Cowboy Punk Black Plague wheels: 61mm, 97a, 36mm overall width, Contact width 18mm.
Recently I hooked up some of the Cowboy Punk Black Plague 61 mm wheels to see how well they handle on different types of terrain. My first experience with these wheels was at the park in Newberg, OR (big, super smooth, fast park). First off the Black Plagues were pretty fast and I had plenty of speed to cruise around the park without pushing at all. The Black Plagues are a bit grippier that the Bones SPF wheels I was riding before them, it took a little time to get used to but by the end of the first session I was able to control my powerslides just as well as before and I felt in control when doing fast carves around the big pocket. The next test was at Aumsville, OR (another super smooth, fast park). The Black Plagues were much the same here and they didn’t seem to have lost any of they’re speed from the first day of skating. Once again they felt nice and grippy which was good at this particular park. I also rode these wheels on the street and at the park in Albany, OR (less smooth, still fast park). At the park they performed well and I was able to easily keep my speed up during my usual lines. On the street these wheels felt pretty good, they weren’t slipping at all and the fact that they are 61 mm meant that I was able to cruise the streets with speed. The only disadvantage for street skating is the size, that is if you’re an ollie-popper, rail grinding type, my current board is 9 inches wide so its not your typical street board but I could still ollie well and even do a few kickflips (generally street wheels are smaller also and I don’t think these wheels are marketed to street skaters in this size but they were tested for the sake of science and beer runs). The final testing ground was my micro mini garage ramp. The Black Plagues handled well on the wood surface (the garage ramp is sheeted with a hardwood composite board which feels the same as masonite for skating purposes) and actually felt pretty grippy yet they still slid when I wanted them too. To compare them to the Bones SPF wheels again I would have to say that the Plagues are a better wheel for a wood/masonite surface.
Final Analysis: I like these wheels and I had no problem getting used to them and enjoying the speed that they gave me. I think they retail for around $25 a set and they have held up well for the 6 ( 2+ hours each ) sessions that I have skated them and best of all they haven’t gotten any flatspots yet. The graphics on the wheel are not as high quality as some other companies but who fucking cares after the first few sessions on any wheel the graphics get rubbed off anyway. The important part is that the wheels are fast, not too grippy or slippery and they’re made in the USA, these wheels fit that description. The only other test I want to do with these wheels is the longevity test, will they hold up and stay fast for a long time and can they stay fast as long as the SPF’s do, this remains to be seen. Ultimately I would recommend these wheels to any park/vert/pool skater and I plan to pick up another set for myself soon.
Online Action: cowboypunk.com
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