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Cloudwheels, are they any good? Do they actually feel like riding on the clouds?
Today we, Electric Skateboard Malaysia, are going to go over the all-new Discovery Cloudwheels, from iWonder, and let you know what we think of them!
We tested the 105mm Cloudwheels on an Exway Riot Flex over the course of about 187 miles, or 300 Kilometres. Since iWonder markets these as ‘All Terrain’ wheels, I tested them on just about every terrain possible. After all that testing, today I’m going to tell you all about the strengths and weaknesses of the Cloudwheels.
Let’s get started!
Discovery Cloudwheels – The Pros and Cons
The Cloudwheels really excel on rough roads. Riding them on those conditions you can feel the difference compared to normal street wheels. They absorb road vibrations very well and had no problem going through cracks and potholes. They call this cushioning effect ‘damping core technology’. I have no idea what that means, but it looks like they put some kind of cushion or foam inside the wheels, to absorb road vibrations.
I would say that they successfully reduce around 60% of road vibrations. But you shouldn’t expect them to be as comfortable as an All-terrain pneumatic tire, those are a night and day difference.
Cloudwheels help to reduce a portion of the road vibrations, making riding on rough roads bearable. Pneumatic wheels, on the other hand, basically cancel out all road vibrations and are way more comfortable.
Testing Various Surfaces
On sand, Cloudwheels just roll and do their job without a problem. They grip more, so they spin well on sand compared to street wheels. But I wouldn’t try to carve on sand, it’s still slippery and you will probably fall down.
On Grass it will spin well, if your motors have the power and torque to do so.
On small pebbles, the Cloudwheels perform okay. I would not call them comfortable, but it’s not that bad.
On rocks and small stones, it’s a different story. You’ll end up with a headache because the vibrations are too strong.
It’s just not meant for riding on that type of material. It would be terrible for beginners especially, but I wouldn’t recommend it at all since you could fall down.
So, naming the Cloudwheels ‘all-terrain’ is a bit of an exaggeration. Instead of calling them ‘All Terrain’, I would have called them ‘Hybrid wheels’, meaning that they are between street and all-terrain wheels.
What makes Cloudwheels unique
To understand why Cloudwheels are special, you need to understand the difference between street wheels and all terrain wheels.
Street wheels are fun to ride because they free roll very well without resistance. They give you the most torque and highest top speed. They are also lightweight, so you’ll achieve maximum range, but they suffer on rough roads.
AT, or all terrain wheels, on the other hand, are very comfortable, but they will effectively cut your maximum range in half. If your board is able to go 30 miles (50 km), you’re only going to get about a 15 mile (25 km) range. AT Wheels also grip more, so they free roll less, meaning that they are slow. Another problem is that AT wheels are very large, and can only be used on giant boards, like the Ownboard Bamboo, WowGo at2, and evolve GTR series.
This is where Cloudwheels come in. They sit between street and AT wheels. They are more comfortable than street wheels, but not as comfortable as AT wheels. But the best part is that you can use them on almost all boards that use a belt-drive setup.
They also don’t add much weight, so your range will only be reduced by a small amount.
Here is an example of the Exway Flex Riot. You can see that they can’t use AT wheels because they simply will not fit.
For boards like this, using cloudwheels is the best option if you are looking to reduce road vibrations while riding.
The original cloudwheels that I have were not very durable and chipped easily. However, after testing these I can say that this new version survived my tests.
I tried to destroy them by riding off-road, but surprisingly there was no chipping at all. 187 miles (300km) on rough roads and they still look brand new.
So, are cloudwheels perfect?
The answer is no, and here is a quick list of the small sacrifices that you will have to make.
First, due to the tread pattern on the wheels, Cloudwheels free roll less than street wheels, and because they roll less, you will lose a bit of range
Second, on wet roads, just like any other PU wheels, they are slippery. The best wheels for wet roads are rubber.
Third, you will lose a little bit of torque when you switch from street wheels to cloudwheels. It’s not really noticeable in a daily-use scenario, but it is most noticeable when going uphill.
So, what’s the verdict?
The new Discovery Cloudwheels by iWonder are great, and I consider that the sacrifices are pretty small.
They fit most boards. They Look good. They come in different colors to match your board and enhance the aesthetics.
The Cloudwheels give you a slight increase in top speed, and most importantly they perform great on rough roads, especially on boards that can’t use the full-size all terrain wheels. This is the best choice currently available. They aren’t true all-terrain wheels, but if you are skilled you can make them work.
By the way, the Cloudwheels come in two sizes: 105mm and 120mm. Choose the 105mm for boards like the Exway Flex, Backfire Zealot and WowGo 3x. Pick up the 120mm for big boards like the Evolve GTR.
And if you are from Malaysia, be sure to check out our online store @ https://electricskateboardmalaysia.com/ when you want to grab something! Cheers!
If you are interested in buying a Cloudwheel, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount ($10 off) and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
That’s all for this review! If u have any questions, please leave a comment below!
