*Oak Wheels*

weigh-in: Heavy weight
Material Type: Urethane
Bearing Type: SINGLE - Abec 1 or better
Shape: Narrow Lip
Size: Standard
truck compatibility: China made trucks(shaped), TD long board trucks(wides), Blackriver 29mm and Wide, Ytrucks x3 and x4
graphic: High quality - print screen
Model: ASI Berlin Edition

Now for the fingers on portion :-) 

**Test setup includes - Blackriver 29mm(Old Mold), and 30mm(New Mold) boards, both with BRT 29mm trucks, FBS tape on the Old mold, Berlin Tape on the New Mold**



Fit - As suggested by Oak - with spacers seem to fit perfect on both sets without an issue, no traditional wheel wobble. They have a HUGE downside, and that is the graphic side shape doesn't allow me to use the BRT tool every time... This seems very out of place, but if you'll notice the face of the wheel where the graphic is has a more pronounced shape then the rear face of the wheel which is pretty flat. This doesn't allow the BRT tool to sync into the front of the wheel and gets hung up, making you use an old style spanner. The bearing seems to be thicker than most wheels or it might be where the bearing sits in the wheel, but it makes the axle nuts stick out WAY too far.. even more than I'm comfortable with. Since I hate scratching my kitchen counter and marble obstacles when landing on the boards side - axles down. 



Speed - They barely spin, so a fast free spin isn't something probably achievable due to the weight of the wheel itself. I found no performance decrease, and free spin alot of times doesn't determine speed it's just fun to have. I found these wheels pretty quick, but liked that the board wouldn't roll across the table/park if it got away from me. 

Grip - Amazing, if you keep them clean... like real urethane wheels they are a dust and dirt magnet. They will slide a bit once you get them nice and grimy so the occasional wipe down is needed specially with white wheels for obvious reasons. They provide a realistic 'lock in' with your surface, when doing complex flip tricks like tre flips or varial heels. They of course offer the realistic screeching sound some people love when doing slide stops aka powerslides, I personally get annoyed by it so tend to leave them a bit dirtier to cut down on it being too obnoxious. 

Agility - The shape is great for tightly spaced skateparks and plazas, I found it easy to avoid obstacles and really liked how they cut corners so cleanly. I also find it super easy to late ollie hop over things, along with back to back flip tricks seems really controlled.

Landing accuracy - I find that I seem to land with alot of accuracy with these wheels, I once again attribute this to their overall weight and shape. I found myself recovering with style from a good amount of near mistakes. They are quiet in comparison for big and small landings, and don't seem to 'bounce' like I would have expected with a urethane wheel. Like you might get from a Old School TD longboard urethane wheel.

Flip tricks into grinds - Considering the consistency of the flip tricks from the added grip, found flipping into grinds kind of easy. Normally I overspin or overshoot the obstacle, but wasn't the case with the Oaks I was able to surprisingly - first try land most of the tricks I would normally work up to. I did find it kind of annoying to get hung up on certain things like boardsliding anything with a wood surface. 

Comfort - When it comes to long sessions these wheels are very kind to the fingers and wrist. Once you adjust to the weight and don't use gorilla force to pop, along with some breaking-in makes for some excellent shock absorption. Having a urethane wheel does really give you a realistic feel and look. 

Fun factor - I really enjoy these wheels, they quickly became a goto shorly after getting them.

Durability - I was incredibly disappointed in the longevity of the wheels, I already slightly chunk'd all 4 wheels less than 2 weeks of normal use. They never even hit real pavement, and really doubt they will ever now. It slightly effects the performance, but is a HUGE downside. Along with the how dirty they get almost instantly which tends to discolor them. 

Final thoughts - Being considered 'the best' in fingerboard urethane wheels in the market today, I was overall disappointed in the Oak wheels. I found the graphic options very limited in graphic choice and color palettes when trying to pick out a set of Oaks, it's hard to read the 'ASI Berlin' on the wheel itself. So it seems kind of silly to have made that a graphic to begin with, even though I think it's a great collaboration. I wish I would have done a solid color wheel instead, but felt like the main draw for me to pick them up was to have a graphic urethane wheel. I also feel the price being $45, is a bit much for a single set of wheels and spacers material aside considering how long they lasted in my experience. I would say they are worth trying, but competitively not on par with more economical graphic wheels. 



Score - 7 out of 10


*Winkler Big Daddy Z's*

weigh-in: Feather weight
Material Type: Polyvinyl
Bearing Type: SINGLE - Abec 1 or better
Shape: Cruiser
Size: Wide 
truck compatibility: China made trucks(shaped), TD long board trucks(wides), Blackriver 29mm and Wide, Ytrucks x3 and x4
graphic: High quality - heat transfer
Model: Blue-Yellow graphic



Fit - Perfect out of the box, no spacers needed which is nice because somehow they always end up missing from a wheel or two over time. I love that the face of the wheel is perfect for a BRT tool, and the wheels sit flush with the axle bolts which is another big plus.



Speed - They barely spin, so a fast free spin isn't something probably achievable. I found no performance decrease, and free spin alot of times doesn't determine speed it's just fun to have. I found these wheels pretty quick, but liked that the board wouldn't roll across the table/park if it got away from me. The Winkler's took the prize for being the faster of the two wheels.

Grip - I was VERY surprised by the shape being a 'cruiser' style meaning the surface of the wheel is much wider than a standard wheel profile. I do wish they're was a bit more of a tread on the wheel instead of just being flat. However overall I didn't slide out as much as a standard BRR edition wheel would, so I did enjoy being able to pull off some sketchy powerslides with little resistance and no noise.

Agility - These wheels do corner kind of sloppy, with a elbow turn you tend to slide out rather than the wheel putting you into a pivot. The wider profile did not at all feel good on the Old Mold - 29mm deck and wouldn't suggest them with a narrow deck in general. I found it uncomfortable to do simple flip tricks without too much wheel catch or drag with the Old mold. On the 30mm wide deck, was a perfect compliment and doesn't stick out past the deck at all the line-up is near perfect.

Landing accuracy - I found these wheels a bit hit or miss at first, you do once again want them to break in and get a little bit dirty. I found that on plastic transitions or banks I get a bit wild, where on wooden surfaces the landings were more than solid. With no tread or natural grip from the material I found this the biggest downside.

Flip tricks into grinds - I really enjoyed the performance offered when flipping into grinds, since your not having to pop additionally hard to make up for heavier wheels. I also was able to get more speed with the Winkler wheels when 'rolling up' to my obstacle which was a huge help with consistency. Not having the wheels hang up on friction prone surfaces was a treat. 

Comfort - I didn't enjoy these as much due to them still being a hard plastic, they are of course loud like a traditional wheel on landings. They also don't really shock absorb all that well, so it's not as realistic feeling overall. However I did enjoy the board not being as heavy with the Winkler's along with how solid the board felt with all Blackriver parts. 

Fun factor - I by far have been using these wheels the most, they are just a amazing overall performer and a great balance between the standard plastic bearing wheels and the more expensive brands that doesn't seem to stack up thus far. I love that Winkler has a great color selection with their wheels and appreciate the multiple wheel shapes. They offer enough spin to keep your board moving with ease, and the wider stance keeps you grounded when it counts.

Durability - I actually got these barely used, but seriously noticed no performance decrease what so ever. So thanks to NNJBUTTER if he follows these forums for parting with these for a great price. I haven't noticed the graphic wear down like I was a bit nervous about since the wheels sit flush with the axle nuts. They also don't get overwhelming dirty allowing for longer sessions without a stop for cleaning. The graphic is also VERY legible and extremely professional looking, along with the strength and response of the wheels. 

Final thoughts - Since Winkler's are not the new kid on the block I had high expectations, they certainly did not let me down. Once again the selection and color choices are awesome and very fitting for the skate/fingerboard world. The shape is ideal for a bowl or quarter no doubt, but really liked these on a street park setup. I dropped them a point for still being a bit loud which is a given for the wheel material, but I feel is still a detractor. Overall they are a fantastic performance wheel with a great look and feel, I would recommend them to anyone looking for an upgrade. 

Score - 9 out of 10



Comparison photos:

Really nice review!

Really detailed review! Great job!

This review was amazing. So detailed, and nice pics to go with it. Sick setups too!

nice review, i enjoyed readin it!

Boss Review. It would be nice if a common ground could be found between Polyurethane and Polyvinyl. Would make for a sick set of wheels.

Can't help but feel this review was a bit bias? I've tried both and can honestly say I would take Oaks over Winks any day.. not just as a matter of opinion but performance and crafting as well.

Nice review. It was very well detailed.

Finally someone who takes the time to point out the good AND the bad.

Thanks for all the good words, I really wanted Oaks to win actually. I love urethane wheels over plastic normally anyday, but when the wheels don't even last 2 weeks it's hard to say they are quality.... I have some ywheels which I picked up used and have been using for over two months without issue and they have seen real pavement. 

So not sure why the Oaks got ripped in the seams of the urethane of all 4 wheels... Anywho I Emailed Pateo through the Oaks site last Friday and offered to take a trade of non-graphic Oaks along with being willing to send pics and the wheels at my expense. I have yet to hear anything back, so based on how things go will determine if I ever try Oaks again. 

If you look at the pictures on their site you can actually see the divots in the wheel that I'm mentioning. They are likely air pockets, which when used rip and expose the dead areas inside the wheel, not actually containing urethane just air. You can see it here the first and last wheel have it pretty bad on their own product pics.



Will likely be going with some more Ywheels to replace these since I had such a bad experience with Oaks, also possibly Close-ups wheels, and maybe some Labs

If I get no response from Oak's, I will likely try to 'sand-down' my damaged Oak wheels on the pavement outside to possibly wear them down enough to get past the dead spots...

that is normal on the oak wheels and that has nothing of bad cause it doesn't even affects the performance of the wheel . for me oak wheels are the best urethane wheels because they really give you that feeling of a real skateboard .

This does effect the performance to the point where I can't use them, it's like when you are at the grocery store with a basket that has wheels that skip everytime they revolve. It's the same feeling, the wheels are soooo ripped it makes them bumpy when rolling.

I have Oaks, the seams from the mold affect performance in the beginning of the life of the wheels, but if you keep using them eventually they wear away (like real skate wheels) and get very smooth over time. My Oaks (I've had like 4 sets within the last year all great quality) have all had the seam divot, and had a slight bump, however the bump does go away with much use. I use my Oaks on concrete a lot and they've really smoothed out over the past 5 months. Sorry for calling you out with the bias and such, just felt that way in the beginning. I see now why they scored what they dide. Nice review anyhow dude also I'd like to point out that Oaks are not made on a lathe like most wheels. They are all completely hand made bu Ricardo himself. I'm sure if you really wanted to know more info about it you could contact him or I do believe Thom McInnaly knows a fair bit about the process (if he'd tel you haha)

Nice review! I love my winkler big daddyz!
Shits amazing honestly!

i still love winkler classics

What an awesome and detailed review!

Id like to point out that I have had Oaks for a long time with no troubles with the quality what so ever. They are just magic and got that mucho feeling thing going on - and I love it! <3

Oaks are not for everyone though - thats for sure! But if you fancy the winkler style wheels, one really cant compare the two yeah. It would be a bit like comparing Bones STF vs ATF wheels..

But cool read and interesting to hear your opinion nonetheless though!

awesome review man!

Thanks all! I do agree with Bakko on both his points - where Oaks are for sure not for everyone and debatable in being the highest quality and most realistic wheel out right now. However it was in hindsight a urethane vs urethane wheel would have been a better option. 

I ended up taking a file and sanding down the gaps in the wheels and running them intensely across rough concrete to get rid of most of the imperfections for those that are interested. I of course in trade created a couple of unavoidable small flat spots on the wheels, so MAYBE in the future will try oaks again but will doubtfully be the graphics edition.

I'm ordering some new hardware this Friday including Snugs,Close-ups(if i can find them still by then) along with some Ywheels, so I'll prolly do a *URETHANE SHOWDOWN* review with tons more pictures(new camera) and will be a bit more fair. 

Cool!

GekoZone Wheels (Uretan version) has got my attention and looks intresting with the color and shape options. I wish I knew more about them really..

http://gekozone.it/wp/fingerboard-wheels-gekozone/

Hmmmm...

Somebody mentioned oaks being handcrafted not on a lathe, the only real other way to make a round object from urethane is to mould it.

The "air pocket" you speak of relates to a moulded wheel.

Considering the price of fingerboard wheels these days, I'd be pretty unhappy paying $45 for a set of wheels that have air pockets.

However.....

There's been a demand since the beginning of fingerboarding for urethane wheels, the reason they are seldom produced is that it's difficult. 

I remember a company, I forget the name, back in maybe 2000 ish, that made the first purchasable urethane fingerboard wheel. (Crossfire ? Maybe ? Icr) they were shit. From what I could gather they were made from actual skateboard wheels, chunks cut out and shaped.

People didn't really care, because they were urethane! 

Oaks mightn't be perfect. I've never tried them, but chances are they're one of few decent options available in urethane.

Again though, $45 for a set of wheels that have big air bubbles in them, no thanks.
A company that when emailed, doesn't respond about this, no thanks.

I recently purchased a set of China urethane wheels from roswells fingerboards, and they're great. They are upfront in saying that they are injection moulded, and they have a line from the mould on them, but in a day of riding that's wearing away and they are quickly becoming really really awesome wheels. They don't support the scene, and blah blah.... But they're $15 not $45.

ronan wrote:

I ended up taking a file and sanding down the gaps in the wheels and running them intensely across rough concrete to get rid of most of the imperfections for those that are interested. I of course in trade created a couple of unavoidable small flat spots on the wheels, so MAYBE in the future will try oaks again but will doubtfully be the graphics edition.
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omg you idiot  a perfect set of oaks wasted.... the little gap things don't make a difference 1 bit, as soon as you ride oaks they ware in, you should of just rode them and waited. The bumpiness is because there not perfectly round strait out the packet but once ridden there right, well i am used to them so strait out the packet feels amazing to me and probably feels the same way to other oak users. I have had alot of sets of oaks and have only had one problem, a bearing popped thats all... out of like 20 sets or soo pics of the oaks now you have ruined them?

Great wheel suggestions guys!

I was totally scoping out those GekoZone wheels @ Bakko they look soooo smooth.. Pretty awesome they're shapes are all fairly different on their wheels. 

I feel the same way @ Joe Fullager does, it's tough to pay for a product that has no support no matter the price. However as mentioned given how FEW manufacturers of urethane fingerboard wheels they're are, kinda have to choose carefully. Good suggestion on the Rosewell wheels might have to give them a whirl in the future, only been to their site once to check out they're picnic tables. Will have to revist soon!

I ordered my set of of Snugs, and Ywheels so they should hopefully both be here this week. I have not been able to find a set of Close-ups NEW to save my life except in a complete setup, so will prolly order Substance wheels if I can't find them in the next couple of days. 

@Callum, even though I've done Urethane pouring with normal scale wheels and complex fabrication using just about any material you can name - which I left out. I'm certainly no idiot.. just an educated consumer, if your selling a product in a market where it's over priced. It would be ideal to have a product that doesn't 'ride poorly until you break it in', since that will of course lend to speculation on the quality. Since other Urethane wheels like the ones mentioned come perfect out the package... any odd problems to me is a manufacturing defect which your choosing to pay for. I don't think they're bad wheels, just feel they need more work before they have the current price point in my opinion. No I haven't ruined them.. I just had to modify them in order to get daily use out of them which is my gripe. I still roll them everyday, just don't care for the lumpiness that will always be they're no matter what regardless of the ware I apply. 

Eitherway people will always have their own opinion which I respect, hence this review - to illustrate some of my personal experience with these products for other riders to take into consideration before dropping some hard earned money. Hope to have two more reviews up this week if my deliveries come in on time; along with a 'how to - on polishing painted BRR trucks'. Thanks for peering!

You shouldn't feel bad, you were just giving your honest opinion on a product.
Reading a review where all you get is 10/10 and "amazing" etc, is boring. Not to say some products are incredible, but there's always room for improvement and not everyone can see it. You clearly can understand the product you are reviewing, and if I was making products I'd sent you some to review, because constructive criticism is how things improve.