Powell-Peralta Kevin Reimer aka Krime Wheel Review
- Height: 72mm
- Contact Patch: 56mm
- Duro: 75a SSF Pro
- Skin: Mold Release
- Core: Inset
Design:
The Powell-Peralta Kevin Reimer Pro Wheel also known as the Krime wheel is the middle ground wheel between downhill and freeride. The wheel comes fresh with a mold release that holds up for a couple runs then quickly wears into a freeride wheel. The wheel has an inset core, just like Ahmyo’s Akasha; however, the wheel has a smaller inset of only 2mm.
The Krime Pro Model features the Soft Slide Formula (SSF) Pro which is faster, has more stopping power and similar wear as the standard SSF found in Powell-Peralta’s Snakes. All of SSF wheels feature a soft duro of 75a.
The Krime Pro Model features the Soft Slide Formula (SSF) Pro which is faster, has more stopping power and similar wear as the standard SSF found in Powell-Peralta’s Snakes. All of SSF wheels feature a soft duro of 75a.
The Krimes also feature the H5 core which offers superior strength and is bonded to the urethane rather than using a grove or other traditional methods to bond the core and urethane.
Downhill:
While Kevin was well known for his downhill career and his previous pro wheel with THESE Wheels was a downhill oriented wheel, the 72mm Krime wheel is not inherently a downhill wheel. I’m currently on my third set and with all that time on the Krime wheel, I’ve come to the conclusion that its a freeride wheel that you could downhill with enough experience.
Yes it features a mold release, a big contact patch and its above 70mm so it meets the general standard of a downhill wheel, but there are two key reasons why I wouldn’t ride it as a dedicated downhill wheel.
Yes it features a mold release, a big contact patch and its above 70mm so it meets the general standard of a downhill wheel, but there are two key reasons why I wouldn’t ride it as a dedicated downhill wheel.
- The skins doesn’t last long. When you race or want grip, the fresher the wheel the more grip you normally get. So it would make sense you want the skin to last as long as possible; however, the Krime’s skin just doesn’t last. I’ve had a set lose all of its skin on a single run, where my Venom Cannibals or RAD Advantages retain about 90% of their skin.
- SSF Pro, while grippier than the standard SSF, is still a very slidey formula. If you aren’t used to cornering on freeride wheels, then you will struggle cornering with the Krime wheels. Once the skin is gone they immediately become a freeride wheel, unlike Cannibals or Advantages that still retain a great amount of stopping power even when they are scrubbed.
Even with these two big drawbacks, you can still downhill these wheels if you are willing to sacrifice grip and are able to adjust to the very slidey formula.
Freeride:
I bought these wheels with the idea of them being a great fast freeride wheel that would last and I was not let down! Like I mentioned earlier the formula is slidey as far as downhill wheels are considered, but as for freeride goes Powell and Kevin got it just right. It is incredibly consistent across different pavements, durable as anticipated but left a little thane, very consistent breakout/hookup, solid feedback during the slide and it was consistent through the wheels life.
I really enjoyed this wheel because of its consistency which lead to more confidence which in turn allowed to me go faster and slide further.
I really enjoyed this wheel because of its consistency which lead to more confidence which in turn allowed to me go faster and slide further.
Even with how amazing they are for freeride there are a couple things to note about them. The wheel is affected by temperature, I noticed a huge difference when skating them in 90F and 40F. On hotter days they became more slidey and left more thane, while on the colder days it was the opposite. Now a lot of wheels do this, but it was more noticeable on the SSF Pro formula. Some locals and I determined that in the colder weather you can expect almost a 20% increase in stopping power and 10% increase in grip; however, the slide’s breakout/hookup and road feedback seem pretty consistent between the hot and cold days.
The Krimes are very on top of the pavement slide, with a mix of chalky and icy feedback at the same time. The slide is very smooth, but you get considerable amount of feedback while sliding which is why I say their slide is a mix of chalky and icy.
The Krimes are very on top of the pavement slide, with a mix of chalky and icy feedback at the same time. The slide is very smooth, but you get considerable amount of feedback while sliding which is why I say their slide is a mix of chalky and icy.
If you are riding snakes or SSF scales and want to know the difference between the wheels I’d say that Krimes are probably a little faster but have about a 20% increase in stopping power.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Overall, the Krimes are a great fast freeride wheel but don’t have any problem handling downhill if you got the skill for it. It comes in a low price of $44 for a durable wheel with propriety urethane and core. So I’d highly recommend it for those doing fast freeride, working on mastering their predrifts and/or light downhill to grab a set!
Pros: Durable, Only $44, Probably One of the Cheapest 72mm Wheels, Consistent Across Different Pavements, Great Road Feedback
Cons: Skin Doesn’t Last, Graphic Falls Off (if you care), Only Come in One Color, Not a True Downhill Wheel
Cons: Skin Doesn’t Last, Graphic Falls Off (if you care), Only Come in One Color, Not a True Downhill Wheel
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