Undercover Team Wheels Review by Stephen Whataspoon
Hello, Hello, Stephen from Slick’s Skate Store here! Today we are going to take a deep dive into the Undercover Team Wheels.
Undercover (UC) may be one of the world’s most popular inline skating wheel companies today. Supplying wheels in all shapes and sizes for many different types of skating. The brand started with smaller sized aggressive wheels before evolving, due to demand, into bigger wheels. UC is owned by the giants we know as Powerslide who also own Matter Wheels, another huge wheel company, supplying some of the best racing wheels out there, which must give UC a huge financial advantage against other wheel companies, allowing them to use better polyurethane.
The Undercover wheel we will be talking about today, is the super popular, white UC team wheels. An all white wheel, with a simple UC logo, looks amazing on a pair of skates. The white colour also means that nothing has been added to the wheel to change its colour giving you the most natural roll possible. Powerslide calls this range of wheels “blank wheels” and are available in all sizes between 55mm and 125mm, with different hardnesses for each size. Here’s what Undercover have to say about their blank wheels:
“The UC “BLANK” collection offers the largest and best selection of wheels ever released to the inline market, only available in white colour as this is the best performing PU possible and with minimal print to not interfere with your skating or your style. UC BLANK is our minimalistic and basic collection to offer you the best quality in every wheel size.”
The smaller aggressive wheels are especially hard, so they can slide when you catch your wheels during a grind and will also be more flat in shape and are available in 90 or 92A, depending on which size you go for.
The wheels start to get bigger and softer from this point, but not too soft as UC want you to be rolling fast. They also introduce the bullet profile for less friction on the ground and I guess for more manoeuvrability when turning. From 72 to 125mm you’ll find these wheels in either 86A or 88A. Don’t trust their website though… Some of the wheels say they are 88A but when you actually look at the wheel you can see it is 86A. Thankfully here at Slick’s we are aware of this and have the correct hardness on show next to each UC wheel. Between Ilaria Di Maio and I, we have tried the 60mm, 80mm, 90mm and 125mm options.
The 60mm aggressive wheels were the first I rode a few years ago and I remember being impressed at how strong and long lasting they were compared to some of my previous wheels. Many years later, when I arrived at Slick’s, and see all the wheels on the wall, my eyes lit up when I saw how many UC Team wheels were available. I got myself some 90mm at 86A and they managed to handle a summer of sliding around on the rough ground of the infamous Serpentine Road in Hyde Park, London. Currently I use the 80mm 86A wheels on aggressive skates and I’m having so much fun with them. I use them at the skatepark, to commute to the skate shop or lessons and to slide around in Hyde Park. Ilaria is currently trying her first 125mm set up with the UC teams that are 88A. She says they are super fast and look absolutely beautiful under her skates.
I’ve tried many wheels over the years from many different brands and they all have their pros and cons, but the UC Team range is a very reliable option in a world where anyone can start a wheel company. I have had experience of some wheels exploding under my feet due to excessive force from a landing but never with a UC wheel. These wheels are exceptionally strong, look great and can be used for all my daily needs so they get a big yes from me.
You can check out our range of Undercover Wheels here.
