I love how I’m not the only one my age rediscovering their love for skateboarding. I’ll be 37 at the end of the month and my son just got into boarding. So yeah I got a lot of catching up to do 😂
Totally feel you, I turn 39 in a few days. It’s disheartening to not be able to do stuff I once could, but still so much fun overall. I wonder how a lot of these older guys on RUclips managed to maintain high level of skating. Im guessing their day jobs are far superior than my blue collar job. I simply don’t have the time to dedicate
I'll be 59 in 3 months and I am having a blast just getting back into skateboarding. So far I have purchased 4 boards (2 Carver Surfskates, Pantheon Supersonic, and a Heroin Razor Egg to round out my skills. I was impressed that he included all of the falls along with the times he nailed it. Keep your mind a body young by finding a passion and pursue it regardless of your age.
I'm also 37 and live in rain country. I think just getting out when you can and having fun is what it's all about. Don't push yourself too hard and definitely definitely don't ride at night after too many beers. 😅
@@allstopblue5717 i'm an electrician, if you want it, you'll find time. look up austin kanfoush, he's a framer, a husband, and a dad, and is also pro for anti hero. he absolutely rips and is in his 30's as well. you got this.
About spacers, my tip is: Hard wheels (99+), no spacers needed. Softer wheels (97-), spacers to protect the bearings. A softer wheel will twist and turn more around the bearings, adding pressure and possible misplacement, specially in warmer climates like Cali.
youll know too...when the wheels are hard to take off...the inner portion warped/a lil over the duration of use and the inner races offset. You almost have to check monthly depending on the wheel/defects etc. Its why i run a quiver and put the cheap stuff/reds big balls. And dont really risk the bones/swiss. Depending on the wheel/brand at times the inner seating for the wheel is shorter than the width of the spacer...its fine if the seats are deep enough...but on a smaller profile the outer edge is hanging out and can easily cause a bearing to fail/blow out. idk i dont ride bones wheels and ive never ridden F4 from a back stock of SFW 99a wheels i got and a few satori conical fulls.
@@anhiirr there are 2 sizes of spacers. 10 mm and 12 mm. OJ/Slimeballs, Powell , Madness and Welcome have been most consistent in my experience. Both cored and non-cored. Spitfire and Element have been the least consistent, along with the durometer rating. S
@@vorpalblades with the pressure from your weight they are gonna spin as intended. Otherwise everyone would be wearing down their axles which they aren't. I agree spacers make sense in theory but they never get the right tolerance on the wheels which ruins the idea of spacers.
I normally use my 93a dragon's on our crusty park, and they are perfect, and fun. Recently took them to a smoother park, and being older I really like the softness when landing hard.
heck yeah! I was looking for this comparison but couldn't find it anywhere. from what i hear the dragons are preferable, though i cant wait to see the results!!
Dragons have more shapes and bigger sizes for about the same price.. more bang for the money if you perfer bigger wheels.. until Spitfire push out Conical and Radial Fulls 58mm+ in these 93A..
i remember when professor schmidt said that you know you have a successful product when everyone starts ripping it off. i respect what george powell did to develop the dragon wheels and will probably stick to them instead of trying these.
For what I do the dragons work. If I was 18 and I am definitely not I’d go hard wheels maybe 99 on a solid $PRK. Otherwise when I came up 97 was hard and 99 was something we dreamed about. Tells you how old I am. So when I’m at the park I ain’t trying to backside 180 flip to disaster on the 7 ft or the 4 for that matter I’m just trying not hit the pavement and in the process if I manage to hear that beautiful sound of my back trucks making contact with perfect ATL COPING. I’m ELATED ! Bro skating is about the inner ! Don’t forget that. Yea you can hyped with your boys but when I came up I remember doing my first wall ride off an old jump ramp we made . I spent days trying g to ride up it but I couldn’t make the transition. The day I did and the day I could do it on tap was phenomenal ! Like Jake, Phelps said skating doesn’t owe you shit it owes you a wheel bite and an ass kicking. It doesn’t owe you sponsorship anything . It owes you joy when you make that wall ride and feel like a king for the day. When you look at skateboarding as something that owes you, something… quit !! You lost the reason behind it. It’s called love. I love skateboarding that’s why I’m 51 fuckin years old and I prolly skate better than you. Get yer game up. Enjoy yourselves. Do what you love don’t love what you just do. Peace.
Yeah I love dragons but also new inventions are always improved on by other people. Wouldnt have 4k flatscreen tvs without the invention of the box tv🤷♀️
Dowdy, I love watching your style. It was a pleasure to see in person back in those Gullwing days. This vid was particularly valuable to me too, because I've been on Dragons for maybe almost a year and am looking at getting something new. Thanks dude. Mash!!
The review everyone wanted. Sounds like the Dragons are the softer feeling of the two. Like how Spit 97s also seem to feel just a tad harder than the X-97s.
Yeah spitfire duros are kinda inconsistent I feel. I rode and loved a set of F4 tablets 99a for over a year, but it was surprising hard. No way it deserved a 99a rating lol but I tried my friend's F4 classic 99a's and they felt way way softer somehow... Maybe the contact patch or the vertical walls on the tablets make that difference because of the structural rigidity..?
@@goatcoffee Color denotes bushing duro (which varies across different companies), whereas color defines Spitfire wheel size. It has nothing to do with duro.
Try 95a Ricta Crystal Cores. They are right between 93a and 97a. Not too hard, not too soft. They're wide but rounded on the edges, and they have a hard core; which causes them to make sound (for people who are audio learners instead of visual) They slide, too. Sweet spot all-around wheels. Good for impact, rough ground, but doesn't zap you speed so much or damepen the sound. Oh, they are clear, too. I like that. Weird I haven't seen anyone cover them, especially since Bones and Spitfire didn't wind making 95a and 96a wheels; which I thought they would, since they are right in the middle. I'd call em' Goldilocks Wheels if I were them and made some 95a wheels. 2a up from Dragons and 2a down from X-97s.
Dammmn so spitfire actually did it! okey gotta get a pair cause i used to skate spitfire only since the 90s. then dragon wheels came an i was sold, but if these are as good then i kiiind of have to turn back again to support my mainbrand since childhood
Much respect for taking care about these spots. I really like Dragons, I've just noticed that they are chipping easier than any Spitfires. However I'd much prefer quiet wheels so I guess I'll stay on them, I'm just glad that there are more softer wheels that slide available in different shapes. Btw 93A nano cubics are amazing also.
on the topic of seams - what i have been doing for years with great success is using bonding adhesive and vinyl patch (or even sand topper). you put the bonding adhesive on the ground, and in the concrete mix. you can let the adhesive dry up a little on the flat. no bondo required, which tends to break out with the change of seasons.
I just hit up spitfire, I really want the Sapphire wheel Remade with this 93a formula, instead of the 90a because they have a 101 core. And I told spitfire that would be an amazing performance wheel for crusty spots. Allows you to keep your pop but get the smoother ride from the 93a duro meter
I'm super interested in these so thanks for the first review. I even love the 97A F4s but prefer a radial or conical to the classics. I like the slight yellowness of spitfires but that doesn't really matter. The Dragons are too skinny & chunks come off easy ime.
Had the Dragons for about a year. Awesome in the crusty ditches and crappy street spots I skated, stuck like crazy on anything with metal coping. Went back to formula 4's. I'm excited by the new 93's though.
I have been riding dragons since they came out. I have not tried the new spitfire 93s, although I am curious. A week ago I actually swapped back to formula 4 99a spitfires just for the slides. I really like the dragons but I found slides were becoming an issue. Of course I went nuts sliding once I got the 99's on.
To each their own but Il always use spacers even if I’m not cranking the nut down all the way, there’s just a lot of load that goes on the bearing especially since I power slide a lot
Imo the bones x97 are soo underrated. they ride over rougher terrain like dragons but slide better. I've owned both but I'm sticking with x97s for street and x99s for park
I went from Dragons to a set of 101 Pigs and now on to the 93 Spits. Pigs aren't top quality, but I wanted to see if I could go back to hard wheels. I cannot, and my choice of softies is officially the 93 Spitfire.
14:30 was sick dude! I skated the dragons when they first came out and they were ok. However, I def prefer Bones X formula (I have only tried the 97a but am pumped to try the 99a now that they are out). I'm in philly and rough spots are the norm on this side. I will try these spitfires too eventually... but anyway them Bones X's are pretty good to me for whatever it's worth.
It’s so hard to decide. Everybody is putting out 97 wheels now. Used to be only super hard or super soft. Slime ball’s seem to hard to me. Ricta cloud seem too soft. I need to find the middle
For absorption, I wonder if the trucks and bushings had an effect as well. Ace have really soft bushings. Indies in my experience harden up after awhile and even when brand new aren't as soft. The best way to test is use the same setup, other than swapping wheels.
gotta say i was really stoked to see spitfire relase a 93a wheel since i wasnt super juiced on the dragons. the spitfires felt like a normal wheel but still rode over shitty ground pretty well. BIG DOWNSIDE THOUGH - my 52's wore down to 48's within less than two months while my dragons went from 53's to 50's over a span of a little over 6 months. maybe i wasnt skating the same kinda spots and ground, but the spitfires definitely wore down a LOT faster than the dragons. after i noticed that i sticked to dragons since
i´ve been skated the dragons for almost 2 years and love them... Surely want to try the Reynolds to compare the impact absortion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and review. Greetings from Bogotá, Colombia
Great video Zack, however I would like to clear up some misinformation, the 93a classics come in 52,53, and 54mm and the radials come in 54, 56, and 58mm
I love that companies are pushing things forward, trying to reinvent skate products, but I don’t think there will ever be a perfect wheel for everything, which is ok. We just have to use the right tools for the job.
I got the planB pj wheels for about 15 quid. Best wheels, for the skatepark, I’ve ever had, never flat spotted in about 4/5 years. Impressive considering how many speed checks and poewerslides I do. Got dragons for goin to the shops etc. but they suck for a concrete skatepark.
Good review bud!! How would you compare these new 93a's to the conical full 58mm 97a wheels? Usually ride the 58/99's & I'm good with those, but got a set of the 58/97a's just to have for a little rougher places. 97's are just alright(kinda meh…)compared to 99's… I mean they're not near as fast, but they do feel good & I can see where they'd be useful on different terrain. So yeah… kinda good to have in the arsenal. These have me kinda intrigued though!? Thanks man!
Love this revieuw great job big thanks. Nice skating also great to watch . One side note i noticed trucks also make impact and wheels feel a bit harder or feeling a bit softer. Like same wheel feels a bit harder on my ventures compared to my thunders with the same board changing trucks wich i do sometimes too often ;). Love my dragons, x 97a and x 99a formulas wich i also change sometimes too often ;).
in the "streets" they seem pretty useful for a cutty/ditch spot thats pretty crusty and lame to setup for. Or bricks or a brick street spot. Other than that...now that im reaching "old head" ranges of skater 93a seems good if you want a boost to your UP time/session range. Or are injured/skating injured and you want something a little more forgiving on cracks/crusty surfaces in parks that are pretty worn out. Still feel like ill be trying 97a a lot more than 93a but i guess its worth consideration for something to add to the quiver. IMO if you actually skate to school/etc and live in a city id say you could run these all day for the long/range skating and for a good park session. But idk 101a and 99a just have that slide/chirp and powerslide feel thats hard to go away from. In a park in proper shape/condition 101a is the right amount of speed and feel you want even as an older skater. A bigger wheel...and 101a...and you barely lean or have to think about getting speed to a wall etc..plus you can slash/move your setup mid carve/wall depending on your park/spot which surface is slick/isnt etc....thats just a habit i have that you cant really get rid of.
Sound is good differentiator. I prefer quiet. A lot of people prefer to hear the wheels more. So yeah, competition, but there’s a market for both. Spitfire should advertise them as “soft slide wheels you can actually hear slide.”
Shoutout New Mexico! Great ditches out here! I primarily ride 97-101s but I use Dragon Formulas / Rat Bones in the ditches…. You’re 100% right there Dragons are nice but not very fast …
23:20 I own one pair of dragons and I've noticed that they are pretty bouncy. Maybe that's why they don't absorb that much impact on big drops. I've been skating normal 99a wheels now, i'm saving my dragons for next winter, we have a public slippery indoor park built inside a bomb shelter/Air raid shelter. Powell Nano cubics have 97a (X formula?) and they are something between dragons and regular wheels I think.
I have the dragons and they grip more than I like, I want to try the spitfires. I do get more speed with dragons compared to the normal hard wheel and I try to do little powerslides to slow down before the trick and they grip so much that I basically keep the speed and don't get a good power slide
I've been on the 97a dragon formulas you can get in the nano-cubic line, and I am pretty religious about them at this point. I have 52mm on my andy anderson, and i put some 60mm on my Natas 101 reissue. I'd be curious what you think of that durometer in relation to either of these. Only critique I have of them so far is that they don't come in the neon green the 93a formula comes in.
Anyone know of a good alternative to these which which are semi soft and have similar qualities and available in the UK? Don’t think these spitfire ones are currently.
Zack man, I've been watching you since you first started out, can you please send me your 93a's? Been DYING to try them but broke starving student. Having tried the Dragons, X97s, double duros, none of those! These are the first wheels in a loooooong time that have me hyped and the fact you're going back to your 99s or 101s... please pass em onto me, man! 🙏
Sounds like these Spitfire 93A are about the same as X97/X99 in characteristics, definitely harder than Dragon 93A.. Another RUclips skater said they are slightly faster on smooth surfaces than Dragons, and still slower compare to 99A, but not much so yeah like a X97/X99.
You know Zack is going to be biased towards the Spits! And when you have the Andrew Reynolds Nuts! Get some 56mm dragons and skate everything everywhere
I’ve loved the dragons since they came out. Have had 4 sets … but I’m sorry, if you want the most replicated 99a but in 93… you simply can barely tell the diff. The formula 4 is why it’s better.
Idk dude your claims are contrary to what the purpose of these wheels were for which was a soft fast cruiser wheel with the ability’s of a harder wheel/sliding. I think your just a park dweller, these are for mean streets like the crusty east coast grounds where it’s mostly asphalt and spots are mainly drops, gaps, and stairs which the 93a duro wheels cater to. Absorbing all the shock and smoothing out the experience of skating street.
Did Reynolds have anything to do with designing these? Just because it has his name on it doesn’t mean he had anything to do with development. I can’t find any evidence that he did online. I would assume the R&D went more like, “people love these dragon wheels. We gotta make something similar”
Interesting, I'm game on the Powell Nano Cubic shape and the Spitfire Lock In shape... the lock in sides... and the fact that they cover your axle nuts, that is bad ass however the "new formula" 93a thing just isn't working for me... been riding 95a and 97a since like 1986... when a wheel is soft, I expected to grip when a wheel is hard I expect it to slide and I can't seem to change that muscle memory for nothing, so dragons are incredibly dangerous cause they feel like they're gonna grip but they don't... This leads to my personal issue. I want the Nano Cubic 52mm shape with the 99a Formula Four urethane. Ain't gonna happen but that's what I need. So since I can make 95a slide... that part just doesn't help me... but that shape is 😘😘
but the nano cubics are 97A and from my experience with them, they do slide great, more like a 99A, but not as icy. they still handle the rough ground like the 93a dragons, but they do not feel quite as soft. I like em alot, get over your muscle memory and create some new memories.
I've ridden 2 sets of 52mm Nanos 97a into the ground and you are right they are great however having had ridden 97a for decades they are absolutely not the same feel. And unfortunately the part I left out of my long only partially relevant story, was that in the last few months I've become addicted to 99a, both the feel and the sound... and so I'm riding the SF Lock In Fulls which are fantastic, they lock in great and cover the axle nut! But alas they come in 54mm smallest!! I prefer 50-52mm. So there is always one missing factor... the Snot Wide Boys are sick for coming close but they don't lock in like the SF or Nano shape. Such is life. Never ever thought 2mm would or could possibly mess up my flip trick timing but after 2 weeks on 54mm I'm only just getting my muscle memory reprogrammed so on the note of easily making new memories... you can f.o.a.d...
THESE SFF4 93A, ARE NOT 93A THEY ARE MORE 97A/98A, AND THEY ARE 1.5+ YEARS LATE TO THE SOFT WHEELS THAT SLIDE GAME. SIMILAR TO BONES X97 BUT LESSER. THEY WILL NOT BE BETTER ON ROUGH ASHPALT LIKE DRAGONS 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Exactly, why bother if you already got Dragons and those last very long as they are one of the most durable wheels available atm, I would wait till Spitfire come out with Conical and Radial Fulls 58mm+ before even trying a set if you perfer bigger wider wheels especially for rough street and asphalt which is pretty much what these types of wheels are Best for..
I imagine they feel the same as dragons. Even so, I'm psyched spitfire released these, dragons are great but spitfire has the best wheels shapes. I feel like that's one thing lacking with bones and Powell.
I skate both, SFF4 99A for park and Dragons for pump track, down hill and cruising. No point buying these SFF4 93A until they come out with Conical or Radial Fulls 58mm+, else it would be a waste of money as my Dragons are hardly used up even though I skate them 3x a week.
Cause the people that use spitfires aren't pussies that need to use soft ass wheels to skate. We like the 99 or 101's cause they actually side a good distance at the skatepark and rough street spot. Plus they don't have that sticky plasticy feeling that bones stf, and oj elites have.
Powell/Bones has always had softer duro wheels, just nothing that had the grip to slip ratio needed for modern skating. Spitfire actually came out with their 97a wheels before the Dragons came out, which are amazing wheels but still pretty hard. The Dragons are amazing on rough ground, but people have complained that the Dragons are too sticky, bouncy, and in my experience they just don’t work as well for smooth parks and transition as a harder wheel. This 93a wheel is Spitfires answer to that. Spitfire Formula Fours have been the standard for years now which is why people love Spitfire. This type of competition between companies is what pushes improvements in skate products and what’s possible on a skateboard. I don’t see it as leeching, just motivation to make the best skate products as possible! It’s a win win for all skaters.
skate companies been making 93a wheels for the streets LOL I got old girl wheels in 93a 52mm and they rode better than the bouncy dragons, but I don't ride that soft of wheels I actually use bones stf 99a's or spitfire classic 99a both in 52mm , the bones stf 99a are a tad softer than the spitfire imo but both are amazing wheels
@@Tmo107these SFF4 93A are NOT fast on smooth surfaces. They are like the X97 at best speed wise, they have the classic Spitfire F4 sound and are softer but they are not faster and are slower than ANY 99A wheel on smooth surfaces.
I love how I’m not the only one my age rediscovering their love for skateboarding. I’ll be 37 at the end of the month and my son just got into boarding. So yeah I got a lot of catching up to do 😂
Totally feel you, I turn 39 in a few days. It’s disheartening to not be able to do stuff I once could, but still so much fun overall. I wonder how a lot of these older guys on RUclips managed to maintain high level of skating. Im guessing their day jobs are far superior than my blue collar job. I simply don’t have the time to dedicate
@@allstopblue5717 no lie. Life hits fast and hard. Before you know it you’re old and rickety. Just remember to stop and smell the roses sometimes. 🫡
I'll be 59 in 3 months and I am having a blast just getting back into skateboarding. So far I have purchased 4 boards (2 Carver Surfskates, Pantheon Supersonic, and a Heroin Razor Egg to round out my skills. I was impressed that he included all of the falls along with the times he nailed it.
Keep your mind a body young by finding a passion and pursue it regardless of your age.
I'm also 37 and live in rain country. I think just getting out when you can and having fun is what it's all about. Don't push yourself too hard and definitely definitely don't ride at night after too many beers. 😅
@@allstopblue5717 i'm an electrician, if you want it, you'll find time. look up austin kanfoush, he's a framer, a husband, and a dad, and is also pro for anti hero. he absolutely rips and is in his 30's as well. you got this.
The wheel review we have been waiting for!
About spacers, my tip is: Hard wheels (99+), no spacers needed. Softer wheels (97-), spacers to protect the bearings. A softer wheel will twist and turn more around the bearings, adding pressure and possible misplacement, specially in warmer climates like Cali.
Spacers tie the inner races into an assembly. Without them the bearing doesn't rotate properly. The inner race just spins on the axle.
youll know too...when the wheels are hard to take off...the inner portion warped/a lil over the duration of use and the inner races offset. You almost have to check monthly depending on the wheel/defects etc. Its why i run a quiver and put the cheap stuff/reds big balls. And dont really risk the bones/swiss. Depending on the wheel/brand at times the inner seating for the wheel is shorter than the width of the spacer...its fine if the seats are deep enough...but on a smaller profile the outer edge is hanging out and can easily cause a bearing to fail/blow out. idk i dont ride bones wheels and ive never ridden F4 from a back stock of SFW 99a wheels i got and a few satori conical fulls.
@@anhiirr there are 2 sizes of spacers. 10 mm and 12 mm. OJ/Slimeballs, Powell , Madness and Welcome have been most consistent in my experience. Both cored and non-cored.
Spitfire and Element have been the least consistent, along with the durometer rating. S
@@vorpalblades with the pressure from your weight they are gonna spin as intended. Otherwise everyone would be wearing down their axles which they aren't. I agree spacers make sense in theory but they never get the right tolerance on the wheels which ruins the idea of spacers.
I normally use my 93a dragon's on our crusty park, and they are perfect, and fun. Recently took them to a smoother park, and being older I really like the softness when landing hard.
heck yeah! I was looking for this comparison but couldn't find it anywhere. from what i hear the dragons are preferable, though i cant wait to see the results!!
Dragons have more shapes and bigger sizes for about the same price.. more bang for the money if you perfer bigger wheels.. until Spitfire push out Conical and Radial Fulls 58mm+ in these 93A..
i remember when professor schmidt said that you know you have a successful product when everyone starts ripping it off. i respect what george powell did to develop the dragon wheels and will probably stick to them instead of trying these.
I already made it a whole year having dragons on both decks and have gotten accustomed to the grip so I don’t plan on switching
For what I do the dragons work. If I was 18 and I am definitely not I’d go hard wheels maybe 99 on a solid $PRK. Otherwise when I came up 97 was hard and 99 was something we dreamed about.
Tells you how old I am. So when I’m at the park I ain’t trying to backside 180 flip to disaster on the 7 ft or the 4 for that matter I’m just trying not hit the pavement and in the process if I manage to hear that beautiful sound of my back trucks making contact with perfect ATL COPING. I’m ELATED !
Bro skating is about the inner ! Don’t forget that. Yea you can hyped with your boys but when I came up I remember doing my first wall ride off an old jump ramp we made . I spent days trying g to ride up it but I couldn’t make the transition. The day I did and the day I could do it on tap was phenomenal !
Like Jake, Phelps said skating doesn’t owe you shit it owes you a wheel bite and an ass kicking. It doesn’t owe you sponsorship anything . It owes you joy when you make that wall ride and feel like a king for the day.
When you look at skateboarding as something that owes you, something… quit !! You lost the reason behind it. It’s called love. I love skateboarding that’s why I’m 51 fuckin years old and I prolly skate better than you. Get yer game up. Enjoy yourselves. Do what you love don’t love what you just do.
Peace.
Dragons also come in 52, which is more my size haha
Yeah I love dragons but also new inventions are always improved on by other people. Wouldnt have 4k flatscreen tvs without the invention of the box tv🤷♀️
Deluxe is such a better skate company. They do so much more for the community.
Awesome review. Just ordered a set of the new Spitfire 93s
I think you'll like them!
Dowdy, I love watching your style. It was a pleasure to see in person back in those Gullwing days.
This vid was particularly valuable to me too, because I've been on Dragons for maybe almost a year and am looking at getting something new. Thanks dude. Mash!!
Thanks homie!! Those were some good days 🙏
The review everyone wanted. Sounds like the Dragons are the softer feeling of the two. Like how Spit 97s also seem to feel just a tad harder than the X-97s.
I definitely noticed the same difference in the 97s.
yes, i skate formula fours (99a) and Im looking for something else to try and this honestly was a dope ass review. Hats off. and i clearly agree
Yeah spitfire duros are kinda inconsistent I feel. I rode and loved a set of F4 tablets 99a for over a year, but it was surprising hard. No way it deserved a 99a rating lol but I tried my friend's F4 classic 99a's and they felt way way softer somehow... Maybe the contact patch or the vertical walls on the tablets make that difference because of the structural rigidity..?
@@burger1113 same color? I know thunder bushings can vary in softness based on the color and transparency.
@@goatcoffee
Color denotes bushing duro (which varies across different companies), whereas color defines Spitfire wheel size. It has nothing to do with duro.
@ 14:30 sick spot, SICK COMBO!!
Thank you, it was a struggle!
They have the Spitfire Radial 93a in 56 and 58 also 🔥
Try 95a Ricta Crystal Cores. They are right between 93a and 97a. Not too hard, not too soft. They're wide but rounded on the edges, and they have a hard core; which causes them to make sound (for people who are audio learners instead of visual) They slide, too. Sweet spot all-around wheels. Good for impact, rough ground, but doesn't zap you speed so much or damepen the sound. Oh, they are clear, too. I like that. Weird I haven't seen anyone cover them, especially since Bones and Spitfire didn't wind making 95a and 96a wheels; which I thought they would, since they are right in the middle. I'd call em' Goldilocks Wheels if I were them and made some 95a wheels. 2a up from Dragons and 2a down from X-97s.
Ricta makes killer wheels 💯 I have crystal cores clouds and all the other brands..I'm staying with ricta..❤
Dammmn so spitfire actually did it! okey gotta get a pair cause i used to skate spitfire only since the 90s. then dragon wheels came an i was sold, but if these are as good then i kiiind of have to turn back again to support my mainbrand since childhood
Much respect for taking care about these spots.
I really like Dragons, I've just noticed that they are chipping easier than any Spitfires. However I'd much prefer quiet wheels so I guess I'll stay on them, I'm just glad that there are more softer wheels that slide available in different shapes. Btw 93A nano cubics are amazing also.
Right from Spencer’s channel this was super chill 😂
My mans!
Doesn't feel like any of them are better than the other yet gives the edge in every category to the wheels he gets for free. Got it.
on the topic of seams - what i have been doing for years with great success is using bonding adhesive and vinyl patch (or even sand topper). you put the bonding adhesive on the ground, and in the concrete mix. you can let the adhesive dry up a little on the flat. no bondo required, which tends to break out with the change of seasons.
Dragons seem to grip a lot at slippery parks which can be good or bad.
Transition Dowdy is back! 💯
I think the new quarter might be your best build yet. Seems like it's the perfect size. Also that tail slide to fifty was sick
Thank you!! It was the most challenging but also rewarding.
I just hit up spitfire,
I really want the Sapphire wheel
Remade with this 93a formula, instead of the 90a because they have a 101 core. And I told spitfire that would be an amazing performance wheel for crusty spots. Allows you to keep your pop but get the smoother ride from the 93a duro meter
hi just wondering the 13:00 is some one filming u or some fancy follow camera^^
I'm super interested in these so thanks for the first review. I even love the 97A F4s but prefer a radial or conical to the classics. I like the slight yellowness of spitfires but that doesn't really matter. The Dragons are too skinny & chunks come off easy ime.
Had the Dragons for about a year. Awesome in the crusty ditches and crappy street spots I skated, stuck like crazy on anything with metal coping. Went back to formula 4's. I'm excited by the new 93's though.
@Zack Dowdy
Great video as always!!! Are they out already? I’ve been waiting for them. Thanks for the review!!!
I think they're hitting shops today!
Thanks man!!! I'll be on the look for at least one set!!!@@ZackDowdy
I have been riding dragons since they came out. I have not tried the new spitfire 93s, although I am curious. A week ago I actually swapped back to formula 4 99a spitfires just for the slides. I really like the dragons but I found slides were becoming an issue. Of course I went nuts sliding once I got the 99's on.
To each their own but Il always use spacers even if I’m not cranking the nut down all the way, there’s just a lot of load that goes on the bearing especially since I power slide a lot
Side impact damage on bearings is what the spacers are for and also to keep max speed at all times
I’ve never used a spacer my entire life. I’m truly interested in why some people use them
@@allstopblue5717 For downhill longboarding you use softer wheels and you need spacers to crank them all the way down
@@d.p.l9623 for spacers to work the nut has to be all the way tight, mechanical engineer here.
I love spitfires. I got spitfire f4 full conical 97 58s and 56 slime balls fishguts . I want to get 56 spitfires and try those lock ins.
Imo the bones x97 are soo underrated. they ride over rougher terrain like dragons but slide better. I've owned both but I'm sticking with x97s for street and x99s for park
Thanks for the info. I think I’ll try some next. Never tried Bones wheels of any formula
Yep, for me bones x-formula wheels are the best as well. x97s or x99s. I'm in love with them. They are really all terrain. Especially those x99s.
Please try the OJ double durometer wheels.
Really looking Forward to videos on these wheels. I’m intrigued
Id like to see them make this formula in 97a. Big fan of the x97
I was just at the local shop and they had 97a! Believe Spitfire making them for awhile now.
@@ZackDowdy they were ahead of their time
They’ve had 97s for a few years already, Ben Degros has a video if you’re interested in his thoughts of them.
I went from Dragons to a set of 101 Pigs and now on to the 93 Spits. Pigs aren't top quality, but I wanted to see if I could go back to hard wheels. I cannot, and my choice of softies is officially the 93 Spitfire.
14:30 was sick dude! I skated the dragons when they first came out and they were ok. However, I def prefer Bones X formula (I have only tried the 97a but am pumped to try the 99a now that they are out). I'm in philly and rough spots are the norm on this side. I will try these spitfires too eventually... but anyway them Bones X's are pretty good to me for whatever it's worth.
It’s so hard to decide. Everybody is putting out 97 wheels now. Used to be only super hard or super soft. Slime ball’s seem to hard to me. Ricta cloud seem too soft. I need to find the middle
Them 93’s treating u good yo!
Yea dawgy ❤
For absorption, I wonder if the trucks and bushings had an effect as well. Ace have really soft bushings. Indies in my experience harden up after awhile and even when brand new aren't as soft. The best way to test is use the same setup, other than swapping wheels.
I love the dragons I’ll have to try the spitfires soon. Not sure if spitfire will send them to me like Powell.
gotta say i was really stoked to see spitfire relase a 93a wheel since i wasnt super juiced on the dragons. the spitfires felt like a normal wheel but still rode over shitty ground pretty well. BIG DOWNSIDE THOUGH - my 52's wore down to 48's within less than two months while my dragons went from 53's to 50's over a span of a little over 6 months. maybe i wasnt skating the same kinda spots and ground, but the spitfires definitely wore down a LOT faster than the dragons. after i noticed that i sticked to dragons since
i´ve been skated the dragons for almost 2 years and love them... Surely want to try the Reynolds to compare the impact absortion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and review. Greetings from Bogotá, Colombia
Ripping in this vid. Love the urethane options we have these days also.
Dope vid as always. Dude… please give the dowdy take (and footy) on some solid time on the bones spf 60’s 🤙
Great video Zack, however I would like to clear up some misinformation, the 93a classics come in 52,53, and 54mm and the radials come in 54, 56, and 58mm
I love that companies are pushing things forward, trying to reinvent skate products, but I don’t think there will ever be a perfect wheel for everything, which is ok. We just have to use the right tools for the job.
I got the planB pj wheels for about 15 quid. Best wheels, for the skatepark, I’ve ever had, never flat spotted in about 4/5 years. Impressive considering how many speed checks and poewerslides I do. Got dragons for goin to the shops etc. but they suck for a concrete skatepark.
Good review bud!!
How would you compare these new 93a's to the conical full 58mm 97a wheels? Usually ride the 58/99's & I'm good with those, but got a set of the 58/97a's just to have for a little rougher places. 97's are just alright(kinda meh…)compared to 99's… I mean they're not near as fast, but they do feel good & I can see where they'd be useful on different terrain. So yeah… kinda good to have in the arsenal.
These have me kinda intrigued though!?
Thanks man!
I got 58mm reynolds soft sliders 93a coming. They might be too big.
nah I don't reckon, they're skinny enough to be lightweight and you just put some wax under your board if you get wheelbite.
Love this revieuw great job big thanks. Nice skating also great to watch . One side note i noticed trucks also make impact and wheels feel a bit harder or feeling a bit softer. Like same wheel feels a bit harder on my ventures compared to my thunders with the same board changing trucks wich i do sometimes too often ;). Love my dragons, x 97a and x 99a formulas wich i also change sometimes too often ;).
I’ve heard a lot of people say the Spitfires 93’s feel more like a 97, so do they feel similar to the formula 4 97a?
in the "streets" they seem pretty useful for a cutty/ditch spot thats pretty crusty and lame to setup for. Or bricks or a brick street spot. Other than that...now that im reaching "old head" ranges of skater 93a seems good if you want a boost to your UP time/session range. Or are injured/skating injured and you want something a little more forgiving on cracks/crusty surfaces in parks that are pretty worn out. Still feel like ill be trying 97a a lot more than 93a but i guess its worth consideration for something to add to the quiver. IMO if you actually skate to school/etc and live in a city id say you could run these all day for the long/range skating and for a good park session. But idk 101a and 99a just have that slide/chirp and powerslide feel thats hard to go away from. In a park in proper shape/condition 101a is the right amount of speed and feel you want even as an older skater. A bigger wheel...and 101a...and you barely lean or have to think about getting speed to a wall etc..plus you can slash/move your setup mid carve/wall depending on your park/spot which surface is slick/isnt etc....thats just a habit i have that you cant really get rid of.
Oh Yeah! The topic is hot as spitfier flame
Your bowl skating reminds me of Chet Childress
The 97duros from spitfire are in my opinion the best. Add some bones Swiss’s and BOOM!💥💥💥💥
Sound is good differentiator. I prefer quiet. A lot of people prefer to hear the wheels more. So yeah, competition, but there’s a market for both. Spitfire should advertise them as “soft slide wheels you can actually hear slide.”
Interesting. I think most people would prefer to hear the wheels but maybe im wrong.
At the end of the day if it works for you personally it works .
Shoutout New Mexico! Great ditches out here! I primarily ride 97-101s but I use Dragon Formulas / Rat Bones in the ditches…. You’re 100% right there Dragons are nice but not very fast …
awesome washington st. footy!!
23:20 I own one pair of dragons and I've noticed that they are pretty bouncy. Maybe that's why they don't absorb that much impact on big drops. I've been skating normal 99a wheels now, i'm saving my dragons for next winter, we have a public slippery indoor park built inside a bomb shelter/Air raid shelter. Powell Nano cubics have 97a (X formula?) and they are something between dragons and regular wheels I think.
A good idea is build a form for a jersey barrier for your front drive way.
I have the dragons and they grip more than I like, I want to try the spitfires. I do get more speed with dragons compared to the normal hard wheel and I try to do little powerslides to slow down before the trick and they grip so much that I basically keep the speed and don't get a good power slide
I've been on the 97a dragon formulas you can get in the nano-cubic line, and I am pretty religious about them at this point. I have 52mm on my andy anderson, and i put some 60mm on my Natas 101 reissue. I'd be curious what you think of that durometer in relation to either of these. Only critique I have of them so far is that they don't come in the neon green the 93a formula comes in.
At the end of the day, 99a F4 or Bones STF is where it's at.
Which wheel feels faster skating on rough ground? 93 spitfire or 93 dragons
hey! can i ask what brand and shape is the red board? Thanks!
Anyone know of a good alternative to these which which are semi soft and have similar qualities and available in the UK? Don’t think these spitfire ones are currently.
What about thin riser pads for impact?
Hey #Zach can you do a review on the new Spitfire #Burners🤔
Good combo
Nano cubics are the best so far. But, I've yet to try these.
Idk. I personally can’t stand the nano cubics .Just. Didn’t work for me at all
Zack man, I've been watching you since you first started out, can you please send me your 93a's? Been DYING to try them but broke starving student. Having tried the Dragons, X97s, double duros, none of those! These are the first wheels in a loooooong time that have me hyped and the fact you're going back to your 99s or 101s... please pass em onto me, man! 🙏
Haven't** tried the other wheels. Damn autocorrect. 🫣 but my shameless begging still stands 😅
Dude you are awsome
I think you missed out on a big opportunity by not skating OB, a rough concrete skate park.
Sounds like these Spitfire 93A are about the same as X97/X99 in characteristics, definitely harder than Dragon 93A.. Another RUclips skater said they are slightly faster on smooth surfaces than Dragons, and still slower compare to 99A, but not much so yeah like a X97/X99.
in comparison to 93a to 99 formula fours, do they have a similar slide?
To my surprise the slide was very similar!
you look like richie richs bass head cousin in that argyle t shirt zackary! lol
You know Zack is going to be biased towards the Spits! And when you have the Andrew Reynolds Nuts! Get some 56mm dragons and skate everything everywhere
🧨🔥
I’ve loved the dragons since they came out. Have had 4 sets … but I’m sorry, if you want the most replicated 99a but in 93… you simply can barely tell the diff. The formula 4 is why it’s better.
2:57 I know man! I do this every time!!!! lol
Idk dude your claims are contrary to what the purpose of these wheels were for which was a soft fast cruiser wheel with the ability’s of a harder wheel/sliding. I think your just a park dweller, these are for mean streets like the crusty east coast grounds where it’s mostly asphalt and spots are mainly drops, gaps, and stairs which the 93a duro wheels cater to. Absorbing all the shock and smoothing out the experience of skating street.
Ahhh there we are 😂😂
Did Reynolds have anything to do with designing these? Just because it has his name on it doesn’t mean he had anything to do with development. I can’t find any evidence that he did online. I would assume the R&D went more like, “people love these dragon wheels. We gotta make something similar”
Interesting, I'm game on the Powell Nano Cubic shape and the Spitfire Lock In shape... the lock in sides... and the fact that they cover your axle nuts, that is bad ass however the "new formula" 93a thing just isn't working for me... been riding 95a and 97a since like 1986... when a wheel is soft, I expected to grip when a wheel is hard I expect it to slide and I can't seem to change that muscle memory for nothing, so dragons are incredibly dangerous cause they feel like they're gonna grip but they don't... This leads to my personal issue. I want the Nano Cubic 52mm shape with the 99a Formula Four urethane. Ain't gonna happen but that's what I need. So since I can make 95a slide... that part just doesn't help me... but that shape is 😘😘
but the nano cubics are 97A and from my experience with them, they do slide great, more like a 99A, but not as icy.
they still handle the rough ground like the 93a dragons, but they do not feel quite as soft.
I like em alot, get over your muscle memory and create some new memories.
I've ridden 2 sets of 52mm Nanos 97a into the ground and you are right they are great however having had ridden 97a for decades they are absolutely not the same feel. And unfortunately the part I left out of my long only partially relevant story, was that in the last few months I've become addicted to 99a, both the feel and the sound... and so I'm riding the SF Lock In Fulls which are fantastic, they lock in great and cover the axle nut! But alas they come in 54mm smallest!! I prefer 50-52mm. So there is always one missing factor... the Snot Wide Boys are sick for coming close but they don't lock in like the SF or Nano shape. Such is life. Never ever thought 2mm would or could possibly mess up my flip trick timing but after 2 weeks on 54mm I'm only just getting my muscle memory reprogrammed so on the note of easily making new memories... you can f.o.a.d...
sannta cruz slime ballas made 97 a awesome wheels
THESE SFF4 93A, ARE NOT 93A THEY ARE MORE 97A/98A, AND THEY ARE 1.5+ YEARS LATE TO THE SOFT WHEELS THAT SLIDE GAME. SIMILAR TO BONES X97 BUT LESSER. THEY WILL NOT BE BETTER ON ROUGH ASHPALT LIKE DRAGONS 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Because we all know throughout history the first to a market is always the best……. Or wait….
I like spitfire 97
Makes no sense that the louder wheels take impact better - quieter wheels by definition absorb better.
50 dollar wheels is kinda steep tho 🥴
Exactly, why bother if you already got Dragons and those last very long as they are one of the most durable wheels available atm, I would wait till Spitfire come out with Conical and Radial Fulls 58mm+ before even trying a set if you perfer bigger wider wheels especially for rough street and asphalt which is pretty much what these types of wheels are Best for..
"nano cubic tubes"
great video! your'e like a tony hawk/daniel craig hybrid.
Spitfires got better. In like 03 or 04 I used to flatspot the FUCK out of them and started skating Bones 101's
I imagine they feel the same as dragons. Even so, I'm psyched spitfire released these, dragons are great but spitfire has the best wheels shapes. I feel like that's one thing lacking with bones and Powell.
They don't, they can't handle rough like Dragons.
cruiser wheels that slide.
this should make the powell fanboys happy
🤣
I skate both, SFF4 99A for park and Dragons for pump track, down hill and cruising. No point buying these SFF4 93A until they come out with Conical or Radial Fulls 58mm+, else it would be a waste of money as my Dragons are hardly used up even though I skate them 3x a week.
not really
cockroach wheels were like this 20+ years ago
Splitfire? lol
🛹🛹🛹
I don't get why spit fire gets any respect at all. If your so much cooler then the obviously uncool bones, stop leeching off their ideas.
Cause the people that use spitfires aren't pussies that need to use soft ass wheels to skate. We like the 99 or 101's cause they actually side a good distance at the skatepark and rough street spot. Plus they don't have that sticky plasticy feeling that bones stf, and oj elites have.
Powell/Bones has always had softer duro wheels, just nothing that had the grip to slip ratio needed for modern skating.
Spitfire actually came out with their 97a wheels before the Dragons came out, which are amazing wheels but still pretty hard. The Dragons are amazing on rough ground, but people have complained that the Dragons are too sticky, bouncy, and in my experience they just don’t work as well for smooth parks and transition as a harder wheel. This 93a wheel is Spitfires answer to that.
Spitfire Formula Fours have been the standard for years now which is why people love Spitfire. This type of competition between companies is what pushes improvements in skate products and what’s possible on a skateboard.
I don’t see it as leeching, just motivation to make the best skate products as possible! It’s a win win for all skaters.
@@nathanvaltierra8707 Ooh, such a tough guy. Like a proper edgelord.
skate companies been making 93a wheels for the streets LOL I got old girl wheels in 93a 52mm and they rode better than the bouncy dragons, but I don't ride that soft of wheels I actually use bones stf 99a's or spitfire classic 99a both in 52mm , the bones stf 99a are a tad softer than the spitfire imo but both are amazing wheels
@@Tmo107these SFF4 93A are NOT fast on smooth surfaces. They are like the X97 at best speed wise, they have the classic Spitfire F4 sound and are softer but they are not faster and are slower than ANY 99A wheel on smooth surfaces.
I honestly wish this old school board trend would die, for some reason ima hater
Nobody wants the old sh*t
what cameras are you using and what frame rate do you film/export?
❤