sesimic duro for pumping?

[Airin]

I'm lining up some Hot Spots for a long distance pumping rig that I'm setting up. Being that these are relatively new wheels I'm having a hard time finding out which duro would work best for long distance pumping. So we are talking flatland pumping for like 5 - 10 km's at a go.

I'm torn between 77a Hot Spots and 80a Hot Spots. I've heard these wheels are very grippy. But what does that mean? Like more grippy than a similar slalom wheel of the same duro, for example?

I'll be skating bike paths that have kind of average quality pavement, not all butter smooth but not all broken up and coarse either.

Maybe there isn't even that noticable a difference between these two duros but go ahead, give me you best skaters' guess, which do you think would be better for the flatland wiggle?

[VolvoGuy]

I'd vote 80, 77 seems like it'd slow ya down a bit. But i'm not one of those crazy pumpers like y'all on that side of the bridge...........

[crawdad62]

The only exposure I have to HotSpots is on my slalom board. I have 74a's on the rear and 80's on the front. On a relatively smooth parking lot they feel really smooth and I could've probably gone up a few durometers on both. I can pump the crap out of them though. They don't seem "mushy" or anything. And by the time I get to the end of the lot I'm cruising.

Like I said I'd probably go a little higher because I don't notice much difference between the two sets and both are buttery smooth.

If I was getting something for long distance pumping (which probably encompasses a myriad of different surfaces) I'd keep the durometer down. I just like a softer wheel when the surfaces can become rough. I'd rather have a more resilient wheel.

All you're really looking for is a wheel that will hold on your pump and has enough speed to it that you're not working your butt off to keep it going. I think you'll like them.

I was a dedicated green wheel man but I'll definitely consider HotSpots when buying wheels for any type of road situation.

[Lit]

ever tried soft wheels on heelside and hard wheels on toeside?

[worldwide]

interesting
except one side would feel slower

[Lit]

i was thinking the that if one of your turns tends to slide more that the other...

[Civ]

80a id say

[Mile_High_Mark]

80a

[Bugs]

I used to commute 5 km to work, pumping the whole way on mostly flat ground. I used 78A and 84A Flashbacks, and both of these had more than enough traction.

If you're in a sprint over a short distance (like a slalom race) you need lotsa traction because you're pushing everything to the limit, but for long distances you concentrate more on smoothness and efficiency, and traction isn't such an issue. So you can go harder than 80A - say 84A on the back and 88A on the front.

This sort of long-distance flatland pumping is the best way to improve your pump. It's also a helluva workout.

[Airin]

Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it.