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Tru-Rev's Titan and Uranus outdoor wheels Excellent new options for outdoor skaters By Francisco Ramirez Reviewed: • Tru-Rev 100mm Titan M-16 Skate set-ups used: • K2 frames 4x100mm Other sizes available: • 84mm Pluto Skate maker Tru-Rev didn't set the world on fire last year with its outdoor racing wheels. The reason: its Saturn wheels didn't provide the kind of performance benefits their premium price would suggest. But Tru-Rev is likely to fare better this year. Its new wheels, the 100mm Titans and 110mm Uranus, are surprisingly good. Fast, comfortable and long wearing, they are bound to become one of the top choices of inline racers in 2007. Roll Excellent. These wheels are deceptive. They feel soft and slow (similar to 83A-rated wheels). But in fact, they are hard and fast. As a result, they provide the best of both worlds: a comfortable ride (even on bad roads) and outstanding roll (comparable to the yellow Matter wheels or the Star Grip Ty wheels). Coasting on them, you notice little loss of forward momentum. Grip Variable. The Titan grips very well on dry and wet roads. In fact on wet roads, it grips as well as any rain wheel I have tested. The medium Uranus grips just as well, while the hard Uranus (naturally) tends to slip more. (On the other hand, the medium Uranus does not roll as well. However, when combined, medium and hard, on one skate, the grip and roll seems equal to the Titan.) Wear Long lasting. I have not raced on these wheels yet. But multiple practice sessions have hardly put a dent in them. My set looks almost new even after four marathon-length training skates and numerous sprints on less than perfect roads. Despite all this use, I wouldn't hesitate to use them for a race. Hardness My durometer rated the firm Uranus at 85A, the medium at 83A, and the Titan M-16 at 84A. Price Moderate. The Uranus are $12 each; the Titans, $11. This is about average these days for premium race wheels. Hub
Both wheels feature new hubs. The Titan has five spokes, offset, on each side. The Uranus has eight spokes, also offset. The hubs are stiff, which makes for a responsive wheel. This is noticeable when accelerating. Even though the wheels feel soft, they don't lose much power when sprinting. The bearing holes are well designed. Bearings fit snugly inside them but are nonetheless easy to remove. Speed Fast. I found these wheels to be as fast as my top-rated speed wheel, the Star Grip. Due to their softness, they don't feel fast. But the stop watch proves otherwise. My top-end speed in a recent sprint workout was actually faster than a few weeks earlier on the Star Grips. Appearance Nice. They feature clean lines and attractive chrome hubs. The wheels themselves are white (Uranus) and off white (Titans). Summary These are excellent wheels: fast, comfortable, long-lasting and moderately priced. They provide yet another outstanding option in a marketplace that is suddenly crowded with great wheels. They are not the cheapest wheel in the world, but they are definitely worth the price. ... Setup recommendations: • Post Your Comments and Questions. | ||||||||
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