Method Air Wheels Review
Method Air Longboard Test Setup:
Madrid Nessie
Aera K3 - 42o
Zealous Bearings
Background:
I've been riding these wheels for around a year and a half now. The Method Air wheel is the primary slide wheel offered by Method Skateboards, and they are delicious indeed. With a 71mm diameter, 32mm contact and a centerset core, these wheels bring a new definition to the term "slide wheel".
Here are the wheels on my setup and fellow Method team rider Alex Adams' setup, along with the favorite local hill in the background:
Riding Experience:
The first thing you might notice when riding these wheels is the extremely quick break-in period. With a stone-ground finish, these wheels start painting thane to their fullest ability within one to two slides.
The second thing you will notice is the extent to which these wheels thane. These wheels don't require you to skate like Mike Fitter to be painting thick lines; even simple 180 slides will leave a mark. This makes these wheels great for beginners and experts alike - beginners can experience the thrill of leaving thane, while the experts can still throw big, controlled standies and leave thane like it was sidewalk chalk.
A closeup of some of the thane these wheels can dump:
The third thing you will find with these wheels is the smoothness of the slide. These wheels are called the "Air" for a reason - you feel like you are sliding on air. No chatter, no howling, just a smooth and buttery glide across the pavement. If I had to describe the thane/slide, it would definitely not be entirely sugary, but I don't know if I could describe it as completely buttery either. It has the buttery smooth slide of Abec 11 classic thane, but yet somehow a bit of the "sugary" slide of These 717 thane. Team rider Alex Adams compares them to Venom Sidewinders or Volante thane.
Wear:
As with any wheel that dumps thane, it comes at a cost. These wheels do wear as with any wheel, however, for the amount of thane Airs dump, they are quite durable. Here is a size comparison of new to about 5-6 hours of hard riding:
As you can see, although the wheel did wear, it is nothing "extreme", in fact, it is quite good for a wheel that covers your trucks in thane.
Another great thing about the wear on these wheels is that because they are centerset, they can be flipped to minimize coning without changing the feel of the trucks. This is important feature to have in a slick freeride wheels, as it also helps the wheel grip more to maximize your thane-dumping capabilities.
Final Thoughts:
These wheels are an amazing freeride wheel that will have you grinning from ear to ear with every slide. I found these wheels shine most in a slightly more grippy topmount setup, however, they are definitely enjoyable in any setup you throw at them. Get a set and mark your territory!
By Brett Leonardo.
Buy your Method Airs at the limited time price of $35.95 here today!
