The last time I used Rink Rat wheels was several years ago with a pair of Mission T10 skates and Rink Rat Identity Split wheels. The skates and wheels were absolutely incredible. Since that time, Mission has switched to Revision wheels and Rink Rat faces stiffer competition all around.
When they released their latest set of wheels, I was excited to give Rink Rat another shot. Our friends over at Rink Rat were kind enough to provide a set of Dual Identity wheels to put through the paces, and below are my experiences laid out in our full Rink Rat Dual Identity Wheels review.
Specifications
- Rink Rat Dual Identity Wheels (2016)
- Orange XX Grip
- Used on Hi-Lo chassis and Bauer skates
Design and Construction
Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels are designed with a three pour setup. Pour one is a harder 68A m-tech ring which will provide the wheel with incredible roll. This pour makes it fast and responsive while also allowing it to maintain grip. Pour two is a softer 62A m-tech inner ring which helps the wheel to flex on command. This increases your footprint and provides that crazy grip and agility. Pour three is an outer layer of pro performance urethane. It is poured at 78A hardness for the XX Grip wheels, and 76A for the XXX Grip wheels. When combined with the other two pours, this wheels becomes fast, grippy, and durable.
As mentioned above, Rink Rat offers two different hardness levels for the Dual Identity wheels. The blue XXX Grip is designed for players weighing under 175 pounds. If you’re over that level, the orange XX Grip wheels should be your choice.
The wheels come in three sizes, 72, 76, and 80mm. They are available with a standard 608 hub and come in a tapered performance profile for speed and agility.
Performance
My very first game using the Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels was a huge struggle. I had spent very little time breaking the wheels in, only a few minutes for warm-ups before the game began. This turned out to be a mistake. Once the game did start, it took a couple periods before I felt really comfortable out on the rink. There were at least two occasions where I stumbled and fell out of the blue and the only thing I could attribute it to was breaking in the wheels.
Fortunately, that mess didn’t last long, and what came next was awesome. The Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels outperformed my expectations and played like a world class wheel should. The wheels were extremely grippy on a sport court surface when they needed to be. This included cuts, turns, and stopping. On the other hand, the wheels also allowed me to be very quick out on the rink during fast breaks or while chasing a loose puck.
I have been extremely impressed using the Dual Identity wheels so far, but, there is one thing continues to stand out. Never before have I used a wheel that has allowed me to have so much control of my “edges.” I know this term is used more for inside and outside edges in ice hockey, but the Dual Identity wheels flex in such a way that it allows me to stop on either the inside or outside “edge” of the wheel. Because of this, stopping is much more comfortable and performs a lot closer to what you would expect on ice.
Durability
I have used the Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels for about 10 games now and they are wearing nicely. So far there the wheels are still all in one piece and there doesn’t appear to be any cracking, chipping, or chunking from the wheels. While weighing in at 205 lbs, I’m pretty pleased with the way the XX Grip wheels are holding up. It’s only been one 10 game season of usage so far, but my expectations will be that these wheels last at least another three or four seasons with proper rotation.
Overall Impressions:
I don’t think I’m the only roller hockey player who had almost forgotten about Rink Rat for a bit. Being removed from Mission’s skates was a huge blow, but now I’m starting to think that was a big mistake for Mission. The new Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels performed well across the board, better than any Revision wheels I have used, and I would not hesitate to continue to use them as my go-to wheel after this review.
Where to buy?
If you like what you’ve read and want to go pick up a set of Rink Rat Dual Identity wheels for yourself, head on over to InlineWarehouse.com. You can grab the Dual Identity wheels for $13.99 a piece, or if you order during the Inline Warehouse Black November sale, you can get each wheel for $11.19 each. Head over to IW and get yours today!
You can also purchase directly from Rink Rat. Stop by RinkRat.hockey to pick up your wheels from them!
