Super snappy for flip tricks, light too compared to spitfire classic. It grabs and grips a lot, which can throw off your shuv & revert tricks. But you won’t slip out on slippery parks and you can handle crusty streets. You can really feel where the edge of the wheel is, & because of that, It’s actually a great wheel for manuals. You can kinda lock-in to your manny, it doesn’t drift or slide out, goes really straight. I can revert much, much easier on the spitfire 97a classics though . Both wheels are freaking sick and very different! My 54mm Nomads also feel like the haven’t worn down to much (like you were mentioning). My 97a f4 spitfires have lost 1-2mm, but my Nomads still feel like they’ve held at 54mm, they feel taller than the spits ... ? Anyway, thanks for posting up the review. Just wanted to add my thoughts. Love the Nomads.
I co-sign everything on here! Also I agree my Nomads never really lost their size, which is probably a good thing for most people but I was really hoping they would trim down to a 52mm. I recently switched back to spit 101 f4 classic 52mm and everything about them i just works for me. 🤷🏻♂️
@@Skatebetter another thing I really like about these wheels is how light they are! If your riding Indy standards or Thunder standards and those trucks are feeling too heavy, give these wheels a try! I was riding Spitfire classics (both 97a & 99a, 54mm) on Thunder team 148 (8.25”) on an 8.25” Real deck. The Real deck + the Thunder trucks were feeling really heavy to me. I was struggling and having to pop super hard, put lots of effort into my tricks and my legs would be dust after 90mins. But then I tried the 95a Nomads, also 54mm on that same setup and it was sooo much more manageable. It feels way lighter, easier to get the board off the ground. Everything flips and spins faster, and my legs aren’t destroyed after my session. So for me, I think I’ll be rocking Nomads and tablet shapes in general on Thunder trucks in the future. It really lightened up the setup considerably, it’s crazy how these tiny things make such a huge difference in Skateboarding. Also, the hard edge of the tablet shape really locks you in and keeps you going straight (like I said great for manuals). Compared to the classic shape, which on the same set up felt very swervey/turny. So if your truck feels to squirrely, this wheel shape will help combat that! This wheel also grabs the ground more when you land a trick. So you kinda “stick” your landings, which is really nice when working on a new trick, knowing that your board isn’t just gonna zoom out from under your feet (like with a rounded edge classic shape). But if you like to be scootchy/slidy on your tricks, you won’t like this wheel. So the grip and stick being good or bad depends on your styles. Compared to the 97a Spitfires: Nomads feel and sound (clack and bark) more like a hard wheel under your feet, but are more sticky/grippy when sliding or reverting. Spitfire 97a are quieter and ride more like a soft wheel under the feet, but they slide better than the Nomads. They slide really well actually and still respond like a hard wheel when it comes to popping, turning, tricks. I was struggling a lot with my Thunders and almost thew in the towel on them, but putting the Nomads on them actually saved the day, and now I’m having fun on that setup. Just some more updated thoughts after switching setups.
Appreciate the thoroughness. I love the simplicity of the gear head sheet. NHS and OJ seem to always be pushing the Nomads. Great to hear these are buttery on crunchy ground. Like the speed per push. You don't hear that often. Thanks again.
hey brother, quick update from me: So I've been riding the nomads and while they do bring me to the skatepark reasonably well and still do slide, ultimately I wasnt happy with them as my main wheels. for commuting they are much better than 99+ wheels, but still a far cry from a soft wheel, even around 90A so it works, but not optimal. and in the park they are way too grippy, sliding becomes a pain and unpredictable. I bet if you are really good you can slide them no problem, but I am a rookie and these wheels are hard to slide for me. so instead of trying to get the best of both worlds in a wheel, thats what I wanted and it didnt work out, I got some super soft, big cruiser wheels to ride to the park and some 99A spitfire conicals to ride in the park and like that I am much happier, honestly! I'll keep them around for really rough streetspots and slick wooden ramps and indoor parks. think thats where they'll shine.
The one we’ve been waiting for! I was really in the market for some Ricta Clouds 92As or OJ Nomads 95A. I might yet get the Nomads because I just really dislike the look of the Rictas but I think I’ll just get either 99A or 97A, when I can find them, Spitfire Conical Fulls.
If you haven’t tried them yet, the Ricta clouds are a really interesting wheel. I’m about to get some Nomads to test out, but I’ve had the 92a clouds for about 6-7 months, seeing everyday usage for about 4 of those, and light usage afterwards. My opinion on them is that they actually feel a bit harder than you’d expect, but they take rough surfaces like a champ, especially once you break them in. Also, something about the fact that they’re cored makes it almost feel like you have shock absorbers. My one gripe is they wore down kinda quickly. They literally squish now, and at slower speeds my board stops rolling really quickly even with fresh bearings. So basically, ricta clouds are amazing wheels but if you skate daily, they’ll feel bad after like half a year
@@_TheZipper_ half a year isn’t that bad. I never got either of them. I don’t know about the Rictas but I felt that I wanted more riding surface than the OJs offered. I still have a set of OJ Keyframes and they are what 87A or 86A that are alrite. But I did settle on Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls
If I gave someone unmarked 92/95/99a wheels, I highly suspect no one would be able to tell. Guys act like 92s are so soft when really you can’t tell a difference in hardness. Hell, even Ricta Clouds 78a aren’t as soft as people act like. Now the width, tread, and material can make a difference in basically only grip. Shape is the biggest factor. But hardness is so over exaggerated. I can’t tell a difference between 78a Rictas and 86a bones just like I can’t tell a difference between 92a and 99a, so certainly 95a aren’t going to be noticeable. I’ve had black 97a wheels that were so grippy and perceptively soft while riding that I could do a no roll Ollie without any wobbling. But when I would stick my thumbnail into them, they were rock hard. Then I throw on some 78a clouds, slime balls, or super juices and can’t stand still to Ollie without moving. Granted, I rarely am doing anything without rolling but it shows that duro alone isn’t a great way to tell how wheels will be. Now the bones 84b, or what ever they are rated, are the only wheels that a noticeably harder than anything else.
I have theese on my complete, and I love them. They grip well, decent on rough street, and they slide when u want them. As for durability, I think they hold up great, but I havent used them for long enough
i really love the detail you go into in this video and i’ve been wanting to try this and the new 97a spitfires. i hope you can also do a review/comparison of the 97a spits to the 95 nomads
Yeah some wheels are weird like that. My initial impression of the Ricta Chrome core 99a also was how it was more grippy, but it wore off too and because more slidey than my Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 101a. And I don't think it was just contact surface. I actually had the same happening with the Ricta Clouds 92a, which actually slide just fine to me. It's hard to say whether the durometer per brand is just off by that much or if there was a layer you wear through. I know Bones wheels have deeper layers that are slightly different, but normally you wouldn't really notice too much. (One of the most notable Bones wheels that has this is the Bones Rough Rider wheels by the way). I too would say the Conical Full is the fastest wheel I've got, next to the Bones Rough Rider (but that's like 56mm I think, which changes the whole speed thing too).
Just built a mini ramp in my backyard . . I shall get some of these for skating it to keep the noise down for my neighbours . . They look 👳 Indian good 🇮🇳
I actually learned to appreciate the versatility of these wheels. I didn’t like them initially cause they were hard to slide in the park which i mostly skate but after skating street and breaking them in for about a week, they perform quite well in the park as well. Still don’t slide as well as spitfires in the park but, skating street is way more comfortable than spitfires. They slide well on the street. They still can be sticky on some rare obstacles with some specific tricks but overall the positives outweigh the negatives. They require breaking in street skating before using them in the park.
I agree- they gave me a confidence boost in the street as well because i wasn’t as worried about hitting a crack or something. And they’re still nimble while providing a grounded feeling if that makes any sense.
See you still have your Raws alive. Great stuff!! OJ's are for life. I had bought 55 mm Mini Super Juice's and they are running strong for transporting but I also bought 52mm Keyframes for tech and transportation and they still run strong my Yellow Jacket Venom Ceramics. I want to get the Nomads but I feel having Raws on a smaller wheel with a lower riding surface would feel stiffining cause of the bearings added weight and reinforcing. I want to bang on Bronson Ceramics (soon) but I like the Y.J.'s too. Either way, great review G. Hopefully you can put one out for the New Balance 508's.
Appreciate the comment my g! Had no idea bearings could make such a difference so maybe I’ll branch out and start experimenting. Definitely loving the OJ’s and have always been curious about the Keyframes so good to know! And also I’m a big Westgate fan so those new shoes definitely got me curious. :)
Definitely a all rounder wheel to bring to a repainted old crack of a skatepark but also to a new but dusty slippery concrete park. I would say almost as fast as the spitfire F4 full conical 99a in similar size the real difference is in slide ability, the spitfire slides way easier, the Nomads requires more speed to slide out. I use them in bowls and like the buttery feel when carving and pumping with confidence knowing that the will not slide out on me. I using the 57mm on Surf Rodz TKP’s and Carver C5 truck no risers no wheelbite no flat spots. So if you are into a buttery smooth surfy feeling the Nomads will do the job with excellence . There is plenty of room for this design to have 52mm and 60mm as well. I think the Elite urethane is getting up there with the spitfire and bones in quality but maybe slightly less in in durability. But I have yet to try out harder durometers in the Oj elite range. But a 95a as good as a 99a 👍 I have some Alva coronial 59mm 88a and the nomads feels very similar in overall performance but way faster and will lock in on coping to satisfies most skaters. Haven’t tried them on indoor woodland surfaces but I think they will perform as good as a 78-80 durometer. But they will never be my favorite cruiser wheels, there you have to go with bones Rough Riders or Hawk Lil EZ’s but that’s another story.
After trying these on one of my park setups I'm 100% sold. Maybe my favorite wheels now. I have the 53s, and on good park pavement they seemed as fast or faster than my 97duro Conical Full 56s. They are on different setups but running the same bearings. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Found the 54s and 57s on sale, as well as some EZ Edges, and am going to give them a run as well.
Where I grew up I could only skate hills and flat ground, but always dreamed of carving bowls. Now that I've gotten back into it I'm getting hooked on park skating (still love hills though!). Unfortunately I've lost my ollie ability and was never really into technical tricks, so I mostly focus on speed (why I usually skate bigger wheels), carving up the park, and getting to the point where I can truly skate a proper bowl. Can't really see myself going for full transition skating though as no matter how good a shape I'm in the years and mileage have taken their toll and the risk of injury is too great (I'll be 45 in a couple of months). The advantage of age is that I now have the resources to experiment with quality gear and have a setup or two for most types of skating.
You may want to give the EZ Edges a try - ran them today for the first time and the grip well when you want but can slide with ease. They also ride very smooth for hard wheels. The OJ Elite urethane seems to be a really good compound.
Great review.... I personally can highly recommend OJs.... Like i have tested Spitfire Conical Full (54mm) (99d), Spitfire Classic Shape 52mm (99d), OJ Mini Combo Shape 54mm (101a) and now i have OJ Hardlines (54mm) (99a) - and from all those wheels, OJ seems to me amazingly perfect... Like i am total noob, started sk8ing after many years again, so let's say i am beginner, but i have fetish on sk8 wheels and right now the very best is OJ Hardlines 99a - tested on shitty ground sk8park, not that smooth as u can see in this vid... Would like to try Nomads from OJs too, but i don't believe in that hardness 95a .....
@@Skatebetter I prefer more esthetic and i kinda have to have it symmetric ^^ I have twin tail Santa Cruz deck too, because i hate having smaller tail and bigger nose ^^ On other side, Mini Combo is great for those who like to experiencing, because someone loves lock on rails, someone love 'classis' shape and mini combo offers both in one
That does it, Gonna search at my local for these wheels, thank you for the awesome review! Wanted something that could handle craggy streets better but not sacrifice park feel
@@PP-hx5it my local only had the 53, they are nice for rougher? aged parked but on a slippery park these will grip very well, was nice for carving hard and not banana slip and die on a deep transition. as for street they are pretty good, only wish was for a bigger size cause of my personal preference, also reverts require more effort
Thanks for this one, been looking at these wheels but it sounds like they don't offer much benefit over the 97 duro Conical Fulls I'm running now which I like a lot.
@@taffskates4150 I’ve only skated the 99 duro fulls but even those were pretty buttery over crusty surfaces because of the wider surface area. I think a 97 would be even better! I also have to say the size of the wheel makes a big difference as well- bigger being better for crusty!
@@Skatebetter just ordered some 56mm 97a conical fulls from my local shop , UK pavements and areas in general are so crusty 😂 but still need need to be hard enough for slappys🤘🛹
@@taffskates4150 For harder wheels they are pretty decent on rougher pavement and I like them a lot for both park and street. Certainly a noticeable improvement on 99s and 100s. I have the 56mm also. However they won't be confused for truly soft wheels in both speed and comfort on any surface. They are I believe a very good compromise though
I finally ordered a set of these yesterday. I just got annoyed at the ground around my new place. I've used 99A Conical Fulls and they work sort of but yesterday I was out on some 101A Classics and the ground was just eating my speed up and making me feel almost unstable. I got them for $10 less than they usually go for so felt I might as well splurge and give them a try.
@@Skatebetter I’m pretty stoked myself. I do ride around on some OJ Plain Jane Keyframe 87As but they are a little on the too soft side but are a good wheel none the less.
@@Skatebetter the Keyframes are in a weird state. They actually feel relatively hard but they are absolutely softer than my only other frame of reference a 99A wheel but they are still quite grippy and thus susceptible to wheel bite and not being very slidey. Still I find it a good wheel that isn’t a soft qruiser only wheel but is still nowhere near the 99A+ range for crusty streets. Personally feel they are a bit too soft and grippy for tricks but I guess they’d work fine on a pump track.
I got my first board like 4 months ago it was a amazon board bcs i didnt have money and last week i got my 2nd board from a skateshop and i got the nomads and broooooo the difference.... i got pretty good at mannies and i tried mannies on my new board, and it just feels so good,very enjoyable overall i think imma get it again bcs it feels rlly good
hey brother, I really enjoy your reviews on wheels especially. would you be willing to try out some 97A slime balls or something? I´m really interested in that hardness, because I figure the nomads might just be a little too soft for my taste.
Appreciate that! I’m definitely interested in 97, I think Spitfire even has a wheel out in that duro right now. The classics still have a little life left but I’ll def be doing a survey or post for my next wheels!
@@Skatebetter nice! yeah, afaik there are 97A conical fulls. I havent seen any other spitfire shapes in 97 around where I live, and conical full is too hefty for my taste. actually because I really want to ride to the skatepark on my deck instead of my bicycle, I will try out the nomads next year. I was concerned they wouldnt slide well enough for me, but I think that might also be a plus at times and as long as I can still make them slide at all, it should be fine.
do you recommend them for transition skating, i personally do both, like you said its good for flipping the board and stuff but if you do transition, can you pick up a lot of speed?
I have to be 100% honest on this one- unfortunately I don’t skate vert or transition enough to feel like I could answer this powerfully. I can say the wheel absolutely picks up more speed than a classic shape just rolling around flat or going up/down banks etc, but for actual transition I don’t skate it enough to really say confidently. I love vert/tran skating just haven’t devoted enough time to it. I here a lot of people like the Radials for transition as the soft edge plus wider surface is a solid combo for slides, lock in, and also stability! Hope that helps my g.
@@Skatebetter my main consern was the durometer, because i know the harder the wheel, the faster you will go for instance bones spf. Do you have any friends that have skated this wheels and mainly do transition skating? if so, reply to my comment, otherwise thank you for attention and time and i hope you have a nice week
Softer wheels are actually faster (usually) because they do a better job of absorbing the vertical oscillations caused by surface irregularities; kinetic energy spent moving up and down and not forward is wasted energy.
Tbh i don’t know too much about freestyle skating tricks. I don’t think the wheel would give you that many advantages, but I’m sure you could do boneless’s and basic tricks without much trouble.
@@Skatebetter Ok thanks. I did not know about them. What is the benefit and science behind shieldless bearings though? The shield is designed to keep dirt and foreign objects out which sticks to the lube and creates wear and pits on the bearings and to keep moisture out that rusts the ball bearings. I looked on the website and on their bearings with shields they state "hold oil in, dirt and moisture out" which is what a shield is designed to do. Cool. _BUT_ on the Raw's it states "no crud dust and dirt build up" _AND_ "hold oil in, dirt and moisture out" First, this is conflicting information. How can the Raw's do two things at once? Second, how do the Raw's magically keep the oil in but all the other unwanted objects out? Oil and water doesn't mix, I get that, but the dirt and dust? I smell BS and a marketing ploy. It's not edgy or 'core to purposely put grit in your bearings. I ride Bones Swiss Ceramics with Bones Speed Cream (with shields of course) and I regularly clean, lube and maintain my bearings. In my 35 years skateboarding I've tried all types of bearings and _NOTHING_ compares to Swiss Ceramics for speed, build and quality. My logic is to invest in the 'engine' of my skateboard with the best technology & R&D in the industry, that's just me though.
@@RussRockwell To be honest I’m not really sure of the science behind how they work, nor could I confirm if they even do work they way they are explaining lol. It doesn’t make sense to me either. I honestly just liked the way they roll, look, and sounded at the time- plus the speed feels like about the perfect amount for me. I’m currently riding bearings with shields now and they’re great. I never had issues with the Bronson’s though, oddly enough they were great! I’ve ridden Bones Swiss but never the ceramics those are really nice bearings. I’ll have to give em a try sometime!
@@Skatebetter No worries dude thanks for your reply. I appreciate your honesty and saying you just liked the way the way they roll, look and sounded which is as a good a reason as anything! I retract my comment perhaps inferring you may have been riding without shields to be edgy or 'core. Although those dudes exist you're obviously not one of them! Besides, not everyone has to have some ideological reason for doing something, saying "I just like it" is not only your prerogative it's quite refreshing to hear. It's good to have a straight up and honest conversation on youtube for a change. Keep on pushing dude 🛹💨‼️
@@RussRockwell you’re not meant to put lubrication in the Raws. The balls are meant to roll on the tungsten coat. How fast that wears off though or how that is supposed to help the balls to handle heat though I have no idea. I thought they were all kinds of great for 6 months but then they started squeaking and rolling noticeably slower.
Cruise to the skatepark without arriving bruised and then skate the slippery concrete in the park without getting bruised. Cruise back home arriving all intact teeth 🦷 still there in the mouth where they belong. A No brainer really.
Super snappy for flip tricks, light too compared to spitfire classic. It grabs and grips a lot, which can throw off your shuv & revert tricks. But you won’t slip out on slippery parks and you can handle crusty streets. You can really feel where the edge of the wheel is, & because of that, It’s actually a great wheel for manuals. You can kinda lock-in to your manny, it doesn’t drift or slide out, goes really straight. I can revert much, much easier on the spitfire 97a classics though . Both wheels are freaking sick and very different! My 54mm Nomads also feel like the haven’t worn down to much (like you were mentioning). My 97a f4 spitfires have lost 1-2mm, but my Nomads still feel like they’ve held at 54mm, they feel taller than the spits ... ? Anyway, thanks for posting up the review. Just wanted to add my thoughts. Love the Nomads.
I co-sign everything on here!
Also I agree my Nomads never really lost their size, which is probably a good thing for most people but I was really hoping they would trim down to a 52mm. I recently switched back to spit 101 f4 classic 52mm and everything about them i just works for me. 🤷🏻♂️
@@Skatebetter another thing I really like about these wheels is how light they are! If your riding Indy standards or Thunder standards and those trucks are feeling too heavy, give these wheels a try!
I was riding Spitfire classics (both 97a & 99a, 54mm) on Thunder team 148 (8.25”) on an 8.25” Real deck. The Real deck + the Thunder trucks were feeling really heavy to me. I was struggling and having to pop super hard, put lots of effort into my tricks and my legs would be dust after 90mins. But then I tried the 95a Nomads, also 54mm on that same setup and it was sooo much more manageable. It feels way lighter, easier to get the board off the ground. Everything flips and spins faster, and my legs aren’t destroyed after my session. So for me, I think I’ll be rocking Nomads and tablet shapes in general on Thunder trucks in the future. It really lightened up the setup considerably, it’s crazy how these tiny things make such a huge difference in Skateboarding.
Also, the hard edge of the tablet shape really locks you in and keeps you going straight (like I said great for manuals). Compared to the classic shape, which on the same set up felt very swervey/turny. So if your truck feels to squirrely, this wheel shape will help combat that!
This wheel also grabs the ground more when you land a trick. So you kinda “stick” your landings, which is really nice when working on a new trick, knowing that your board isn’t just gonna zoom out from under your feet (like with a rounded edge classic shape). But if you like to be scootchy/slidy on your tricks, you won’t like this wheel. So the grip and stick being good or bad depends on your styles.
Compared to the 97a Spitfires: Nomads feel and sound (clack and bark) more like a hard wheel under your feet, but are more sticky/grippy when sliding or reverting. Spitfire 97a are quieter and ride more like a soft wheel under the feet, but they slide better than the Nomads. They slide really well actually and still respond like a hard wheel when it comes to popping, turning, tricks.
I was struggling a lot with my Thunders and almost thew in the towel on them, but putting the Nomads on them actually saved the day, and now I’m having fun on that setup.
Just some more updated thoughts after switching setups.
@@solidbluebrian there’s a lot of good info in here and we’ll articulated too! You could totally start your own page! Lol
@@Skatebetter eh, I’m just happy someone put up a review, thanks for doing that! Happy to simply throw in my two cents.
Appreciate the thoroughness. I love the simplicity of the gear head sheet. NHS and OJ seem to always be pushing the Nomads. Great to hear these are buttery on crunchy ground. Like the speed per push. You don't hear that often. Thanks again.
Thanks my g!
hey brother, quick update from me: So I've been riding the nomads and while they do bring me to the skatepark reasonably well and still do slide, ultimately I wasnt happy with them as my main wheels.
for commuting they are much better than 99+ wheels, but still a far cry from a soft wheel, even around 90A
so it works, but not optimal. and in the park they are way too grippy, sliding becomes a pain and unpredictable.
I bet if you are really good you can slide them no problem, but I am a rookie and these wheels are hard to slide for me.
so instead of trying to get the best of both worlds in a wheel, thats what I wanted and it didnt work out, I got some super soft, big cruiser wheels to ride to the park and some 99A spitfire conicals to ride in the park and like that I am much happier, honestly!
I'll keep them around for really rough streetspots and slick wooden ramps and indoor parks. think thats where they'll shine.
I appreciate the honesty- let the people know 🙏🏻. Love me some spitfire conicals as well!
The one we’ve been waiting for! I was really in the market for some Ricta Clouds 92As or OJ Nomads 95A. I might yet get the Nomads because I just really dislike the look of the Rictas but I think I’ll just get either 99A or 97A, when I can find them, Spitfire Conical Fulls.
Mini logo had 95a wheels for half the price I just ordered a set
@@centipedekid9824 what did you think about the mini logos
If you haven’t tried them yet, the Ricta clouds are a really interesting wheel. I’m about to get some Nomads to test out, but I’ve had the 92a clouds for about 6-7 months, seeing everyday usage for about 4 of those, and light usage afterwards. My opinion on them is that they actually feel a bit harder than you’d expect, but they take rough surfaces like a champ, especially once you break them in. Also, something about the fact that they’re cored makes it almost feel like you have shock absorbers. My one gripe is they wore down kinda quickly. They literally squish now, and at slower speeds my board stops rolling really quickly even with fresh bearings.
So basically, ricta clouds are amazing wheels but if you skate daily, they’ll feel bad after like half a year
@@_TheZipper_ half a year isn’t that bad. I never got either of them. I don’t know about the Rictas but I felt that I wanted more riding surface than the OJs offered. I still have a set of OJ Keyframes and they are what 87A or 86A that are alrite. But I did settle on Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls
If I gave someone unmarked 92/95/99a wheels, I highly suspect no one would be able to tell. Guys act like 92s are so soft when really you can’t tell a difference in hardness. Hell, even Ricta Clouds 78a aren’t as soft as people act like. Now the width, tread, and material can make a difference in basically only grip. Shape is the biggest factor. But hardness is so over exaggerated. I can’t tell a difference between 78a Rictas and 86a bones just like I can’t tell a difference between 92a and 99a, so certainly 95a aren’t going to be noticeable. I’ve had black 97a wheels that were so grippy and perceptively soft while riding that I could do a no roll Ollie without any wobbling. But when I would stick my thumbnail into them, they were rock hard. Then I throw on some 78a clouds, slime balls, or super juices and can’t stand still to Ollie without moving. Granted, I rarely am doing anything without rolling but it shows that duro alone isn’t a great way to tell how wheels will be.
Now the bones 84b, or what ever they are rated, are the only wheels that a noticeably harder than anything else.
I have theese on my complete, and I love them. They grip well, decent on rough street, and they slide when u want them. As for durability, I think they hold up great, but I havent used them for long enough
Glad you’re enjoying them g!
i really love the detail you go into in this video and i’ve been wanting to try this and the new 97a spitfires. i hope you can also do a review/comparison of the 97a spits to the 95 nomads
Thanks g- I went with a slicker wheel this time but I’m going back to a 99 or 97 next so I’ll check em out!
If you own the 101 and 99, you know exactly how the 97 will feel, like when I bought it it was exactly how I expected it to perform
@@joshualong5390 i agree- you can basically apply the same sort of “grippiness” change that occurs from the 101 to 99, when going from 99-97.
Yeah some wheels are weird like that. My initial impression of the Ricta Chrome core 99a also was how it was more grippy, but it wore off too and because more slidey than my Spitfire F4 Conical Fulls 101a. And I don't think it was just contact surface. I actually had the same happening with the Ricta Clouds 92a, which actually slide just fine to me. It's hard to say whether the durometer per brand is just off by that much or if there was a layer you wear through. I know Bones wheels have deeper layers that are slightly different, but normally you wouldn't really notice too much. (One of the most notable Bones wheels that has this is the Bones Rough Rider wheels by the way). I too would say the Conical Full is the fastest wheel I've got, next to the Bones Rough Rider (but that's like 56mm I think, which changes the whole speed thing too).
Hi never has wheels which sliding was improved significant. Has 99a 101a for all pricey Bones, Ricta, Spitfire F4 wheels
If sliding at my Ricta Speedrings 99a will be improved it will number one wheels for street with tricks
Just built a mini ramp in my backyard . . I shall get some of these for skating it to keep the noise down for my neighbours . . They look 👳 Indian good 🇮🇳
I actually learned to appreciate the versatility of these wheels. I didn’t like them initially cause they were hard to slide in the park which i mostly skate but after skating street and breaking them in for about a week, they perform quite well in the park as well. Still don’t slide as well as spitfires in the park but, skating street is way more comfortable than spitfires. They slide well on the street. They still can be sticky on some rare obstacles with some specific tricks but overall the positives outweigh the negatives. They require breaking in street skating before using them in the park.
I agree- they gave me a confidence boost in the street as well because i wasn’t as worried about hitting a crack or something. And they’re still nimble while providing a grounded feeling if that makes any sense.
@@Skatebetter totally! bonus points for easy bearings extraction, lol
See you still have your Raws alive. Great stuff!! OJ's are for life. I had bought 55 mm Mini Super Juice's and they are running strong for transporting but I also bought 52mm Keyframes for tech and transportation and they still run strong my Yellow Jacket Venom Ceramics. I want to get the Nomads but I feel having Raws on a smaller wheel with a lower riding surface would feel stiffining cause of the bearings added weight and reinforcing. I want to bang on Bronson Ceramics (soon) but I like the Y.J.'s too. Either way, great review G. Hopefully you can put one out for the New Balance 508's.
Appreciate the comment my g! Had no idea bearings could make such a difference so maybe I’ll branch out and start experimenting. Definitely loving the OJ’s and have always been curious about the Keyframes so good to know! And also I’m a big Westgate fan so those new shoes definitely got me curious. :)
Definitely a all rounder wheel to bring to a repainted old crack of a skatepark but also to a new but dusty slippery concrete park. I would say almost as fast as the spitfire F4 full conical 99a in similar size the real difference is in slide ability, the spitfire slides way easier, the Nomads requires more speed to slide out. I use them in bowls and like the buttery feel when carving and pumping with confidence knowing that the will not slide out on me. I using the 57mm on Surf Rodz TKP’s and Carver C5 truck no risers no wheelbite no flat spots. So if you are into a buttery smooth surfy feeling the Nomads will do the job with excellence . There is plenty of room for this design to have 52mm and 60mm as well. I think the Elite urethane is getting up there with the spitfire and bones in quality but maybe slightly less in in durability. But I have yet to try out harder durometers in the Oj elite range. But a 95a as good as a 99a 👍 I have some Alva coronial 59mm 88a and the nomads feels very similar in overall performance but way faster and will lock in on coping to satisfies most skaters. Haven’t tried them on indoor woodland surfaces but I think they will perform as good as a 78-80 durometer. But they will never be my favorite cruiser wheels, there you have to go with bones Rough Riders or Hawk Lil EZ’s but that’s another story.
After trying these on one of my park setups I'm 100% sold. Maybe my favorite wheels now. I have the 53s, and on good park pavement they seemed as fast or faster than my 97duro Conical Full 56s. They are on different setups but running the same bearings. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Found the 54s and 57s on sale, as well as some EZ Edges, and am going to give them a run as well.
You riding some big wheels- do you usually skate park or street? Any transition?
Where I grew up I could only skate hills and flat ground, but always dreamed of carving bowls. Now that I've gotten back into it I'm getting hooked on park skating (still love hills though!). Unfortunately I've lost my ollie ability and was never really into technical tricks, so I mostly focus on speed (why I usually skate bigger wheels), carving up the park, and getting to the point where I can truly skate a proper bowl. Can't really see myself going for full transition skating though as no matter how good a shape I'm in the years and mileage have taken their toll and the risk of injury is too great (I'll be 45 in a couple of months). The advantage of age is that I now have the resources to experiment with quality gear and have a setup or two for most types of skating.
@@jonathandantonio649 congrats on getting back to it 💪🏻. Totally makes sense and happy carving my g!
Thanks brother👍 Hope the channel continues to prosper.
You may want to give the EZ Edges a try - ran them today for the first time and the grip well when you want but can slide with ease. They also ride very smooth for hard wheels. The OJ Elite urethane seems to be a really good compound.
Great review, you should review the OJ's EZ edge, no one has reviewed those one yet
Perhaps I will!
Great review.... I personally can highly recommend OJs.... Like i have tested Spitfire Conical Full (54mm) (99d), Spitfire Classic Shape 52mm (99d), OJ Mini Combo Shape 54mm (101a) and now i have OJ Hardlines (54mm) (99a) - and from all those wheels, OJ seems to me amazingly perfect... Like i am total noob, started sk8ing after many years again, so let's say i am beginner, but i have fetish on sk8 wheels and right now the very best is OJ Hardlines 99a - tested on shitty ground sk8park, not that smooth as u can see in this vid... Would like to try Nomads from OJs too, but i don't believe in that hardness 95a .....
I really liked the wheel for what it was, and would definitely try OJ again! Did you like the Hardlines or Mini Combo shape more?
@@Skatebetter I prefer more esthetic and i kinda have to have it symmetric ^^ I have twin tail Santa Cruz deck too, because i hate having smaller tail and bigger nose ^^ On other side, Mini Combo is great for those who like to experiencing, because someone loves lock on rails, someone love 'classis' shape and mini combo offers both in one
That does it, Gonna search at my local for these wheels, thank you for the awesome review!
Wanted something that could handle craggy streets better but not sacrifice park feel
Hope you enjoy them g!
Did you get these? How did you like them?
@@PP-hx5it my local only had the 53, they are nice for rougher? aged parked but on a slippery park these will grip very well, was nice for carving hard and not banana slip and die on a deep transition. as for street they are pretty good, only wish was for a bigger size cause of my personal preference, also reverts require more effort
Great review! I wonder why there were not too many reviews about oj comparing to spit or bones
Not sure haha. I think it’s just a newer-ish wheel maybe? And thank my g!
@@Skatebetter but yeah your vid makes me want to try these bad boys, need to try something different than my f4 classics, thanks bro!
Thanks for this one, been looking at these wheels but it sounds like they don't offer much benefit over the 97 duro Conical Fulls I'm running now which I like a lot.
I would agree- a super cool wheel but probably not a game changer considering what you got!
How are the 97 duro conical fulls on rough ground in your opinion?
@@taffskates4150 I’ve only skated the 99 duro fulls but even those were pretty buttery over crusty surfaces because of the wider surface area. I think a 97 would be even better! I also have to say the size of the wheel makes a big difference as well- bigger being better for crusty!
@@Skatebetter just ordered some 56mm 97a conical fulls from my local shop , UK pavements and areas in general are so crusty 😂 but still need need to be hard enough for slappys🤘🛹
@@taffskates4150 For harder wheels they are pretty decent on rougher pavement and I like them a lot for both park and street. Certainly a noticeable improvement on 99s and 100s. I have the 56mm also. However they won't be confused for truly soft wheels in both speed and comfort on any surface. They are I believe a very good compromise though
I finally ordered a set of these yesterday. I just got annoyed at the ground around my new place. I've used 99A Conical Fulls and they work sort of but yesterday I was out on some 101A Classics and the ground was just eating my speed up and making me feel almost unstable. I got them for $10 less than they usually go for so felt I might as well splurge and give them a try.
YESSS- so stoked for you to try them. You gotta let us know your initial thoughts!
@@Skatebetter I’m pretty stoked myself. I do ride around on some OJ Plain Jane Keyframe 87As but they are a little on the too soft side but are a good wheel none the less.
@@RikRiorik I almost bought some Keyframes for my cruiser setup. Do you think they would work well on a pump track with some tranny?
@@Skatebetter the Keyframes are in a weird state. They actually feel relatively hard but they are absolutely softer than my only other frame of reference a 99A wheel but they are still quite grippy and thus susceptible to wheel bite and not being very slidey. Still I find it a good wheel that isn’t a soft qruiser only wheel but is still nowhere near the 99A+ range for crusty streets.
Personally feel they are a bit too soft and grippy for tricks but I guess they’d work fine on a pump track.
@@RikRiorik noted and thank you kind sir!
I googled skate better looking for brink and this came up. Nice
I just watched the clip, LOL. If only it were that simple!
I ride mostly garbage surfaces, so I'm wondering if this could be the ideal wheel for me.
Yea I skate a lot of trash surfaces as well and for me it was definitely going.
I got my first board like 4 months ago it was a amazon board bcs i didnt have money and last week i got my 2nd board from a skateshop and i got the nomads and broooooo the difference.... i got pretty good at mannies and i tried mannies on my new board, and it just feels so good,very enjoyable overall i think imma get it again bcs it feels rlly good
Glad you’re enjoying the new deck and wheels my g! Congrats on the upgrade
hey brother, I really enjoy your reviews on wheels especially.
would you be willing to try out some 97A slime balls or something? I´m really interested in that hardness, because I figure the nomads might just be a little too soft for my taste.
Appreciate that! I’m definitely interested in 97, I think Spitfire even has a wheel out in that duro right now. The classics still have a little life left but I’ll def be doing a survey or post for my next wheels!
@@Skatebetter nice! yeah, afaik there are 97A conical fulls.
I havent seen any other spitfire shapes in 97 around where I live, and conical full is too hefty for my taste.
actually because I really want to ride to the skatepark on my deck instead of my bicycle, I will try out the nomads next year.
I was concerned they wouldnt slide well enough for me, but I think that might also be a plus at times and as long as I can still make them slide at all, it should be fine.
Thanks for a great review mate !
Thank you for the appreciation my g :)
I love the effort in this video❤
Thank you my g 🙏🏻
Idk if I should get these or key frames
do you recommend them for transition skating, i personally do both, like you said its good for flipping the board and stuff but if you do transition, can you pick up a lot of speed?
I have to be 100% honest on this one- unfortunately I don’t skate vert or transition enough to feel like I could answer this powerfully. I can say the wheel absolutely picks up more speed than a classic shape just rolling around flat or going up/down banks etc, but for actual transition I don’t skate it enough to really say confidently. I love vert/tran skating just haven’t devoted enough time to it. I here a lot of people like the Radials for transition as the soft edge plus wider surface is a solid combo for slides, lock in, and also stability!
Hope that helps my g.
@@Skatebetter my main consern was the durometer, because i know the harder the wheel, the faster you will go for instance bones spf. Do you have any friends that have skated this wheels and mainly do transition skating? if so, reply to my comment, otherwise thank you for attention and time and i hope you have a nice week
Softer wheels are actually faster (usually) because they do a better job of absorbing the vertical oscillations caused by surface irregularities; kinetic energy spent moving up and down and not forward is wasted energy.
Thanks for review 👍Didnt watched yet
underrated youtuber❤
Thank you g 🙏🏻
awesome vid!
thanks my g!
I skate street and do alot of freestyle tricks sometimes you think its good for free style like bonelesses and 360s
Tbh i don’t know too much about freestyle skating tricks. I don’t think the wheel would give you that many advantages, but I’m sure you could do boneless’s and basic tricks without much trouble.
95A
Yup- I corrected the mistake in the description my g. 👌🏼
Review Miles Griptape
I just might my g. Gonna go feel it at a skate shop right now actually and as long as it feels grippy enough I’m gonna try it. :)
@@Skatebetter Nice
@@jouhajohnny i bought it! Gonna try it on my next deck.
@@Skatebetter LETS GOOO 😩🔥🔥
@@Skatebetter My guy
gearhead love da
No bearing shields.
Nothing to see here.
They’re the Bronson Raws my g. :)
@@Skatebetter Ok thanks. I did not know about them.
What is the benefit and science behind shieldless bearings though? The shield is designed to keep dirt and foreign objects out which sticks to the lube and creates wear and pits on the bearings and to keep moisture out that rusts the ball bearings.
I looked on the website and on their bearings with shields they state "hold oil in, dirt and moisture out" which is what a shield is designed to do. Cool.
_BUT_ on the Raw's it states "no crud dust and dirt build up" _AND_ "hold oil in, dirt and moisture out"
First, this is conflicting information. How can the Raw's do two things at once?
Second, how do the Raw's magically keep the oil in but all the other unwanted objects out? Oil and water doesn't mix, I get that, but the dirt and dust? I smell BS and a marketing ploy. It's not edgy or 'core to purposely put grit in your bearings.
I ride Bones Swiss Ceramics with Bones Speed Cream (with shields of course) and I regularly clean, lube and maintain my bearings.
In my 35 years skateboarding I've tried all types of bearings and _NOTHING_ compares to Swiss Ceramics for speed, build and quality.
My logic is to invest in the 'engine' of my skateboard with the best technology & R&D in the industry, that's just me though.
@@RussRockwell To be honest I’m not really sure of the science behind how they work, nor could I confirm if they even do work they way they are explaining lol. It doesn’t make sense to me either. I honestly just liked the way they roll, look, and sounded at the time- plus the speed feels like about the perfect amount for me. I’m currently riding bearings with shields now and they’re great. I never had issues with the Bronson’s though, oddly enough they were great! I’ve ridden Bones Swiss but never the ceramics those are really nice bearings. I’ll have to give em a try sometime!
@@Skatebetter No worries dude thanks for your reply. I appreciate your honesty and saying you just liked the way the way they roll, look and sounded which is as a good a reason as anything!
I retract my comment perhaps inferring you may have been riding without shields to be edgy or 'core. Although those dudes exist you're obviously not one of them! Besides, not everyone has to have some ideological reason for doing something, saying "I just like it" is not only your prerogative it's quite refreshing to hear. It's good to have a straight up and honest conversation on youtube for a change. Keep on pushing dude 🛹💨‼️
@@RussRockwell you’re not meant to put lubrication in the Raws. The balls are meant to roll on the tungsten coat. How fast that wears off though or how that is supposed to help the balls to handle heat though I have no idea. I thought they were all kinds of great for 6 months but then they started squeaking and rolling noticeably slower.
great. this sounds like a wheel for a old fat skater like myself who is more crust challenged.
You’ll have to try them and let me know if they’re “old fart approved!” Keep shredding my g! 🙌🏻💪🏻
@@Skatebetter thanks. your reviews are pretty spot on. i have tried the spitfire 56mm F4s and they work pretty well in the park for me...
Cruise to the skatepark without arriving bruised and then skate the slippery concrete in the park without getting bruised. Cruise back home arriving all intact teeth 🦷 still there in the mouth where they belong. A No brainer really.
Exactly