And on the seventh day

George Powell said, "Let there be every duro, shape and size imaginable!".

And as a loyal disciple, it is now my job to decipher the results and display them in a digestible manner, so that you can narrow down the choice and decide on the wheel that you truly desire.

If you hadn't clocked - there's a whole new lineup of Powell Dragon Formula wheels in town... and it's massive.

But first: the basics.

The Powell Dragon Formula is a urethane developed over a decade to find the holy grail of skate wheels: it rolls like a soft wheel, and slides like a hard wheel.

For anyone who's ever asked us about a wheel that'll be good to cruise but also in the skatepark (and was told up until recently that it wasn't possible): the answer is the Dragons.

They aren't a sensical upgrade for your longboard, unless you're a certain type of freak.

But for cruisers, skateboards, surfskates and pumptrack enjoyers... there is definitely something here to consider.

Whereas when they first dropped it was the simple choice of diameter, todays update sees many more factors to consider:

If that's enough information for you, check out the full collection here.

If not - read on.

Durometer

The original Dragon Formula came in 93A and it worked great. If you really want to make it simple, just get some of those!

They work great in a skatepark and a pumptrack, and whilst they certainly aren't a 78A cruiser wheel, they'll feel much better to cruise across town than a classic 99A+ hard wheel.

However, if you want to really tailor your ride, you do now have options. The following is a rough guide based on our own experience trying these out. There is leeway and there is subjectivity involved, but roughly speaking - pick what you want to skate most, and orientate yourself from there:

The new lineup is also a bit more colour coordinated - but not quite 100% just yet. So make sure to read the name of the wheel when determining durometer, rather than just looking at the colour!

Note for surfskaters: I know 97A sounds scary for putting on your surfskate and taking to the skatepark. You want to have good grip and speed, but...

Everything that makes a soft wheel have great grip and speed on asphalt makes it sluggish and unpredictably slidey in a skatepark.

The harder wheel is what you're looking for! But there is also sense in dropping down to 93A as that's where the big 64mm wheels are available right now - which whilst they will be slower to accelerate in a skatepark than a smaller wheel, will be closer to what you know underneath the board.

Personally I'd call the 93A the most versatile duro if you're looking for an all-round street, park, pumptrack, cruising option. Above that gives more road noise when cruising out and about, and below you do start to feel the softness slowing you up when you're in the skatepark.

Size

This one is up to you, your board, your style, your preferences.

Street skaters will prefer the lower end - ollies can start to feel a bit strange if you're too high off the floor. For someone coming from a longboard or cruiser however, 60mm will already feel small, light, fast and nimble.

Very generally:

But really, it's best to go off your current wheel size and how you feel about it.

Shape

The million dollar question - how do the Nano Cubics compare to the Nano Rats, to the Dragons?

• Dragons are symmetrical and have a centreset bearing
• Nano Rats are asymmetrical and have a centreset bearing
• Nano Cubics are asymmetrical and have an offset bearing

Dragons do the job perfectly - as per this video on release:

The Nano Cubics are generally a wider wheel - which combined with the offset bearing seat makes them the grippiest option of the lot. Surfskates and pumptrack users look no further.

They have extra features too such as being wide enough to protect your axle nuts in certain tricks (and bails!). More info here:

The Nano Rats are something in between - the outer lips are more heavily radiused than the inner, for smooth slide initiation on the outside and being locked into grinds with the inside.

For anyone worried about the Cubics sticking out too much from under the board, the Nano Rats will perform close to them whilst still keeping everything in line.

If you're still not sure - get down to your local skatepark. I guarantee there will be at least one set skating around. Have a go, see what you think, and make a decision based on that.

In the end, whichever one you choose is going to feel pretty damn good.

After all, we're firmly in the grips of winter now - only three weeks until the days start getting longer! A proper skateboard set up for the indoor park can be a great way to make it through.

That and freezing cold, empty waves... you know where to find me this weekend.

See you next week if my fingers have thawed enough to type,
Matt @ Vandem