@thelonelynow that sounds like a pretty bad experience! I love my Clouds for rough terrain, haven't tried the chrome cores though. I have Elites and found them super sticky too. I also have Rapidos but found them different - less sticky, different colour (Elites are more 'natural', Rapidos more 'bleached'), different smell, different feel - maybe the differences are all in the colouring??? I get they're made in the same factory by the same company, but is it possible they're different formulas?
They are China made decks made with Chinese maple not Noth American or Canadian maple and they are not the same decks as the pro models made in Mexico. It’s cheaper and easier to use china maple decks than to recycle old wood (decks) they just market it like that
Bronson raw’s are the worst bearings I’ve ever skated, most expensive too.(lasted 3 weeks) Haven’t made the mistake of paying more then $20 for bearings since.
Hey Ben - I just gotta say you are a true inspiration. I'm 37 and my son is 7. I recently just took up skating again after a long hiatus. It's been the perfect excuse to get out more and teach my son how to skate. We both really enjoy watching your videos and my son asks all the time if you've posted something new. Keep up the great content and we'd love to see more father and son skate sessions! Happy Father's day from one skater dad to another!
I snagged a pair of the new ATG Tensor Mag-Lights a while ago, and they feel like a perfect middle ground between Thunder and Indy in terms of turn response. (Probably a bit closer to an Indy.)
We've been asking a while. I don't know..seems like Ben may have been traumatized trying some Tensors back in the 90s or 2000s to where he won't even attempt now. I get it though...his style gravitates towards high pop, responsive turning, and heavier trucks. The old Tensors are the opposite of that. But I still think he should give the All Terrain Geometry ones a shot....given they're 55 mm tall (like normal Indy's) so more responsive and supposedly the king pin is quite low now. I think if he tries the Magnesium ATGs he'd like the great slideability....but he may not like the low weight (last video he said that he doesn't like the 149 titanium Indy's....he prefers the Standard heavier ones for the added heft to not rocket kickflips/heelflips. I'd still be interested in his opinion of the ATGs so looking forward to the day when he reviews some. One of us may just have mail him a pair of 8'5 ATGs.
I rode a set of G3s for about 5 years, periodically cleaning them. The cages eventually cracked, but it wasn't a big deal until much later in their life.
Ben I love everything you're doing and also love how lowkey your sales tactics are. But you're killing me without a link to your board shop in the description of your videos! Don't forget! Some ppl won't do the search I am about to do!
@thelonelynow I rode 3 Polar 8.5" boards in a row earlier this year and they all had a fairly full nose similar to a Primitive or AWS nose that Ben reviewed in this video. Most of their models have that full nose shape, but not as much as an FA or WKND.
I feel like there's more to say about bearings even if it's unlikely anything will sway you from Bones. I've heard good things about Pig and Andale and would be interested in your thoughts.
I’d like to see Andale Swiss bearings. But I am very happy to hear someone say how they feel about Bronson because I’ve been looking into skating again after many years(which I built a set up 2 years ago but wasn’t for me so I’m going to give it some kid at a park). I have some stuff that I like and also others interested in so we’ll see. But again I’m glad to hear someone talk about Bronson since I started with Reds ‘02 until ‘07 and still bought them but wanted to check out other ones for a new setup to relearn everything I guess.
@thelonelynow Pretty sure he was joking ;) but man now i'm sad I just installed a set of china big balls - found em on sale a few weeks ago so decided to try em out. We'll have to see how long they last...
Bronson Bearings are wack. I rode two pairs(one with and one without shields), within a month both of them started howling. When I cleaned them, they fell apart. So then I asked several of me friends about this, and they all had the same issue. In conclusion, great marketing, terrible product, buy reds.
Quick note: Poetic had the best high concave 8.2 board last year, absolutely amazing. Then they changed woodshop and claim to have better wood now, but the shapes changed completely. Wheelbase was ridiculously long and the shape was strange, really short and pointy kicks with super long WB. Sour boards look like they have more concave than they actually do because of the shape. Good boards, they tell what shape each board is and the measurements on them. Tail and nose relatively middle of the way, a bit more curve than usual boards. I enjoy more concave but nothing bad to say about them. A lot like Polars shapes
Most European companies press their boards at HLC, which is Jart's woodshop. The wood had a bad reputation a few years ago but now it's really solid. I like it as much if not a bit more than BBS
Good review! If this video shows one thing, it is that we all need to transition to the metric system. These imperial measurements are making my head spin LOL
I’ve never tried OJs hard wheels, but I do like the mini Super Juice for cruising crusty streets (which are all the streets in the rural area I live in lol) and Formula 4s are just the best for everything else.
Mini Super Juices are INCREDIBLE cruising wheels, TBH they might be my favorite wheels ever (assuming we aren't trying to do crazy tricks) in general because they are fast, grippy, and super comfy and well dampened.
With my bronson raws I have always put the shields outwards like with all other bearings, this meant that dirt and stuff didn’t come in. I have had them for 2+ years and ridden them in the rain with no issues, however I could definitely understand how dirt could accumulate if you put the exposed side outwards.
Yes! Would love to see Ben do an almost deck review, preferably a review of both an almost impact series deck and regular deck... but I'd settle for a review of either or.
You had me dying laughing taking my morning 💩 I just recently found out about your channel after buying my first setup in probably about 20 years. In fact the trucks, wheels and bearing are complete…. eh hmm 💩💩💩funny cuz just so happen I bought a set of Thunder hollow light electric eye trucks, a set of formula 4 spitfire full conicals (both thanks to you) annnnnnnnd some Bronson speed co. G3’s last night (not because of you) because of their amazing marketing of course 😂 to go with this space aged 8-ply, “Almost” deck that is just a tank (thanks to Rodney and Daewon). It Has some extra…… 🤷♂️ what reinforcement circle deals at the bolts. I actually was looking for a review about the deck when I found this review. Anyhow, every review/ lesson content I’ve watched of yours has been rad, enlightening and funny 😆 this one had me rolling about those bearings. I’ve read people say you’ve helped light that skateboarding fire again for them. But really brother, you have for me. Just turned 42 and it’s time to go shred again. I’m just glad I didn’t go for the shieldless raw’s. Tbh I almost did because I watched a dude, that probably was a well paid actor, do a roll some hills test review with supposed year old raws vs new raws while timing each run. It was such an awesome review, this “no maintenance dry lube” 🤦♂️ what?!?! Now that I heard you say your hilarious thoughts about them. Intrigued me. Oh, now that I think about it, I watched your review on the ceramic’s 😂 so they were a purchase, in part, thanks to you after all 😂 got em off prime, so they are probably going back for some super reds. Again thanks to you, so thank you 🤣 Keep telling the truth, my man. Love the skate nerd content, your sick thrashing style, and definitely that dry sense of humor of yours. I’m a fan braddah 🤙
yeah, i've also had very negative experiences with bronsons. people I know swear by them because they're in love with NHS. bones super reds are by far my favorite bearing
Completely agree about the "human touch" on PS Stix, I love me a BBS/Gen board and they last me longer than PS but man sometimes they just feel lifeless. PS feels heftier, more oomph to my pop and they have some very nice shapes. But like I said they usually start feeling pretty dead about a week sooner than my dlx boards. I usually pick up whats available at my local so mostly dlx but when a PS board pops up I usually snag it.
Dude I totally agree with the Bronson lateral movement thing. You can grab your wheel while it's mounted and give it a jiggle and it will move side to side way too easy. Also after you clean them they felt like they got worse. These were the G3 I had. But yeah, I'll just stick to bones big balls.
My Plan B board has the same shape as yours. I remember i was struggling with the shape of it so far, the 8.25 on the front truck area and 8.125 on the back truck. I enjoyed riding them on Indy 144 for a while but I change to venture 5.25 ones. It’s also still nice on 8” trucks and you said but Im used to a bigger or fit truck to a board so the 8” trucks get me feel uncomfortable while riding or grinding sometimes
Happy Father's Day! Guessing Vancouveren's celebrate Father's Day, aye? Hope your's was awesome. I recently discovered Vancouver Carpenter and found your skate channel today, subscribed. Drywall brought me here, wtf right? Thx for the content and your professionalism. "3 broken wrists, 4 broken arms, and I still skate." I've been skating since 82, and sheetrocking and rolling (and framing) since 92. A fellow mud-slinging skateboarding carpenter, what are the chances? I just set up a brandspankingnew David Gravette "Captain Dislocate"(Creature ...duh), with some killer Steve Cabalerro Indys, shoutout Skate Ratz, Colorado! (Happy Father's Day to me!) Putting the internet down now and going skating on some beautiful Utah trails with my daughter, thx again! 🔨
are the elites worse? i skated a pair of original formula wheels for months and they had the sickest slide and never flatspotted. they also said they were "usa made" on the packaging, and felt similar to my old spitfire classics, but lasted way longer. they were also about as smooth as my 99a f4's were in the street.
That Plan B deck is just like the old Shorty’s 8.25 XL board shape from back in 2001 (taper and all) . Having that tiny mellow tail does make it super poppy without the difficulty or effort it takes to skate steep kicks.
I’ve only skated bones reds for most of my life so when I got the Bronson g3 they felt amazing and I loved them over the reds I ended up gets a second pair of the G3’s but it have to say I never tired Swiss bearings and I never heard anything bad about then I never tried the super reds also I might have to get some super reds and see how they are compared to the g3 thanks for the review keep it up 👍🏼
Hey Ben, I'd like to ask if you can try out the Indy 169s and if you can prove the myth that 169 are good on 8.75 decks or they should only be for 9+ decks. I rely on your reviews because out of all the UA-cam skaters who review products, you make the best and honest reviews. I rang that bell just to make sure I'm up to date with your new stuff and can't to wait for that Indy 169 episode.
I herd OJs and Rictas are the same urethane 🤔 spitfires ftw! Also you should look into reviewing Loophole wheels they have the oatmeal color like formula 4s and they feel very similar,they are a local (SF)company skater owned! Great video Ben as always! Take care! ☮️-Jay
I bought the hype, and have been skating Bronson Raws for a good few months now, and they're easily outlasting any other bearing I've skated in the past 20 years or so. Every other bearing I skate usually gets kinda fucked, the shields get dented and I have to remove them, I have to grease and clean them more often than I care for etc... Usually they'll just fucking explode and leave the outer race stuck in the wheel, which is always fun. Raws just kinda keep going through anything. They seem to be near indestructible. The one thing I've made sure of though, is to NEVER clean them or grease them. I suspect that doing that would affect the tungsten coating in their races, and make them less durable and/or slow them down. I'm not exactly sure how right I am about that, but it's been working well so far. For what it's worth, I greatly value durability over speed when it comes to bearings. (Not saying they're slow, although I probably wouldn't be the best authority on that.)
It would be really interessting to know what your opinion on Breeeze ceramic bearings is cause they seem to be the only cheap way to get ceramic bearings.
Personally I think oj does best in its lower durometer categories, would love to see you try to flat spot their 95a nomads or their 87a. I have been riding their 99a hardline and think they are much more suitable for street than their 101 ez edges
@@GilletteSkater true but look at their skaters and the trend of their wheel formulas. Their are really doing well in the mid to hard range of duro (87-99a) + their 78s are reliable and I can comfortably do all my tricks (though I’m a basic skater) using the 55mm mini super juice which I was surprised by
@@wanton_chips3638 interesting. You make me wanna try the nomads. I have a 99a set of elites sitting in my closet til I'm healed up. You really think the 99a and 101a have that big of a difference?
Skinny wheels are just easy to power slide while 95a feels wildly smooth and quiet. I was genuinely surprised how true to the hype the wheels were. Also I haven’t owned my own 101a OJ wheels but I’ve only ever owned 99a and every time I step on my buddies board who rides 101a, feels like he is riding plastic. If you want harder than 99a OJ wheels for the benefits of high durometer, I’d just go with spitfire. Spitfire 99a feel like OJ 101a rolling but they actually slide like a good *hard* wheel should slide The speed you keep with Oj’s kinda softer feeling ride is noticeable as a beginner skater or after a long session
You should check out some Welcome decks. I've been having so much fun trying all their different shapes. The Ryan Townley shape has been my hands down favorite of the 7 I've tried but they've all been great.
jonah moore that could be it. It’s a shame they suck because a bearing designed to be shieldless is a good idea. Better off popping the shields off China reds for better performance and price.
Some time ago with few friends buy a BSS Blank skate decks, there´s a better than unexpected and I recomended that, and the wheels, frequently used blank wheels to skate in a little flat park and they don´t have a bad for the price, and one recomendation, you should to lubricate your bearings with graphite, I´m industrial designer and with don´t have bearing lube use one pencil to lubricate the bearings and work perfectly! Regards Bud!
Another Bearing you never tried, SPITFIRE CHEAPSHOTS. Better and cheaper than China reds, and once you take the shields off, they roll good and fast for a LONG time. Sometimes they get clogged, but I've cleaned my bearings with PB blaster. But yeah, please try them! I have teo sets of Cheap shots, and one set of Spitfire Burners, I prefer the cheapshots.
@@kmrskates I guess my two sets that have been RAW for about 4 months say different. Had them both for about 8 months, and they're constant. Now, idk how they'll be in a longer haul, but for the price, why hate. Lol.
I've had the bronson g3's and im currently riding g2's. Apart from the packaging they feel identical. Still a good bearing in my opinion.just as good as standard reds.
I'm glad you had a similar experience with bronson raws I thought I just sucked at cleaning bearings but turns out raws are just garbage if you do anything except skate at a skatepark. I liked the G6s for a while but they're not noticeably better than bones reds
Thank you Ben, I thought it was just me as I have been trying to find the sweet spot on my deck and went to Bones V3 99a 52mm wheels with Bronson G3 bearings...2weeks later and I have to pump so hard to get to the coping in our mini bowl I thought I was losing my mind. Well my super reds just arrived with my Formula 4 101a 53s and everything just works. Racing around the coping like a kid again. Thanks for not sugar coating these reviews...best!
There seem to might be some inconsistencies in measurements from BBS. Anyone share this experience? I've had decks that was suppose to measure 14.125" wb, that measured 14.25" etc
Also finally somebody agrees with me on the bronson raws. I’m still skating them just cause I want to get my moneys worth. But planning on going back to bones
Try a shuvit! You can get them at skate warehouse, and you can also order them factory direct I believe. Our local skate shop carried them and they were awesome
I've definitely had good and bad boards from PS. when I first started riding them a few years back I'd have a few of their boards delaminate and just get flat and mushy on me pretty quickly, so I called the shop that I bought it from about it and they said they've had a few people call them about the same issues. I feel like their boards aren't super consistent but I did love ones without the manufacturer defects
Are you a fan of Paul Schmitt? I just discovered him and listened to his Nine Club interview/podcast. He's very methodical and takes an engineering perspective to his design of decks when it comes to all the technical wheelbase/fingers of flat stuff and such. Didn't realize he was the man behind PS Stix and now I sort of wanna try me one. I do have an Element which I believe is pre 2018 but can't confirm, it creaks and cracks and I've barely skated it, and have two newer Elements from this year that feel similar without all the noise.
@thelonelynow I know I'm way late to the game lol I can't believe I've never heard of him before. That's too bad about the quality control though. Do you know if Bareback has the same kind of design behind them, or just better production or both?
I’m with you on most of this. I definitely can’t skate anything other than Spitfire FF anymore. Every time I try something else I get flat spots and I just can’t do it. My experience with Bronson though is completely different. I’m not a big fan of the G2’s but think they are a decent price point. I’ve been riding Raws for the last couple years after riding Swiss and have been very happy with them. They are not as good, but I’ve found that the price difference makes up for that. I’ve never been able to ride Red’s because they’ve always rode like garbage for me not long after buying them, or I’ve blown them. Not sure if it has to do with weight. I’m a pretty decent size dude, weighing in at 215lbs. The Swiss and Raws last about the same time for me, even with cleaning. I have thought about trying the ceramics though. Have you ever rode those?
Would like to see ceramics review, too. I heard quite a different feedback from my friends on those: for some people they worked very well for a year or even more of quite extensive skating, for others they died very quickly, like 1-2 months. I'm completely disappointed with the feedback, especially taking in account the price. I have very good experience riding Oust "Tech", they are fast and smooth, keep speed for a decent amount of time. Interesting detail which I noticed is that they don't rotate for a long time without the loading, i.e. when I just spin them by hand. I'm not sure how it works...
Has anyone tried out a "Drawing Boards" deck? Just ordered one, 8.25", Great art work. Looks like Demons from the Egyptian book of the dead. Thought I'd try a UK company since Flip were so great. Hope it rides tidy.
Bronson's are crap. Generic steel bearings are the best with steel parts and proper bearing grease close those shields. Props for the marketing statement, the real reason I like watching your videos.
Yes!!! 2016 and up PS Stix has went downhill.... Seen and skated TONS of FA PS made decks that delammed some which wud come to the skateshop delammed! I still love PS Stix wood though It’s just their quality control used to be a lot better than what it is these days and I think the reason for that is he took on way too many brands at once and started pressing around a dozen boards at once in one press at a time is what I heard instead of the standard 6-7 at a time.... FA and Hockey left bc of this and Toy Machines new decks seem to be out of Bareback again too after leaving them for PS Stix about 5 years ago. When you get a good PS Stix deck tho It’s amazing and like you said the concave feels more organic ans the boards are more hand sanded human made old school style...
Agreed with everything except the Bronsons. China reds crap out so easily it’s a waste of time, I’d rather have some G2s thAt last longer for a few dollars more. I wasn’t very impressed with the RAWs but I think the G3’s are the best bet. Last forever, skate fast, and feel good. Will probably never change bearing company and never became a fan because of advertising. Bronson for life.
My OJs u felt needed to be worn it alot they feel like they get better with time I skate the milton Martinez branded 53mm 101A Oj elite I agree they can be really hard to revert at first but I've done alright for them they feel secure on the ground and I've not had much problem with them on street I can still revert my tricks it's just probably harder but they have other benefits especially for something like bowl. I've also boardslid very crusty ledges with them without wax and now that I think about it I feel like I've never had a bad flat spot on them.
Have you ever tried Sweet Sktbs decks? I'm not the best skater in the world, but something just clicks when I skate them. Tried different decks in the way, but I always come back to them.
A review of ricta wheels would be pretty interesting
same i love my Ricta David Loy pro model whirlwinds
I hate to break it to you, but Ricta and OJ’s are the same thing.
Geoff Bordeaux haven’t skated either im just intrested in what he thinks of them
I have some 54mm 78d clouds and there perfect for cruising
@thelonelynow that sounds like a pretty bad experience! I love my Clouds for rough terrain, haven't tried the chrome cores though. I have Elites and found them super sticky too. I also have Rapidos but found them different - less sticky, different colour (Elites are more 'natural', Rapidos more 'bleached'), different smell, different feel - maybe the differences are all in the colouring??? I get they're made in the same factory by the same company, but is it possible they're different formulas?
I love it. The guy that taught me drywall mudding showing my kids how to skateboard. Haha
That’s a good friend to have
Ben, the Krooked and Anti hero price points are made from recycled wood, like real renewal editions, that’s why it felt soggy, mine did too.
That was my understanding as well.
My renewal deck feels soggy too. The pop was great for about 1 1/2.
I skated an antihero lost pop so fast felt soggy after a few weeks
I had the same exact experience with a price point anti-hero- this makes so much sense now
They are China made decks made with Chinese maple not Noth American or Canadian maple and they are not the same decks as the pro models made in Mexico. It’s cheaper and easier to use china maple decks than to recycle old wood (decks) they just market it like that
he roasted the bronsons hard
damn
Bronson raw’s are the worst bearings I’ve ever skated, most expensive too.(lasted 3 weeks) Haven’t made the mistake of paying more then $20 for bearings since.
@@ryansmith1777 Cant go wrong with bones reds
Mine have lasted me for 3 years of harsh abuse with no maintenance. Interesting🤔
@@TOASTIBOI2001 why are you not maintaining your bearings, is it because you don't go out and skate so you never have to clean them?
@@candle_eatist I ride anywhere from 5 hours to 10 hours a day in dirt and water. I hope that answers your question 😁
Ben and Paul Schmidt should sit down and have a convo. It would be fascinating
Your wish was granted aha
@@pressureflipwillygrind took a hot minute lol
@@osianrees8120skating is just now becoming very popular every where.
The Bronsons have a lot of lateral movement. And for that reason, I'm out.
ben would probably hate Nora V's setup. OJs, Bronsons, Krux, and a 8.6 mellow concave shaped deck
does she really like them? ya know NHS factory sponsors her, and NHS owns all those brands too
@@sungwoothao1242 probably. they're good to her. they give her creative freedom.
@@_Maxten thats dope to hear
@@sungwoothao1242 i have her first griptape from krux x mob. so fkn dope
Krux are good tho! Slide on baseplate and high solid trucks. They just too heavy for Ben ;)
Hey Ben - I just gotta say you are a true inspiration. I'm 37 and my son is 7. I recently just took up skating again after a long hiatus. It's been the perfect excuse to get out more and teach my son how to skate. We both really enjoy watching your videos and my son asks all the time if you've posted something new. Keep up the great content and we'd love to see more father and son skate sessions!
Happy Father's day from one skater dad to another!
Don’t leave us ever Ben, please!
Tensor review for the boys?
the new geometry pleaseeeeee
Atg only
mag light pls
I snagged a pair of the new ATG Tensor Mag-Lights a while ago, and they feel like a perfect middle ground between Thunder and Indy in terms of turn response. (Probably a bit closer to an Indy.)
We've been asking a while. I don't know..seems like Ben may have been traumatized trying some Tensors back in the 90s or 2000s to where he won't even attempt now. I get it though...his style gravitates towards high pop, responsive turning, and heavier trucks. The old Tensors are the opposite of that. But I still think he should give the All Terrain Geometry ones a shot....given they're 55 mm tall (like normal Indy's) so more responsive and supposedly the king pin is quite low now. I think if he tries the Magnesium ATGs he'd like the great slideability....but he may not like the low weight (last video he said that he doesn't like the 149 titanium Indy's....he prefers the Standard heavier ones for the added heft to not rocket kickflips/heelflips. I'd still be interested in his opinion of the ATGs so looking forward to the day when he reviews some. One of us may just have mail him a pair of 8'5 ATGs.
I rode a set of G3s for about 5 years, periodically cleaning them. The cages eventually cracked, but it wasn't a big deal until much later in their life.
Ben I love everything you're doing and also love how lowkey your sales tactics are. But you're killing me without a link to your board shop in the description of your videos! Don't forget! Some ppl won't do the search I am about to do!
😂 I forgot to do that for this one. It's okay. We are out of stock anyway.
@@bendegros sweet, no biggie.
@@bendegros waiting on that re-stock! Any idea when that might be?
@@subieracer005 I really wish I knew.
Could you review a polar deck? Amazing videos keep it up
@thelonelynow I rode 3 Polar 8.5" boards in a row earlier this year and they all had a fairly full nose similar to a Primitive or AWS nose that Ben reviewed in this video. Most of their models have that full nose shape, but not as much as an FA or WKND.
@thelonelynow they were some of my favorite boards with Indys because it felt stable, poppy, and comfortable under my feet!
I love polars i have one right now 8.38
@@kmrskates and for some reason, they feel really solid under your feet
I feel like there's more to say about bearings even if it's unlikely anything will sway you from Bones. I've heard good things about Pig and Andale and would be interested in your thoughts.
Idk, from my experience as long as they roll and don't get dirty I can ride literally any bearings
I had pigs once.... they sucked
Modus Titaniums are good
@@loma-uu5mg Modus Titaniums are very very good
Pig = 💩💩
I’d like to see Andale Swiss bearings. But I am very happy to hear someone say how they feel about Bronson because I’ve been looking into skating again after many years(which I built a set up 2 years ago but wasn’t for me so I’m going to give it some kid at a park). I have some stuff that I like and also others interested in so we’ll see. But again I’m glad to hear someone talk about Bronson since I started with Reds ‘02 until ‘07 and still bought them but wanted to check out other ones for a new setup to relearn everything I guess.
same experience with Bronson Raws but I do run chinese reds with the covers popped off and they’re way more solid and last so
much longer than Raws
Bones Swiss BigBalls are awesome, btw. Try those out.
@thelonelynow Pretty sure he was joking ;) but man now i'm sad I just installed a set of china big balls - found em on sale a few weeks ago so decided to try em out. We'll have to see how long they last...
@thelonelynow yeah i'll keep an open mind and see what happens. i can afford more but it would be sad if they're charging more for inferior bearings.
The big ball bearings for me it recently broke on the retainer/cage 😭
It could be that the color on the ply's of wood protect the board from getting waterlogged fast. So maybe without that it got soggier quicker?
Bronson Bearings are wack. I rode two pairs(one with and one without shields), within a month both of them started howling. When I cleaned them, they fell apart. So then I asked several of me friends about this, and they all had the same issue. In conclusion, great marketing, terrible product, buy reds.
Dear Ben,
Thanks for your honest opinion on bearings. You just saved me a lot of money.
you should try a SOUR board or some other european companies
Yeah, I would really like to a Review of some european brands.
Yes. Or Jart.
Quick note: Poetic had the best high concave 8.2 board last year, absolutely amazing. Then they changed woodshop and claim to have better wood now, but the shapes changed completely. Wheelbase was ridiculously long and the shape was strange, really short and pointy kicks with super long WB. Sour boards look like they have more concave than they actually do because of the shape. Good boards, they tell what shape each board is and the measurements on them. Tail and nose relatively middle of the way, a bit more curve than usual boards. I enjoy more concave but nothing bad to say about them. A lot like Polars shapes
@Thomas Pynchon no
Most European companies press their boards at HLC, which is Jart's woodshop. The wood had a bad reputation a few years ago but now it's really solid. I like it as much if not a bit more than BBS
PS wood lasts like 80% as long ass BBS/generator BUT it’s a great time while it lasts
Good review! If this video shows one thing, it is that we all need to transition to the metric system. These imperial measurements are making my head spin LOL
I’ve never tried OJs hard wheels, but I do like the mini Super Juice for cruising crusty streets (which are all the streets in the rural area I live in lol) and Formula 4s are just the best for everything else.
Mini Super Juices are INCREDIBLE cruising wheels, TBH they might be my favorite wheels ever (assuming we aren't trying to do crazy tricks) in general because they are fast, grippy, and super comfy and well dampened.
With my bronson raws I have always put the shields outwards like with all other bearings, this meant that dirt and stuff didn’t come in. I have had them for 2+ years and ridden them in the rain with no issues, however I could definitely understand how dirt could accumulate if you put the exposed side outwards.
What shields
would love to see an Oust bearing review.
Can you try to review an "almost" deck if you get the chance
Yes! Would love to see Ben do an almost deck review, preferably a review of both an almost impact series deck and regular deck... but I'd settle for a review of either or.
@@TysonHook-22- a review of the impact series would be awesome lol I have one
Hey ben can you review about ace trucks.. Im planning to buy 1..
You had me dying laughing taking my morning 💩
I just recently found out about your channel after buying my first setup in probably about 20 years. In fact the trucks, wheels and bearing are complete…. eh hmm 💩💩💩funny cuz just so happen I bought a set of Thunder hollow light electric eye trucks, a set of formula 4 spitfire full conicals (both thanks to you) annnnnnnnd some Bronson speed co. G3’s last night (not because of you) because of their amazing marketing of course 😂 to go with this space aged 8-ply, “Almost” deck that is just a tank (thanks to Rodney and Daewon). It Has some extra…… 🤷♂️ what reinforcement circle deals at the bolts. I actually was looking for a review about the deck when I found this review.
Anyhow, every review/ lesson content I’ve watched of yours has been rad, enlightening and funny 😆 this one had me rolling about those bearings. I’ve read people say you’ve helped light that skateboarding fire again for them. But really brother, you have for me. Just turned 42 and it’s time to go shred again. I’m just glad I didn’t go for the shieldless raw’s. Tbh I almost did because I watched a dude, that probably was a well paid actor, do a roll some hills test review with supposed year old raws vs new raws while timing each run. It was such an awesome review, this “no maintenance dry lube” 🤦♂️ what?!?! Now that I heard you say your hilarious thoughts about them. Intrigued me. Oh, now that I think about it, I watched your review on the ceramic’s 😂 so they were a purchase, in part, thanks to you after all 😂 got em off prime, so they are probably going back for some super reds. Again thanks to you, so thank you 🤣
Keep telling the truth, my man. Love the skate nerd content, your sick thrashing style, and definitely that dry sense of humor of yours. I’m a fan braddah 🤙
Never had a problem with my bronson raws after a year
what bearings do I roll ? the rolling ones
Ben, you're the boss :D
:D
I swear this guy really digs deep into skateboarding he tells every little detail
So when you wondering why Ben didnt review some brand that most people request, you already know the answer. 😜
🙂👍
Loved the bearing review. I share the same philosophy when it comes to bearings.
yeah, i've also had very negative experiences with bronsons. people I know swear by them because they're in love with NHS. bones super reds are by far my favorite bearing
Review Baker og shape mellow concave
Ben, a review and comparison between bones Swiss, super reds and standard reds would be awesome.
Also they make for horribly boring content with no way to "scientifically" prove anything.
I agree Bronson Raw's are horrible I shattered the ball bearings on a Nollie Bigspin on a wood park!
Completely agree about the "human touch" on PS Stix, I love me a BBS/Gen board and they last me longer than PS but man sometimes they just feel lifeless. PS feels heftier, more oomph to my pop and they have some very nice shapes. But like I said they usually start feeling pretty dead about a week sooner than my dlx boards. I usually pick up whats available at my local so mostly dlx but when a PS board pops up I usually snag it.
Had my bronson raws for a year and a half and they’re just as fast as when I got them
Dude I totally agree with the Bronson lateral movement thing. You can grab your wheel while it's mounted and give it a jiggle and it will move side to side way too easy. Also after you clean them they felt like they got worse. These were the G3 I had. But yeah, I'll just stick to bones big balls.
My Plan B board has the same shape as yours. I remember i was struggling with the shape of it so far, the 8.25 on the front truck area and 8.125 on the back truck. I enjoyed riding them on Indy 144 for a while but I change to venture 5.25 ones. It’s also still nice on 8” trucks and you said but Im used to a bigger or fit truck to a board so the 8” trucks get me feel uncomfortable while riding or grinding sometimes
I have one too same shape and little tail but mine's a 8.0 , it took me ages to get used to but now im really digging it (it feels really light)
Happy Father's Day! Guessing Vancouveren's celebrate Father's Day, aye? Hope your's was awesome. I recently discovered Vancouver Carpenter and found your skate channel today, subscribed. Drywall brought me here, wtf right? Thx for the content and your professionalism. "3 broken wrists, 4 broken arms, and I still skate." I've been skating since 82, and sheetrocking and rolling (and framing) since 92. A fellow mud-slinging skateboarding carpenter, what are the chances? I just set up a brandspankingnew David Gravette "Captain Dislocate"(Creature ...duh), with some killer Steve Cabalerro Indys, shoutout Skate Ratz, Colorado! (Happy Father's Day to me!) Putting the internet down now and going skating on some beautiful Utah trails with my daughter, thx again! 🔨
Bronson do get shitty after a week, but if you pop the caps off they're top tier. Been riding em for years.
are the elites worse? i skated a pair of original formula wheels for months and they had the sickest slide and never flatspotted. they also said they were "usa made" on the packaging, and felt similar to my old spitfire classics, but lasted way longer. they were also about as smooth as my 99a f4's were in the street.
That Plan B deck is just like the old Shorty’s 8.25 XL board shape from back in 2001 (taper and all) . Having that tiny mellow tail does make it super poppy without the difficulty or effort it takes to skate steep kicks.
I’ve only skated bones reds for most of my life so when I got the Bronson g3 they felt amazing and I loved them over the reds I ended up gets a second pair of the G3’s but it have to say I never tired Swiss bearings and I never heard anything bad about then I never tried the super reds also I might have to get some super reds and see how they are compared to the g3 thanks for the review keep it up 👍🏼
Plan B boards for me work perfectly...especially that melow pop
At this point, I feel like UA-cam should sponsor you, man
I like a 5.68 board, with alternating plys of teak and monkey puzzle, with a good convex.
Hey Ben, I'd like to ask if you can try out the Indy 169s and if you can prove the myth that 169 are good on 8.75 decks or they should only be for 9+ decks. I rely on your reviews because out of all the UA-cam skaters who review products, you make the best and honest reviews. I rang that bell just to make sure I'm up to date with your new stuff and can't to wait for that Indy 169 episode.
I’ve been skating the regular bones big balls for about a month and they are fantastic so far
I‘m on my Bronson raws for 1.5 years now. They are still going. Honestly best bearings I ever had. Didn’t try the Bones swiss though.
I herd OJs and Rictas are the same urethane 🤔 spitfires ftw! Also you should look into reviewing Loophole wheels they have the oatmeal color like formula 4s and they feel very similar,they are a local (SF)company skater owned! Great video Ben as always! Take care! ☮️-Jay
Spot on bearing review. Bones or die!
I bought the hype, and have been skating Bronson Raws for a good few months now, and they're easily outlasting any other bearing I've skated in the past 20 years or so. Every other bearing I skate usually gets kinda fucked, the shields get dented and I have to remove them, I have to grease and clean them more often than I care for etc... Usually they'll just fucking explode and leave the outer race stuck in the wheel, which is always fun.
Raws just kinda keep going through anything. They seem to be near indestructible.
The one thing I've made sure of though, is to NEVER clean them or grease them. I suspect that doing that would affect the tungsten coating in their races, and make them less durable and/or slow them down. I'm not exactly sure how right I am about that, but it's been working well so far.
For what it's worth, I greatly value durability over speed when it comes to bearings. (Not saying they're slow, although I probably wouldn't be the best authority on that.)
It would be really interessting to know what your opinion on Breeeze ceramic bearings is cause they seem to be the only cheap way to get ceramic bearings.
Try quassi
Personally I think oj does best in its lower durometer categories, would love to see you try to flat spot their 95a nomads or their 87a. I have been riding their 99a hardline and think they are much more suitable for street than their 101 ez edges
You'd think the softer wheel would shred easier 🤔
@@GilletteSkater true but look at their skaters and the trend of their wheel formulas. Their are really doing well in the mid to hard range of duro (87-99a)
+ their 78s are reliable and I can comfortably do all my tricks (though I’m a basic skater) using the 55mm mini super juice which I was surprised by
@@wanton_chips3638 interesting. You make me wanna try the nomads. I have a 99a set of elites sitting in my closet til I'm healed up. You really think the 99a and 101a have that big of a difference?
Skinny wheels are just easy to power slide while 95a feels wildly smooth and quiet. I was genuinely surprised how true to the hype the wheels were. Also I haven’t owned my own 101a OJ wheels but I’ve only ever owned 99a and every time I step on my buddies board who rides 101a, feels like he is riding plastic. If you want harder than 99a OJ wheels for the benefits of high durometer, I’d just go with spitfire. Spitfire 99a feel like OJ 101a rolling but they actually slide like a good *hard* wheel should slide
The speed you keep with Oj’s kinda softer feeling ride is noticeable as a beginner skater or after a long session
@@GilletteSkateryou’ll probably notice a slight difference when skating street. Probably won’t slide as easily the 101 until they break in.
You should check out some Welcome decks. I've been having so much fun trying all their different shapes. The Ryan Townley shape has been my hands down favorite of the 7 I've tried but they've all been great.
I love the curmudgeony attitude in this review. Some reviewers try to be too nice to all companies. Just keepin' it real without being a dick.
I think there’s a lot of value in reviewing things you don’t like... I got the Bronson raws and had the same experience. Back to bones after that one.
I think it might be a quality control issue. My first set of raws were great, the second set felt very wobbly.
jonah moore that could be it. It’s a shame they suck because a bearing designed to be shieldless is a good idea.
Better off popping the shields off China reds for better performance and price.
I'll never ride anything other than Bronson's raw. Luck of the draw imo
Some time ago with few friends buy a BSS Blank skate decks, there´s a better than unexpected and I recomended that, and the wheels, frequently used blank wheels to skate in a little flat park and they don´t have a bad for the price, and one recomendation, you should to lubricate your bearings with graphite, I´m industrial designer and with don´t have bearing lube use one pencil to lubricate the bearings and work perfectly! Regards Bud!
Good video, I agree about the OJ wheels. My roommates board has them and whenever I ride it, it feels softer and grippy.
Could you do a review of the trucks wheels and bearings from tgm?
For bearing, i try the big ball from Bones and i am actually impress! Roll fast, faster than super red. Plus the light blues shield look cool!😂👌🏻
Oj’s elite Conical shape are the best
Another Bearing you never tried, SPITFIRE CHEAPSHOTS. Better and cheaper than China reds, and once you take the shields off, they roll good and fast for a LONG time. Sometimes they get clogged, but I've cleaned my bearings with PB blaster.
But yeah, please try them! I have teo sets of Cheap shots, and one set of Spitfire Burners, I prefer the cheapshots.
Better than China Reds.... hardly. Those bearings are like $6 and the quality shows. They're a waste of money and are nowhere near as good as Reds.
@@kmrskates I guess my two sets that have been RAW for about 4 months say different. Had them both for about 8 months, and they're constant. Now, idk how they'll be in a longer haul, but for the price, why hate. Lol.
I've had the bronson g3's and im currently riding g2's. Apart from the packaging they feel identical. Still a good bearing in my opinion.just as good as standard reds.
I'm glad you had a similar experience with bronson raws I thought I just sucked at cleaning bearings but turns out raws are just garbage if you do anything except skate at a skatepark. I liked the G6s for a while but they're not noticeably better than bones reds
I was so close to getting a pair of OJ's cause I really like the purple Nora wheels but then cancelled my order and F4's instead, really glad I did.
Thank you Ben, I thought it was just me as I have been trying to find the sweet spot on my deck and went to Bones V3 99a 52mm wheels with Bronson G3 bearings...2weeks later and I have to pump so hard to get to the coping in our mini bowl I thought I was losing my mind. Well my super reds just arrived with my Formula 4 101a 53s and everything just works. Racing around the coping like a kid again. Thanks for not sugar coating these reviews...best!
I hope the Andy Anderson deck is next on the list of reviews.. I’m curious to know how you feel about it.....yewww🤙🏻
There is no way he is riding a 9 in board
Waiting on the CSS to restock to try out one of those 8" blanks
Try a skate warehouse shuvit deck.. they are a great deck
they're actually pretty nice. i got a few different board shapes in my pack
I just got an 8 inch blank black ccs deck. it had a half inch twist in the deck..ccs don't even care ..kinda sad ,what a waste.
@@michaelvenezia9809 damn that sucks. Are they gonna replace it?
Michael Venezia that blows man, I’m sorry to hear that
There seem to might be some inconsistencies in measurements from BBS. Anyone share this experience? I've had decks that was suppose to measure 14.125" wb, that measured 14.25" etc
Polar boards seem to have that issue..
Yes especially real boards, hella wide
Also finally somebody agrees with me on the bronson raws. I’m still skating them just cause I want to get my moneys worth. But planning on going back to bones
Try a shuvit! You can get them at skate warehouse, and you can also order them factory direct I believe. Our local skate shop carried them and they were awesome
Polar decks would be nice and great video as always
I've definitely had good and bad boards from PS. when I first started riding them a few years back I'd have a few of their boards delaminate and just get flat and mushy on me pretty quickly, so I called the shop that I bought it from about it and they said they've had a few people call them about the same issues. I feel like their boards aren't super consistent but I did love ones without the manufacturer defects
I'd like to see you review anything from Skull Skates, seeing as they're local to you
I always break the bearing cores on bone bearings, except Swiss cause I’m broke. Bronsons lasted longer for me because I don’t break the bearing core.
So much fan service in one video hmgggaaahjhhhhh I’m satisfied with the quick reviews of the NHS hype marketing
That duck call had me dying 😂😂😂
:)
Are you a fan of Paul Schmitt? I just discovered him and listened to his Nine Club interview/podcast. He's very methodical and takes an engineering perspective to his design of decks when it comes to all the technical wheelbase/fingers of flat stuff and such. Didn't realize he was the man behind PS Stix and now I sort of wanna try me one. I do have an Element which I believe is pre 2018 but can't confirm, it creaks and cracks and I've barely skated it, and have two newer Elements from this year that feel similar without all the noise.
@thelonelynow I know I'm way late to the game lol I can't believe I've never heard of him before. That's too bad about the quality control though. Do you know if Bareback has the same kind of design behind them, or just better production or both?
@thelonelynow that's a good point, would definitely be cool to see a collaboration of some sort, or at least some competition and better QC from PS.
I’m with you on most of this. I definitely can’t skate anything other than Spitfire FF anymore. Every time I try something else I get flat spots and I just can’t do it.
My experience with Bronson though is completely different. I’m not a big fan of the G2’s but think they are a decent price point. I’ve been riding Raws for the last couple years after riding Swiss and have been very happy with them. They are not as good, but I’ve found that the price difference makes up for that. I’ve never been able to ride Red’s because they’ve always rode like garbage for me not long after buying them, or I’ve blown them.
Not sure if it has to do with weight. I’m a pretty decent size dude, weighing in at 215lbs. The Swiss and Raws last about the same time for me, even with cleaning.
I have thought about trying the ceramics though. Have you ever rode those?
I haven't tried ceramics yet.
Ben Degros yeah, it’s hard for me to pull the trigger on that one.
CPG SKATES would not put ceramics on a street set-up. Vert and Cruiser/Longboard OK.
Would like to see ceramics review, too. I heard quite a different feedback from my friends on those: for some people they worked very well for a year or even more of quite extensive skating, for others they died very quickly, like 1-2 months. I'm completely disappointed with the feedback, especially taking in account the price. I have very good experience riding Oust "Tech", they are fast and smooth, keep speed for a decent amount of time. Interesting detail which I noticed is that they don't rotate for a long time without the loading, i.e. when I just spin them by hand. I'm not sure how it works...
Bones wheels/bones bearings/Indy trucks. Simple 🙏 Elegant 🙌 Effective👌
Has anyone tried out a "Drawing Boards" deck? Just ordered one, 8.25", Great art work. Looks like Demons from the Egyptian book of the dead. Thought I'd try a UK company since Flip were so great. Hope it rides tidy.
Bronson's are crap. Generic steel bearings are the best with steel parts and proper bearing grease close those shields. Props for the marketing statement, the real reason I like watching your videos.
:)👍
Ive been riding my Bronsons for about 4 months and 3 decks and only cleaned them once.Riding an average 2-4 miles per day.
Do a Santori wheels review. they look promising and have a new recycled line too
Had the exact same experience with the Bronson G3's, they we're good for 1 week then went to shit
Yes!!! 2016 and up PS Stix has went downhill.... Seen and skated TONS of FA PS made decks that delammed some which wud come to the skateshop delammed! I still love PS Stix wood though It’s just their quality control used to be a lot better than what it is these days and I think the reason for that is he took on way too many brands at once and started pressing around a dozen boards at once in one press at a time is what I heard instead of the standard 6-7 at a time.... FA and Hockey left bc of this and Toy Machines new decks seem to be out of Bareback again too after leaving them for PS Stix about 5 years ago. When you get a good PS Stix deck tho It’s amazing and like you said the concave feels more organic ans the boards are more hand sanded human made old school style...
Do a review on WayWard wheels I have a set of my own and I quite like them, but I wanna see what you think of them
Agreed with everything except the Bronsons. China reds crap out so easily it’s a waste of time, I’d rather have some G2s thAt last longer for a few dollars more. I wasn’t very impressed with the RAWs but I think the G3’s are the best bet. Last forever, skate fast, and feel good. Will probably never change bearing company and never became a fan because of advertising. Bronson for life.
How about some Rowan vans
I didn’t notice a difference with the price point deluxe boards.
My OJs u felt needed to be worn it alot they feel like they get better with time
I skate the milton Martinez branded 53mm 101A Oj elite I agree they can be really hard to revert at first but I've done alright for them they feel secure on the ground and I've not had much problem with them on street I can still revert my tricks it's just probably harder but they have other benefits especially for something like bowl. I've also boardslid very crusty ledges with them without wax and now that I think about it I feel like I've never had a bad flat spot on them.
Have you ever tried Sweet Sktbs decks? I'm not the best skater in the world, but something just clicks when I skate them. Tried different decks in the way, but I always come back to them.
Try the nothing special bearings, Diego Najera’s company. I actually like them way more than Bronsons
I love your videos keep it up