Orangatang Stimulus 70mm Longboard Wheels

The Orangatang Stimulus was released at the same time as the smaller 65mm Fat Free in 2009, as a dedicated freeride wheel to complement the 70mm 4President and 75mm In Heat race wheels.

Featured a stone-ground running surface, narrower contact patch, offset core and round lips, the Stimulus is poured from the same fun, slidey high-rebound urethane as all other Orangatang longboard wheels. It skates very much like a worn-in 4President.

As a dedicated freeride wheel, Orangatang updated the Stimulus to the big-cored 69mm Kilmer and 73mm Cage some years ago. If you're looking for a wheel that slides, we'd suggest you check those out. Bigger cores give a smoother slide, more even wheel wear, and faster roll speed - all good news if you like to do big skids.

You might think that this consigns the Stimulus to the wheel dustbin of history - but you'd be wrong. Not everyone wants to slide - and the smaller old-school core of the stimulus results in a plusher, more comfortable ride than the Cage and Kilmer.

The Stimulus is available in four duros:

• 77A (Blue) - super soft and plush, but not a lot of grip - for cruisers, we'd recommend the 77A 4President instead. Available on request if you really want it though!
• 80A (Orange) - a good all-round hardness that makes the most of this shape. Usually the one to go for.
• 83A (Purple) - a bit faster on smoother surfaces, longer lasting, but a harsher ride when things get choppy.
• 86A (Yellow) - a dedicated freeride wheel really, these days we'd recommend the Purple 69mm Kilmer instead. We can get it if you really want some though - get in touch!

The Stimulus is definitely not an obvious choice in the Orangatang lineup these days - with the grippier 4President and the slidier Kilmer, there are better wheels available for specific uses. It's still a solid all-round wheel for pretty much any longboard though, well worth checking out.