| Information |
| Color |
Pink |
| Hardness |
93a |
| Price |
$100 |
| Size |
62mm |
| Width |
38mm |
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Atom G-Rods 2.0
Skinny, narrow, 38s, svelt, whatever. These wheels are narrower than the 44mm wheels used for quad speed skating. I imagine Atom looked at the success of their original skinny wheel, the Omega, and decided that all their hybrid hollow core wheels required a skinny option. I fully support that decision. The G-Rod 2.0 is a 38mm wheel with a 1mm bevel and a 2mm lip. It looks like someone took a G-Rod, cut it flush to the hub, and dyed it pink. They have the same dimensions save the width and weight. The G-Rod 2.0 performs the same way as a 44mm G-Rod but with all the properties of a skinny wheel. Since they are so similar, and the G-Rod has been reviewed elsewhere I will use this review to talk about my personal experiences changing to a narrow wheel.
Sometimes progress happens without intention. Having tried out skinnies for a spell I decided to go back to wides. At the time I was mostly jamming. Time passed and my
blocker skills developed. One day I had a need for some wheels so I pulled out some free blems I had stashed for a rainy day. They were skinny and I decided that a fresh skinny wheel was better than my burned out wide wheels. I was right. The difference was subtle at first. I did not miss the extra surface area at all, and my five minute
laps stayed steady. After a couple months of skating on the skinnies I pulled out some harder 44s for an open session on skatecourt and locked my wheels within a few laps. I had gone down the rabbit hole and found myself changed.Overall, I feel that I am able to turn faster, bring my feet together closer, and flat out get in people’s way a whole lot easier with skinny wheels. That extra 6mm of space allows me to skate more aggressively. I find stop and go easier on a skinny wheel, too. I feel the G-Rod 2.0 has a little less grip in the corners than its stouter counterpart. Otherwise they are identical in the straightaways, roll, and response.
BONUS COMPETITION: Put your snazziest zinger about skinnies vs. wides in the comments. “Once you go narrow wides will feel like a wheel barrow.” Something like that only funny.
Love these wheels! I’m relatively new to derby and am still geeking out about all the stuff I can tweek! I paired the G-Rod skinnies with Atom Stinger [88a-used as a pusher]. Complete rock-dom! Tried them out for the first time on a dirty wood floor and didn’t slide much [roller derby boot camp]. Next day we skated on coated concrete and this combo was freakin’ amazing for me. I started out with Radar Tuner [94a]- too hard, then Atom Poison 44m — squishy AND sticky, Atom Poison 38s — still squishy and sticky but paired with a B’Zerk Schitzo. Interesting combo, but wanted to try all 38s. Brings me to my current pairing of G-Rod + Stinger! I skate on a waxed and finished concrete floor that is extremely slippery. These wheels have great edge and roll. HIGHLY recommended! BTW, my boots are Vanilla Brass Knuckles — and I love them! My B’Zerks found a home with a tall & slender team mate who has Poison 44s. That combo is working great for her, too!
I’ve been skating on the G-Rods for about a year now. The thing I like the most about them is that even though their grooves are almost totally gone, they still feel like a grippy, fabulous wheel. I love the agility they give me. Recently I’ve been desperate for skinny wheels and for anything that will give me an advantage in speed, so I’ve moved these to my pusher wheels, and slapped on a set of Heartless Vanish, and while I’ve lost some of the G-Rod grip, I feel about a million times more stable than I did on the Heartless alone.
i am a beginner skater and fresh meat.i am looking to upgrade my wheels that came with skate-radar caymans.i skate on polished concrete indoor.I am 4’10 120lbs.would like grip and speed.some have suggested atom poisons while others have said g-rods.any thoughts?