Most people on full infection of the derby disease find themselves becoming gear nerds of the first order. It can be utterly bewildering, addictive and expensive, especially in a country with leisurely shipping times and a number of importers that can be counted on one finger. Wheels are a particular minefield, with a truly imposing array of hardnesses, colours, widths and cores, and prices that can make the eyes water. It’s really recommended that any skater when thinking about buying new wheels does her research. The internet will only go so far, the best bet by far is to find a sympathetic fellow skater with the wheels you want and badger her for a shot at them.
This is how I came to have a few glorious, wonderful weeks with GRN MNSTR’s Heartless wheels. I had been using Sure-Grip Fugitives for a few months which were great on the nasty sport court I train on and had been super-stable when working on my agility and skating skills prior to passing my skills test. However, I found the sheer width of the Fugi’s quite cumbersome in places. Some crossover and juking manoeuvres would result in my wheels clipping each other and the ground meeting my ass far more often than it needed to. I was very aware of the surface area taken up by each foot, and felt that wheels with a narrower profile might better suit my playing style.
There is a fair bit of discussion about the merits of thinner wheels, especially for newer skaters. It’s suggested in some quarters that they are for more experienced skaters only, that newbies benefit more from a wider profile and greater stability. To be honest, I haven’t found an issue with this at all with the Heartless. They are the thinnest wheels I’ve seen but at no time have I felt my balance compromised by this. And the perks? Oh, lordy, the perks. I use a 90a/96a mixture on sport court and painted concrete, and I get proper feedback all the way round the rink, whether crossing over, juking, figure-eights, anything! The Fugi’s would sometimes slip out on the tightest part of a corner which was a bit unnerving at times, something which has not happened at all with the Heartless. The grip doesn’t come at the expense of speed though, with no spongy, gluey feeling from the pushers at all.
They are not the cheapest wheels on the market it’s true, and with Sure-Grip releasing the Fugitive Mids (and Radar’s Flat Outrageous) also on the market, there is a fair bit of choice out there for those who like their wheels on the slinky side. However, the Heartless off a lot of bang for the buck and in my opinion are well worth the price tag…
Disclaimer: Wheels were bought and paid for in full by myself, review is completely my own for the purposes of filling up the blog.
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