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.
15+ years later they're still some of the most popular wheels for a slidable yet comfortable cruiser or longboard and a new colour has been released! 83A is now in bright pink. A brave choice, perhaps, but looks seriously good!!
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) (and now pink!)- a bit faster on smoother surfaces, longer lasting, but a harsher ride when things get choppy. Smoother sliding than the softer variants.
- 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. But for all round comfort as well as being able to poke out a slide now and then, it's stood the test of time as a classic longboard wheel.
All wheels sold in packs of four.