (put them in the oven for a couple of
minutes or ride really fast)wheels. make sure the wheels
are clean (some accetone might help). place the chewing gum
(preferably bubblegum out of vending machines) evenly
around your 4 wheels and pat it down gently untill it
sticks. put them in the oven again for about 5 min. done!!
go trie them out you'll have grip like never before!!!
it works well with all wheels (even wooden ones).
make sure to renew the gum frequently since it tends
to wear out quickly.
keep chewing, peace alf
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wood for thought
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On 9/12/2000 DT
wrote in from
(192.189.nnn.nnn)
Now i know this whole thing sounds silly but maybe its not so off. Yes you heard me. The wood i'm thinking of could make for the best sliding wheels around. Wheels that won't flat spot. Now i forget its specific name, but i saw this at the aerospace/composite trade show earlier this year. This wood is too dense for pyrolisis to take place and therefore won't burn, its lighter than titanium and you can't even flex it (i'm talking a piece thats as thick as an envelope). Now these would slide!!!
Problem 1: You need a special machine to cut it, with diamond tip blades, and they get worn out very very quickly.
Problem 2: It is really REALLY expensive, its used mostly in aerospace applications (i.e. fighterplanes etc)
Now i'm sure Ant wasn't speaking of this treated hybrid wood, but you guys shouldn't be so quick to poke fun, because you may not be laughing last.
I know there are a lot of skaters in Europe who use wood instead of plastic for their sliding gloves. Just cause someone says wood you shouldn't think of ordinary tree bark, there's so many types of wood and unless someone tries something new, we will never progress.
Now as far as grip goes, urethane and polyurethane is where its at. well at least for now.
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Hyper Strada
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On 9/12/2000
rogerj
wrote in from
(32.100.nnn.nnn)
Today I scored on two sets of nos Hyper Stada!
I'm stoked, definitely a "mastercard moment". Both are 66mm, one is green 88a with black printing. The other is yellow (84a I think) with "Tom Peterson" inset, not printed. Beautiful!
They where found in quad section of a skate shop, where there is now an empty spot. Sorry they can not get any more.
Now if I only could get a Turner, till then will use a Comet 33" with Seismics.
with a big smile,
rogerj
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"flame throwers"
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On 9/12/2000
hugh r
wrote in from
(205.216.nnn.nnn)
Ant and all,
While the concept of "wooden wheels" is definitly an exercise in thinking out of the box (boy do I dislike that cliche) I don't think that the performance of the "flame throwers" will be very good. And yes, wood wheels will catch on fire... you will have the three things I have found necessary for combustion to take place (fuel, heat, and oxygen; with the wood wheels being the fuel, the spinning of the wheel causing the heat, and last but not least, the air flying by for the oxygen)
I do think that a flintstones type board would make a very cool display/award item... although not too safe to ride.
So Ant, hats off to you for inspiring us all to think of new ways to do routine things... I do hope your putting as much effort into your obligations as you are into the concept of "salvage boards"
Here is an idea if you really want to go fast... rig a deck up that uses discarded 20" bicycle tires. I bet you could get those things to spin faster than you'd want to go! HR
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wooden wheels
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On 9/12/2000 Mark
wrote in from
(199.46.nnn.nnn)
I've seen wooden wheels (with loose ball bearings) that were used on quad skates many years ago.
These were intended to be ridden on skating rinks with smooth wooden floors, and probably worked
OK in their day.
There is no reason why a modern wheel couldn't be made from wood, and they might look really
beautiful. Likewise, there is no reason why a set of wooden wheels couldn't be made for your
car as well. There is, however, a long list of reasons why these will never perform as well
as urethane and vulcanized rubber, respectively, if one chooses to look into such issues as
road noise, traction, and durability, not to mention the safety concerns.
To "save the planet" by killing trees to make wooden wheels?
If he's serious about this, it's awfully tough not to question this guy's IQ.
I'm not one to discourage innovation, but in my opinion this is clearly a step backwards.
But, I'm just an old geezer who thinks hard wheels suck anyway, so what do I know?
Mark Colden
Dallas, TX
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