Testing the Seba Street Invaders 84A Wheels
Seba equip all of their urban skating models with the Street Invaders. They are available in different colors and diameters. Those wheels have imposed themselves in shops as well as in skatecross and slalom competitions. We have tested several colors to give you a more precise verdict...
Par alfathor
Test bench
The Seba Street Invaders wheel entered skate shops in 2013 and placed itself at the same level as the market leader, the Hyper Concrete +Grip wheel.
A big thanks to MoanaShop for enabling us to test different wheel colors of Seba Street Invaders and compare them.
Description
The Seba Street Invaders wheel is available in different diameters: 72, 76 and 80 mm. A 84 mm version is at work for urban practice and -why not- downhill skating.
With a hardness of 84A, its rounded profile is close to that of a hockey model. It is clearly designed for freeride/freestyle practice.
The hub has 7 sparks. Here again, its size reminds of that of the solid hubs of roller hockey wheels. It has sparks but it is smaller than a fitness wheel hub. It promises good shock absorption, still with the rigidity needed for reactive practice.
The weight isn’t to be neglected, a 80 mm wheel weighs 96 grams, without bearings (other wheels of the range, like Matter, are more around 80 to 85 grams).
The printing is elaborated with on the one hand information on the wheel (hardness and size) and on the other hand a tribute illustration to the famous ‘Space Invaders’ video game!
Set-up
Bearings are easy to insert without being loose for all that. You can also take them off easily, contrary to other (solid) hubs of roller hockey wheels.
Grip
The grip test was made with the different colors of the Seba Street Invaders: blue, orange, yellow, green, black and white.
At first, the coating of the wheel gives a very strong grip which requires a time of adaptation and some lightness in slalom skating. When brand-new, the wheel enables great speed-ups in urban skating. The coating stays as long as on the Hyper Concrete +Grip.
Once the coating gone, the grip remains very strong on the whole. For those used to go for a slide at the end of their lines or integrate sliding elements into committed slalom tricks, you’ll quickly get that the wheel doesn’t enable a very long sliding distance. It’s also reassuring to go for tricks with important edging without risking to slip at the end of a rotation (like outside sevens for example) or to suddenly lose grip during more linear tricks (wheeling shifts).
According to colors, the grip is different. The black wheel is the grippiest. There is no other noticeable difference between the other colors.
Wear and tear
The wear of the Seba Street Invaders wheel is slow and even. Because of its rounded profile, the urethane has a bigger surface in contact with the ground than a wheel with an elliptical profile, which enables to minimize wear.
After practicing a few basic slides (parallel, acid cross, heel barrow, should, magic) at a moderate distance, the wheel doesn’t show any flat spots or abnormal distortion. Let’s note that the black version tends to wear less slowly than the other colors because of its stronger grip.
Sensations with use
You have the feeling that you skate with ‘low-cut’ wheels: lots of grip, lots of surface in contact with the ground, limited rolling. Skaters weighing less than 60 kg will enjoy a wheel that stay in contact with the ground. It is also the case for slalomers who practice on very smooth and hard grounds (wooden, slab, hard cement).
With 96 grams per wheel, they are heavy and it can be felt when you have a 8×80 mm set-up for example.
That being said, skaters who love an elliptical and rounded profile at all times will have to either actively do slides to keep the rounded profile, or get other wheels with an elliptical profile.
Quality/price ratio
Sold between 6.5€ and 7€, the Seba Street Invaders wheel is in the current price range. It is thus an excellent quality/price ratio, especially for skaters who love using wheels up to the hub with slides.
Conclusion
The Street Invaders is a bushwhacker wheel ready for all practices! From long distance fitness skating to competitive skatecross through intensive wheeling, it is an excellent model.
The rounded profile is an advantage for many slalom skaters but may also be given the cold shoulder by thinner, elliptical profile lovers.
Strong points and points to be improved
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Pluses+ The strong grip on all surfaces |
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Minuses– The important weight for 8 wheels |
Technical facts
Brand: Seba
Model: Street Invaders
Year of release: 2013
Average public price: 7€/u.
Hardness: 84A
Available diameters: 72 mm, 76 mm, 80 mm
Recommended use: Slalom, freeride
Useful links
Translation: Chloe Seyres
Photos : Seba
Thanks to Moanashop
