Testing the Atom Boom 110 mm XXFirm Wheels

Impressions

About Atom

Atom is one of the most famous brands in the world, both for quad and inline skating. Atom paid for the services of quite a brand ambassador with none the less than Joey Mantia (USA).

Atom is distributed worldwide by Nistevo and since recently has been distributed in Europe by EOSkates. Their products should be found more and more often in France.

In 2013, Atom launched the Boom wheel on the market, a model with an innovating core design.

The Boom Wheel

Just like all the high-end models of the moment, the Boom has a double density on-core. But unlike the other brands, the double density band is not in direct contact with the core: it has been raised of a few millimeters for it to melt into the on-core.

That change modifies the physical properties of the on-core, which become more rigid and more rolling with still a soft inside for less energy loss.

Finishing

The finishing is excellent on both the inside and outside of our test sets. No bubbles, no drip, no bumps, to declare on the core or the on-core.

Set-up

You need to force a bit to insert bearings. The positive part is that they are efficiently held, contrary to some models where the bearings just come off by themselves.

Rolling

It is the strong point of the wheel. One of our testers was expecting to get stuck on straight lines, but in fact the rolling perfectly fits marathon-type long distance efforts.

The rolling is excellent. The XXFirm enhances rolling sensations.

Comfort

Despite the hardness of the wheel, it is very pleasant and stable in bends. No interferences or vibrations on smooth or more damaged roads.

Rebound

The rebound it quite good. As for the sound of it, no abrupt rebound is to be noticed.

Grip

The grip is one of the great qualities of the wheel, especially on road where it expresses its full potential. On the other hand, the XXFirm version may lack a little grip at high speed on slippery tracks like that of Pibrac. On track, you’d better opt for the Xfirm, or even for the Firm version.

We have also tested the Atom Boom in the rain. Although the grip does not compete with that of the MPC Storm, it remains satisfactory.

Wear and tear

We started the test with a 40 km outing on a winding circuit with sharp bends (Plaisance-du-Touch).

The inside of the wheel quickly showed signs or wear. We went on with a training on straight line: the wear seems more regular on roads or tracks but it remains a weak point of the wheel.

Quality-price ratio

Compared to the competition, the MPC Turbo (20€ in 110 mm) or the Matter G13 (21.25€ in 110 mm), the Atom Boom is well placed with a slightly lower price (18€).

Conclusion

Still not really known by the general public in France, the Atom Boom has many assets to seduce you: a good rolling, a great grip in bends. The first conclusive tests at the World Championships were no trifle. There is no doubt about the growing presence of that wheel at the feet of skaters of all levels, and that Atom is going to tantalize big brands such as Matter or MPC, settled on the market for years.

Technical facts

Brand: Atom
Model: Boom
Year: 2013/2014
Available diameters: 90, 100 and 110 mm
Available hardnesses: Firm, XFirm and XXFirm
Public price: 18 € per unit

Strong points and points to be improved

+ rolling + grip in bends + quality-price ratio

– wear

Links

EOSkates and Nistevo Sport Manufacturing Corp. annoncent un partenariat stratégique

ATOM wheels on EOSkates Website

Tested by our team
Photos: Alfathor
Thanks to EOSkates