Testing the 110 mm Powerslide Fothon LED wheels
It has been a while since a new LED wheel had entered the market. Powerslide rushes in with the Fothons LED wheels, available in 72 to 120 mm. Testing...
Par alfathor
Test Bench
How does that work?
The Fothon wheels work with a principle close to that of a bicycle light. To keep it simple: the rotation of the wheel supplies electricity to the LEDs in the ‘Crystal Clear’ urethane. Inevitably, this mechanism generates a slight resistance to the rotation. These wheels are not made for speed skating but for leisure skating. Use them for fun or safety, not for performance.
Description
The Fothons have a full core, probably in order to leave enough room to the LEDs in the polyurethane. Surprise: despite a diameter of 110 mm, the core is that of a 84 mm wheel! The least to say is that it makes a LOT of urethane. The scale indicates a weight of 220 grams, against the usual 150 grams for a classic 110 mm wheel. The Fothons have quite a rounded profile despite their diameter, a shape closer to that of a freeskate wheel than of a long distance skating wheel.
Mounting
ABEC 9 608ZZ Powerslide bearings (with metal shields on both sides) are supplied with the wheels. No problem to report as for the insertion of the bearings into the wheels. We took them off to check… and they are easy to put back into the core.
Tip: In order to keep a good general rolling, only use one LED wheel per skate and place it at the center of the frame rather than at the front, so that you can preserve it longer.
Rolling
The rolling is decent on the whole, maybe because of the inertia caused by the weight of the wheel. However, the resistance due to the mechanism slows down the wheel a little. Moreover, the rotation produces a slight clicking while rolling.
Grip
Just as expected, with a hardness of 82A close to that of a long distance skating wheel, the Fothon LED wheels by Powerslide have a good grip, both on dry and wet grounds.
Wear and tear
The wear of the urethane is decent. The LEDs have a very satisfactory lifespan compared to other models by other brands, tested several years ago. Moreover, they light up very well when rotating. It is probably the best model of LED wheels we have tested so far.
Conclusion
Powerslide delivers one of the most conclusive models of LED wheels that we have ever tested. A wider core range would have been a plus: A 110 mm wheel with a 84 mm wheel core makes a lot of on-core material!
There are even models for skateboard. Concurrently with those LED wheels, Powerslide also offers LED laces (light tubes) that you can use to tighten your skates, or around your legs and arms, or stick on your clothes… This is pure skate tuning!
Strong points and points to be improved
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Pluses+ Excellent lighting |
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Minuses– Price |
Technical facts
Brand: Powerslide
Model: Fothon
Year: 2014-2015
Available diameters: 72, 76, 80, 84, 90, 100, 110, 120 mm
Hardness: 82A
Recommended use: Urban skating at night
Public price:
• 120mm (2-wheel pack) 39.95€
• 110mm (4-wheel pack) 39.95€
• 100mm (4-wheel pack) 34.95€
• 90mm (4-wheel pack) 34.95€
• 84mm (4-wheel pack) 29.95€
• 80mm (4-wheel pack) 29.95€
• 76mm (4-wheel pack) 29.95€
• 72mm (4-wheel pack) 24.95€
Promotional video
Fothon wheels – glowing LED skate wheels from Powerslide TV on Vimeo.
Links
Page of the Photon Wheels on the Powerslide Website
Photon Wheels on the Ligne Droite Website
Photos : Alfathor
