I am here to answer your Rink Rat wheel questions

[jeremytai 0]

Anyone know where i can buy the blue flame wheels at?

i second that question.

[Skokan 0]

Blue flames are not yet available

[stevoc 0]

Anyone know what the specifics will be?

(IE: softness, etc.)

[sniper_23 0]

Mike,

I just got a set of hornets in and some of the wheels seem to have a thicker plastic inside where the hub is. The bearing spacers from my CCM Externo Outcasts do not fit inside the wheel now. I'm going to try to find a different set of spacers so I can use the wheels but its just something that you guys might want to look into.

Heres a photo of what my spacers look like that don't fit inside some of the wheels.

http://www.aggressivemall.com/8mmbesp.html

I haven't skated on the hornets yet but i'm looking forward to it.

[Lucius 0]

Don't buy new spacers - the "floating" spacers that you have are thought to be faster. I had the same problem, and was able to exchange my wheels for a set with smaller "spikes" in the hub.

[RINK RAT 15 0]

You have a set of our older models, those spacers will not work, we have since modified our hub systems to fit all spacers, I would bring them back to the retailer you bought them from and have them swap them out. Thanks again and sorry for the inconvience.

Mike

[MDE3 0]

I think those wheels only work with the axle system that has spacers which go through the bearings and then uses a bolt assembly which goes through the center of the spacers.

[duckjob 1]

I didn't want to start a new thread about it, but I just received my rink rat hornets and my initial impression is that they are an excelent wheel. Obviously I can't comment on durability, but i have skated on them about 6 times already. I am about 250 pounds, so i ordered the 78a hornets. the first time i skated on them, it was noticeabley better than any other wheel i have used, including dynasties, trinitys and milleniums. It really does feel almost like you're on ice. After 6 games, they still look and perform like they did the first time, which isn't always a given. Anyway, just though i would give my 2 cents incase anyone was interested. I'll do a full reveiw at the end of my seasons.

[JR Boucicaut 3759]

Okay, just send the review up in said section and we'll approve it. Just follow the pattern.

[duckjob 1]

will do, just commenting on my initial reaction

[sniper_23 0]

Hey Mike,

I got the wheels directly from Frank. No one sells them in Vancouver, BC!...yet...

But anyway, I found some spacers that work with the older batch of wheels and played with them tonight and so far i'm pretty impressed...

Thanks

Ian

[cgin6 0]

Hey Mike,

I got the wheels directly from Frank. No one sells them in Vancouver, BC!...yet...

But anyway, I found some spacers that work with the older batch of wheels and played with them tonight and so far i'm pretty impressed...

Thanks

Ian

Which model wheels did you get? If you got hot shots did yours have large bubbles in the outside face?

[Hogs 25 0]

Hey Mike,

I got the wheels directly from Frank. No one sells them in Vancouver, BC!...yet...

But anyway, I found some spacers that work with the older batch of wheels and played with them tonight and so far i'm pretty impressed...

Thanks

Ian

Which model wheels did you get? If you got hot shots did yours have large bubbles in the outside face?

I have the Hot Shots and they have some bubbles in them but they are not on the surface, you can seem them but can't feel them. Been skating on them for about 5 months with no problems.

[sniper_23 0]

I got the hornets...only one wheel has a small bubble on it. All the others are perfect except for the 'spikes' in the hub that are too thick but as Mike said those problems are fixed on the new batches. The wheels are great on sport court though...wicked grip.

Ian

[kovalchuk71 212]

has anyone really nticed a huge difference between the HS and the hornet? trying to decide wether to sput the extra 40 bucks down on hornets or not

[sniper_23 0]

Hey Mike,

My set of Hornets is starting to crack on several of the wheels after 3 games on sport court. Do I have a bad batch of wheels? and is there anything you can do about this?

Thanks

Ian

[RINK RAT 15 0]

Thats absolutely the case, Anybody who uses our wheels knows this is not the norm, Email me directly and I will help you out....

Sorry for the problem

Mike

[Eazy_b97 1]

Would you recommend using any rinkrat wheels on painted Concrete (a rink without ice) It's eaten through my dynasty's almost immediately, I've had redstar snipers which held up well. Which wheel and durameter would you recommend? As well would I be able to get these as a replacement wheel through Nike?

[kovalchuk71 212]

i wouldnt use RR. they would get messed up fast. maybe the world cup ones would hold but i dunno

[MDE3 0]

Thats absolutely the case, Anybody who uses our wheels knows this is not the norm, Email me directly and I will help you out....

Sorry for the problem

Mike

To support this....we have had a set of Hornets since early January used on Sport Court only(3-5 usages /week in MLRH and PIHA+ open hockey+practice)..they finally started exhibiting a crack around the perimeter of the wheels on the inside just where the "shoulder" appears to be about 1/16" from the center mold line. This did not happen until over 4 months usage, and does not seem to even be affecting the wheel's performance as yet. Changed wheels last week as a precaution prior to a major tryout, but the old wheels could still be used..not much loss in grip after 4 months.

[RINK RAT 15 0]

Word out of Australia is that our World Cup outdoor wheels are working great and holding up on wood, Thats the word were getting. ALso cement floors are tough on everybody's wheels, I would suggest giving the World Cups a shot, Others have and weve heard good results. Keep the questions coming guys and play hard..

Hunter

[nomorals 0]

Well the outdoor wheels haven't held up too well for me on an outdoor rink (polished concrete/painted). In one game, front wheel has already started cracking all the way around the wheel just off center.

[MDE3 0]

It's really important to know what the surface is like on the painted concrete rinks. We have one here and nothing ever wears out on it..grip is lousy with almost any wheels though. It's latex paint over concrete. When they varnish it or treat it, the grip is as good as wood..but only for a few weeks.....depending on what cycle the floor treatment is at, it could greatly effect the wheels performance or life.

Also have seen very thinly painted concrete...which is like skating on unpainted concrete, or concrete which has been painted with sand added to the paint for traction...and that tore everything up. It's important to define the surface as best you can, and try to compare it to Sport Court or wood in terms of traction and surface feel. Only then can any wheel manufacturer make a good recommendation.

[cgin6 0]

I might have mentioned this before, but I fail to understand how factors other than how rough the surface is contribute to wheel wear. Can it be how hard the surface is? Too much grip?

[MDE3 0]

A surface with extremely good grip(like many wood floors), will often cause a high grip, lower durometer wheel to chunk out. The same thing sometimes happens to painted cement floors if they coat them with a type of urethane finish. after painting.

The regular cement floors can have a variety of polish or finish from the original construction. If the floors were built only as a platform to support the ice, then little finish would have been required at the time, so even painting this relatively unpolished concrete surface, will not reduce the abrasion of the natural surface very much.

For those surfaces which were made of concrete and intended for inline skating(traditional roller quad skating), the concrete finish is usually ground pretty fine, and several coats of paint applied. Over time and usage this paint will deteriorate, and the floor become quite slippery unless it is refinished with a urethane or some other wearing agent. The little ribs on the quad wheels actually "grind " this surface as they slide across the floor.

Some dedicated "paint over concrete" surfaces intended for inline hockey, had abrasives added to the paint or even blown on the floor as the paint dried, to add friction. This type of floor will tear up all wheels pretty quickly.