Dude as a 37 year old skater who's been skating for 26 years I really appreciate what youre doing. I was recently in seattle for 3 months for work. I absolutely lost my mind I went sick on skateboarding shit. I picked up about 6-7 decks (real, darkroom, pylon, almost, tactics blank, and a black market skateshop) 3 pairs of trucks (thunder kajoniski 8.0, krux 8.0, and a set of Silver M Class 8.5 ) 4-5 sets of wheels dragon's 56mm dragon's 54mm spitfire 56mm 93a formula 4, spitfire classics 53mm, bones gslides 60mm, ricta clouds 54mm. Talk about anxiety attack sheesh
@StevesSkateXplosion honestly steve...I think I was making up for times when I didn't have money, when I didn't have to work, when I'd be able to use my parents health insurance. Fast forward to today. I found a career I love and I can travel for work. Never the less Steve, thank you for what you're doing in the community as a seasoned vet who's even older than me. Cant wait for the next drop. If you're ever in Virginia Beach be sure to reach out.
Bro I’ve spent so much money on skate stuff I’m just glad it’s not a more expensive hobby like skiing or snowboarding. Granted I’ll be picking those up in a couple years too! 😄
Dude, I can barely move at 7 am, much less skate. You are killing it as usual and making me really want to work on the rock to fakie and axle drop in's. Trashed myself on Saturday and blew my chance to practice them on Sunday, but you got me motivated again!!
@@Steves_SkateXplosion I wouldn't say its more difficult, just different. I do tend to get beat up worse on the inlines, but I don't know if that's the fault of the skates or the skater😂 I will say that 4 or 5 days in a row on either one takes a toll on me for sure, hazards of getting older I guess.
Testing the dragons and the soft sliders in these cement parks is like trying to test dirtbike tires on asphalt, my man. These were specifically built for chugging through cracks and crust in the street. That spitfire classic shape you got is also a street skating shape, not the best for locking in on ramps. I would like to see dragons and spitfire 93a compared though in a controlled environment. Maybe if there was a little hill leading to a flat area, the wheels were set up on an identical board, and you rolled down from the same spot into the exact same trajectory, it would give a great idea how they perform in terms of speed and feel.
@SteveSkateXplosion when I was younger I'd go through a set in a couple months with the rough roads we have in Oklahoma. I don't do as much these days on pavement or parks so these I have now will probably last a while. I'm about to build myself a half pipe in the backyard so I can skate here.
@@t-stroI guess it's like asking a baseball fan to try sitting on the opposing team's seats for a game, but you gotta try the x97 from bones, brother! Perfect softness for most conditions with no compromises for slide... For my badly aged joints though, I do like the impact reduction from softwheels like the spit 93s and dragons haha
I went to get a second set of wheels(on 58mm 93a Dragons now) to have 2 completes. One popsicle, one old school. Wanted 58mm as I’ve had great experience with those so far. Was torn between getting 90a or 93 again or 95. As the only complaint I would give the dragons was their a little slick on painted surfaces. Also was torn on shapes. The Dragons shape seems to deal with cracks and seams WELL. 58mm in a skate shop was slim pickings 😃. Ended up with HUGE 60mm Dragons in 93a. They are WIDE! 31mm of contact patch. Not as wide as an old school bones though. Was kinda regretting it til I put an hour on them. There a different kind of fast. You just roll forever(same bearings). Supple yet fast on park and especially wood ramps. The back side is square to lock into cooping great! Their offset to give max width. Literally perfect for my re issue. The kids call it the monster truck😁 10 1/4 inch wide at the wheels!
Wow those wheels sound epic! Gosh I can’t imagine skating 60mm now. I started with that originally when I was skating the old school decks, but since I’ve shrunk down to 55mm and 54mm mostly.
I have the Powell nano 93a and I like them. You do lose a bit of speed but when you’re learning that’s actually good. They grip well too which is good but not if you want to power slide. I mean they do power slide but not so easily. But I love them for pool riding. My board sounds solid and thuds now too lol. Some people don’t like that but I do!
Your videos crack me up, dude! Just a great sense of humor. I should really pay attention/memorize the sizes and what-not of my next set of wheels. I just tell the guys the terrain I'm thinking I'm going to be riding on and they set me up. By the way, that concrete looks like garbage! Maybe just through the camera, but it looks SUPER porous. Am I wrong?
It’s a weird surface almost gummy in a way. Like a tennis court honestly. Surprisingly not a good surface for slides. Hey and thanks for the comments as always. Now, how you coming on that judo air out?!
@SteveSkateXplosion lol, I've actually had a lot of issues with my back and have been curled up in a fetal position, holding my skateboard, watching skate videos, like yours, on TH-cam until the wife will let me get back out there!
Second! but hey that was a great vid, and the bonus comparison in a non comparison video is something we don’t get on other channels. Thats cool news youve found the powells are great for you though. Ive seen another guy who preferred the spitfires, but i think you may like the smaller spitfires ollieing on to the blocks… either wheels gonna grind better, turn, carve better i reckon. i was thinking of getting a freestyle setup, but seeing this is making me want a similar popsicle setup to yours… low trucks, wide and dragon formula!
I am a Bones guy. Always have been and imagine I always will be. The X series are by far my favorite wheel and they are great for my park. My assumption is that the Spitfire soft slides are made for actual street. The muted feel is probably to support more rough terrain. Much like the ricta clouds. Again, just an assumption.
@AdventuresInSkateboarding yeah I’m really excited to try them because prior to the dragons I had been riding 99a spitfires for a long time. So I’m used to a harder wheel.
Yeah you really can't compare a smaller street wheel to 55mm Dragons these are 2 different beasts. On a side note I set up my new 8.75 board with dragons and noticed the difference right away on rough street walking trails. I didn't have chance to test them at the park yet but I concur with you they are a game changer. I felt the speed difference instantly
I personally think softer wheels are better for transition myself personally. My main setup is 8.25 Element, with 149 Tensor Mag Lites, 3/8" OJ's risers, & 78A 56MM Ricta Clouds. I occaisonally use my wider 86A Powell Peralta 56MM wheels which are much wider. I generally don't like anything over 93-95A especially on transition, because I feel like I lose control with the slides. The theory with softer wheels on transition/vert is they mold and hug the curvature of the ramp, giving you much better control. Everyone says you lose speed but I don't notice it. I use 3 in 1 oil, on just some basic abec 7 bearings & they are ridiculously fast, & also with noseslides etc, soft wheels are totally fine. Skate on brother, 46 here & been skating for over 25 years & I skate every single day & will never give it up.
Wow that’s awesome! Thanks for connecting with me. I was using some softer wheels initially at 78a and then I went up to 86a all the way to 99a but more recently switched back down to 92-93a. It’s almost like that’s a nice happy medium for me.
Nice vid bro 👍 i received my spitfire 53 93duro too this week can wait to test them more my first test on rough ground was good but the dragon was better that day 👋
Dude I started working on them like a year ago. But I also haven’t dedicated my time to just that one thing. I gotta make the videos entertaining and not too repetitive.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion I know, it's hard to dedicate yourself to doing that over and over. For the last two days, I've been trying to work on my 50-50 grinds. Just something I've always ignored. Slow progress but I'm determined!
Phewww for second I thought I was going to have buy another set of wheels 😂 Think the dragons are just a good overall wheel based on the shape and width. Still loving my nano cubics. Nice little session!!!
@@Steves_SkateXplosion just checked them on the site, if they're the same ones they look nice. Love the wide cuts, bet these will be solid for the bowl sessions.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion yea I definitely like the wider wheels, the nanos I have are 54s and 36mm wide. When I used to only skate transition/park I never rode anything below 56mm diameter wheels, loved the speed and smoothness of a bigger profile wheel.
I started off with 60mm wheels at the beginning of my “comeback” and seem to have settled at 55mm. I do have some 58mm OJs but those are crazy big to me now. My skater bro from Colorado found your channel last night and he was loving your Ollie instructional video.
my big thing was wheel shopping. i tried like 3 different kinds of wheels i was getting from ebay and nothing did it for me after the dragons. if they come out with some 95a dragons im all over them but 60mm this time because thats all i used back in the day. a lot of skaters like the 52mm etc but they like doing flip tricks and im not into them. i want speed and big wheels give me that. 60 is as big as i will go though
Same here. I’ve defaulted to 55-56mm wheels but I’ve got a set of 58mm on my caballero setup that I’m going to test out in a video soon. See how much speed I can get in that big bowl.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion hell yeah. my 58mm are about worn out by now i use them so much. i might get some 60mm or the 64mm dragons if they have them in a not so wide size. i tried the wider ones and i sent those back they felt like a tank. i was still new at the time though. take some wax bro that coping sounded pasty and dry. stick deodorant will work too if you dont have any
Love the work dude. Yet you aren't making a good judgement, yet. To test you definitely need some revert/power slides stops etc( half cab buddy, monster walk, tik tak come on) and some coping/corner for the lock in feel. I'm used to the bevel on classic spitfires. It was good for street and ramps decades ago. I'm going to try some all terrain wheels. Dirt board set up. Build a dirt bowl and kickers in the back yard. I've relearned shuv it's the last few days. I'm 53, so that gives you 2 year's handicap to learn. Up to the challenge youngsters.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion it's good that you reveiw the gear. Now and then. Your view may change like your skating will but your opinion is very valid. I push you to do a lot of the simple stuff for FUNdamentals. You're conquering the bowl, that's gnarly. But the Fundamentals like an Ollie, 180 or currently a nose/tail on a curb ledge will help with your tail stalls. It's totally RAD that you want airs, but it's the little Fundamentals that will get you flying Keep reviewing the products honestly. It's good knowledge for all skaters. I'm riding the made in China 43$ with helmet Andy MacDonald positiv toy board. But it's served it's purpose; I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to skate after I got out of the hospital. A fine toy for beginners to see if they like skating. Now I've earned an upgrade to a CCS blank complete, to test out. It's all on video for truth.
Dude you’re so right. My bro skater from Colorado has been telling me forever to get those fundamentals in. He’s been encouraging me to Ollie ever since I started back and all I keep doing is dropping in.
Dude as a 37 year old skater who's been skating for 26 years I really appreciate what youre doing.
I was recently in seattle for 3 months for work. I absolutely lost my mind I went sick on skateboarding shit. I picked up about 6-7 decks (real, darkroom, pylon, almost, tactics blank, and a black market skateshop) 3 pairs of trucks (thunder kajoniski 8.0, krux 8.0, and a set of Silver M Class 8.5 ) 4-5 sets of wheels dragon's 56mm dragon's 54mm spitfire 56mm 93a formula 4, spitfire classics 53mm, bones gslides 60mm, ricta clouds 54mm.
Talk about anxiety attack sheesh
Wow that’s glorious! Like a sweet skate shopping spree! 😮
@StevesSkateXplosion honestly steve...I think I was making up for times when I didn't have money, when I didn't have to work, when I'd be able to use my parents health insurance. Fast forward to today. I found a career I love and I can travel for work.
Never the less Steve, thank you for what you're doing in the community as a seasoned vet who's even older than me. Cant wait for the next drop. If you're ever in Virginia Beach be sure to reach out.
Bro I’ve spent so much money on skate stuff I’m just glad it’s not a more expensive hobby like skiing or snowboarding. Granted I’ll be picking those up in a couple years too! 😄
damn what did you hit big at the casino or something? lol
Dude, I can barely move at 7 am, much less skate. You are killing it as usual and making me really want to work on the rock to fakie and axle drop in's. Trashed myself on Saturday and blew my chance to practice them on Sunday, but you got me motivated again!!
Dude is inline skating harder than skateboarding? Because it looks damn difficult to me and plus there’s no way to run out.
I was done skating at 6:45 this morning, lol.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion I wouldn't say its more difficult, just different. I do tend to get beat up worse on the inlines, but I don't know if that's the fault of the skates or the skater😂 I will say that 4 or 5 days in a row on either one takes a toll on me for sure, hazards of getting older I guess.
Oh yeah I gotta rest more than I probably allow myself. But I feel like my days are numbered and I gotta skate while I can!
Never too soon when you have wheel madness! :P
I have my eyes on those but on Radials shape which I love.
I like the radials too. Oh man my wheels madness has begun because I just ordered a set of Bones x97!
Testing the dragons and the soft sliders in these cement parks is like trying to test dirtbike tires on asphalt, my man. These were specifically built for chugging through cracks and crust in the street. That spitfire classic shape you got is also a street skating shape, not the best for locking in on ramps.
I would like to see dragons and spitfire 93a compared though in a controlled environment. Maybe if there was a little hill leading to a flat area, the wheels were set up on an identical board, and you rolled down from the same spot into the exact same trajectory, it would give a great idea how they perform in terms of speed and feel.
Dude that’s a great idea. Appreciate the connection and feedback!
I'm a slimeballs guy, myself. Been rolling slimers since 1989. 97a seems to be the perfect duro for my style. Keep on keeping on, bro.
Dude I’ve got several sets of slime balls myself. I’ve got a set of 95a but I should get myself a set of 97a. How long do wheels last you?
@SteveSkateXplosion when I was younger I'd go through a set in a couple months with the rough roads we have in Oklahoma. I don't do as much these days on pavement or parks so these I have now will probably last a while. I'm about to build myself a half pipe in the backyard so I can skate here.
@@t-stroI guess it's like asking a baseball fan to try sitting on the opposing team's seats for a game, but you gotta try the x97 from bones, brother! Perfect softness for most conditions with no compromises for slide... For my badly aged joints though, I do like the impact reduction from softwheels like the spit 93s and dragons haha
Dude I just ordered a set of bones x97 55mm tonight on Amazon. I’ll be making a video on those for sure.
I went to get a second set of wheels(on 58mm 93a Dragons now) to have 2 completes. One popsicle, one old school. Wanted 58mm as I’ve had great experience with those so far. Was torn between getting 90a or 93 again or 95. As the only complaint I would give the dragons was their a little slick on painted surfaces. Also was torn on shapes. The Dragons shape seems to deal with cracks and seams WELL. 58mm in a skate shop was slim pickings 😃. Ended up with HUGE 60mm Dragons in 93a. They are WIDE! 31mm of contact patch. Not as wide as an old school bones though. Was kinda regretting it til I put an hour on them. There a different kind of fast. You just roll forever(same bearings). Supple yet fast on park and especially wood ramps. The back side is square to lock into cooping great! Their offset to give max width. Literally perfect for my re issue. The kids call it the monster truck😁 10 1/4 inch wide at the wheels!
Wow those wheels sound epic! Gosh I can’t imagine skating 60mm now. I started with that originally when I was skating the old school decks, but since I’ve shrunk down to 55mm and 54mm mostly.
I have the Powell nano 93a and I like them. You do lose a bit of speed but when you’re learning that’s actually good. They grip well too which is good but not if you want to power slide. I mean they do power slide but not so easily. But I love them for pool riding. My board sounds solid and thuds now too lol. Some people don’t like that but I do!
I prefer a thud to a clack.
When your wheels thud like that are they tightened to the point where they don’t spin very long?
Your videos crack me up, dude! Just a great sense of humor. I should really pay attention/memorize the sizes and what-not of my next set of wheels. I just tell the guys the terrain I'm thinking I'm going to be riding on and they set me up.
By the way, that concrete looks like garbage! Maybe just through the camera, but it looks SUPER porous. Am I wrong?
It’s a weird surface almost gummy in a way. Like a tennis court honestly. Surprisingly not a good surface for slides. Hey and thanks for the comments as always. Now, how you coming on that judo air out?!
@SteveSkateXplosion lol, I've actually had a lot of issues with my back and have been curled up in a fetal position, holding my skateboard, watching skate videos, like yours, on TH-cam until the wife will let me get back out there!
Oh man I’m picturing you on the floor holding your skateboard like a teddy bear and sucking your thumb! 😆
@@Steves_SkateXplosion lol. Big time.
You skating again yet? Dude I’m resting my knee. But it’s getting better.
Second!
but hey that was a great vid, and the bonus comparison in a non comparison video is something we don’t get on other channels.
Thats cool news youve found the powells are great for you though. Ive seen another guy who preferred the spitfires, but i think you may like the smaller spitfires ollieing on to the blocks… either wheels gonna grind better, turn, carve better i reckon.
i was thinking of getting a freestyle setup, but seeing this is making me want a similar popsicle setup to yours… low trucks, wide and dragon formula!
I am a Bones guy. Always have been and imagine I always will be. The X series are by far my favorite wheel and they are great for my park. My assumption is that the Spitfire soft slides are made for actual street. The muted feel is probably to support more rough terrain. Much like the ricta clouds. Again, just an assumption.
Dude I just ordered a set of X97 Bones and they’ll be here tomorrow! Dying to try those.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion really interested in your thoughts
@AdventuresInSkateboarding yeah I’m really excited to try them because prior to the dragons I had been riding 99a spitfires for a long time. So I’m used to a harder wheel.
Yeah you really can't compare a smaller street wheel to 55mm Dragons these are 2 different beasts. On a side note I set up my new 8.75 board with dragons and noticed the difference right away on rough street walking trails. I didn't have chance to test them at the park yet but I concur with you they are a game changer. I felt the speed difference instantly
That’s fantastic! Dude you gotta shoot me photos of your setup.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion l will let me know how reach you for pics
@@Steves_SkateXplosion ok I can do that
I get all my decks from Socal Skateshop. I have a SoCal Ps Stix 8.75 x 32 with Indy 159 with 1/8 risers with 55 dragons with Bronson G2 bearings
Whoa awesome. Dude I just got my dragons and spits from there, they had a sale. Love your setup by the sounds of it.
I personally think softer wheels are better for transition myself personally. My main setup is 8.25 Element, with 149 Tensor Mag Lites, 3/8" OJ's risers, & 78A 56MM Ricta Clouds. I occaisonally use my wider 86A Powell Peralta 56MM wheels which are much wider. I generally don't like anything over 93-95A especially on transition, because I feel like I lose control with the slides. The theory with softer wheels on transition/vert is they mold and hug the curvature of the ramp, giving you much better control. Everyone says you lose speed but I don't notice it. I use 3 in 1 oil, on just some basic abec 7 bearings & they are ridiculously fast, & also with noseslides etc, soft wheels are totally fine. Skate on brother, 46 here & been skating for over 25 years & I skate every single day & will never give it up.
Wow that’s awesome! Thanks for connecting with me. I was using some softer wheels initially at 78a and then I went up to 86a all the way to 99a but more recently switched back down to 92-93a. It’s almost like that’s a nice happy medium for me.
Nice vid bro 👍 i received my spitfire 53 93duro too this week can wait to test them more my first test on rough ground was good but the dragon was better that day 👋
Dude those wheels are just what we need for the next level of tactility?!
It’s all good stuff 🤗
Nice looking axle stalls!
Thanks bro. After hundreds and hundreds of tries it’s starting to sink in. Am I just slow?
@@Steves_SkateXplosion I think maybe you’re fast! I still struggle with them for whatever reason despite dedicating several sessions to them.
Dude I started working on them like a year ago. But I also haven’t dedicated my time to just that one thing. I gotta make the videos entertaining and not too repetitive.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion I know, it's hard to dedicate yourself to doing that over and over. For the last two days, I've been trying to work on my 50-50 grinds. Just something I've always ignored. Slow progress but I'm determined!
Yeah, I think I might just have to record just a small version of a session and do a lot more reps that are off camera
Phewww for second I thought I was going to have buy another set of wheels 😂 Think the dragons are just a good overall wheel based on the shape and width. Still loving my nano cubics. Nice little session!!!
Dude I’m going to order those Nanos next, but before that I’ve got a set of Bones X97 coming tomorrow!
@@Steves_SkateXplosion just checked them on the site, if they're the same ones they look nice. Love the wide cuts, bet these will be solid for the bowl sessions.
I really like the wide wheels like 55mm diameter by 35mm wide. Do you go for more wide wheels too? The nanos are wider?
@@Steves_SkateXplosion yea I definitely like the wider wheels, the nanos I have are 54s and 36mm wide. When I used to only skate transition/park I never rode anything below 56mm diameter wheels, loved the speed and smoothness of a bigger profile wheel.
I started off with 60mm wheels at the beginning of my “comeback” and seem to have settled at 55mm. I do have some 58mm OJs but those are crazy big to me now. My skater bro from Colorado found your channel last night and he was loving your Ollie instructional video.
You need to try bones x97 for the win, soft but more like a real wheel
Bro funny you should mention that because I got a sweet brand new set of those right here ready to skate next session!
my big thing was wheel shopping. i tried like 3 different kinds of wheels i was getting from ebay and nothing did it for me after the dragons. if they come out with some 95a dragons im all over them but 60mm this time because thats all i used back in the day. a lot of skaters like the 52mm etc but they like doing flip tricks and im not into them. i want speed and big wheels give me that. 60 is as big as i will go though
Same here. I’ve defaulted to 55-56mm wheels but I’ve got a set of 58mm on my caballero setup that I’m going to test out in a video soon. See how much speed I can get in that big bowl.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion hell yeah. my 58mm are about worn out by now i use them so much. i might get some 60mm or the 64mm dragons if they have them in a not so wide size. i tried the wider ones and i sent those back they felt like a tank. i was still new at the time though. take some wax bro that coping sounded pasty and dry. stick deodorant will work too if you dont have any
Another get video brother 🔥🔥🔥 do you have any pump tracks near you?
I think there’s one about 45-60 minutes away but I’ve yet to make the drive.
Not sure how close you are to Kokomo, but it has a nice pump track and skate park… that’s about two hours away from me
@@JustinSane_555 that’s one I’m going to make the drive to. It’s under an hour from me.
We have some pretty nice ones in Ohio that are at least an hour away from me…
Oh man that’s a half days project right there. You going soon?
Love the work dude. Yet you aren't making a good judgement, yet. To test you definitely need some revert/power slides stops etc( half cab buddy, monster walk, tik tak come on) and some coping/corner for the lock in feel.
I'm used to the bevel on classic spitfires. It was good for street and ramps decades ago.
I'm going to try some all terrain wheels. Dirt board set up. Build a dirt bowl and kickers in the back yard.
I've relearned shuv it's the last few days. I'm 53, so that gives you 2 year's handicap to learn. Up to the challenge youngsters.
Oh yeah I’m definitely no reviewer. My detection skills are minimal. Probably need more years and more experience to really make a true review video.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion it's good that you reveiw the gear. Now and then. Your view may change like your skating will but your opinion is very valid.
I push you to do a lot of the simple stuff for FUNdamentals. You're conquering the bowl, that's gnarly. But the Fundamentals like an Ollie, 180 or currently a nose/tail on a curb ledge will help with your tail stalls.
It's totally RAD that you want airs, but it's the little Fundamentals that will get you flying
Keep reviewing the products honestly. It's good knowledge for all skaters.
I'm riding the made in China 43$ with helmet Andy MacDonald positiv toy board. But it's served it's purpose; I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to skate after I got out of the hospital. A fine toy for beginners to see if they like skating.
Now I've earned an upgrade to a CCS blank complete, to test out. It's all on video for truth.
Dude you’re so right. My bro skater from Colorado has been telling me forever to get those fundamentals in. He’s been encouraging me to Ollie ever since I started back and all I keep doing is dropping in.
I bet if you had a coffee stand set up all us old geezers would roll out the woodwork and join ya that early? 😂
Coffee and maybe some massage chairs to help us stay loose.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion Went from skatepark to Bingo hall....😂
Oh man and casino with all you can eat buffet!
Are the Spitfire 93a as "soft" as the Dragon wheels? Great video again 👍🏻
Actually the spitfires feel a little bit softer. The dragons meanwhile feel more like 95a.
@@Steves_SkateXplosion Interesting. Thanks! ✌🏻
Welcome bro
coolio
Nice comparison, for a non comparison video!😂
Yeah I don’t like to make comparisons. Feels wrong. 😆
Where in Indiana do u live big dawg? I'm near ft. Wayne
I went to high school in Fort Wayne but I’m down near Indy now days. 👊
Steve, those Wheels are Wayyy too Skinny 😬😬
Agreed. It’s like they’re roller blade wheels! 😆
First 😁👍