what wheels do people recommend? i’m pretty happy with the shitbird blackfartz i have but i’m thinking of going a bit softer.
wheels for bowlriding
Rich, I am currently riding on BDS double con ultrathanes, 92a hardness.
A good wheel if you want something softer.
Yes, or minidubs. There a gas. A bit of width for grip and great profile for on and off the coping without any hanging up (or not often). And they are fast wheels. For lame old bastard such as I they are a more reassuring wheel than thinner new school profiles. Only wheels I know so far that come in softer mixs which are not what you would describe as soft but more slightly less hard - so the ride isn’t spongy in any sense. Slide well too.
I love the Poolking 101a’s. I also ride blackfarts but the poolkings are much more grippy. If you like the profiles on the blackfarts the poolkings may not be for you. I found the blackfarts come off the coping a lot smoother than the poolkings, the flipside of this is that the poolkings ‘lock’ on the coping better when doing 50-50’s etc.
Richard there are some nice Powell wheels that you should consider. The minilogo 58mm 95a are widish and real grippy and very cheap. Or the cockroach 96a also. I personaly like the dubcons or minidubs in 95a green or ultyrathane. And if im feeling crazy the blackdeath minidubs. But the dubs are probly too big for a 8 to 8.5 deck like yours.
good comments here, keep em coming.
i’m slowly setting up a black label duane peters 8’ 3/4" with some grindkings, rock’n rons, and i was thinking of getting some more blackfartz but thought i should play around a bit. got some 58 cockroachs but ideally looking at 60-61 wheel size.
Rich I had some Spit Classics which the good Dr now has. never rode em but they are a little softer than shitfires with that nice bullet profile and a bit more tread width. Ask Bill for a roll.
I’m onto some new wheels - ‘Type S’ Sergie Ventura’s co. Omar rides em so do Patch and our own Skunk. Distributor says they should be here in a few weeks and I’ll have a set.
OJIII 60mm 98 they are by far the most comfortable wheel ive rolled on yet and not only that the are damn fast too, sound great when sliding and have plenty of grip. Perfect for any surface. Well they are Santa Cruz urethane after all.
Good call GH. I’m lovin’ my OJIII (I got the 58mm). Slightly wider than most contemporary wheels and wonderful for the likes of San Remo. Not to poor in the wooden realm of Slam Factory bowl either.
Rain Skates Yellow Jackets 62mm, been using now for a year, grippy on all surfaces, 98a but feel strangley soft but arent. great shape, definitely fast, got the shit bird stuff as well, and skaterbuilt which are dam close in ride, they are all great but i keep going back to the yellow jackets.
where sceptical when i looked at them but when i rolled, no going back. Check the forums from the US,
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i thought people were ridin’ the cortech photons?
I lub the Cortech Protons, although some people critisize them for being to hard
gotta get some of that rainskates action Jimmy!
The poolking 101’s are hella fast hey Eli ya old bastard!
The 62mm/97a alva groovies are good
The abec 11’s I will be trying this weekend
I have been searching for 60mm and above and 92-98a wheels for some time…the hunt continues 
would be interested to know about those ABEC 11 wheels Braden.
Photons are everywhere Chris true. Rich sounded llike he was searching for a slightly softer feel that his shitfires which photons are not.
Good example you don’t have to be hard to be fast are the red tunnel rocks 90a. 90a and as fast as anything anywhere.
right on steve. I put some of those on my big foot and they are fast. Have you riden the blue ones yet - wonder what they are like. That thing about softness is misleading at times it seems. Braden also gave me a set of 90A black minidubs, these are strangely fast too - slightly faster than tunnels - probably because they don’t bog that bit on carves. Everyone who hops on my board hops off and comments it feels fast. Not even Rockin Rons, just an old set of cleaned and maintained reds for bearings.
Mind you - on second thoughts - fast is Wedge. And Wedge is fast on black deaths.
Everything out there currently is good. Black death are the only wheels i want to try on my set up and havent, but wedges board cranks on them. Go out buy 4 or more different sets from all different brands, run rockets and find what suits you, my advise, dont judge a book by its cover, old clece’’ the urethane may look hard and slippery but once rolled on will change your pre conceptions, thats how i arrived on my well used yellow jackets.
Sage advice Jimmy!
Spend a little, do the research, and let us know what you reckon!
My favorites for bowls are probably Bonzer Retro’s, or Vision Blurr’s.
Both nice riders if you can get onto them.