Reviews

Slide Perfect Revolutions Setups:

• DaSilva Aldous
• Blacktop Vs-1
• Zealous

• Laissez Faire Anarchy
• Indy 169s
• Dirty Bearings

First Impressions: Back when Slide Perfect was first getting its bearings as both a company and a wheel (see what I did there?) the first thing a lot of people noticed was the sick KOOK Culture style designs. A rip off? Nah…Alex of KOOK designed the graphics himself and is even featured on the About Us page on the Slide Perfect Website. A small brand in its own right, the detailed black and white designs of KOOK lend an almost surreal but still classy and modern look to the wheels. More importantly, it shows that even before they were anything more than a good idea and some crossed fingers SP was all about supporting the scene. How's that for a great first impression?

As the newest addition to the SP lineup, revolutions were instead designed by team rider Ry Swanton...but the clean and classy design and commitment to supporting local artists and skaters is still a key factor in how these great designs come to be.

Riding Experiences: Revolutions were a very unique wheel to ride. They took a while to break in, and felt very techy until they did. Starting off very “above the pavement” with an abrupt release and hook up, they sink in just slightly enough to leave very faint thane lines…sometimes. That might actually be the most interesting thing about these wheels. They're very sensitive and can have a very different feel depending on your form. For me, heelsides had a smoother initiation and killed just slightly more speed while laying a slight amount of thane. Toesides released more abruptly and slid forever without killing speed or leaving thane. Though it didn't take me long to realize it was simply because I lean more for toesides and naturally keep my weight over the board during heelsides. Once I realized that, I was able to adapt my form to different situations for an insane amount variety and precision. They were especially fun on a DK where that amount of board control made blunts and quick 180s as easy as holding long checks. Plus, the small size and light weight make ollies easy. While the slightly harder duro doesn't get hung up on curbs or railing like other soft longboard wheels can (even other the 62mm ones).

Criticism: The only thing that disappointed me about this wheel was how hard they rolled. It's an 86a urethane and isn't about to let you forget that. In all fairness, on smoother terrain all that really means is you'll notice a pretty decent roll speed for such a small wheel. However, take it through some chunder and you'll swear you're on skateboard wheels. It's very sad considering how consistently they seem to slide over that same uneven pavement…and hold together well in spots that tear apart most other wheels.

Final Thoughts: The guys at Slide Perfect weren't just blowing smoke by naming their wheels that. These really are some fantastic wheels that are surprisingly versatile and well balanced. They are still a small, slightly harder wheel so I wouldn't recommend trying to downhill on them…but you already knew that. Basically, if you want to get really techy but also need great board control, these are the wheels for you. Slower freeride and sketchy narrow paths have never been more fun.

Review by The Longboard Critic Jonathan King

You can buy Slide Perfect Revolutions Here

Rainskates Tsunami Test Setup:

Moonshine Firewater
Gullwing Reverse
Mercury Built-ins

Restless Fishbowl 37
Caliber V2 50°
Mercury Built-ins


First Impression:

Rainskates Tsunamis look fantastic, they are a nice bright orange that's also somehow warm and earthy. The overall look is familiar enough without being the exact same shape and every other wheel on the market. Plus, the wave graphic is pretty clever and I like the imagery of them crashing over the core with every rotation of the wheel. Though I have to admit, I was worried it may be foreshadowing. Were the words "rain" and "tsunami" meant to warn of this hard freeride wheels icy slides? Was I going to feel like I was hydroplaning out of control? Was this seriously going to hurt? I guess there's only one way to know for sure...make Guy try them first.


Riding Experiences:

Ok, so there are some really nice wheels out there that are available in harder options...but there's definitely something to be said for a urethane formula that's actually designed entirely around a harder duro. Not only are they not uncontrollable, tsunamis are surprisingly grippy before being broken in, and feel really nice in a bowl or skatepark. Once past the skin, the release becomes smoother, but still well defined. Slides are clean, controlled, and leave thick lines of pale thane. Which...is the coolest and most unique thing about the wheel: they slide like they thane, thick but light. A really controlled but definitively hard-wheeled slide that I can only describe as "halfway in the pavement". It's granular feeling...but also really smooth, like sidewalk chalk that was left out in the rain. Maybe that's where the name came from.


Criticisms:

It's hard to complain about these wheels for freeride, so I won't. However, they do indirectly affect other aspects of your riding. First off, they aren't the smoothest rolling wheels. No need to limit yourself to concrete, since even most asphalt isn't really going to trip you up...but if you regularly skate really janky roads, expect a foot massage. Also, these wheels are a bit heavy for having such a tech oriented feel. Again, not a huge deal of weight, but enough that you might notice on smaller DKs (which is exactly what you'd want to put these wheels on).

Final Thoughts:

With all the soft wheels out there trying to wear slower and feel like hard wheels...Rainskates might just be proof that we've been looking at it entirely the wrong way. Hard wheels already last forever and slide like ice...that's two out of three right there. All we needed was someone who cared enough to formulate just the right urethane to make them smooth and controlled. That's pretty much exactly what Rainskates did. These are great wheels and while I did my best to explain how they feel...they really are an indescribably unique product that everyone should try for themselves.

Written and tested by The Longboard Critic, Jonathan King.

Get a set of Rainskates Tsunamis here!

Vault Moonquakes Longboard Test Setup:


Rayne Fortune
Cronins
Bear Spaceballs

Original Arbiter KT
44° Caliber II
Bear Spaceballs

First Impressions:

Straight out of the package Moonquakes were impressive. With a pretty small contact relative to their 70mm size they seem much taller than you would expect. Plus, the sky blue color and silky smooth mold release makes me think auto-correct might have been right before when it tried to change “Moonquake” to “Milkshake”. I expect the slide will be smooth and lean more towards a resistant chalky feeling.



Riding Experiences:

Considering this formula was initially designed for downhill wheels like the Avalanches, they break in really easily. Even with the glossy finish, it will only take around five slides to get the chatter out. Until then, the release is going to be abrupt, but they mellow out as they break in. They’re really resilient to wear and show very minimum coning for a side set wheel. The outer edge is such a gradual curve that the lip stays round even after wearing the wheel down several millimeters. This keeps slide initiation smooth even as the contact patch gets bigger, making for better resistance and more control as you get farther into the urethane. They’re also pretty consistent over different surfaces and even seem to slide the same on both cold and hot pavement, so it’s great if you skate in the winter and need a wheel for faster freeride.



Criticisms:

One thing I did notice was that the consistency faded as you reached the core. hook-up and release became sporadic, and at times a bit hard to control. Also, for the thane line lovers out there, sorry no luck with these wheels. They have a very “above the pavement” kind of feel. So while that may contribute to them sliding the same in the cold, it also makes for a wheel that can chatter a bit if your weight placement isn’t on point. Definitely designed to work well with more speed oriented boards with bigger wheel bases. Not the best wheels for short wheelbases and tech oriented tom-puttery.



Final Thoughts:

The overall package of a tall slow-wearing wheel is definitely worth it, especially considering their so reasonably priced. If you’re looking for something thats going to slide for days but still hold up to a few good sessions, look no farther. The Vault Moonquake is a great wheel for fast freeride and a stellar option for the winter months.

Get your Vault Moonquakes here!

Written by Guy Panno.

Metro Super Sport Longboard Test Setup:

Loaded Tesseract
Aera K3 - 46*
Mercury Bearings

First Impressions:

These Metro Super Sports are a far smaller wheel as compared to its bigger brother, the Spyder. Comparing the two:

Spyder: Super Sport:

Diameter: 72mm Diameter: 65mm
Width: 49mm Width: 45mm
Contact Patch: 47mm Contact Patch: 38mm
Durometer: 79a Durometer: 85a
Core: Centerset Core: Centerset

As you can see, besides the core placement, these wheels are nearly completely opposite. They feel completely opposite as well...

Riding Experience:

The first thing I noticed riding this wheels is how ridiculously easy the breakout was, even from slide one. These are some of the first wheels I've ever ridden in which their "break-in" period is completely nonexistent - the way they slide from the first run is exactly the way they'll always slide. Additionally, the high durometer with the addition of (dare I say, the exact same as the new Orangatang lineup) its supportive core. These wheels were taken up to Pismo, CA to be given a true test on some of the beachfront' s most steep hills.

The second thing I noticed was how fat of thane lines the Metro Super Sport wheels leave behind. Notice, I didn't specifically say "thick" or "visible", but fat. Whereas the wheels leave behind a translucent white thane line that isn't remarkably visible (although still quite), some of my slides resulted in thane lines nearly an inch across.

The final thing I learned to enjoy about the Super Sports are the predictability of the thane. Never once did the Super Sports grip up or slip out from me unexpectedly, which gave me a serious confidence boost. The hard durometer leads to a long, easy, predictable slid over any (otherwise grippy) pavement and can open up possibilities for what type of pavement you feel comfortable skating. I would describe these wheels as a buttery, but easy sliding wheel over chalky or grippy.

Wear:

As to be expected from a 65mm wheel, the Super Sports do wear a bit. Whereas the harder durometer helps resist flatspots, coning and overall wear, they are still a small wheel so wear is a factor to consider. However, I would definitely not describe them as "fast wearing;" I would simply rate them slightly above average for a wheel of their size. The picture shown shows around 5-6 hours of wear on steep terrain (currently with Zealous bearings installed, however they were ridden with Mercury builtin bearings).

That being said, I can say that the Metro Super Sports do have a great tendency to wear very evenly. Flatspotting is much harder to do to on the Super Sports; I blasted 90* a few times during the couple of days I rode them and they did not flatspot. Coning is easily managed by their centerset profile, simple flip and keep skating.

Overall Thoughts:

Metro Super Sports are probably my favorite wheels I've had the pleasure of reviewing for Thane Store, and rank pretty high on my list of wheels I've ridden - ever. The easy slide and predictability place these wheels in the class of their own unlike anything I've ridden. If I had to compare them with another wheel, I would say they ride very similar to an 86a Orangatang Keanu with a slightly more buttery thane, which are also one of my favorite wheels. Whether you're looking for a great wheel to destroy or you're looking for a manageable thane to learn new tricks, get the Metro Super Sports, you won't be disappointed!

Written by Team Rider Brett Leonardo.

You can get the Metro Super Sports here.

Metro Spyder Longboard Test Setup:

Loaded Tesseract
Aera K3 - 46*
Zealous Bearings

First Impressions:

Let me start by saying this - these wheels are much bigger than I expected. Although they are only 72mm, they are quite wide, boasting a fat 47mm contact patch and a big, VERY supportive core (we'll get to that later). These wheels are 79a, centerset and stone ground. And...quite aesthetically pleasing.

Here the Metro Spyders are shown with These 717, Blood Orange Morgans, Orangatang Kilmers, RADvantages, and on my setup. As you can see, the contact patch is FAT.

Riding Experience:

The first thing I noticed - even just pushing around at the top of the hill - is that the rollspeed on these wheels is insane for a 72mm slide wheel. Seriously, these are unforgivingly fast. The large core supports the wheel very effectively and this leads to a very high rollspeed.

The second thing I noticed was that they are definitely on the grippy side of slide wheels - almost similar to an unbroken-in These 727. The thane itself is moderately chalky, however, the core stiffly supports the lips of the wheel, leading to a fight for slip. This fight for slip noticeably decreases with increased slide speed - you definitely should be taking advantage of their high roll speed and push these wheels to the limit. They leave distinctly thick, blue lines that paint the road.

Next, I tried them on a steep hairpin turn to test out their drifting characteristics. I bombed into the 120 degree turn at around 30mph and went in for a drift...and was not disappointed. The grip/slip ratio of these wheels is perfect for technical downhill, and when they drift, they drift smooth and predictable with just enough grip to let you keep your line.

Wear:

Metro Spyders have a very strong resistance to coning and general wear; this set was taken to a 2 mile long freeride run and have approximately 3 hours of continuous ride time. As shown, very little wear is present - despite the large core, these Spyders will certainly last a long time.

Final Thoughts:

The Spyders can certainly do it all - downhill, freeride, and cruising. I would highly recommend these wheels to someone who wants to do some technical downhill, but still be able to ride them once "scrubbed". Metro Spyders offer a substantial amount of grip for such a small, chalky wheel, but drift smoothly and slide amazing once broken in. While they can certainly be used for pure freeride, some initial technical downhill is recommended to unlock the true, speedy characteristics of this wheel.

For a set, go here.

Written by Method and Thane Store Team Rider Brett Leonardo