Test: Bont Black Ops 110mm wheels

The year 2012 is placed under the sign of novelty among wheel manufacturers. Bont recently unveiled a new 110 mm wheel: the Black Ops. We tested it in its different hardnesses. Overview ...

Par alfathor
Publié le 30 mai 2012 - Mis à jour le 3 novembre 2020 - 14607 Lectures - 0 commentaire(s)

Benchmark

Bont provided us a pack of the new Black Ops 110mm 88A at the occasion of the « 3 Tracks », so we asked to some elite skaters to test it on tracks and road. We also had the opportunity to get their feelings about the other hardnesses of the wholes products of the Black Ops range…

Description

This Bont wheel is dedicated to outdoor and banked track. The web site of the manufacturer indicates that the Black Ops is an upgraded version of the wheel that the american Justin Stelly set a national 500m record at the US World trials last year.
According to Bont, this new 2012 version of the Black Ops has a softer flex band, more rebound and an impressive vibration absorbing ability.

The Bont Black Ops core is composed with six thin spokes. The airy structure evokes the lightness. It is very open.

The green polyurethane on-core is opaque with a perfectly homogeneous surface and an ellitique profile.

Rebound

This wheel has a very good rebound and competes with the big brands’ produts. The rebound is very generous with a good return.

Mounting

Mounting is easy. The bearings are inserted gently by hand. The diameter of the bore of the core is perfectly calibrated.

Set-up

The Bont Black Ops are made of a 70mm core for a diameter of 110mm. It means that the on-core is generous, with a lot of matter and provide more confort. The scale indicates 149 grams, ie (7 grams more than a MPC Road War and 13 grams more thatna Matter Juice Hollow Core).

Grip

The grip of the Black Ops Green 88A is satisfactory but limited. We recommend that hardness for long distances on a smooth surface. If you want more grip, you should get a lower hardness such as 86A or 84A.
After several tests, 84A offers a really good grip on slippery tracks and 86A are perfect for the sprint on the road..

Flexibility

This new wheel is very flexible which brings good comfort on any type of road. Furthermore, that flexibility allows an interesting reverse power which avoids to push on a string.

Rolling

Excellent rolling on 87A and 88A models. You lose a bit of rolling along the 86A model but nothing serious as it becomes more comfortable.
The main asset of the 84A is the grip. Rolling remains satisfactory.

Wear and tear

Wear is steady and slow. We practiced a lot on the road and the surface of the compound has been very slow to degrade. The surface wears homogeneously in time. The jointing plane remains visible for a long time…

Finishing

Nothing to report: the on-core is perfectly smooth, not any bubbles. We have not found any single chip of material on the core either. No complaints! One feels that the manufacturing process is mastered.

Price

The Bont Black Ops unit cost is $ 17.50 in 110 mm. They are positioned in the high average, halfway between the RollX XDual (13.5 €) and the Matter G13 (more than 20 €).

Conclusion

The Bont Black Ops offer an interesting alternative for each use:
The 87 and 88A are rather dedicated to long distance skating and marathon on a good coating .
The 86A is for use on any type of marathon. You can mix it with 87A, or else you can use it for road races and middle-distance.
The 84A is destined to the sprint on track and road or middle-distance. A mix 86A / 84A could be interesting for example.

After testing these new Bont racing wheels on several coatings, we can say that the Australian firm proposes a very good product with many hardsnesses available, adaptable to any type of skater and type of race.