NEW ATF Wheels
Hi, I saw the ATF wheel section in the 09 catalog. What can you tell us about the wheels!? Are the Softcores being discontinued? Where do the ATFs fall between softcores and the DTFs or are they just the softcores rebranded?
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but really nothing has changed but the graphic.
but seriously bill we do have a 40oz graphic, had a smoking fish, and now have the buckshot graphic. theres your A.T.F.! haha
SOC, is the formula exactly the same? I've been riding a new set for a week now, and they feel harder than my last set. I don't know if it's because these ATFs are a little slimmer (34mm vs the older 37mm). Maybe it's in my head, but the new set feels less bouncy and isn't as ninja-quiet as my older softcores (but still quiet). Anyway, I am loving these wheels. I switched from softcores to rainskates 95a tsunamis because I was looking for something a little harder. Rainskates rock but I decided to go back to the ATFs - I just haven't ridden anything that I like as much. Anyway, this new set feels a little firmer and is just about perfect. Was just curious if the formula and build of the wheel was the same since '07.
SOC, no what would be the berries? If you had loaner wheelsets that we could sign out!
Imagine that!
Also, if you like to ride a bigger wheel they have 60mm softcores on sale in specials for $20. Good opportunity to try them out.
Question for you SOC, is the 80a formula the same across your wheel lines?
A friend of mine has the Bombers in 60/80a, I could borrow those to try the formula out. Diff would be the core, I suppose - cores usually make a soft wheel ride a little "firmer", yknow?
and Peg Leg the formula should be the same with the differences being in the core and the overall shape of the wheel.
I have a set of DTFs, they are OK for the little cement parks and bowl riding (though they make my knees ache) but they are not so much nice for street riding. Street here being defined as Metro Boston grade, crap asphalt htat can only be appreciated by fellow Northeasterners or that cat from Chicago who is occasionally on here. And, like dante said skating "street, not spots".
Rat bones 85a are my usual, but I was beginning to wonder if there'd been some urethane miracle since the 80s, where the Soft Cores at 80a might ride similarly to the Rat Bones w/out weighing as much. A few months ago, I picked up a set of "vintage 80s Street Bones" 60mm x 35mm @ 85a on Ebay. I have a feeling they may be roller skate wheels, but damn, they feel great and are light! As they are too narrow for a normal bearing spacer, I KNOW that I am going to pop the bearing seat out on a slide, so I think they are looking at a limited life span.
What I want is to capture the light weight, narrow profile and fast roll that they have in, perhaps, a more modern formula wheel that would work for every riding situation I might encounter on a day outside in the world. Also, there is 0% chance of me hitting any ramps or large format parks, so I really have no need for a wheel for those kind of conditions - one wheelset really would do it all for me.
I've been searching and searching for a setup that I can use anywhere. I skate street, skatepark, and an old school concrete bowl (Landsdowne).
I've settled on a 8.375 popsicle shape, with Indy 149's, with these ATF's. It's *almost* perfect.
They're soft - soft enough for the rough concrete in my bowl. But they ride like a street wheel, in that they don't feel too mushy. They're fast. It's a nice, modern, shape. They're light.
My one complaint - and it might be a deal breaker - they don't slide. Well, they slide, but you've got to push it REAL hard. And when they do slide, it's a real sticky slide. 85a's slide like butter compared to ATF's.
I really like the shape and the ride, but I wish they slid better. I think my perfect wheel is a 56mmx34mm shape, in the DTF formula.