Wheel Advice

[Vicky]

I need some advice about wheels. I have the R3's and the wheels that came with them. I need to get new wheels and bearings...We skate in a rink that is is pretty good shape.

Thanks.

[ncsk8rgirl]

V- do youskate on wood, concrete? Is the floor coated? Are you looking for more grip, less grip?

[Vicky]

We skate on wood. and its coated (like laquered or something) not teribbly slick, but slicker then the other rink in town. I am looking for something grippier....but not to grippy that will slow me down.

I have heard about witch doctors.....any good?

[ncsk8rgirl]

yes, witch drs would be good (the softer blue, not the firmer orange) lots of derby gals like the fugatives and the flat-outs as well.

[AceFace]

most of our girls skate the sure grip twisters. they're a GREAT wheel for wood with roll on (the laquer stuff on your floor). our rink lays down roll on about every 3 mos so we have to get used to our wheels all over again, but they are amazing.

chose the lighter colors as they are a little softer than the darker colors.

[andysocial]

So what about a concrete floor? I feel like my wheels are slipping sometimes, and would like more grip.

[PowerSnatch]

Fugitives, with fugitive pushers on your left side wheels.

[just audrey]

Originally Posted by ncsk8rgirl

yes, witch drs would be good (the softer blue, not the firmer orange) lots of derby gals like the fugatives and the flat-outs as well.

Might be worth noting, that one of our girls recently had TWO of her fugitive wheels separate from the hub, and I've been told one other girl on the league had the same problem.

I personally have the blue grippy Witch Doctors, and LOVE them.

[Beastly]

Originally Posted by Vicky

I need some advice about wheels. I have the R3's and the wheels that came with them. I need to get new wheels and bearings...We skate in a rink that is is pretty good shape.

Thanks.

Talk to some of the girls in your league. A lot of times, girls will have extra sets of wheels. We have girls in our league that buy wheels like most women buy shoes. It's an addiction. Others buy wheels upon wheels because it's trial and error to find out what they like.

Basically, if you have people like either of the above mentioned in your league, then you might be able to sweet talk them into letting you borrow a pair for a few spins around the rink. That way, you can kind of try before you buy to make sure that you are getting a wheel that you really feel comfortable with.

Oh, and you can do the same with bearings as well. Lots of girls in our league have multiple sets of bearings. I've borrowed both wheels & bearings from girls to test. It makes the whole process much easier on the wallet.

[RoadDawg]

We also had two girls seperate there wheels from thier hubs on thier fugitives. From what I understand they are changing the way they are attached to the hub, but alot of the places are still selling the old ones.

[Fresh Eddie Fresh]

Originally Posted by RoadDawg

We also had two girls seperate there wheels from thier hubs on thier fugitives. From what I understand they are changing the way they are attached to the hub, but alot of the places are still selling the old ones.

I really like the older style Sure Grip Hubs, with the holes in them, as opposed to the newer ones with the tiny slots. I have never had the urethane separate on mine, but bearings seem to fit better into the older style ones (the new one are really loose.)

[dayglodivine]

The hubs on most of my Fugies are solid. The only ones I have with holes or slots are the pushers I picked up from LPS at Heartland Havoc; considering I bought my last full pair (blues) in July, I have to guess the new hubs are a very recent change. From what the people there were telling me, the solid hubs are the ones with all the separation problems. Good to know considering many if not most of the people in my league use Fugies.

Originally Posted by Fresh Eddie Fresh

I really like the older style Sure Grip Hubs, with the holes in them, as opposed to the newer ones with the tiny slots. I have never had the urethane separate on mine, but bearings seem to fit better into the older style ones (the new one are really loose.)

[8-Ball]

I have to go away from the norm here..

I have been involved in Roller Derby as a Trainer/Coach and referee since mid 2005.

With that.. I have seen skaters purchase equipment that is just .. a small step up from.. toy skates. Derby as you all know is a serious sport.. and it requires serious equipment.

I am a former speed skater and have been skating for well over 25 years. I have had ONE pair of skates for 20 of those years..and they still work PERFECT. And they also cost 900 dollars back in 1985.

You dont have to fork over that sort of money to skate.. but the money you spend now will pay dividends later.

Ill stay away from boots, plates talk.. and stick with just the wheels and bearings.

I cannot in good belief recommend any wheel that has a injection molded hub. That includes.. fugatives and Witch Drs. I know they appear to be a popular relatively inexpensive wheel for derby folks.. but the risk of seperating that hub during a bout is there. IF it separates.. or breaks.. the wheel locks up..and BAM.. your done.

Al. hubs are much much stronger.. and worth the extra dollars that you will spend. Backstreet has these wheels for much much lower then I have found with anyone else.

The exception to this are the new line of MATTER wheels. Their design is much different.. and I have first hand acknowledge from several of our best skaters that matters work VERY well.

I have heard very good things about the Zodiac. Black or BLUE only. Narrower wheel.. but still 65mm. Fast.. but more agile.


Bearings... Dont just go by the ABEC 7 or 9 ratings your seeing. STick with quality and proven names like Swiss and Boss. I haven't heard much good from BEVO.

The Super 6 bearings I have heard much good about and they are fairly priced in the 60-70 dollar range.

My standard to all bearing is the BOSS BSBs. I have had no issues with them

Best by far still are the Swiss Ceramics. At about 170-220 a set.. they are expensive no doubt.. but you most likely *as long as you dont skate outdoors with them).. will not need a new set of bearings for many years to come.

Good luck..

8-Ball

[Fresh Eddie Fresh]

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

I cannot in good belief recommend any wheel that has a injection molded hub. That includes.. fugatives and Witch Drs. I know they appear to be a popular relatively inexpensive wheel for derby folks.. but the risk of seperating that hub during a bout is there. IF it separates.. or breaks.. the wheel locks up..and BAM.. your done.

I have heard about aluminum hub wheels having hub/urethane separation problems as well (notably SG Power Plus, and some Radar wheels.)

I personally have never had any separation problems (I generally use nylon hubs.)

[dayglodivine]

I've never had a problem either, but know of at least one person who has.

Originally Posted by Fresh Eddie Fresh

I have heard about aluminum hub wheels having hub/urethane separation problems as well (notably SG Power Plus, and some Radar wheels.)

I personally have never had any separation problems (I generally use nylon hubs.)

[roller_dudette]

Zodiacs are some of the worst wheels out there if you want something to last, especially on concrete etc. They will last maybe 2 weeks lol. No kidding..... Thats as long as my lasted at the skatepark.

[8-Ball]

Why on earth would you use a zodiac wheel for outdoor use? Ah Dah.. the wont last a day of me skating outdoors.. the rubber is way to hard for outdoor use.. and will wear EXTREMELY quickly. OTherwise.. I know of no less then 10 advanced derby ladies that use them.. swear by them.. and have had NO issues.

As for seperation of an al. hub from a wheel. NEVER have seen it. From a Injection (Plastic) molded hub. I have seen it several times.

Any reputable dealer will fully replace the wheels if that happens.

8-Ball

[dayglodivine]

One of our skaters just got a set of Zodiacs and loves them, but she only uses them indoors. They're not meant for outdoor use. The Pures are supposed to be pretty good for outdoors, and some of our skaters use them for practice as well. I'm guessing that the Fuels are the same thing with aluminum hubs.

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Why on earth would you use a zodiac wheel for outdoor use? Ah Dah.. the wont last a day of me skating outdoors.. the rubber is way to hard for outdoor use.. and will wear EXTREMELY quickly. OTherwise.. I know of no less then 10 advanced derby ladies that use them.. swear by them.. and have had NO issues.

As for seperation of an al. hub from a wheel. NEVER have seen it. From a Injection (Plastic) molded hub. I have seen it several times.

Any reputable dealer will fully replace the wheels if that happens.

8-Ball

[dayglodivine]

Originally Posted by Vicky

I need some advice about wheels. I have the R3's and the wheels that came with them. I need to get new wheels and bearings...We skate in a rink that is is pretty good shape.

Thanks.

Every floor is different, and every skater is different. I could write a master's thesis on my quest for the perfect wheel, but even within my league, other skaters have had totally different experiences, and there's no rhyme or reason behind who likes what (i.e., blockers vs. jammers, larger vs. smaller skaters, experienced vs. inexperienced skaters, and so on). Really, the best way to find something that will work for you is to ask some of the other people in your league what they use, or better yet, see if they'll let you try their wheels. If you're in a fledgling league where everyone is pretty new, try asking people in a nearby league who are familiar with your rink's conditions, or even the floor guards who work at open skate sessions. These are the best ways to avoid making an expensive mistake.

As for the aluminum vs. nylon hub question, I only know one person who has had problems with hub separation on nylon wheels. The wheels in question were blue Fugitives, and Sure-Grip has addressed the issue by using slotted hubs instead of solid ones on recently produced wheels. I have three sets of the "old" Fugitives, and so far so good for me.

[darthmaulher1138]

Matter wheels absolutely rock! They have a few different kinds, they have alpha, omega, and a couple others. I use the omegas, they are a little thinner (they don't have a lip)and corner really well, they grip like a son-of-a-bitch, but are fast as hell. I use them on sport court (which is the bane of my existance, it's so slick) and also laquered wood, they are great on both! They are pretty pricey (100-120) but well worth it, I will never but another wheel.