From: byron@athena.mit.edu (Jack Miller)
Subject: Re: AHHH!! The Size of These WHEELS!!
Organization: SKaters At Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 17:36:49 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.144625.9303@athena.mit.edu> byron@athena.mit.edu (Jack Miller) writes:
>This article was probably generated by a buggy news reader.

	Well heck let's try that again hmmm?
In article <1992Aug31.234511.18363@uc.msc.edu> eab@msc.edu (Edward Bertsch) writes:
>It is a plot to get all the conformist skate rats to buy new equipment
>when they don't really need it.  The way it starts is one kid gets
>these little  "breath mint sized wheels" (my quote, [c] 1992 Ed Bertsch
>productions) and then he starts giving his friends a hard time
>"You've got to get rid of those ancient wheels" et cetera.  Little
>do they know that these wheels are slower than wheels of the same
>hardness that are bigger... because they dress the same, they skate
>the same... skate conformity, I thought I'd never see it.

        You're forgetting some major points... smaller wheels evolved
due to necessity just as much as due to ``let's sell the kids
something that wears out in a week and make it cool so they'll spend
more money.''  Small wheels are slower due to a smaller circumference,
less ground traveled per revolution, true.  BUT- the board is lower
for a LOT more stability (rode a guy's board with no risers and 40MM
wheels, felt like I was skating with my feet on the ground), which
makes landing tricks easier.  AND they don't hang up, which makes
things like tail-to-5/0 possible, let alone easier.  Also consider the
weight difference between today's wheels and ones made just two years
ago.  They are also made harder these days so that blunt slides are
possible.  The difference in lipslides with my old 62MM 95A's and my
50MM 98A's is so amazing I couldnt believe it, and note that my new
wheels are considered lame today.

>
>You can find big wheels, however.  Call mail order places, ask
>what are the bigest wheels they have, and don't buy this small
>shit.
>
        Depends how you skate.  If you're doing pressure flip body
varials into nose-grind to nose blunt slide to revert, you not only
SHOULD buy small hard wheels, you NEED to.  (Actually, if you're doing
THOSE, you shouldn't need to buy wheels anyway, you should be
sponsored.)  If you just like to cruise around the streets, by all
means stick with big heavy gooey wheels, they'll give you speed and a
smooth ride.  Do note however that many people find it easier to do
ANY tricks at all with smaller, lighter wheels, including high
flatland ollies.  You may want at least to check them out.  I was way
skeptical at first (and still won't go below 50MM- that's big these
days- because I have to skate in Cambridge, home of bad pavement
galore) but tried 50MM 98TS Skater's Union Slimeballs and was very
impressed.  Anything harder or smaller would be really a lot of fun to
skate with as long as I lived in an area with better streets and
sidewalks, but alas I don't.

                                --Halloween Jack, got them varial kickflips
                                                  WIRED and there's no way
                                                  I could do them with big
                                                  heavy wheels


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