I was rolling the Kizer Fluid frame for about for months in the summer constantly skating them everyday. I promised a review for these frames a little while ago, but school has been keeping me extremely busy, but I finally got some free time and decided to write a full review for the readers.
Design.
Right off the bat let me tell you these are one of the best designed frames on the market, hands down.
The side walls on the frame are thick, much thicker then any other frame on the market and this is definitely a good thing. After 4 months of hard skating the side walls showed very little wear and the Fluid material barely wore down. I strongly believe that these are one of the longest lasting, if not the longest lasting frames on the market.
Side Walls Holding Up Nicely.
The Fluid frame also has deeply recessed bolt holes so you will not be riding on the bolts after a month. Some of the benefits to having this on the Fluids were, my grinds never slowed down because I was grinding on metal, I didn’t have to go looking for replacement bolts, and it added overall durability to the frame.This is one of the best features to the frame, and other frame manufacturers should take note that this small detail adds a lot of value.
Recessed Holes = Good.
The H-Block to the Fluid frame is one of the “You love it, or you hate it” features. Some people state that they enjoy the classic Kizer Fluid frame H-Block that wasn’t as deep or wide, and some people say that they love the new deep groove. I personally enjoyed skating the deep groove, it locked on to grinds well, although at times I had a bit of sliding around, but nothing to noticeable. I found royals and farfs fun to do on these frames, just for the simple fact that I could sit so low on them. Overall, it is a good alternative (but not a better one) to Ground Control’s raised H-Block if your looking for something different to try.
Deep H-Blocks.
Weight.
Because the frame is built so well it is a little heavier compared to the lighter frames on the market. It’s weight is about average, not as heavy as an Able or a Ground Control Dual Injection, but not nearly as light as a Feathlite frame. This isn’t a bad thing though, when you take into account how well it is built and where the material is being put I think it is a good trade off.
Overall Wear.
The overall wear to the frame is incredible. I truly think you would have to skate them for an extremely long duration of time, or skate incredibly horrible obstacles before you could justify needing a new frame. This is the best wear I have ever seen on any frame, and it can be attributed to the plastic compound and the great design. If your looking for something that will last, the Fluid frame is something you should consider. This is it’s best feature.
Hardware.
I absolutely HATE, I repeat HATE this hardware. If anyone has ever seen a Kizer bolt they know that they screw together in the middle, this is a horrible idea because all the pressure when you skate is distributed to the middle of the axle, which in turn loosens it up. This wouldn’t be so bad, but then you add on top of that that the bolts use screws with thin threading, which loosen up quickly, you have a horrible combination. Not only did I have to tighten these bolts anywhere from two to four times a session, but I also lost a Richie Eisler anti-rocker wheel because of them. I hate these bolts.
The Bolt of Shame.
Feel.
Overall these frames feel rather good, they are the second best feeling frame I have ever owned. They are a solid frame that you know will not break on you. The H-Block is deep and locks on to grinds well, with some sliding around occasionally, but it is barely noticeable when it does happen. When doing soul grind they slide well, and I contribute this to the Fluid plastic material. Overall, a solid one piece frame that doesn’t feel heavy when rolling and is responsive on grinds.
Overall.
If your looking for a tank of a frame that is going to last you a ridiculously long amount of time, this is the frame for you. It slides well on both soul and royal tricks. It feels solid, not to heavy and not to light, and comes in one piece, which I love.The one down side is that I hate the hardware, and wish Kizer would change their bolts because they are horrible. I highly endorse this frame, it is the work horse of the skating industry, which is why it has been around for so long.
Kizer Fluid Frame Score 7.2 / 8 = 90%
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