The premise behind skateboard wheels is that "hard wheels are for tricks, and soft wheels are for cruising and transportation." While hard wheels are slippery, making them easier to perform tricks on rails, ledges, and flat ground, they can be difficult to ride on rough surfaces. Wheel manufacturers have therefore developed mid-soft wheel formulas to provide wheels that provide smooth riding on rough surfaces while also providing the slipperiness needed for technical skating.
We skate nerds once again got into some DIY "science" and ran some experiments to compare some popular mid-soft wheels. Watch the video or keep reading below to find out the results!
Who are the contestants?
We compared five different mid-soft wheels that claim to roll smoothly over rough terrain while still being capable of performing tricks.
Spitfire Formula 4 (93d)
Bones X-Formula (97a)
Powell Dragon Formula (93a)
OJ Nomads (95a)
OJ Double Duro (95a/101a)
The OJ Double Duro has a soft 95a inner core and a hard 101a outer shell, giving it a stiff wheel feel. For a fair evaluation, we used the same 54mm diameter wheels.
Test 1: Vibration test
The vibration test results were as expected: the soft 78a wheels had the smoothest ride, the stiff 101a wheels had the harshest ride, and all the mid-soft wheels had readings somewhere in between. This chart ranks the wheels from smoothest to harshest.
In our first experiment, we used a phone's accelerometer to measure the intensity of a board's vibration while rolling over rough pavement with different wheels. We used traditional stiff 101a wheels and soft 78a cruiser wheels to get the extremes, then compared them with mid-soft wheels. We ran each vibration test multiple times and averaged the stable readings.
Test 2: Skate Test
The next step in the test was to skate each wheel for a while and rate how well it glided. This is a more subjective test, so I gave each wheel a 1-5 star rating for tricks like noseslides, tailslides, reverts, flat ground, and bluntslides.
Spitfire Formula 4 (93d) - Despite being 93a, these skied surprisingly well. Not as well as regular hard wheels, but still able to nose, tail and power slide with relative ease.
Bones X-Formula (97a) - These were a little sticky on grinds like Crooks and Smiths, but with some extra wax they became much more slick. They were very smooth and quiet, but they lost traction easily on flat ground tricks and power slides.
Powell Dragon Formula (93a) - This was a bit tricky to get going. It could use some extra wax to make it easier to slide, but it was fine for flat ground and pivot style tricks, and initiating power slides wasn't too difficult.
OJ Nomads (95a) - Relatively grippy, but I lost traction fairly easily on powerslides and pivot-type tricks, and it didn't stick well on noses or tailslides. I did need to apply a good amount of wax to the ledges, though.
OJ Double Duro (95/101a) - Even with the hard shell, these felt more grippy than traditional hard wheels. They still glided well on nose and tail slides, and I was able to easily break traction for flat-ground flip tricks and power slides. They had a muffled sound like cruiser wheels, but when power sliding, they sounded more like hard wheels.
Test 3: Power slide test
The final test was a downhill powerslide test. We wanted to see how well the wheels would slide and how well they would withstand flat spots. We marked a chalk starting line at the top of the hill and set the powerslide point 80 feet down. This ensured that all wheels received the same acceleration and were evaluated fairly. We powerslid each wheel three times and averaged the results. There were factors that could have affected the results, such as differences in wheel shape and contact patch, as well as temperature and subtle inconsistencies in the asphalt, but that's why we call it "science"!
The above are average powerslide results. Interestingly, the wheel performance in the powerslide test did not directly correlate to the results I observed while skating. Based on my previous assessment, stiffer wheels should glide better than softer wheels. However, this was not the case. The Bones X-Formula and Powell Dragon Formula wheels significantly out-glided the OJ wheels. The X and Dragon wheels appear to be formulated like longboard wheels, designed to grip but glide like butter once traction is lost.
Test 4: Flat Spot Test
After sliding the wheels downhill, we inspected them for damage and flat spots. Some wheels had small chips, small nicks, or minor flat spots, but all held up relatively well. We also spun the wheels on the smooth surface of Washington Jefferson Skatepark in Eugene to feel for any vibrations caused by flat spots.
Spitfire Formula 4 (93d) - No vibrations from flat spots, but I could see a small chip in the lip of the wheel.
Bones X-Formula (97a) - Very minor vibration. No actual flat spots, but some visible cuts and a small chipped wheel.
Powell Dragon Formula (93a) - No chips, but a noticeable flat spot on one of the wheels, but it was very subtle and not noticeable.
OJ Nomads (95a) - These wheels felt the same as before, no noticeable flat spots or chips.
conclusion
All of these wheels were suitable for their respective purposes. They offered a smoother ride than traditional stiff wheels and were adequate for technical skating.
The Spitfire Formula 4 93d performed best in each test.
The Powell Dragon and Bones X Formula wheels are great for transportation and technical skating, especially in slippery indoor skateparks where you need more traction.
The OJ Nomad and Double Duro are great for regular skating, not so much for transportation, but they do make it easier to glide over areas that would be difficult with regular hard wheels. Ultimately, it all comes down to your personal preferences and needs for skate wheels. Use this information to make a wise decision when buying your new wheels.
