My loaded Dervish-Getting Some New Wheels

I have to admit that I love my Loaded Dervish longboard just the way it came, but this "sliding machine," may get even better come February 2nd.

What Happens February 2nd?

Well, Orangatang is scheduled to release its newest wheel design "the Balut." From all the chatter online, it sounds like Orangatang went out of their way to design a wheel specifically for maximizing the slide aspect in DH longboarding. It was not their goal to merely tweak on a Fat Free, or the Durian or one of their already successful wheels, but to develop a totally new and unique wheel. Up until now, the focus on downhill free-riding has been for a wheel optimized for traction while negotiating high-speed curves, with minor emphasis on the slide, for speed reduction. Orangatang, however, sees a need for wheels that can provide longer drifts, quicker rotations while MINIMIZING speed loss. That is nearly opposite to current DH wheel design emphasis.

Slip Sliding Design

So how do you reverse the wheel properties for application in a world of drifting? Well, it starts with the rounded edge shape, that sits on a core slightly wider than the wheel itself. Then you lighten up the whole thing by eliminating massive amounts of urethane between the edges of the core and the seats of the bearings to increase flexibility when rotating and flipping. After a year of testing, this narrow shape design, proved ideally suited for incredible long standup slides, but urethane formulations currently in use were unable to withstand the drifting abuse.

The Magic Thane

So finally, after a year of waiting, Orangatang, found a material to meet the abuse of drifting, durable and resilient to flat spots, which they described as the "Euphorethane formula."

Extended Reliability

Rotation, rotation, rotation, the three things that can extend the life of you wheels. Most boarders know this, but high-speed drifters, live by them.

Ten Tips Concerning Wheel Ware

1. "To maximize wheel life exchange the position of the most worn with the least worn wheel, then switch the others."

2. "Uphill wheels want to cone and downhill wheels tend to reverse cone."

3. "Expect the front wheels to wear faster than the rear wheels, when using a center stance with weight over front wheel."

4. "If using a kicktail, or a rear stance in general, expect the rear wheels to ware faster"

5. "If you conventionally stand in one direction, right foot forward or left foot forward, rotate your wheels diagonally."

6. "When your stance is mixed (either foot forward), then rotate wheel with one on the same truck."

7. "A symmetrical center-set shapes generally designed to flip each wheel to reduce coning."

8. "While rotating wheels check for coning and flip those showing the signs."

9. "Remember if you are heel-side slide your heel-side wheels will experience coning, while your toe-side wheels will be the one reverse coning. "

10. "Finally, periodically flip all wheels when it seems appropriate. "