Atom Poison Review

To all those derby skaters out there looking for a wheel that can grip ANYWHERE, the Poison is DEFINITELY for you. Atomatrix just got back from Boston and skated these. We all know how fast and powerful she is but what you may not know is how picky she is with her wheels. She does not want ANYTHING to slow her down. During the Boston warm up and floor test she could not find a wheel that she was comfortable with until she threw on the Poison wheels. They had the perfect grip while maintaining the great roll that only Atom can bring. These wheels allowed her to once again stay ahead of the competition and help bring another victory to Oly

Also, Check out the review that our Atom Front Runner Pitchit did while in our first test stages of these wheels

Poison Wheel Test and Review
by Pitchit

3/17/10 - Dry Heat Militia vs Tucson Saddletramps - 2 Hour Practice/Scrimmage
Catalina High School - Outdoor Polished Concrete Track
Catalina is notorious for being VERY slick concrete. Between the infrequent Arizona rain storms, the track builds a fine layer of dust that makes it almost comical to skate on. It is possible to get some speed on the straights but all of that speed is lost while sliding through the turns. After a big rain storm, all of the dust is gone and the clean concrete has excellent traction for a couple more weeks.
At the time of this test, the track conditions were less than optimal. Last rain on the track was approximately .42 inches on 3/7/10 which is not enough to flood the track for a thorough cleaning.
Out of the box, the Poisons have the characteristic new wheel feel. Kind of like they have a layer of hard crust that needs to be scuffed off. I took about twenty laps and determined that I needed to hit the asphalt in the parking lot for a bit of a rough scuff in. After hitting the parking lot, the traction changed noticeably for the better. Lap after lap the Poisons got better. By the end of a 2 hour practice/scrimmage, they were as good as any wheel that I had ever used at Catalina. I suspect that they will get even better once they reach the end of the requisite 5 practice (10 hour) Pitchit imposed break in period.

3/18/10 - Recruiting Party - 30 Minutes
Skate Country - Indoor Acrylic Recreational Rink
My wheel of choice for Skate Country is the Atom Stinger. The 88a wheel is hard enough for my light stature to carry speed but soft enough to maintain grip. Going in, I knew that the Poison would be CRAZY grippy on the acrylic surface and actually getting on the floor confirmed my belief.
I spent about thirty minutes turning laps and testing the limits of the wheels. This is not a wheel for a high traction floor unless you want an extra hard work out. The softness of the wheel makes for some extra work just trying to keep them rolling. However if you find you are one of those skaters that needs a ridiculous amount of traction and speed is not a concern, the Poison will give you that traction.

3/20/10 - Dry Heat Militia vs Denver Rollin Bones - Full Bout
Castle Sports and Fitness - Indoor Sport Court Hockey Rink
The Atom Poison performed flawlessly on the sport court. Perfect amount of grip for a full extension kick through the corners when jamming and the right amount of loose for throwing j-blocks when playing pivot. One particular jam, Quadzilla got out of the pack just in front of me and I was able to reel him in. I could not have asked for a better wheel for this bout.

Overall
I really like the look of this wheel, too. The opaque white urethane, the lime green seven spoke hub and the very cool skull graphic give the perfect look to a rock star performer.
I can see that I will be running this wheel for a while to come. the all around performance is a perfect balance. From slick polished concrete to super sticky acrylic, this wheel gives me what I need, where I need it. Atom Wheels Does It Again!


Shortbus
Atom Derby