Street Skaters: Want to Try Cruising? Try Ricta Clouds!
A while ago, I decided to get a street deck. I wanted something lightweight to help me learn to ollie better. My biggest problem was the weight of my setups. Everything was set up with large, heavy wheels, a thick, stiff platform, and beefy trucks. I just couldn’t get them up a curb, always hit my back wheels on my way up. I knew I needed to work on my form more than my pop, as my issue was leveling it out, so I got a lightweight board to help with that.
I got some 100a wheels for my setup. This was a poor decision. They’re loud and slow. Maybe they’re good for a park, with smooth concrete or wood, but on my broken streets? They’re extremely loud and require a lot of pushing. I shelved my street deck, and put aside my hopes of breaking out ollies.
But then I got some Ricta Clouds. They’re a soft wheel in the same shape and size of a standard skate wheel. I replaced my 100a wheels with some 52mm 78a street skate wheels. Small, narrow contact patch and all.
I was testing out some other setups and boards in between, and didn’t get around to riding them. However, I finally took out my street deck with those Ricta Clouds this past week. I was blown away. I was expecting a small improvement. What I found was a hybrid skateboard: part street deck, part cruiser, loads of fun.
Let’s get into it then, shall we?
Table of Contents
Turn it Down
So, to start things off, these are drastically quieter than your standard street wheels, but not as quiet as larger cruiser wheels, like Orangatang’s Fat Free, Landyachtz’s Fatty Hawgs, or Bustin’s premiere formula wheels. They’re still only 52mm, and quite narrow, so you’ll still make noise. People will hear you coming, but they won’t wonder why you’re assaulting their ear drums.
Pop or You’ll Drop
You’ll also find that bumps, cracks, and sidewalk gaps matter more. In fact, on more than on occasion I forgot I wasn’t on cruiser wheels and hit a crack in the sidewalk. My board tossed me hard. I had just been so used to 63-66mm wheels that I forgot these smaller wheels are far more likely to stop abruptly. No injuries, thankfully, but I made a mental note to pay attention to my surroundings and do a small manual around bumps and such. With that in mind, I found it was much easier to control my board.
Hills and Steezy Slides
I went down a hill by me. It’s a favorite “practice hill” of mine, although road construction has damaged a large section of it. Still, it’s not a super steep incline, perfect for playing with new setups. I thought I’d take it easy, but I was having too much fun. I’d go up and down the curb, to and from the street. The lightweight setup of hollow Indy’s, small wheels, and my narrow (7.75″) street deck (Element’s 92 classic series) made this a blast.
But then it came time to cut speed. I didn’t realize I could be so steezy. Broke out a fun 90º stand up slide with little effort. Actually did it accidentally while just trying to cut speed with a little heel slide speed check. I still haven’t perfected a good stand up 90º slide on my Dinghy with Fatty Hawgs! The narrow platform and soft formula of the Ricta Clouds just make sliding so easy. I know we overuse this adjective, but the slides really are buttery. Smooth, not too fast, not icy, just a good slide on a soft wheel.
The Downslides
Of course, that slide comes at a cost. I also accidentally did an extensive toeslide coming around a tight turn. Far more than I meant to do or was expecting. These wheels break traction quickly, even when you don’t mean to. You’re getting the reduced rolling resistance of softer wheels, but you’re not getting the wheel width that usually comes with that. This means turning is definitely going to be more tricky.
There’s a very good reason cruiser wheels are wide. Skaters figured out long ago that if they wanted to go fast, they needed more urethane on their wheels. A larger contact patch saves you from road rash. I got none this time, actually handled all my falls surprisingly gracefully, but if I had been going faster, it could have been a mess.
Just remember to use those easy slides to cut speed before your turns. Otherwise, they’ll be a little unpredictable without a lot of practice.
Riding in the Clouds
If you’re a longboarder looking to get into street skating, or a street skater looking to experiment with longboarding, the classic “swap the wheels out” cruiser is definitely an option. Thanks to the Ricta Clouds, you can do that now without the awful wheel bite usually associated with popsicle decks and soft wheels. I was surprised at how well these gave me a “best of both worlds” feel.
Will I replace my cruiser anytime soon? Well, no. Those narrow wheels just don’t have the grip to allow me to hit the speeds they get up to. But will I use them to practice ollies, learn kick flips, finally perfect my pop-shuvvit, and bust out some steezy standup slides? Of course!
Will I grab it for regular commuting? Listen, these wheels are good, but I often commute alongside busy NYC traffic. Safety first. I’ll grab the wheels that won’t start sliding under 10mph. My Fatty Hawgs and Orangatangs are just far more predictable when it comes to traction and sliding.
The Ricta Cloud wheels are a blast, but they’re not the best wheels I have for everyday cruising and commuting. Still, if you’re looking to wade into the waters of cruiser skating or learn some street tricks, they’re going to be great for you. They’re perfect for a longboarder’s first street deck and for a skateboarder’s first taste of cruiser riding.
I think there’s one thing street skaters and longboarders can agree on: these wheels are a ton of fun.
Oh, and as for my ollies? They’re still awful. I just don’t practice them enough. I had a distracting summer, full of new boards, new relationships, new jobs, new blogs, and a newfound love for some wild freeriding. But now that I know how much I love these wheels, maybe I’ll give it another go. At least I’m still great at hopping off those curbs. That’s the part I really like anyway. Although, if you can hop up curbs, you’ve got more opportunities to hop off them, right? Right.
You can find Ricta Cloud wheels on Amazon (affiliate link). You can also get them from Ricta Wheels, obviously, or Skate Warehouse. Amazon and Skate Warehouse still have the red swirl design. In fact, they’re on clearance at Skate Warehouse right now. Also, definitely give your local skate shop a call. They might have them, and you won’t have to wait for shipping!
