What are the better current wheels?

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

i've been using the labeda addictions 225 on an ice court, and they completely shredded in 3 weeks time. i love the wheels, but i've already had to replace 4 of them (i bought them the first week of august). i have them on tri-di's. haven't tried them on a sport court yet. and yes, i replaced with more addictions, i'm addicted (pardon the sorry attempt at a pun). before these, i used rink rat hornet XXX grip, and those were fine grip-wise, but the addictions blow those away, while still giving me a ton of speed. i just wish they wouldn't break down so fast.

[ncbrock 0]

apparently rink rat is making the mb816 again in the blue\yellow. I just checked inline warehouse and they are in stock in 76mm and 80mm. which they have been out of stock for years now, for $7 a wheel

[Phat Ham 0]

i've been using the labeda addictions 225 on an ice court, and they completely shredded in 3 weeks time. i love the wheels, but i've already had to replace 4 of them (i bought them the first week of august). i have them on tri-di's. haven't tried them on a sport court yet. and yes, i replaced with more addictions, i'm addicted (pardon the sorry attempt at a pun). before these, i used rink rat hornet XXX grip, and those were fine grip-wise, but the addictions blow those away, while still giving me a ton of speed. i just wish they wouldn't break down so fast.

how are the addictions better than the hornets? I've been using hornets and am perfectly happy with the grip. Are the addictions faster?

[ncbrock 0]

how are the addictions better than the hornets? I've been using hornets and am perfectly happy with the grip. Are the addictions faster?

probably just wear better\longer. The hornets get torn up pretty quick, and start cracking before theyre all the way worn

[Scotty 8]

Used my Variants last week and they felt noticeably softer while skating. Not stopping, but rather just making strides or gliding. To be honest with you, I felt slower. :( We'll see how they go tonight.

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

how are the addictions better than the hornets? I've been using hornets and am perfectly happy with the grip. Are the addictions faster?

don't get me wrong, the hornet's grip fine, but with them, i would always have some sorta random slip and didn't feel confident every time i'd have to make a sharp turn or stop and what not. with the addiction's it's not like that at all and i feel confident with sharp turns and feel more agile. i also feel like i have more speed with them.

as for the hornet's breaking down faster, that's the opposite of my problems as it's the addictions which broke down very quickly.

[kovalchuk71 212]

nvm, read the post wrong

[iceburg19 1]

I skated on the Eschelon Apocalipse quad pour wheels last night for about 1-1/2 hrs.my thoughts. good grip on turns and stopping.as for the wear,I noticed that on a couple of the wheels the pink part has worn differant then the yellow, could be from heavy stopping.one wheel has a slight seperation from the yellow to pink, one skate doesnt justify judging a set of wheels. I liked the way they felt and could see these wheels hanging with the big boys,the price is under $10 so for a top of the line wheel that seems fair.I wont be skating for a few months due to a torn medial miniscus so these wheels will have wait to see another day.overall, I do like the wheels and would purchase them again as long as the price doesnt go up,for some skaters I could see these wheels lasting just as long as other top wheels maybe longer.Good job Eschelon.

[Chad Seibel 2]

I skated on the Eschelon Apocalipse quad pour wheels last night for about 1-1/2 hrs.my thoughts. good grip on turns and stopping.as for the wear,I noticed that on a couple of the wheels the pink part has worn differant then the yellow, could be from heavy stopping.one wheel has a slight seperation from the yellow to pink, one skate doesnt justify judging a set of wheels. I liked the way they felt and could see these wheels hanging with the big boys,the price is under $10 so for a top of the line wheel that seems fair.I wont be skating for a few months due to a torn medial miniscus so these wheels will have wait to see another day.overall, I do like the wheels and would purchase them again as long as the price doesnt go up,for some skaters I could see these wheels lasting just as long as other top wheels maybe longer.Good job Eschelon.

I am a little surprised that there has been little talk of the Millenium wheel from Labeda. I love using the new Labeda Addiction wheel. Prior to this wheel, I loved the Millenium. The Dynasty was good, but not wayyyy better, I did not prefer the Fusion at all, but the Addiction has been a game changer for me.

Alot of my Mudcats teamates still really love the Millenium as well as the Addiction. They are pricey though, i will give you that fo sure.

[iceburg19 1]

I am a little surprised that there has been little talk of the Millenium wheel from Labeda. I love using the new Labeda Addiction wheel. Prior to this wheel, I loved the Millenium. The Dynasty was good, but not wayyyy better, I did not prefer the Fusion at all, but the Addiction has been a game changer for me.

Alot of my Mudcats teamates still really love the Millenium as well as the Addiction. They are pricey though, i will give you that fo sure.

How would you compare the milleniums to the addictions as far as durability.I do like the addictions but thought they would last longer then two months before cracking and chunking.I havent used milleniums in years,Have they improved?

[Scotty 8]

Used my Variants last week and they felt noticeably softer while skating. Not stopping, but rather just making strides or gliding. To be honest with you, I felt slower. :( We'll see how they go tonight.

Replying to myself to show my previous thoughts.

These are Revision Variants that I decided to give a try after 8+ years of using RinkRat HotShots. According to Revision, you're supposed to go softer. I'm 5'9" and 175, so not too big at all, and their chart recommended to go down 2 points in durometer. I researched here a ton and saw the Revision rep recommending the same thing for a couple reasons. So I did. My first thoughts as listed above, were that they felt TOO soft and gave too much. I felt noticeably slower building up speed and coming out of turns or agile moves. But I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and keep using them. They must feel different simply because I'm so used to another type of wheel.

Fast forward to this past week:

Went through a 2-hour practice (well, 1 hour of practice, 1 hour of scrimmage) and get this: afterwards, the wheels are noticeably worn. You can look down on the top profile of them and see that the inside edges are misshaped already. I've skated on these wheels for only 3 games and they're showing wear. To make matters worse, whereas my HotShots normally grab and hold tight no matter how hard I throw myself into a stop, I was sliding all over last week with these Variants. I asked several of my teammates if they'd seen or felt water or condensation on the rink and they all said no. Hmm, maybe it's just me then. Maybe I hit a wet spot I said to myself. So the next shift I went out and as I raced into the corners for several loose pucks, I felt myself sliding uncontrollably as I began to put on the brakes when getting close to the boards. And this happened several spots on the rink. I pride myself on being a fairly decent skater and being very agile, but my quick feet and stopping ability has gone to hell on these. And this is on sport court as well at a very well-known rink in Missouri, not some crap rink or a bad surface.

Very disappointed to say the least. After hearing all the hype, I'd expected much better. Wearing prematurely, causing me to slide on my edges, and not giving me the stopping ability I'd previously had with older wheels. Sorry Revision, but I'm not happy with your product.

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

Replying to myself to show my previous thoughts.

These are Revision Variants that I decided to give a try after 8+ years of using RinkRat HotShots. According to Revision, you're supposed to go softer. I'm 5'9" and 175, so not too big at all, and their chart recommended to go down 2 points in durometer. I researched here a ton and saw the Revision rep recommending the same thing for a couple reasons. So I did. My first thoughts as listed above, were that they felt TOO soft and gave too much. I felt noticeably slower building up speed and coming out of turns or agile moves. But I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and keep using them. They must feel different simply because I'm so used to another type of wheel.

Fast forward to this past week:

Went through a 2-hour practice (well, 1 hour of practice, 1 hour of scrimmage) and get this: afterwards, the wheels are noticeably worn. You can look down on the top profile of them and see that the inside edges are misshaped already. I've skated on these wheels for only 3 games and they're showing wear. To make matters worse, whereas my HotShots normally grab and hold tight no matter how hard I throw myself into a stop, I was sliding all over last week with these Variants. I asked several of my teammates if they'd seen or felt water or condensation on the rink and they all said no. Hmm, maybe it's just me then. Maybe I hit a wet spot I said to myself. So the next shift I went out and as I raced into the corners for several loose pucks, I felt myself sliding uncontrollably as I began to put on the brakes when getting close to the boards. And this happened several spots on the rink. I pride myself on being a fairly decent skater and being very agile, but my quick feet and stopping ability has gone to hell on these. And this is on sport court as well at a very well-known rink in Missouri, not some crap rink or a bad surface.

Very disappointed to say the least. After hearing all the hype, I'd expected much better. Wearing prematurely, causing me to slide on my edges, and not giving me the stopping ability I'd previously had with older wheels. Sorry Revision, but I'm not happy with your product.

i agree with you on that, those suckers wore out after 2 games.

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

alright, so i've been messing around with a bunch of wheel combinations and such, so if any you care, here you go...

i'm 5'10, 200lb, offensive d man, so i'm always blocking shots, and stopping (or attempting sometimes) danglers and such AS WELL as rushing up the rink with the puck when need be... so i put my wheels through abuse...

first, the positives:

Labeda Addiction: hands down the fastest wheels i've used, they also grip nicely as well, which is a nice combination of both worlds.

Labeda D3 Dynasty: i didn't slip at all with these wheels. they aren't as fast as the addiction's, but you can tell the difference in turning and such, these are better in that aspect.

Rink Rat Hornet: the most durable wheel, no chunking, no splitting, no wear visible after several times of use. good grip, but didn't feel i was skating fast with them.

Revision Variant: they gripped well during stopping and sharp sharp turns. that's about it, haha

Eschelon Prophecy: a good value, great grip. the most affordable wheel i've used, but there's a reason they're so cheap.

Eschelon Apocolypse: i just threw these wheels on tonight, so i'll have something to say by the end of the week.

now the negatives:

Labeda Addiction: chunked and split after 3 days of practice. at $14 a wheel, these are easily the most expensive wheels, but after they chunked and split, they are NOT worth that much. now if you like speed and grip and wheels that don't show wear, then sure, go with these, but be warned, they WILL chunk and split if a puck hits them.

Labeda Dynasty: same thing as the addictions, except instead of 3 days, it took a week. they're a bit cheaper then the addictions, but still. Labeda has the right idea, but it seems that they are just put together poorly.

Rink Rat Hornet: out of all the wheels, i feel these are the slowest. the addictions AND d3's blew these away in terms of speed. they weren't the greatest in terms of grip also. if you're playing mariokart, these are like mario and luigi (average at everything but pretty durable).

Revision Variant: was not pleased with these wheels. sure they are sticky and grip well, but they wear down (visibly) very quickly. they also split much like the labeda's do. it's not fun when your wheels chunk apart skating backwards (which is probably why i sound bitter).

Eschelon Prophecy: if you like pink, then these are the wheels for you i guess. if you don't like wheels that wear out quicker then it takes for you to skate out ONTO the rink, then stay away from these. these wore out the quickest out of all the wheels. the inner pink part came completely apart from the outer part after a couple of days.

if you have any questions, lemme know.

the best wheel in my opinion, so far is...

labeda d3 dynasty's...

[iceburg19 1]

LBinlineJOEJOE

Im the same at 5'-10" 200ibs I would like to know how you feel about the apocolypse wheels after afew skates. I had one good 2hr skate with them and havent skated due to knee surgery.Im wondering how long they are going to last me when Im back skating.

One of the better wheels in my opinion has been the rink rat hotshots.a combo of xxx in the front for push off grip and xx in the back for alittle more durability. I feel some of the middle of the line wheels are probably just as good as the high end wheels.Good job on the wheel review.

[RevisionHockey 0]

Guys - Thanks for giving our wheels a test run. If you were unhappy please email tyler@revisionhockey.com or nabeel@revisionhockey.com we make several different durometers on our wheel, and you may need to try a different hardness. Our wheel is not designed the same way others are, it is designed to grip a little harder and uses a softer outer urethane then most companies, which if you are really contacting the floor hard can cause them to wear quicker. Since you are already use to using a harder wheel our other durometers and versions may work better for you. I think our track record speaks for itself as you will find many past posts with positive experiences on our wheel, and for those who have had an issue you will find that we always do our best to provide customer service and work to find the right Revision product for you. Taking nothing away from the other wheel companies out there, we feel our technology is the best out there.

Please feel free to email us directly for further assistance. We take pride in our product and will do our best to make your experience with us a positive one.

Regards,

Nabeel Gerges

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

Guys - Thanks for giving our wheels a test run. If you were unhappy please email tyler@revisionhockey.com or nabeel@revisionhockey.com we make several different durometers on our wheel, and you may need to try a different hardness. Our wheel is not designed the same way others are, it is designed to grip a little harder and uses a softer outer urethane then most companies, which if you are really contacting the floor hard can cause them to wear quicker. Since you are already use to using a harder wheel our other durometers and versions may work better for you. I think our track record speaks for itself as you will find many past posts with positive experiences on our wheel, and for those who have had an issue you will find that we always do our best to provide customer service and work to find the right Revision product for you. Taking nothing away from the other wheel companies out there, we feel our technology is the best out there.

Please feel free to email us directly for further assistance. We take pride in our product and will do our best to make your experience with us a positive one.

Regards,

Nabeel Gerges

as i stated in my review, the revision variants gripped fine, i had no problem with that, i just wish they lasted me a little longer. the eschelon prophecy's lasted just about as long as the variant's at half the price. don't get me wrong, i did not mean to put your company down, as i'm sure that revision is a GREAT company (as there is a reason they are around). i look forward to your future wheel/skate products.

[althoma1 574]

as i stated in my review, the revision variants gripped fine, i had no problem with that, i just wish they lasted me a little longer. the eschelon prophecy's lasted just about as long as the variant's at half the price. don't get me wrong, i did not mean to put your company down, as i'm sure that revision is a GREAT company (as there is a reason they are around). i look forward to your future wheel/skate products.

I'd take Nabeel up on his offer and contact him via email though. It sounds like he's willing to let you try a harder durometer. I've used Revisions among other wheels and they've actually lasted longer for me than most wheels (usually a good 20 games or so) and I'm not easy on wheels at 6'2" and over 200lbs. I used the bronze wheels on the Sprung chassis though and have never tried the softer Platinum or Gold wheels. If you used Platinum you may want to try Gold and if you were on gold you may wish to go up to Bronze. I had a problem with one wheel a couple years ago and was sent out a warranty replacement within a week of emailing Revision so the customer service was good in that instance.

[iceburg19 1]

My past experience with any soft wheel is this.. the heavier you are the more you are going to wear down that soft wheel.you pay the price for wanting grip.

Ive noticed the front and back wheel take a beating the most so I keep them in the middle. The Revision wheels Ive used in the past were the gold variant wheels. The platinum wheels would melt away with the way I skate,which is very aggresive. When Im buying wheels I keep in mind my weight and skating style.

At 5'-10" 197lbs I use the revision gold wheels maybe even the bronze in the back.. Rink Rat XX (78a)- Labeda addictions(orange)-Eschelon apocolyspe(still testing)These are just some of the wheels I use for now.But I also like testing new wheels when they come out or I'll never know what is best for me.Hey good luck everyone ,the wheel deal could drive you nuts or make you broke.

[Gefiltefish 9]

I am a big guy. I weigh about 260lbs but only get the oppurtunity to play on sport court for 2-3 months out of the year locally...

I normally play on a waxed wood surface (like a basketball court) and use Labeda Asphalts at all four positions. They grip just fine (almost too much, they never slip!) and they never really get an major edge wear. They usually start to crack and split after about 1-2 months of play (2-3 times a week) though.

When I switched to sport court for the first time last year I used Labeda Addictions (orange ones) on all four positions. They wore great and did not start to develop cracks until my last game (2 months later, playing once a week). I did find myself slipping a lot though. I was not very sure footed out there. Being a big guy, I think going with a softer wheel may have been better at least in the first two positions on the skate. I think it would help pushing off and in turns.

I think I am going to go with the Revision's next sport court session since the wheel design is the same between all of the different durometers. What I was thinking of doing was either G-B-B-B front-to-back (per their matrix chart), G-G-B-B or even G-P-B-B. My second wheel position gets very little wear, so I think I may be able to get away with a Platinum there.

My first wheel position seems to get a fair amount of edge wear, second gets very little wear overall, third and forth seem to crack/split the first.

What would you guys suggest??? I have a lot of time to ponder since sport court is not back for us until April of next year and our tournaments are done...

[iceburg19 1]

I am a big guy. I weigh about 260lbs but only get the oppurtunity to play on sport court for 2-3 months out of the year locally...

I normally play on a waxed wood surface (like a basketball court) and use Labeda Asphalts at all four positions. They grip just fine (almost too much, they never slip!) and they never really get an major edge wear. They usually start to crack and split after about 1-2 months of play (2-3 times a week) though.

When I switched to sport court for the first time last year I used Labeda Addictions (orange ones) on all four positions. They wore great and did not start to develop cracks until my last game (2 months later, playing once a week). I did find myself slipping a lot though. I was not very sure footed out there. Being a big guy, I think going with a softer wheel may have been better at least in the first two positions on the skate. I think it would help pushing off and in turns.

I think I am going to go with the Revision's next sport court session since the wheel design is the same between all of the different durometers. What I was thinking of doing was either G-B-B-B front-to-back (per their matrix chart), G-G-B-B or even G-P-B-B. My second wheel position gets very little wear, so I think I may be able to get away with a Platinum there.

My first wheel position seems to get a fair amount of edge wear, second gets very little wear overall, third and forth seem to crack/split the first.

What would you guys suggest??? I have a lot of time to ponder since sport court is not back for us until April of next year and our tournaments are done...

I think the gold-bronze-bronze-bronze sounds like the way to go. you could try the platinum for the 2nd wheel but with a rigid frame how much more grip compared to wear is it going to be. trial and error is always the way to go. Every skater is differant. Let us know how that wheel set up worked out.Thats what this site is all about.good luck.

[althoma1 574]

I am a big guy. I weigh about 260lbs but only get the oppurtunity to play on sport court for 2-3 months out of the year locally...

I normally play on a waxed wood surface (like a basketball court) and use Labeda Asphalts at all four positions. They grip just fine (almost too much, they never slip!) and they never really get an major edge wear. They usually start to crack and split after about 1-2 months of play (2-3 times a week) though.

When I switched to sport court for the first time last year I used Labeda Addictions (orange ones) on all four positions. They wore great and did not start to develop cracks until my last game (2 months later, playing once a week). I did find myself slipping a lot though. I was not very sure footed out there. Being a big guy, I think going with a softer wheel may have been better at least in the first two positions on the skate. I think it would help pushing off and in turns.

I think I am going to go with the Revision's next sport court session since the wheel design is the same between all of the different durometers. What I was thinking of doing was either G-B-B-B front-to-back (per their matrix chart), G-G-B-B or even G-P-B-B. My second wheel position gets very little wear, so I think I may be able to get away with a Platinum there.

My first wheel position seems to get a fair amount of edge wear, second gets very little wear overall, third and forth seem to crack/split the first.

What would you guys suggest??? I have a lot of time to ponder since sport court is not back for us until April of next year and our tournaments are done...

I weigh less than you and use all Bronze with no grip issues...if Revision made a harder Sport Court wheel I'd be willing to try those for a little more speed actually, but get good speed from the all Bronze setup and the Sprung Chassis. I've also used a combination of 78a and 80a Hot Shots as well as BBB revision and one 80a Hot shot on the back wheel. You could definitely try a GBBB or GGBB, but I wouldn't go near Platinum at your weight. I don't think they'd last long and while you might get some extra grip you'd loose some speed. Platinums are meant for the light guys who are under 150lbs or for guys who just really want a lot of grip at the expense of durability and speed.

[Sav25 1]

I weigh less than you and use all Bronze with no grip issues...if Revision made a harder Sport Court wheel I'd be willing to try those for a little more speed actually, but get good speed from the all Bronze setup and the Sprung Chassis. I've also used a combination of 78a and 80a Hot Shots as well as BBB revision and one 80a Hot shot on the back wheel. You could definitely try a GBBB or GGBB, but I wouldn't go near Platinum at your weight. I don't think they'd last long and while you might get some extra grip you'd loose some speed. Platinums are meant for the light guys who are under 150lbs or for guys who just really want a lot of grip at the expense of durability and speed.

Will changing from Gold to Bronze make a lot of difference do you think? I cant see how slightly (very slightly) hardwer wheels will make much difference with the very short sprints that hockey requires?

I have both sets, and haven't tried the bronze yet...so will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

i agree with you on that, those suckers wore out after 2 games.

+1

Second skate on variants tonight - not as 'tight' as the Hornets. As for durability...well...I'll have to give them a month or so before I can comment.

[althoma1 574]

Will changing from Gold to Bronze make a lot of difference do you think? I cant see how slightly (very slightly) hardwer wheels will make much difference with the very short sprints that hockey requires?

I have both sets, and haven't tried the bronze yet...so will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

I can't tell you what the difference will be between Gold and Bronze as I've only ever used Bronze Variants (perhaps someone else who has can chime in), but I have used different durometers of other wheels (namely Rink Rat) and did notice a difference in both speed and durability with the harder wheels. I had hub issues with softer Rink Rat Wheels (both 76a MB816s and Blue Flame Wheels) that I didn't have when I switched to harder versions of the wheels. I also noticed an increase in speed when I switched. Now there is a point of diminishing returns...I tried outdoor wheels on smooth cement and wheels I'd previously used on cement on Sport Court and both of those experiments were disasters...I was sliding everywhere. I do find that I can use the hardest durometer of high end wheels designed for sport court without grip issues and it helps for both speed and durability - that's been the case for both Revision and Rink Rat.

I'm comfortable using Bronze Revisions or 78a or 80a Rink Rats. I wouldn't use 76a Rink Rats again as they're too soft for me and both durability and speed is effected. I also wouldn't use Platinum revisions and would be hesitant to go with Gold since Bronze already provides the grip I need. I may try the Addiction wheels (the hardest version) at some point if I can find them for a good price, but for now I have a reasonable stock of both Revision and Rink Rat wheels (at least enough to get me through 1 season). The Eschelon wheels are interesting, but I'm hesitant to try those because they don't seem to come in different durometers (I know each wheel is 4 pour) and I don't believe one durometer can be right for all players of different weights and skating styles.

One constant for me with the Sprungs is that no matter which wheels I'm using the rear wheel always wears out first so for the last while I've used the hardest indoor Sport Court wheel I have on hand in that position.

[iceburg19 1]

Im skating on the sprungs also,the back and front seem to wear down alittle faster.I believe with the sprung frames you could go with a harder wheel due to the suspension set up. But once again thats trial and error with your skating style. I could see Revision and addiction wheels giving the most turn grip with the sprungs. One set up Ive noticed was having two addictions on the front and two XX(78A) rink rats in the back.that gave me the best push off grip and top speed.

After a while I dont care about the name of the wheel company, I just want the best wheel set up for performance.There are different wheel designs so why not mix and match for your best out come.

[LBinlineJOEJOE 0]

alright, so this is just to update my previous review...

eschelon apocolypse - O.M.G. i hate using acronyms, but these wheels deserve it. i love these wheels. they grip excellently on sharp turns thanks to that pink part of the inside of the wheel. they also have some life when it comes down to speed and agility. they felt like labeda addictions in that matter. they haven't chunked out or split, it just looks like they're slowwwwwly wearing away.

right now, i'm skating with the two front wheels as the apocolypse's, and the two back wheels are addictions. and i must say, i love this combination. i'm gonna switch out the apocolypse's for some labeda d3's once the apoco.'s wear out.

a note on the addictions - these wheels are great, despite the chunking out. the reason most people DON'T have this problem is because the wheels these come stock on (tour tabu's) are all 80 mm's. the smaller the wheel gets, the more chunking out will happen, thanks to the inner part of the wheel being TOO large for the outer part, hence it splitting from the middle out. i haven't had a single problem with the 80 mm addictions, but the 76's chunked out, and the 72 mm were obliterated quickly. so if you NEED to have these wheels, i'd suggest going with the 80mm ones only, and mix them with other wheels if you have a hi-lo or tri-di chassis.