Arbor Summit Daniel McDonald: Best longboard fast Freeride wheels?

We tested for you the Arbor Summit 71mm Pro Model Daniel McDonald longboard fast freeride wheels.

The first visual impression is good and gives hope for a great session in sight. The 71mm diameter wheel for a 56mm width promises a good grip/glide ratio. The 78A compound has a seamless appearance with few air bubbles, all wrapped around a stiff composite fiber offset core that limits wheel deformation, adds overall support, improves speed performance, and limits the risks of flat stops (that pesky flat that ruins a set of wheels when you hold your slide a little too much!). The stone grounded finish is a way of regular behavior from the first slide.

Now let's see how it goes on the action's side…

I had the pleasure of riding the Arbor Summit on the spots of Marchaux Freeride, Réallon (Outdoor mix Festival), and Col d'Yzoard. 3 fast and varied roads that I know well, and which mix straight lines, hairpin bends, and enfilades. We are not in competition, but the group spirit is there, and I intend to blow up the counter with peaks around 90Km/h.

I am surprised by the speed of the Arbor Summits which allow me to hold my own against my friends of the same level as me and who both ride DH wheels (for one of them the Venom Cannibal 76mm just broke in, and for the other one, a set of semi-worn Venom Magnum).

The Arbor Summits hold up well in the strong supports of the rows, and I don't get surprised by unwanted stalls.

In the hairpins, heavy braking is necessary, and I intend to test the glide. At medium and fast speeds, sliding is quite easy and the hang-up point is quickly mastered. The Arbor Summits quickly regain grip without being brutal. At moderate speed, it takes a little more force to find the glide, but any rider with a minimum of experience will see no difficulty.

After several runs, the wheels only lost a few millimeters of rubber and kept their round shape despite sometimes brutal brakings.

In conclusion, I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality of these wheels which deserve to be better known. The Arbor Summit keep their promises in fast freeride and have everything to please every longboarder wanting to mix speed and glide without a competitive spirit. The great mountain passes are undoubtedly the Summit's dream terrain.