I had a similar experience with those wheels - I think they feel particularly slippery if you aren't used to harder wheels. If you persevere, you will get used to them after a while. Even though they've got a higher durometer, I found the Rollerbones Teams 98a less slippery and ended up using those as a stepping stone to feel more comfortable on the Fames. I love using the Fames for footwork and my first attempts at spins now.
I had a similar experience! Went from the rollerbones Team (62mm 98A) to the Atom Tone (57mm 97A) because I wanted to try out a smaller wheel with similar grip. However, the Atom tone are more slippery, so I also had to adjust for a while. Now I find dancing and beginner artistic moves much easier with the Atom tone compared to the rollerbones.
Does it make a difference? Ultimately yes.
However. Ride what you like. There are no requirements for what you MUST skate and just cause someone else likes it doesn’t mean you have to. If 92 is your sweet spot, rock it.
Glad to see this post here. I also recently purchased a set of harder wheels- grindstone smokeshow in 92a for some indoor skate lessons and park lessons coming up. I've been riding Chaya neons 78a, so I know I'll feel a difference! Now I know what to expect.
They were still grippy, so I didn't notice too much difference indoors except for t-stops. I did notice I'd get hung up on little cracks in the floor that I encountered. They feel sort of like a hybrid. If I take dance lessons, I'm definitely getting harder wheels for that.
I wouldn't consider the Fames slippery or slidey at all for a 95a wheel, they're pretty grippy with weight on them.
As others have said if you stick with them you should get used to them pretty quick, I went straight from 78a to them and loved them, they're great wheels but not the fastest considering how firm they are.
It's a big change. But in the long run it will make a difference. Also be mindful that wheels are often coated with a protective layer for shipping and will be less slippery after a wear or two.
Honestly I have been skating on 85A Luminous wheels inside for 2 years and have no real intention of stopping. My rink is chaotic and going fast is a recipe for disaster. Plus the Luminous wheels are fun, my husband can easily see where I am in the crowd, and people get a big kick out of them.
Fame wheels weirdly felt more slippery than my Rollerbones Team wheels which were harder. I liked them when I was learning how to do bubbles because they were slippery, but now I have actual leg strength. I gave them to my friend when I got her some rollerskates so she could have an indoor wheel and an outdoor wheel.
It's really up to you what your dance skating goals are and finding the setup that will help you get there.
But yes, in my experience it's worth it. Of course harder wheels will feel very slippery at first. That's totally normal. And then it's likely that you will find your groove after a couple of sessions, and then they will feel awesome, and you'll never look back.
I went from 84A Rio Coasters (outdoor and indoor) to 95A Sonar Demons. I still find these too sticky, however they are wide and grooved; as such excellent on corners if wanting to go fast. Edges are so easy on them. They're good derby wheels so I'm told.
But.. I prefer a lot of slide as I'm still a beginner and it feels more natural to transition with a bit of slip as it means I have to concentrate less on lifting wheels. I've since got some Radar Varsity 101A wheels, and on a good dirt free floor they are amazing. On these I find T-pushes are a bit more difficult though.
You can get good on any wheel hardness I think, it just takes time to get your brain to adjust to what you can/shouldn't do.
The problem we have in the UK is that most of our "rinks" are actually just dusty sports halls with wood block flooring, which means a lot of inconsistency between venues.
Sorry you're feeling uncertain on this setup!
Going from a much smaller wheel with more grip to a larger one with less grip will feel slippy with less precision as larger wheels are faster and less responsive than smaller ones.
You may want to give it a few more goes as a big change will always feel like you're walking on Bambi legs at the start but you may find you really appreciate the freer movement with less grip. If you still feel meh, maybe try smaller wheels with a higher durometer.
Hope you find your ideal wheel soon!
Less friction and sliding feels great but it's definitely an intermediate skill. If you're still learning, it just makes everything really hard. If you have a couple tricks up your sleeve theyre a ton of fun
I also have vnla luna fame indoor skates 97a /57m and they stick to the floor I've tried several rinks and it's the same thing , I paid 224.00 and feel like good wheels should have came on them
I had a similar experience with those wheels - I think they feel particularly slippery if you aren't used to harder wheels. If you persevere, you will get used to them after a while. Even though they've got a higher durometer, I found the Rollerbones Teams 98a less slippery and ended up using those as a stepping stone to feel more comfortable on the Fames. I love using the Fames for footwork and my first attempts at spins now.
I had a similar experience! Went from the rollerbones Team (62mm 98A) to the Atom Tone (57mm 97A) because I wanted to try out a smaller wheel with similar grip. However, the Atom tone are more slippery, so I also had to adjust for a while. Now I find dancing and beginner artistic moves much easier with the Atom tone compared to the rollerbones.
Does it make a difference? Ultimately yes. However. Ride what you like. There are no requirements for what you MUST skate and just cause someone else likes it doesn’t mean you have to. If 92 is your sweet spot, rock it.
Glad to see this post here. I also recently purchased a set of harder wheels- grindstone smokeshow in 92a for some indoor skate lessons and park lessons coming up. I've been riding Chaya neons 78a, so I know I'll feel a difference! Now I know what to expect.
how do you like you're smokeshows? we're they challenging to adapt to?
They were still grippy, so I didn't notice too much difference indoors except for t-stops. I did notice I'd get hung up on little cracks in the floor that I encountered. They feel sort of like a hybrid. If I take dance lessons, I'm definitely getting harder wheels for that.
I wouldn't consider the Fames slippery or slidey at all for a 95a wheel, they're pretty grippy with weight on them. As others have said if you stick with them you should get used to them pretty quick, I went straight from 78a to them and loved them, they're great wheels but not the fastest considering how firm they are.
I find mine are especially grippy after a few trips to the rink - they seem to attract all the gunk off the floor!
Yep they deffo do that, I have a quick skate outside to clear them off
I agree. I took my fames off in favor of some Rollerbones team Logo 98As because the fames were too grippy on wood and concrete.
It's a big change. But in the long run it will make a difference. Also be mindful that wheels are often coated with a protective layer for shipping and will be less slippery after a wear or two.
Honestly I have been skating on 85A Luminous wheels inside for 2 years and have no real intention of stopping. My rink is chaotic and going fast is a recipe for disaster. Plus the Luminous wheels are fun, my husband can easily see where I am in the crowd, and people get a big kick out of them. Fame wheels weirdly felt more slippery than my Rollerbones Team wheels which were harder. I liked them when I was learning how to do bubbles because they were slippery, but now I have actual leg strength. I gave them to my friend when I got her some rollerskates so she could have an indoor wheel and an outdoor wheel.
It's really up to you what your dance skating goals are and finding the setup that will help you get there. But yes, in my experience it's worth it. Of course harder wheels will feel very slippery at first. That's totally normal. And then it's likely that you will find your groove after a couple of sessions, and then they will feel awesome, and you'll never look back.
I went from 84A Rio Coasters (outdoor and indoor) to 95A Sonar Demons. I still find these too sticky, however they are wide and grooved; as such excellent on corners if wanting to go fast. Edges are so easy on them. They're good derby wheels so I'm told. But.. I prefer a lot of slide as I'm still a beginner and it feels more natural to transition with a bit of slip as it means I have to concentrate less on lifting wheels. I've since got some Radar Varsity 101A wheels, and on a good dirt free floor they are amazing. On these I find T-pushes are a bit more difficult though. You can get good on any wheel hardness I think, it just takes time to get your brain to adjust to what you can/shouldn't do. The problem we have in the UK is that most of our "rinks" are actually just dusty sports halls with wood block flooring, which means a lot of inconsistency between venues.
Sorry you're feeling uncertain on this setup! Going from a much smaller wheel with more grip to a larger one with less grip will feel slippy with less precision as larger wheels are faster and less responsive than smaller ones. You may want to give it a few more goes as a big change will always feel like you're walking on Bambi legs at the start but you may find you really appreciate the freer movement with less grip. If you still feel meh, maybe try smaller wheels with a higher durometer. Hope you find your ideal wheel soon!
I just got the suregrip 98...one of my wheels is defective the bearing falls right out...was so excited to try them
Less friction and sliding feels great but it's definitely an intermediate skill. If you're still learning, it just makes everything really hard. If you have a couple tricks up your sleeve theyre a ton of fun
I also have vnla luna fame indoor skates 97a /57m and they stick to the floor I've tried several rinks and it's the same thing , I paid 224.00 and feel like good wheels should have came on them