Changed my life as an NYC skater. Bought em last week. I'll never ride anything else ever again. Update: two years later and i still use these everyday so i can both get to the park and skate the park on the same board.
AD: *"Goes further with every push!"* --Rly tho? Some energy HAS to go to wheel deformation as it rotates. SLIDE is 1 thing... but is it 93A or not? If so, physics says it *MUST* be slower. BEN: "Compared to a harder wheel, they do feel slower" THAANK YOUU SIIIR
might be weird but im in a wheel review crave right now so i just got done re-watching the old spitfire vs. bones video you made. thanks for reading my mind lmao.
I got a pair of 95 nomads that work pretty well on rough stuff , you have definitely sparked my interest in the Dragon’s. Thanks and hope your Achilles gets better soon
@@jonathandantonio649 I actually agree. In fact, my Mini Logo 95A wheels are better already too, unless you're truly picky about the wheel shape. A 93A definitely won't slide as well.
Nice! Great video! I ordered mine yesterday. I mainly casually skate 56mm Ricta cruiser wheels, but would like to power slide and skate asphalt parks a bit more. I tried some other 94A wheels but they’re weirdly slow. Looking forward to trying these! I have never gotten used to skating hard wheels, so this seems like exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Thanks for the review Ben, I am an older skater always looking for an advantage in my gear to compensate for age, everything is fairly crusty near me and I wanted a compromise wheel that could run the crust but didn't need changing for the smooth indoor skate parks. Ended up with the OJ Nomads and they are ok, don't run too smooth over rough ground but defo better and I find them fine but not great for smooth park riding. These wheels seem like a better compromise for my needs. Always enjoy your content brother.
Yeah it's amazing. I was at my local park and got talking to somebody about them and he said 'that fella over there has just been telling me exactly the same thing- soft and slide'.
@@ericarevalo5005 i went in not really knowing what hype form 4s had, and i remember going to shop for the first time in a long time in 2017 and buying some full conicals and being surprised at how well they rolled and how much better than classics they were. my favorite set of wheels i ever had were Rat Bones II 60mm 97a powell peralta reissue wheels and i still wish they made more. so im interested
We had the Ricta Clouds 92A that has been marketed as a hybrid wheel too. It had a decent amount of hype behind it too. Spitfire Formula Fours deserve all the hype by the way. Probably the best wheels out there. And available from like 95/97A to 104A or something and which one to get exactly boils down to preference too. I really like the 97A ones. But definitely skate rough streets.
Observe the master at work!! I know you said you were done with reviews, but thanks for coming out of retirement. This was one of the most helpful reviews you’ve ever done. All of the old buddies thank you for your service.
great review! feel like ive learned a lot about them from this vid that a lot of the other vids don't show. I live in SF and bomb hills and have wanted a wheel like this for a long time (slideable, handle the crust, and if the slide is as they say should be confidence inspiring and let me slide from even faster speeds then i am comfortable with even with f4s). From some videos from Powell's downhill riders on instagram it seems like they slide easy for days, but we shall see...(hard to accurately guage because those guys can easily slide a 78a, I cannot hahaha). Curious how they will wear tho; for reference I usually run through a 58-60mm formula four down to 50mm in 1.5-2 months from slides. Ordered the 56mm and they should come today. Super hyped! Update: these wheels are cracked they slide like a 99 F4 on steroids. Was gassing it and literally hit a 12 foot slide to a stop
Roger from the nine club said the smoother vibration felt better on his joints and he could skate longer. There must be some truth in that as the same can be said for good quality insoles. I am interested to try anything new. I like to feel and play around with the differences in my gear. Based on your (excellent) review, I will stick to my spitfires on my daily ride as most of my spots are smooth. However, I would set some of these up on a second board as this would open up more spots for me. Variety is the spice of life!!!
Thanks for getting on the dragons! So glad you threw in the comparison to 97a spitfires. Did you do any other vids talking about those? FYI they can be had in a classic shape too, only other shape besides conical full currently. The madness is real! If nothing else we have some awesome options for different spots. Stoked to experience the differences myself. Hype levels at maximum!
@@BusenBingoBalthasar The dragon formula wheels he reviewed come in some of the same shapes as the Bones STF, but they are softer at 93a, with the innovation that they can still slide well even though they’re a bit softer. They’re actually not even sold under the Bones logo but under Powell directly. Rumor has it that Bones will be getting a slightly harder 95a version of this new urethane that will be called Bones X.
Got them as the first wheels back after 15 year hiatus. After about a month of the nice bouncing ride, I switched to Spits 99a because I missed the sounds of 'real' street wheels and flatground was too smooshy feeling on the dragons. The first snap off Spits immediately felt like coming home and I love the high pitched power slide scream! I'm spoiled with smooth AF terrain where I skate though. Ben, thank you for another great video. Also nice tennis court set-up!
Similar situation here but with the 92a Ricta Clouds - which from what I understand are pretty close to the Dragons. I loved how smooth they felt when just cruising around, but I just couldn't get over the pathetically sad sound they made when power-sliding, and the weird bouncy feeling when doing tricks. Replaced them with some 99d f4 conical fulls and they feel SO much better. Sure they're a little rougher when cruising around and don't keep their speed on rough streets quite as well, but imo it's well worth sacrificing that for how much better they sound and how much snappier tricks feel on them. To me that's just what a skateboard is supposed to feel like. I keep getting tempted to try the Dragons or soft sliders, but I just have a feeling I won't like them either.
Mini logo 90a A cuts are a good cheap wheel that slides decently and are good on the wallet. I've been skating them almost a year now and still going strong. Same for the bearings. Mini logo has been around for a long time and if I remember right is a sister company of powell.
I really wish someone would compare them, I skate mini-logo/Powell 90a as well and the power slide well on rough ground and are way more bouncy then anything else I’ve skated which feels great. Most other wheels feel like plastic after. Although some harder wheels feel better on some surfaces.
Quick update after I finally rode them: fucking yes, they are insane! at first I was a bit disappointed they are not quite as quiet on the street, as my actual cruiser wheels. but it still is a very big difference between them and any hard wheel around 99A and harder. secondly the vibrations are very minimal, these dragons are smooooooth! and most importantly: the slide. oh my god the slide ... its crazy! they slide so easily and especially on rough ground, I actually slipped out 2 times, cause I wasnt ready for it! so definetely, as Ben said, get used to them before you shred. holy moly, finally I can cruise around town, slide whenever I want to and skate rough spots. for cruisng long distances I will still go back to my cruiser setup, but these are the actual perfect hybrids! where the nomads disappointed me to no end, these actually keep their promise! so in short, the 60€ I spent on them I do not regret at all. finally able to skate that crusty af parking lot, with wheels that actually slide, and my feet do not hurt at all.
Hey, the nomads in my experience were too hard for rough streets, the didnt absorb the vibrations very nice, the dragons do that much better. Secondly the nomads slide much slower in general, on any ground. Sure when you are adapt at sliding, might be easy, but noseslides and the Likes require alot of wax. The dragons slide so good that even a newbie like me can easily Push them through anything and the rougher the ground, the better they Slide, its madness! Love em, wouldnt Go Back. But in Skatepark I will Go with my F4s cause I'd miss the sound and the dragons are better for rough spots anyway. So many places I can finally skate!! Holy Shit!
@@diddymelone2265 I’ve ordered the same shape, same size. I loved the nomads, I just want to see if the dragons can push the concept a little farther. The nomads slide when you want them to but grip most of the time. I’m used to it now but I want to have some more fun with powerslides ! Im a little bit afraid about the form factor of the dragon wheel itself ! The nomads were perfect for me. Tablet shape seems to be perfect for lock-ins and stability while being thin and very light. V4 dragons are larger but with a narrower riding surface I believe
@@zzzfabio in my experience the nomads grip too much when you try to powerslide, the 97a spitfires are my current choice and when ben did a longer slide with the dragons than the 97as my jaw dropped a bit lol
I am on the OJ nomads (95a) for a year and a half now and these have been a game changer already for me as I skate mainly rough street spots. I have bought some spare nomads but then those wheels came out. I’ve ordered a set and I hope to have the same feeling on the streets, just a tiny bit slickier. OJ Nomads can really powerslide and grip when you want them too. I just want to see if I can have a little more fun with the slide-ability of the wheels when power sliding or grinding/sliding stuff. OJ Nomads are perfect for me "form wise" as they are square but thin and insanely light ! We'll see !
Ok first session with the dragons and I’m sold ! They take some gettin used to because of the rebound mentioned in the video. They somehow react like a filmer wheel but after you get used to it, it’s only pleasure and fun. They do slide a lot better than oj nomads and can slide better than the f4 99a too. It truly is bizarre but I guarantee you can’t be disappointed with these wheels ! That is a true solution rough street skaters and they go farther and greater than the OJ Nomads. Can’t wait to see more sizes and shapes but I’m definitely sold on the formula
Thanks for the review. I'm F4 team. My only concern is how they wear down and if they flatspot. Being "supposedly" soft wheels, how they do perform over time is a must know. Besides that they seem to fulfill their purpose, soft enough to ride rough places and hard enough to slide.
@@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158 97A and 95A will feel pretty much the same. Just like 93A and 95A. It's going to be tough to distinguish the two in a blind test.
@@PHeMoX 97 and 95, same brand, colour and duro do not feel the same and 95 wear down quite faster. It well may be that skating mostly rough street surfaces makes the differences more noticeable.
Great review Ben, I think there were just a couple things that would help make a direct comparison with your 97A wheels is grabbing the V6 shape which has a wider contact patch or comparing. I have the Spitfire 56mm 97A as well as the Powell Dragons 56mm V6 shape which are pretty similar width wise. The biggest difference I notice with both these wheels is riding bigger transition. My Spitfires would feel a bit soft once I hit a certain speed while my Dragons did the opposite going from soft to hard as I would gain more speed and get up higher in the transition. I definitely would like to see a follow up review as you break in these wheel comparing them directly to your Formula Four Classics 99A and 101A as Powell has been doing a lot of their marketing mentioning both durometers they are most similar to.
@@maxaguzzi9919, I personally like the Dragons better. My comparison is only with conical fulls however on both wheels. Ben mentions in other videos how a smaller contact patch will affect the riding surface of the wheel which makes total sense. If you want to keep a round edge wheel yet have a wider surface area to roll smoother I would recommend the Dragon Formulas 54mm V4 Shape which are know as the fatties. The most similar Spitfire Wheel would be the Radials which are a hybrid of the conicals and the classic shape. Round like a classic shape yet wide like a conical wheel.
thank you for sharing your perspective on these, Ben! i am sending you those healing vibes for your knee and achilles. I was thinking these would be nice for my local curb spot but even the asphalt there is pretty damn smooth already so i think ill stick to my 99a spitfires for now. Like you mentioned i think they would only benefit me on the really crusty parts where i ride over on the way to or from the spot but its a pretty smooth ride all the way there. have a blessed day ben peace love and infinite blessings to you bro.
Good sliding soft wheels have been existing for a long time, this is just a new addition to them. The slide-ability is more in the formula, not the hardness (for example, I found the Bones SPFs to be really sticky and they are 84B). However, this review is awesome and rational as always and everything you've said is true for all slide-able soft wheels out there (where and how can you benefit the most from using them, etc). Thanks for the quality content Ben!
Hundred percent. I haven't looked into it but I have a hunch that they took a thing or two from Powell peralta's soft slide formula range of wheels which are downhill oriented, but slide very slick for their durometer (75a!)
I am late to the party but I'm glad you did a review cause as a 43 year old skater I can relate to a lot of your points and my body can't take the abuse of long ago. I am from Massachusetts and a lot of places outside of parks is really gnarly and the constant vibrations is killer on my knees. I believe like you said will solve my problems hitting street spots. Ride on my dude.
I bought them for my indoor bowl. Fairly new to bowl skating. My bowl is indoor and surfaced with gator skins. When the ramp gets dusty my Spitfires would slide out a lot sometimes unexpectedly. The dragons give me a very very confident ride which consequently makes them faster. Because they feel so good and I’m way more confident on them. Perfect pair for my 19 Indy’s on a 8.5. I’m carving waaaaaay better. Not a single tick tac turn. All wheels down and fat carves in n out of the pockets. I like the way they bonk off coping also.
All the wheel brands are sick! I love my Bones SPF, Spitfire Formula Four 99as, Ricta Clouds, and my OJ Bloodsuckers! I go between three different setups depending on what I feel like skating lol
While waiting for these wheels to be released ive bought 2 sets, 1 being the OJ 95a nomads. These wheels are amazing, im surprised theres not more hype around them as theyre softer but slide great. Im hoping theyll come with a 78a that slides for old folks like myself but great video Ben, thanks for the review!
I ride the Nomads for about a year and a half now. These have been game changers for me. I’ve ordered the dragons, I can keep you informed about the differences !
Would love to hear your thoughts on the OJ nomad, one of my favorite wheels right now. It’s a 95a and gives me a good mix. Might have to check out these dragons though
Finally got some Dragon Wheels. I love that I can now skate along the rough streets to the concrete skatepark before skating the park. I'm only a bit disappointed that they started getting splits in them on day one.
Great stuff. I love how you cant resist reviewing things lol. Ben, whether you like it or not, you ARE the ultimate human skateboard-gear-reviewing machine, the chosen one !!! 🙏💪
I just tested mine. I have two pair, the classic shape dragons and I have the conical shape dragons. First I will describe the classic shape dragons 54mm. What I previously have been riding are the spitfire 97A classic shape 54mm for my comparison. I skated three different surfaces from smooth to rough, then actually crusty. I did power slides, reverts, and very fast pushing to see how they hold my speed for street skating. On a scale from 1 to 10, the spitfire 97A felt about a 1-2 point difference from the Dragons in 4 different ways. It felt a 2 point out of 10 difference in speed. the Spitfire 97A classic shape was faster than the classic shape dragon. It felt one point difference in vibrations, the dragons translating less vibrations, but just by one point. The slide ability of the dragons in classic shape was about 2 points less slick than the spitfire 97A classic shape. And lastly the sound was about 1 point louder for the spitfires vs the quieter dragons. Now I will describe the conical shaped dragons in 56mm. The 56mm dragons were about 2 points different in speed from the spitfire classics 97A. The spitfires were faster = less need for pushing. Slide Ability felt 1 point less slippery compared to the spitfires. Vibrations were about 2 points softer on the dragons vs the spitfires. And lastly, the sound was even less at 2 points quieter for the dragons vs the louder spitfires while riding, HOWEVER they were louder when sliding about 3 points vs the spitfires. Over all, this was on a scale from 1 - 10 and so these differences were small. The best thing I could do from here is to get the spitfire 97A in conical shape to see who the true all terrain winner is. Since the spitfire 97A classic did so well against both the dragons (only a 1-2 point difference in softness feel), I am going to assume the spitfire 97A conical will make up for the vibrations difference and retain the speed.
I have the 58mm conical full in 97a. Was thinking of trying the 58mm dragons but they are like 3-4mm narrower. Not sure if they would be better or just similar??
I don't get why you don't have much more subscribers. Thanks so much for all your videos. You're the first I found who really tested the dragons. Just respect for you, greetings from Europe
I started on Power Paws and Road Rider 4's, so things have changed a lot in the last 48 years. The best wheels I've ever ridden on vert were (97A) Kanoa Rollouts, (88A) Street Cubes on the, well, street and your average skatepark. I'm on (90A) RatBones now, but these intrigue me. I'm in my 60's, but still have some skating in me. Thanks for the "deep dive" review
This wheels must be perfect for the place I live in (Riga). Street is rough while all skateparks are concrete.. so I guess it should be perfect! Thanks for the review, Ben.
My main question is how well these wheels would work for a hybrid/everyday/do-it-all-well-enough kinda setup? Like are they comfortable enough to cruise with, hit the occasional spot or found object for a bit and hard enough to ride park? My old ass knees can't deal with riding hard wheels around town and it would be nice to not have to have two distinct boards with nothing in between. I'd love to have a grab-it-and-go board that I can use to ride with my kid to and from school and then hit the park with him for a session on the way home. Maybe these wheels in combination with Avenue trucks?
Coincidentally, I bought some Spitfire Conical Full 97A 57mm and Powell Dragon 56mm 93A V6 Wide Cut at the same time. And my thoughts are the same as Ben's. The Spitfires are stickier. Not sure about what he said about speed though. Like what Ben said, wider wheels are faster on rough ground. I bet if you had Dragons in a Conical Full shape, with the same contact patch, the Dragons would be faster. I haven't really tested them speed-wise that much myself. The Powell's are definitely slicker. Kind of weird in that they are softer wheels, but, maybe it's the contact patch. I think the Spitfires are 27mm wide if I remember correctly, while the Powells are 21mm. Personally, I'm hoping that Powell does use that formula in shapes other than the Bones shapes. Even the Wide Cut Bones are pretty narrow. V6 are as wide as they get. I pretty much just cruise around on asphalt hills. I was using Mini Logo AWOLs because they are great on rough ground, but, they don't slide. I think the Powell's are my new favorite. But, like I said, I think they could be improved further for the kind of skating I'm doing if they made them in a shape that has a wider contact patch, like what Spitfire Conical Fulls are. I've tried STF 103A on the asphalt hills and they are unusable. Too damn hard, and slick to the point of being dangerous. Also, I compared the Dragons to 95A and 90A Mini Logo A Cuts. The Dragons are definitely slicker that either of those. The contact patch on those is a little wider. The Powell's are pretty great IMHO. Only thing to see though is how well they wear over time. I already got a few small chips/gouges out of them, but, I was doing a ton of power slides on rough asphalt. I'm not sure Bones STF would have necessarily been any better. I have some Powell G Bones 97A 64mm. I think those have a contact patch of about 35mm. Those seem really wear resistant. I've done a ton of slides on them and don't see any damage on them at all. Those are significantly stickier. Theoretically, they are using the same formula from back in the 80s.
You should maybe try out Powell G-Slides 85a in 56mm. They are stickier than the Dragons, for sure, but have a great wide contact patch, and are an amazing cruiser wheel. They seem perfect for asphalt hills!
@@thundernixon Yeah, I was looking at those. I'm not sure exactly how downhill wheels work. I guess they slide, but, I've seen videos where they urethane literally leaves marks all over the road. So, I figured they would wear quick. And if I remember correctly, they are like $60+. Maybe I'm thinking of Snakes.
@@idmhead0160 I'm not really an expert, but I think that some downhill wheels leave more urethane, while others are more durable. I'm not really sure where G-slides would fit into that spectrum!
I went from Spitfire 101s @54mm to these dragons at 54mm and they're a game changer IMO. The speed thing is negligible, in the sense that I can't tell the difference, but the sound and *softness* along with the ability to slide make them my go to from now on.
@Mehmet Fırat ÖZGÜN I used them up until about a month ago, and have now switched to the new Bones Formula X. The Dragons are now on my kids board, still no flat spots and very little chipping (I am very hard on wheels). Quick note, if you want the best wheel for all surfaces, try the Bones Formula X, the Dragons are great if your street only but I will say they are just a bit sticky for park concrete. The Bones Formula X though, are the same compound, just a little harder. This makes them the bext choice as an all around wheel IMO, and honestly are exactly what I was hoping for after using the Dragons.
@@booth403 thanks for the answer :) there is no park near 90 minutes unfortunately. this is a new wheel and i wanted to see that if i buy 58 mm, would it be last me for a year before wearing down 53 mm or less. if it lasts, it will be a good invesment. if i buy 56mm x-formulas and it lasts at the same way to me, i would buy x-formulas too. asphalt can be tough sometimes and with smaller wheels, it is getting tougher.
@@mehmetfratozgun6858 I would think you could get a year out of the Formula X, the Dragons are just a little softer so it would depend how much you powerslide. If you're constantly skrrting around then I'd say close to a year, if you're not doing powerslides all the time, I would think you could easily get longer than a year.
These wheels are DIFFERENT! My buddy and i were hyped when they arrived at the skateshop when we were working, threw em on and they were amazing, grinds like crooks didnt pinch awkwardly like softer wheels tend to on a dry ledge, slid really well on grippy ground, and powerslid down hills with control i didnt know i had. So used to spitfires just abruptly gripping during a powerslide
Saw JD chip one on a bs 180 on a rough street on a recent video of Mogelys. Hope that's either an anomaly or they come out with a new formula to help mitigate chips. Still new and revolutionary, thank you for your feedback as always.
I skate bones SPFs because spitfires 58 or 60mm are so hard to find here, skateshops dont carry those which makes me think they are selling spitfire fakes. Anyway, i got a bad set out of the package, the bearing hole was crooked and destroyed my bearing (bones swiss!). I though well, its a powell product im sure they will stand by their product. NOPE. They flipped me off. Since then i am trying to avoid using anything powell, but i still have a few SPF sets left. Have heard nothing but good things about spitfires and never heard of anyone getting a bad set, so ill try to get some sets from skatewarehouse next time in the US. F-CK POWELL!
even with the most expensive hard wheels i have had chips in the past when brand new. i even managed to snap a pair of ricta wheels in half through the cores. there is always gonna be defects or just a really sharp piece of asphalt sticking up that tears a chunk.
@@leredditcommander8208 I've had similar happen to me with Santa Cruz boards. Snapped one after a single kickflip and the boys at NHS told me to get better at landing bolts (basically go f yourself). Like bruh, I've been skating for over two decades - the problem isn't how I landed. Likewise, no Santa Cruz for me.
i used these for a month and they made such a difference in lessening foot pains from vibration and i like how quiet they are. they really grab a lot on metal which can be annoying but i gladly accept it for the ability to blast around and feel like a monster truck.
Same here, they stick on metal (coping and angled metal). I need more wax to keep my tricks. I wonder if they're gonna slide better with time and how they're gonna ride in bowls. I want another set of wheels for bowls anyway. I rode Spitfire Classics for year : F1 Streetburners 53mm, F4 94a 54mm, 56mm (a bit too much for flips)…
@@jaimeronan i used to exclusively ride the streetburners. i loved them because they were hard but the urethane was still tacky enough to feel pretty smooth on a lot of surfaces. as far as i know they are out of production unless you know of a secret source.
@@FirelordRob76 Streetburners were great for street and slides. I didn't like Streetburners in bowls where they slide a bit too much. Streetburners were 100a, so between F4 99 and F4 101. Did you try those both? Streetburners are 10 years old.
@@jaimeronan i have never ridden the f4s. i was so sad that they quit doing streetburners that i stopped skating spitfire and tried other stuff like the hazard wheels by dwindle and now the dragon wheels by powell.
@@FirelordRob76 Try F4 if you're riding surfaces not too rough. F4 99 are very similar to F1 Streetburners with more control, more grip and better abrasion resistance. People seem to prefer wider riding surface with F4 101.
the powell dragon wheels make skating rough parks a dream. 58mm dragon vs 60mm spitfire 97a radial full, and honestly the dragon wheels are faster, even on relatively smooth concrete, probably from increased rebound. they are significantly quieter but that isnt hard to get over. if you live in an area with aging pavement, the dragon formula is awesome!
I’m super stoked to get these in, I skate a bunch of ditches in my area but man the vibration kills my knee and back. I’m hoping these make the ditches more enjoyable
I think you'll like them. I mainly skate medium rough asphalt and they work good on that, and slide good. I was skating AWOLs before that because I can't stand hard wheels on rough pavement. Those barely slide at all though. I got the V6 Wide Cuts 56mm. I think the wider contact patch is better on rough ground.
I noticed after skating them for about 3 months they are almost done, but they seem to stay consistent with the amount of slide, maybe even a little less grab
These are for rough street not skateparks IMO. They keep speed way better than a 101 or 99a spitfire on rough ground. They slide way better than anything in that durometer range.
I dunno bout that man i skated these all day at quelchina skatepark and i dont think their slow, i think the fact that they sound different fucks with perception
Heavily disagree. I live in Wisconsin, and fucking hated skating the indoors and almost wanted to just not skate because I had no traction. I skated these at 1 of those parks last weekend, and had 100% confidence skating everything and that I wouldn't slip out. Most fun I had in an indoor since I started again about a year ago
They don't just slide better than soft wheels normally do, and they don't just slide better on rough ground than they do on smooth ground- they cess slide better on that rough ground better than any wheel I've ever ridden, including the hardest wheel on the smoothest ground.
I saw that Roger from 9Club just posted a video saying they’re the best wheel ever and he went from being able to skate a few hours for a normal to 8.5 hours. I only remember ever having one soft wheel as a kid. I remember loving it in the park but not on street so much. I had a hard wheel slide out on me carving a bowl today and it caused me a hipper. I can’t afford hippers at 40 years old.
How do they feel on revert-y flatground tricks? bigspins, cab 3s, that sort of thing. I alternate between 50mm F4 99a classics and Bones STF V3 99A depending on what I can grab, and skate some pretty crappy flatground spots...but due to my inadequacies on fully rotating certain tricks, I'm all about the revert-ability when looking for a good wheel. The F4s are great for this, but I've grown to quite like the bark of the STF V3s, especially on concrete.
Honestly…..I LOVE them!!!! Took a bit to get used to them. They feel smoooooth but almost too smooth and quiet. When they slide they feel like an “eraser “. The wheels you have actually sound harder than then ones I have. I wanna try some of the Nano Cubix Anderson wheel.
I got these myself a few setups ago (roughly 3 months) I watched a few clips back and absolutely hated what I saw. well not what I saw but heard. well what I didn't hear. And I HATED the silence of the these things watching clips back. Thanks for the review Dad
I’ve been a formula four guy since they came out. Was a spit classics guy for a decade before that. I just know how to control them in slides, reverts, & grip. Plus I love speed. Now that I’m a little older, I’m tempted to try these for a little more grip and smoothness. With my large size, 6’3 220lbs, I don’t know if the speed deficit would be an issue for me. I can pretty much force speed. Tempted to try. I would always recommend a smooth asphalt hill bomb session to help break in a new set of wheels.
i have pretty rough streets and spots near me, so i was always rocking 86a rictas. now that im getting to a point where i want to learn powerslides and slappies/grinds, ive switched to the dragons and i couldnt be happier, its like best of both worlds. i can actually slide them, even though they still feel soft and nice. i usually hate hard wheels, but these are awesome!
@@mehmetfratozgun6858 i have only gone out to skate like a handful of times since then cuz ive been busy with other stuff, so theyre still almost brand new
I mainly skate my mini ramp in my backyard but have been looking for a wheel that is both great on that and slides ledges well. I liked the F4 97a classics but I think ill try these next. Currently on the OG classic 99as and there great on the ramp but i dont like the way they crook a ledge.
Usually I ride 94mm 92a clouds on bad spots to keep my speed up, but I don't like the feel all that much. Can't wait to give these a try and see if I like them any better.
To anyone watching this, I’ve been skating for 25 years, and I’ve NEVER had a better set of wheels. If you’re on a slight incline, you’ll gain hella speed without pushing. They’re fucking crazy lol
I ride 95 nomads and i appreciate the forgiveness of going off speed im 44 and it saved me some falls not slipping around depends on what you aŕe up for sesh
Thanks for providing a legitimate review. I just tried them today (V5 93a 56mm) and was not happy with the slide. Great comparison with the 97a F4. I would be interested to see you compare the OJ Elite Nomad 95a wheels
I absolutely love these wheels on rough street spots or rough DIY parks. Even after hill bombing and bunch of power slides, no damage on those wheels. But they stick on metal coping at skate parks and mine got chipped on a several spots after one session.
Im on my 3rd set in the uk, everything is weathered and rough here, one thing i can say is skate them on rough ground first, makes going onto indoor parks feel normal
Powell went crazy with the marketing the way everyone was shilling these wheels. Either that or I wonder if people don't experiment with their wheel durometer and this was their first time trying something slightly softer... I tried Spitfire F4 97a during my phase of gear madness not long ago and I thought they were a game changer - until I skated them more and grew to hate the way they sounded. I'll pass on these, thanks for the sound test + extensive review lol.
@water Yeah I can see that for sure if you skate smaller wheels, F4 99a 58-60mm handle rough pavement and cracks really well. Some people lose a lot of their pop from being higher up off the ground + weight difference though. Different strokes for different folks I guess!
@@thomkim6700 One thing I didn't realize at first is that I actually think contact patch width makes a bigger difference than wheel height, speed wise. Durometer matters too though. I compared 85A 63mm Mini Logo AWOLs to 97A Powell 64mm G Bones and the AWOLs are way faster. I think the wheel softness makes it so that the bearings can move better because there is less vibration. Both of those wheels are about 35mm wide for the contact patch.
Would you recommend them for skateboarders who live in new york where roads are rougher cause I’ll happily sacrifice a bit of slide for higher speeds and comfort
Always the voice of reason, great review Ben. I wasn’t going to rush out and buy these but I know plenty of people that might. As I only skate smooth concrete parks, these would be pointless. I will stick to my tried and tested Speed Lab’s (as good as Formula Fours in my opinion). Maybe one day you could do a review on them, I think their 97a’s and 99a’s are excellent wheels.
Ben, I’d like to try 97x. But as a broke mofo in America, I’m not willing to commit 40+ usd$ on em, unless of course we get a trusted review on them. You are the most genuine when it comes to products. You flame those that deserve it and you are understanding. By far the most objective imo. I’m sure they’re similar to these, but harder. So it’s better for I guess rougher black Top and sidewalks. Basically all I got in Florida. I’m worried these dragons maybe too cruiser feeling for me. But if I can maintain some speed when hitting the really rough terrain, that would open a whole new world for me here. Cause I find these incredible spots, but they’re chewed up. The ricta cloud is kinda cool I guess but it’s just not for me. I am not a fan of how it sounds and it feels kinda like a bouncy ball. Even the 99a ones. Anyway thanks for what you do.
i have some. the streets are all messed up here and these make the difference. i went from 54 slime balls to 58mm dragons i cant see using anything else.
Changed my life as an NYC skater. Bought em last week. I'll never ride anything else ever again.
Update: two years later and i still use these everyday so i can both get to the park and skate the park on the same board.
Changed the game!
You got some rough ground in New York
@@robolinoschmidt8676 fr fr
Gamechanger for Austria too. Rough asphalt and rivers of pebbles... no problem anymore
@@shalabazertheboltstruck8645Canadian skater here ! There is nothing better ! Maybe plain janes 😅 if I wanted cheaper but similar feeling
last video claims no reviews of dragon wheels, then boom 24 minutes of review, this is the content I'm here for
When I see Ben drop a new video .... I watch it , because I appreciate an honest review . Thanks again brother . Peace and blessings !
Truth
FACTS
Prolly the best unbiased reviews in skating
Dude spittin facts
AD: *"Goes further with every push!"* --Rly tho? Some energy HAS to go to wheel deformation as it rotates. SLIDE is 1 thing... but is it 93A or not? If so, physics says it *MUST* be slower.
BEN: "Compared to a harder wheel, they do feel slower"
THAANK YOUU SIIIR
might be weird but im in a wheel review crave right now so i just got done re-watching the old spitfire vs. bones video you made. thanks for reading my mind lmao.
THE review we've all been waiting for and the ONLY review you need to watch about these wheels. Thanks for being so comprehensive.
I got a pair of 95 nomads that work pretty well on rough stuff , you have definitely sparked my interest in the Dragon’s. Thanks and hope your Achilles gets better soon
I have nomads as well and love them, super smooth for my old ass.
Personally I find the Nomads to be much better wheels; they are faster and feel similar in smoothness.
@@jonathandantonio649 I actually agree. In fact, my Mini Logo 95A wheels are better already too, unless you're truly picky about the wheel shape. A 93A definitely won't slide as well.
@@PHeMoXsame i love my mini logo 95a A cuts
The wheels that broke the internet 😂 This is the most I've ever thought or heard about skate wheels in 30 years of skating
They’re pretty rad. It’s nice to be able to skate to a spot and then skate the ledge at that spot with the same set up.
Nice neck smiling mugshot
As well as skate to/from that spot
Are these Dragon wheels the same as the Bones experimental wheels you tested on your channel recently?
Wow a Powell sponsored rider likes them
Npc
oh yeah! I’m reading and looking at dragon wheel videos and just minutes later a new Ben video drops talking about it… good universe alignment 😎
Nice! Great video! I ordered mine yesterday. I mainly casually skate 56mm Ricta cruiser wheels, but would like to power slide and skate asphalt parks a bit more. I tried some other 94A wheels but they’re weirdly slow. Looking forward to trying these! I have never gotten used to skating hard wheels, so this seems like exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Might want to try oj nomads I'm fussy with wheels to I love the ricta clouds and tried no mads I like both now
oh shit Cuckoo skates!
The synth wizard Cuckoo does skateboarding too! How cool Is that? :)
Thanks for the review Ben, I am an older skater always looking for an advantage in my gear to compensate for age, everything is fairly crusty near me and I wanted a compromise wheel that could run the crust but didn't need changing for the smooth indoor skate parks. Ended up with the OJ Nomads and they are ok, don't run too smooth over rough ground but defo better and I find them fine but not great for smooth park riding. These wheels seem like a better compromise for my needs. Always enjoy your content brother.
I dont think I've ever seen a wheel as hyped as these in the nearly 20 years I've been skating (on & off lol).
Neither have I
Yeah it's amazing. I was at my local park and got talking to somebody about them and he said 'that fella over there has just been telling me exactly the same thing- soft and slide'.
@@bendegros I remember when formula 4’s came out in 2012-13 they were pretty well marketed and hyped.
@@ericarevalo5005 i went in not really knowing what hype form 4s had, and i remember going to shop for the first time in a long time in 2017 and buying some full conicals and being surprised at how well they rolled and how much better than classics they were. my favorite set of wheels i ever had were Rat Bones II 60mm 97a powell peralta reissue wheels and i still wish they made more. so im interested
We had the Ricta Clouds 92A that has been marketed as a hybrid wheel too. It had a decent amount of hype behind it too. Spitfire Formula Fours deserve all the hype by the way. Probably the best wheels out there. And available from like 95/97A to 104A or something and which one to get exactly boils down to preference too. I really like the 97A ones. But definitely skate rough streets.
Observe the master at work!! I know you said you were done with reviews, but thanks for coming out of retirement. This was one of the most helpful reviews you’ve ever done. All of the old buddies thank you for your service.
great review! feel like ive learned a lot about them from this vid that a lot of the other vids don't show. I live in SF and bomb hills and have wanted a wheel like this for a long time (slideable, handle the crust, and if the slide is as they say should be confidence inspiring and let me slide from even faster speeds then i am comfortable with even with f4s). From some videos from Powell's downhill riders on instagram it seems like they slide easy for days, but we shall see...(hard to accurately guage because those guys can easily slide a 78a, I cannot hahaha). Curious how they will wear tho; for reference I usually run through a 58-60mm formula four down to 50mm in 1.5-2 months from slides. Ordered the 56mm and they should come today. Super hyped!
Update: these wheels are cracked they slide like a 99 F4 on steroids. Was gassing it and literally hit a 12 foot slide to a stop
Gnar!
Wear a helmet. Watch out for monkey pops out there in San Fran
what where the specs on the wheels you bought. 92a? was gonna get spitfires f4 for sliding
@@williambo5989 56 conicals. they slid great but after about 3-4 days they were less than 50mm lol
@@cythompson8231 after a 12 foot slide time for another set LOL
Roger from the nine club said the smoother vibration felt better on his joints and he could skate longer. There must be some truth in that as the same can be said for good quality insoles.
I am interested to try anything new. I like to feel and play around with the differences in my gear. Based on your (excellent) review, I will stick to my spitfires on my daily ride as most of my spots are smooth. However, I would set some of these up on a second board as this would open up more spots for me.
Variety is the spice of life!!!
Im 32 and they make a huge difference for me
Thanks for getting on the dragons! So glad you threw in the comparison to 97a spitfires. Did you do any other vids talking about those? FYI they can be had in a classic shape too, only other shape besides conical full currently. The madness is real! If nothing else we have some awesome options for different spots. Stoked to experience the differences myself. Hype levels at maximum!
I didnt really get what he compared them to, was it Bones STF 101s and Spitfire F4 97s ?
@@BusenBingoBalthasar The dragon formula wheels he reviewed come in some of the same shapes as the Bones STF, but they are softer at 93a, with the innovation that they can still slide well even though they’re a bit softer. They’re actually not even sold under the Bones logo but under Powell directly. Rumor has it that Bones will be getting a slightly harder 95a version of this new urethane that will be called Bones X.
@@srcery Good info, thank you!
Love the review. Let's stay on the Powell train and see a Mini-logo truck review next!
Got them as the first wheels back after 15 year hiatus. After about a month of the nice bouncing ride, I switched to Spits 99a because I missed the sounds of 'real' street wheels and flatground was too smooshy feeling on the dragons.
The first snap off Spits immediately felt like coming home and I love the high pitched power slide scream!
I'm spoiled with smooth AF terrain where I skate though.
Ben, thank you for another great video. Also nice tennis court set-up!
Similar situation here but with the 92a Ricta Clouds - which from what I understand are pretty close to the Dragons. I loved how smooth they felt when just cruising around, but I just couldn't get over the pathetically sad sound they made when power-sliding, and the weird bouncy feeling when doing tricks.
Replaced them with some 99d f4 conical fulls and they feel SO much better. Sure they're a little rougher when cruising around and don't keep their speed on rough streets quite as well, but imo it's well worth sacrificing that for how much better they sound and how much snappier tricks feel on them. To me that's just what a skateboard is supposed to feel like.
I keep getting tempted to try the Dragons or soft sliders, but I just have a feeling I won't like them either.
Mini logo 90a A cuts are a good cheap wheel that slides decently and are good on the wallet. I've been skating them almost a year now and still going strong. Same for the bearings. Mini logo has been around for a long time and if I remember right is a sister company of powell.
I really wish someone would compare them, I skate mini-logo/Powell 90a as well and the power slide well on rough ground and are way more bouncy then anything else I’ve skated which feels great.
Most other wheels feel like plastic after.
Although some harder wheels feel better on some surfaces.
Quick update after I finally rode them: fucking yes, they are insane!
at first I was a bit disappointed they are not quite as quiet on the street, as my actual cruiser wheels.
but it still is a very big difference between them and any hard wheel around 99A and harder.
secondly the vibrations are very minimal, these dragons are smooooooth!
and most importantly: the slide. oh my god the slide ... its crazy!
they slide so easily and especially on rough ground, I actually slipped out 2 times, cause I wasnt ready for it!
so definetely, as Ben said, get used to them before you shred.
holy moly, finally I can cruise around town, slide whenever I want to and skate rough spots.
for cruisng long distances I will still go back to my cruiser setup, but these are the actual perfect hybrids!
where the nomads disappointed me to no end, these actually keep their promise!
so in short, the 60€ I spent on them I do not regret at all.
finally able to skate that crusty af parking lot, with wheels that actually slide, and my feet do not hurt at all.
How did the nomads disappointed you ? I’m on them right now but I have ordered some dragons ! can’t wait to see the difference
Hey, the nomads in my experience were too hard for rough streets, the didnt absorb the vibrations very nice, the dragons do that much better.
Secondly the nomads slide much slower in general, on any ground.
Sure when you are adapt at sliding, might be easy, but noseslides and the Likes require alot of wax.
The dragons slide so good that even a newbie like me can easily Push them through anything and the rougher the ground, the better they Slide, its madness!
Love em, wouldnt Go Back. But in Skatepark I will Go with my F4s cause I'd miss the sound and the dragons are better for rough spots anyway.
So many places I can finally skate!! Holy Shit!
PS: I have the 54mm V4 shape, since I wanted to emphasize the smoother ride.
The V1 might be a little worse for rough ground
@@diddymelone2265 I’ve ordered the same shape, same size. I loved the nomads, I just want to see if the dragons can push the concept a little farther. The nomads slide when you want them to but grip most of the time. I’m used to it now but I want to have some more fun with powerslides !
Im a little bit afraid about the form factor of the dragon wheel itself ! The nomads were perfect for me. Tablet shape seems to be perfect for lock-ins and stability while being thin and very light. V4 dragons are larger but with a narrower riding surface I believe
@@zzzfabio in my experience the nomads grip too much when you try to powerslide, the 97a spitfires are my current choice and when ben did a longer slide with the dragons than the 97as my jaw dropped a bit lol
I am on the OJ nomads (95a) for a year and a half now and these have been a game changer already for me as I skate mainly rough street spots. I have bought some spare nomads but then those wheels came out. I’ve ordered a set and I hope to have the same feeling on the streets, just a tiny bit slickier. OJ Nomads can really powerslide and grip when you want them too. I just want to see if I can have a little more fun with the slide-ability of the wheels when power sliding or grinding/sliding stuff.
OJ Nomads are perfect for me "form wise" as they are square but thin and insanely light ! We'll see !
I have both and I like dragons better than OG Nomad
Yep I love them to I have 2 pairs for 2 set ups
Ok first session with the dragons and I’m sold ! They take some gettin used to because of the rebound mentioned in the video. They somehow react like a filmer wheel but after you get used to it, it’s only pleasure and fun.
They do slide a lot better than oj nomads and can slide better than the f4 99a too.
It truly is bizarre but I guarantee you can’t be disappointed with these wheels !
That is a true solution rough street skaters and they go farther and greater than the OJ Nomads.
Can’t wait to see more sizes and shapes but I’m definitely sold on the formula
Thanks for the review.
I'm F4 team. My only concern is how they wear down and if they flatspot. Being "supposedly" soft wheels, how they do perform over time is a must know. Besides that they seem to fulfill their purpose, soft enough to ride rough places and hard enough to slide.
Mine get delivered tomorrow , I’ll update after a couple of seshs
get F4 97d.. they are the same wheel
@@WhatisAPaladin Can't find f4 97 duro where I live, anyway that's not a "soft" ride as 93/95 are.
@@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158 97A and 95A will feel pretty much the same. Just like 93A and 95A. It's going to be tough to distinguish the two in a blind test.
@@PHeMoX 97 and 95, same brand, colour and duro do not feel the same and 95 wear down quite faster. It well may be that skating mostly rough street surfaces makes the differences more noticeable.
Great review Ben,
I think there were just a couple things that would help make a direct comparison with your 97A wheels is grabbing the V6 shape which has a wider contact patch or comparing.
I have the Spitfire 56mm 97A as well as the Powell Dragons 56mm V6 shape which are pretty similar width wise. The biggest difference I notice with both these wheels is riding bigger transition. My Spitfires would feel a bit soft once I hit a certain speed while my Dragons did the opposite going from soft to hard as I would gain more speed and get up higher in the transition.
I definitely would like to see a follow up review as you break in these wheel comparing them directly to your Formula Four Classics 99A and 101A as Powell has been doing a lot of their marketing mentioning both durometers they are most similar to.
came here for this comment thank you
Hi Ramon a suggestion please: I have f4 97a classic 54mm to help me in asphalt e crusty ground . Dragons are much better? thanks.
@@maxaguzzi9919, I personally like the Dragons better. My comparison is only with conical fulls however on both wheels. Ben mentions in other videos how a smaller contact patch will affect the riding surface of the wheel which makes total sense. If you want to keep a round edge wheel yet have a wider surface area to roll smoother I would recommend the Dragon Formulas 54mm V4 Shape which are know as the fatties. The most similar Spitfire Wheel would be the Radials which are a hybrid of the conicals and the classic shape. Round like a classic shape yet wide like a conical wheel.
@@ramrunsfast Thank you so much!\m/
thank you for sharing your perspective on these, Ben! i am sending you those healing vibes for your knee and achilles. I was thinking these would be nice for my local curb spot but even the asphalt there is pretty damn smooth already so i think ill stick to my 99a spitfires for now. Like you mentioned i think they would only benefit me on the really crusty parts where i ride over on the way to or from the spot but its a pretty smooth ride all the way there. have a blessed day ben peace love and infinite blessings to you bro.
Good sliding soft wheels have been existing for a long time, this is just a new addition to them. The slide-ability is more in the formula, not the hardness (for example, I found the Bones SPFs to be really sticky and they are 84B). However, this review is awesome and rational as always and everything you've said is true for all slide-able soft wheels out there (where and how can you benefit the most from using them, etc). Thanks for the quality content Ben!
Hundred percent. I haven't looked into it but I have a hunch that they took a thing or two from Powell peralta's soft slide formula range of wheels which are downhill oriented, but slide very slick for their durometer (75a!)
these are unique due to a relatively new (
I am late to the party but I'm glad you did a review cause as a 43 year old skater I can relate to a lot of your points and my body can't take the abuse of long ago. I am from Massachusetts and a lot of places outside of parks is really gnarly and the constant vibrations is killer on my knees. I believe like you said will solve my problems hitting street spots. Ride on my dude.
I bought them for my indoor bowl. Fairly new to bowl skating. My bowl is indoor and surfaced with gator skins. When the ramp gets dusty my Spitfires would slide out a lot sometimes unexpectedly. The dragons give me a very very confident ride which consequently makes them faster. Because they feel so good and I’m way more confident on them. Perfect pair for my 19 Indy’s on a 8.5. I’m carving waaaaaay better. Not a single tick tac turn.
All wheels down and fat carves in n out of the pockets. I like the way they bonk off coping also.
All the wheel brands are sick! I love my Bones SPF, Spitfire Formula Four 99as, Ricta Clouds, and my OJ Bloodsuckers! I go between three different setups depending on what I feel like skating lol
I like your pov I can relate they all have their reason they are fun to skate
While waiting for these wheels to be released ive bought 2 sets, 1 being the OJ 95a nomads. These wheels are amazing, im surprised theres not more hype around them as theyre softer but slide great. Im hoping theyll come with a 78a that slides for old folks like myself but great video Ben, thanks for the review!
I ride the Nomads for about a year and a half now. These have been game changers for me. I’ve ordered the dragons, I can keep you informed about the differences !
Fr?
@@jonahardayfio7746 oui
What was the other set of wheels?
@@zzzfabio very curious what trade offs you find between the nomads and dragons!
Would love to hear your thoughts on the OJ nomad, one of my favorite wheels right now. It’s a 95a and gives me a good mix. Might have to check out these dragons though
Ye I love the nomads to
Having sets of both I like the Nomads a lot better.
@@jonathandantonio649 Interesting I might just stick with my Nomands.
Finally got some Dragon Wheels. I love that I can now skate along the rough streets to the concrete skatepark before skating the park. I'm only a bit disappointed that they started getting splits in them on day one.
Great stuff. I love how you cant resist reviewing things lol. Ben, whether you like it or not, you ARE the ultimate human skateboard-gear-reviewing machine, the chosen one !!! 🙏💪
I just tested mine. I have two pair, the classic shape dragons and I have the conical shape dragons. First I will describe the classic shape dragons 54mm. What I previously have been riding are the spitfire 97A classic shape 54mm for my comparison. I skated three different surfaces from smooth to rough, then actually crusty. I did power slides, reverts, and very fast pushing to see how they hold my speed for street skating. On a scale from 1 to 10, the spitfire 97A felt about a 1-2 point difference from the Dragons in 4 different ways. It felt a 2 point out of 10 difference in speed. the Spitfire 97A classic shape was faster than the classic shape dragon. It felt one point difference in vibrations, the dragons translating less vibrations, but just by one point. The slide ability of the dragons in classic shape was about 2 points less slick than the spitfire 97A classic shape. And lastly the sound was about 1 point louder for the spitfires vs the quieter dragons. Now I will describe the conical shaped dragons in 56mm. The 56mm dragons were about 2 points different in speed from the spitfire classics 97A. The spitfires were faster = less need for pushing. Slide Ability felt 1 point less slippery compared to the spitfires. Vibrations were about 2 points softer on the dragons vs the spitfires. And lastly, the sound was even less at 2 points quieter for the dragons vs the louder spitfires while riding, HOWEVER they were louder when sliding about 3 points vs the spitfires. Over all, this was on a scale from 1 - 10 and so these differences were small. The best thing I could do from here is to get the spitfire 97A in conical shape to see who the true all terrain winner is. Since the spitfire 97A classic did so well against both the dragons (only a 1-2 point difference in softness feel), I am going to assume the spitfire 97A conical will make up for the vibrations difference and retain the speed.
I have the 58mm conical full in 97a. Was thinking of trying the 58mm dragons but they are like 3-4mm narrower. Not sure if they would be better or just similar??
Yay Thanks Ben ! I think everyone was waiting for this after we saw the nine club vid 🤘🏻❤️. Much Love from South Africa 🇿🇦❤️🤘🏻🛹
The wheels are great. The more you break them in the better they work at the park but these work best in the street.
I don't get why you don't have much more subscribers. Thanks so much for all your videos. You're the first I found who really tested the dragons. Just respect for you, greetings from Europe
I started on Power Paws and Road Rider 4's, so things have changed a lot in the last 48 years. The best wheels I've ever ridden on vert were (97A) Kanoa Rollouts, (88A) Street Cubes on the, well, street and your average skatepark. I'm on (90A) RatBones now, but these intrigue me. I'm in my 60's, but still have some skating in me.
Thanks for the "deep dive" review
This wheels must be perfect for the place I live in (Riga). Street is rough while all skateparks are concrete.. so I guess it should be perfect! Thanks for the review, Ben.
My main question is how well these wheels would work for a hybrid/everyday/do-it-all-well-enough kinda setup? Like are they comfortable enough to cruise with, hit the occasional spot or found object for a bit and hard enough to ride park? My old ass knees can't deal with riding hard wheels around town and it would be nice to not have to have two distinct boards with nothing in between. I'd love to have a grab-it-and-go board that I can use to ride with my kid to and from school and then hit the park with him for a session on the way home. Maybe these wheels in combination with Avenue trucks?
I haven’t tried these wheels but based on the video and how many different wheels I’ve rode, these sound ideal for what you’re looking for!
The 92 Duro Ricta Clouds and the OJ Nomads are much better do-everything wheels in my opinion
The only RUclipsr that teaches me how to find a stud in a wall ANND what skate wheels to choose.
In the early 2000’s Powell made 92a Bowl Bombers that were my favorite wheel. Based on this review it’s the same wheel so I’ll be ordering some asap!
Coincidentally, I bought some Spitfire Conical Full 97A 57mm and Powell Dragon 56mm 93A V6 Wide Cut at the same time. And my thoughts are the same as Ben's. The Spitfires are stickier. Not sure about what he said about speed though. Like what Ben said, wider wheels are faster on rough ground. I bet if you had Dragons in a Conical Full shape, with the same contact patch, the Dragons would be faster. I haven't really tested them speed-wise that much myself. The Powell's are definitely slicker. Kind of weird in that they are softer wheels, but, maybe it's the contact patch. I think the Spitfires are 27mm wide if I remember correctly, while the Powells are 21mm. Personally, I'm hoping that Powell does use that formula in shapes other than the Bones shapes. Even the Wide Cut Bones are pretty narrow. V6 are as wide as they get. I pretty much just cruise around on asphalt hills. I was using Mini Logo AWOLs because they are great on rough ground, but, they don't slide. I think the Powell's are my new favorite. But, like I said, I think they could be improved further for the kind of skating I'm doing if they made them in a shape that has a wider contact patch, like what Spitfire Conical Fulls are. I've tried STF 103A on the asphalt hills and they are unusable. Too damn hard, and slick to the point of being dangerous. Also, I compared the Dragons to 95A and 90A Mini Logo A Cuts. The Dragons are definitely slicker that either of those. The contact patch on those is a little wider. The Powell's are pretty great IMHO. Only thing to see though is how well they wear over time. I already got a few small chips/gouges out of them, but, I was doing a ton of power slides on rough asphalt. I'm not sure Bones STF would have necessarily been any better. I have some Powell G Bones 97A 64mm. I think those have a contact patch of about 35mm. Those seem really wear resistant. I've done a ton of slides on them and don't see any damage on them at all. Those are significantly stickier. Theoretically, they are using the same formula from back in the 80s.
You should maybe try out Powell G-Slides 85a in 56mm. They are stickier than the Dragons, for sure, but have a great wide contact patch, and are an amazing cruiser wheel. They seem perfect for asphalt hills!
@@thundernixon Yeah, I was looking at those. I'm not sure exactly how downhill wheels work. I guess they slide, but, I've seen videos where they urethane literally leaves marks all over the road. So, I figured they would wear quick. And if I remember correctly, they are like $60+. Maybe I'm thinking of Snakes.
@@idmhead0160 I'm not really an expert, but I think that some downhill wheels leave more urethane, while others are more durable. I'm not really sure where G-slides would fit into that spectrum!
I went from Spitfire 101s @54mm to these dragons at 54mm and they're a game changer IMO. The speed thing is negligible, in the sense that I can't tell the difference, but the sound and *softness* along with the ability to slide make them my go to from now on.
how durable are they? after 7 months, what can you say? will you use a set for a long time or did them already wear down?
@Mehmet Fırat ÖZGÜN I used them up until about a month ago, and have now switched to the new Bones Formula X. The Dragons are now on my kids board, still no flat spots and very little chipping (I am very hard on wheels).
Quick note, if you want the best wheel for all surfaces, try the Bones Formula X, the Dragons are great if your street only but I will say they are just a bit sticky for park concrete. The Bones Formula X though, are the same compound, just a little harder. This makes them the bext choice as an all around wheel IMO, and honestly are exactly what I was hoping for after using the Dragons.
@@booth403 thanks for the answer :) there is no park near 90 minutes unfortunately. this is a new wheel and i wanted to see that if i buy 58 mm, would it be last me for a year before wearing down 53 mm or less. if it lasts, it will be a good invesment. if i buy 56mm x-formulas and it lasts at the same way to me, i would buy x-formulas too. asphalt can be tough sometimes and with smaller wheels, it is getting tougher.
@@mehmetfratozgun6858 I would think you could get a year out of the Formula X, the Dragons are just a little softer so it would depend how much you powerslide. If you're constantly skrrting around then I'd say close to a year, if you're not doing powerslides all the time, I would think you could easily get longer than a year.
@@booth403 thank you :)
Glad to see you post more frequently on this channel Ben!
i mostly skate a crusty old diy park so i think im gonna try a set, thanks for an honest review as always Ben
I clicked on this video out of curiosity and now I know everything about skateboarding wheels 👍
These wheels are DIFFERENT! My buddy and i were hyped when they arrived at the skateshop when we were working, threw em on and they were amazing, grinds like crooks didnt pinch awkwardly like softer wheels tend to on a dry ledge, slid really well on grippy ground, and powerslid down hills with control i didnt know i had. So used to spitfires just abruptly gripping during a powerslide
So glad you made the review,
Thanks Ben.
Saw JD chip one on a bs 180 on a rough street on a recent video of Mogelys. Hope that's either an anomaly or they come out with a new formula to help mitigate chips. Still new and revolutionary, thank you for your feedback as always.
I skate bones SPFs because spitfires 58 or 60mm are so hard to find here, skateshops dont carry those which makes me think they are selling spitfire fakes. Anyway, i got a bad set out of the package, the bearing hole was crooked and destroyed my bearing (bones swiss!). I though well, its a powell product im sure they will stand by their product. NOPE. They flipped me off. Since then i am trying to avoid using anything powell, but i still have a few SPF sets left. Have heard nothing but good things about spitfires and never heard of anyone getting a bad set, so ill try to get some sets from skatewarehouse next time in the US. F-CK POWELL!
even with the most expensive hard wheels i have had chips in the past when brand new. i even managed to snap a pair of ricta wheels in half through the cores. there is always gonna be defects or just a really sharp piece of asphalt sticking up that tears a chunk.
@@leredditcommander8208 I've had similar happen to me with Santa Cruz boards. Snapped one after a single kickflip and the boys at NHS told me to get better at landing bolts (basically go f yourself). Like bruh, I've been skating for over two decades - the problem isn't how I landed. Likewise, no Santa Cruz for me.
i used these for a month and they made such a difference in lessening foot pains from vibration and i like how quiet they are. they really grab a lot on metal which can be annoying but i gladly accept it for the ability to blast around and feel like a monster truck.
Same here, they stick on metal (coping and angled metal). I need more wax to keep my tricks. I wonder if they're gonna slide better with time and how they're gonna ride in bowls. I want another set of wheels for bowls anyway.
I rode Spitfire Classics for year : F1 Streetburners 53mm, F4 94a 54mm, 56mm (a bit too much for flips)…
@@jaimeronan i used to exclusively ride the streetburners. i loved them because they were hard but the urethane was still tacky enough to feel pretty smooth on a lot of surfaces. as far as i know they are out of production unless you know of a secret source.
@@FirelordRob76 Streetburners were great for street and slides. I didn't like Streetburners in bowls where they slide a bit too much. Streetburners were 100a, so between F4 99 and F4 101. Did you try those both? Streetburners are 10 years old.
@@jaimeronan i have never ridden the f4s. i was so sad that they quit doing streetburners that i stopped skating spitfire and tried other stuff like the hazard wheels by dwindle and now the dragon wheels by powell.
@@FirelordRob76 Try F4 if you're riding surfaces not too rough. F4 99 are very similar to F1 Streetburners with more control, more grip and better abrasion resistance. People seem to prefer wider riding surface with F4 101.
Nice skating , hope your injury gets better soon . Different location is good every now and then , i enjoyed it .
Thank you for doing a review of the wheels I'm trying to decide between at my home skatepark! Damn, does this make it easy for me!! 👍😜
the powell dragon wheels make skating rough parks a dream. 58mm dragon vs 60mm spitfire 97a radial full, and honestly the dragon wheels are faster, even on relatively smooth concrete, probably from increased rebound. they are significantly quieter but that isnt hard to get over. if you live in an area with aging pavement, the dragon formula is awesome!
Im so happy bro is reviewing this one, i was waitin on this one
I’m super stoked to get these in, I skate a bunch of ditches in my area but man the vibration kills my knee and back. I’m hoping these make the ditches more enjoyable
I think you'll like them. I mainly skate medium rough asphalt and they work good on that, and slide good. I was skating AWOLs before that because I can't stand hard wheels on rough pavement. Those barely slide at all though. I got the V6 Wide Cuts 56mm. I think the wider contact patch is better on rough ground.
Hell yeah! The one person I wanted to hear talk about these wheels.
The only review on the planet I call. LEGIT.
Hope your Achilles feels better soon dude 🙏 appreciate the review, I been looking at these.
I noticed after skating them for about 3 months they are almost done, but they seem to stay consistent with the amount of slide, maybe even a little less grab
Ricta and Powell seem to fall into a "Good, fresh ideas, but with less durability" area. My G-Slides got dodgy after a few months too
@@FuckBalls64 Depending durometer of Ricta's. I've had some harder ones last forever.
love that the original ledge u made at the park is still going strong!
These are for rough street not skateparks IMO. They keep speed way better than a 101 or 99a spitfire on rough ground. They slide way better than anything in that durometer range.
I dunno bout that man i skated these all day at quelchina skatepark and i dont think their slow, i think the fact that they sound different fucks with perception
Heavily disagree. I live in Wisconsin, and fucking hated skating the indoors and almost wanted to just not skate because I had no traction.
I skated these at 1 of those parks last weekend, and had 100% confidence skating everything and that I wouldn't slip out. Most fun I had in an indoor since I started again about a year ago
They don't just slide better than soft wheels normally do, and they don't just slide better on rough ground than they do on smooth ground- they cess slide better on that rough ground better than any wheel I've ever ridden, including the hardest wheel on the smoothest ground.
Press X to doubt
Was curious, questions answered. Appreciate it Ben hope the Achilles is doing well.
I saw that Roger from 9Club just posted a video saying they’re the best wheel ever and he went from being able to skate a few hours for a normal to 8.5 hours. I only remember ever having one soft wheel as a kid. I remember loving it in the park but not on street so much. I had a hard wheel slide out on me carving a bowl today and it caused me a hipper. I can’t afford hippers at 40 years old.
How do they feel on revert-y flatground tricks? bigspins, cab 3s, that sort of thing.
I alternate between 50mm F4 99a classics and Bones STF V3 99A depending on what I can grab, and skate some pretty crappy flatground spots...but due to my inadequacies on fully rotating certain tricks, I'm all about the revert-ability when looking for a good wheel.
The F4s are great for this, but I've grown to quite like the bark of the STF V3s, especially on concrete.
Honestly…..I LOVE them!!!! Took a bit to get used to them. They feel smoooooth but almost too smooth and quiet. When they slide they feel like an “eraser “. The wheels you have actually sound harder than then ones I have. I wanna try some of the Nano Cubix Anderson wheel.
Just grabbed a set of the 56mm’s! So excited to try them out!
I got these myself a few setups ago (roughly 3 months) I watched a few clips back and absolutely hated what I saw.
well not what I saw but heard.
well what I didn't hear. And I HATED the silence of the these things watching clips back.
Thanks for the review Dad
I’ve been a formula four guy since they came out. Was a spit classics guy for a decade before that. I just know how to control them in slides, reverts, & grip. Plus I love speed.
Now that I’m a little older, I’m tempted to try these for a little more grip and smoothness. With my large size, 6’3 220lbs, I don’t know if the speed deficit would be an issue for me. I can pretty much force speed.
Tempted to try.
I would always recommend a smooth asphalt hill bomb session to help break in a new set of wheels.
Excellent fair review. I wanted to see somebody other than Roger and Andy talk about them
i have pretty rough streets and spots near me, so i was always rocking 86a rictas. now that im getting to a point where i want to learn powerslides and slappies/grinds, ive switched to the dragons and i couldnt be happier, its like best of both worlds. i can actually slide them, even though they still feel soft and nice. i usually hate hard wheels, but these are awesome!
if u used them 5 months, are they durable? how much wearing down?
@@mehmetfratozgun6858 i have only gone out to skate like a handful of times since then cuz ive been busy with other stuff, so theyre still almost brand new
@@grassgrow030 thanks for the answer :)
@@grassgrow030 thank you :)
I mainly skate my mini ramp in my backyard but have been looking for a wheel that is both great on that and slides ledges well. I liked the F4 97a classics but I think ill try these next. Currently on the OG classic 99as and there great on the ramp but i dont like the way they crook a ledge.
Before jumping full speed ahead into a deep bowl…..then drops into a mini mini ramp…..lol enjoyed the video
Thanks for doing the review on these. The hype was real for your review! 😁
Picked these up today. Local skateshop recommended these. Got them for $40. A lot of rough roads around me. Ended up with the 56mm because of that.
so how long did it last? if i buy 58 mm, does it keep with me for a year before it wears down to 53 mm?
great honest review..on the lookout for these wheels.
Usually I ride 94mm 92a clouds on bad spots to keep my speed up, but I don't like the feel all that much. Can't wait to give these a try and see if I like them any better.
The Clouds are faster, smoother, and slide almost as well.
94mm? Thats downhill offroad longboarding terrain ;^)
To anyone watching this, I’ve been skating for 25 years, and I’ve NEVER had a better set of wheels. If you’re on a slight incline, you’ll gain hella speed without pushing. They’re fucking crazy lol
Mine are on the way!!!!!!🔥🔥🔥
This is the type of review I like and I want this type of review for the clothes you review.
So far all the shorts I tried ground and slid really well!
The review we've all been waiting for. Love it Ben, thanks.
great review can't wait to skate my set
I ride 95 nomads and i appreciate the forgiveness of going off speed im 44 and it saved me some falls not slipping around depends on what you aŕe up for sesh
..."I gotta take some time off to let this Achilles heal." ... Nice, dude. Nice.
Seen these wheels at shop 2 or 3 times but didn't know anything about them. Found out they do what I'm looking for now I can't find them anywhere
Thanks for providing a legitimate review. I just tried them today (V5 93a 56mm) and was not happy with the slide. Great comparison with the 97a F4. I would be interested to see you compare the OJ Elite Nomad 95a wheels
Nomads are waaaaay stickier. Never had a set but have tried other peoples boards.
@@bendegros I just got to try the Nomads today and you are 100% right. Crazy sticky compared to the Dragon wheels.
Aside from the wheels another thing I will be buying are them dunks, look sick!!!
was waiting for Ben to review these, nice!
Was waiting for this one!
I absolutely love these wheels on rough street spots or rough DIY parks. Even after hill bombing and bunch of power slides, no damage on those wheels.
But they stick on metal coping at skate parks and mine got chipped on a several spots after one session.
can i ask how long did it last to you? i want to learn the durability of the thing which i am gonna invest lol
I was thinking when you were gonna drop this review props to Ben 🙏🙏🙏
Im on my 3rd set in the uk, everything is weathered and rough here, one thing i can say is skate them on rough ground first, makes going onto indoor parks feel normal
Powell went crazy with the marketing the way everyone was shilling these wheels. Either that or I wonder if people don't experiment with their wheel durometer and this was their first time trying something slightly softer... I tried Spitfire F4 97a during my phase of gear madness not long ago and I thought they were a game changer - until I skated them more and grew to hate the way they sounded. I'll pass on these, thanks for the sound test + extensive review lol.
Bro the 97a F4s are absolutely insane, changed the game for me
@water Yeah I can see that for sure if you skate smaller wheels, F4 99a 58-60mm handle rough pavement and cracks really well. Some people lose a lot of their pop from being higher up off the ground + weight difference though. Different strokes for different folks I guess!
@@thomkim6700 One thing I didn't realize at first is that I actually think contact patch width makes a bigger difference than wheel height, speed wise. Durometer matters too though. I compared 85A 63mm Mini Logo AWOLs to 97A Powell 64mm G Bones and the AWOLs are way faster. I think the wheel softness makes it so that the bearings can move better because there is less vibration. Both of those wheels are about 35mm wide for the contact patch.
@@thomkim6700 I added a skid plate on the board I have that has 64mm wheels. It makes it so the snap is back to being more similar to small wheels.
I love the f4 conical full 97a for the shitty street spots in Florida. The marketing and pumping of these dragon wheels is insane though
Would you recommend them for skateboarders who live in new york where roads are rougher cause I’ll happily sacrifice a bit of slide for higher speeds and comfort
Grind length on metal is what you really lose.
i dont get how people like tyshawn jones hit nyc street spots with 101a spitfires lol
Always the voice of reason, great review Ben. I wasn’t going to rush out and buy these but I know plenty of people that might. As I only skate smooth concrete parks, these would be pointless. I will stick to my tried and tested Speed Lab’s (as good as Formula Fours in my opinion). Maybe one day you could do a review on them, I think their 97a’s and 99a’s are excellent wheels.
Another great video! What is the transition radius on this mini ramp? It looks perfect! Any chance you’d share the plan?
3.5 feet tall with a 6 foot transition.
Right on! You’re the best!
Love all the new videos! Keep it up
If you like the dragons, you should try the nano cubics. I have both and dig the nanos more.
Ben, I’d like to try 97x. But as a broke mofo in America, I’m not willing to commit 40+ usd$ on em, unless of course we get a trusted review on them. You are the most genuine when it comes to products. You flame those that deserve it and you are understanding. By far the most objective imo. I’m sure they’re similar to these, but harder. So it’s better for I guess rougher black Top and sidewalks. Basically all I got in Florida. I’m worried these dragons maybe too cruiser feeling for me. But if I can maintain some speed when hitting the really rough terrain, that would open a whole new world for me here. Cause I find these incredible spots, but they’re chewed up. The ricta cloud is kinda cool I guess but it’s just not for me. I am not a fan of how it sounds and it feels kinda like a bouncy ball. Even the 99a ones. Anyway thanks for what you do.
i have some. the streets are all messed up here and these make the difference. i went from 54 slime balls to 58mm dragons i cant see using anything else.
So stoked to watch this review. Txh Ben!