Question about Rink Rat wheels

[Fletch 219]

I am going to get the Rink Rat Hot Shot wheels today at lunch, and a friend of mine told me the Orange ones (78A) are great wheels. However, the place I am getting them only has one set in stock and they are the red ones (76A). I need them for a game tomorrow so time is of the essence.

Will I notice a real difference if I go with the 76A wheel over a 78A wheel?

Also, will my weight (187lbs) work for the 76A wheel? I'm not sure how the weight limits/wheels work these days.

[thunderbirds_are_go 0]

I'm about your weight, and I find the red ones Okay, but a little soft. I would have gone with the orange ones if I'd had the choice, but like you the red ones were the only ones on offer when I was buying.

That said, they're still the best wheel I've skated on, offer the best grip, and are wearing better than any wheel I've ever used before. I find the grip much better than any of the 74A wheels I've used before (Hyper and Redstar wheels). As I've got more than enough grip with these, I think the 78A's would have suited me better just for the extra speed.

Oh, and I play on coated concrete.

[Fletch 219]

Will my weight be fine for 76A wheels?

[HackeyNoob 0]

I'm like 211 pounds and the hornets I bought I believe were 74a. I'm not sure what the wear difference is between hotshots and hornets but all but 2 of the wheels have lasted me over 5 months. I think you would be fine with the 76a

[jnicklo 0]

Did you consider the Rink Rat World Cups?

[Fletch 219]

I was looking at those too but they didn't have them in stock. Are they as good as the hot shots?

[saba 0]

Hot shot/HJornets......indoor. World Cups outdoor 84A

[Fletch 219]

Yeah, I only play indoor on sport court, so I'd have no use for the World Cup wheels.

[jnicklo 0]

I was looking at those too but they didn't have them in stock. Are they as good as the hot shots?

I dont have any experience with those wheels myself but a few of my Teamates are using them for pickup hockey outdoors and they love em.

I know you can get them from epuck.com

[Fletch 219]

Eh, I needed them for tonight :)

[Jim A 4]

I've got a bit of weight on you and use the 76A Hornet ..I may try the 78's now..but for the moment, i have no issues with the 76A..i think you'll be fine unless you are looking for a lot of slide and little grip in the wheel..

[jnicklo 0]

Oh well for indoor sport court I use the following combo....

FRONT - Labeda Gripper

BACK - Labeda Gripper Millenium

I weigh roughly 255lbs.

[Fletch 219]

I've got a bit of weight on you and use the 76A Hornet ..I may try the 78's now..but for the moment, i have no issues with the 76A..i think you'll be fine unless you are looking for a lot of slide and little grip in the wheel..

Nah, the more grip the better for me. I like to get powerful quick bursts, so I need all the grip I can get.

[jnicklo 0]

Have you tried the Windex trick? (grip)

[MDE3 0]

Jnicklo...just get yourself some Rink Rat wheels(78/62 Hornets) and you will understand why nobody talks about using "windex", "grip juice" or "diluted vinegar" anymore....at least if you are playing on sport court or similar....

[Shorthanded67 0]

Agreed. When I was skating Labeda Grippers/Milleniums, I was spraying that "grip juice" stuff on constantly after the first week or two of use. (Don't get me wrong, Labedas served me well for a loooooong time.) I bought my first set of Rinkrats (Hornets) last February and still have a half bottle of 'grip juice" collecting dust in the corner. :P

I am on my 3rd set of 'Rats, which is to be expected, playing 6-7 games a week. 3 sets of wheels in one year is unheard of, but more importantly, it's saved me lots of money.

[Jim A 4]

I miss the Wheel Rag that Prime put out a few years back, it was the only thing I found that really and truly cleaned the wheel..and didn't break the wheel down a bit quicker like everything else..

[MDE3 0]

didn't break the wheel down a bit quicker like everything else..

Agreed..actually I found that although those things helped for maybe the first couple of uses, once you continued using them, they seemed to harden the outer surface and less grip resulted. I didn't find that the wheels actually broke down, but they definitely lost some grip.

[jnicklo 0]

So these Rink Rat Hornets must be really grippy wheels?

[MDE3 0]

Yes...and stay that way for a long time.

[jnicklo 0]

I'll consider them next time I am buying wheels.

The sport court surface at the rink I play is always dirty so the extra grip would be more then welcome.

[stickler012 0]

Most hornets have more grip that hot shots

[SharpShooter 0]

I have ordered rinkrats for my son from e-puck and they are back ordered 2 months now. I tried hockey monkey they dont have the sizes we need. There are no vendors located here. Does anyone know any place we can order a set of 4-68mm and a set of 4-76 mm rinkrat hotshots and get them without a back order? We wanted to try these wheels out because of all the goods things we hear but if they are not available now they will be impossible to get once the roller season kicks in so why bother. Anyone know why they cant supply thier wheels? I guess its back to gripper lites.

[MDE3 0]

I think mostly because that Kuzak style chassis is not very common....most HiLo's are 72, 72, 80, 80....You might give RR a call directly..they may be able to send you to a shop that has some.

[jnicklo 0]

They could be junior skates since they are his son's.

My little brother has a pair of Bauer 20-50's...it has a hi-lo chasis and uses a 68/76 combo.