Featherlite Two Review

Featherlite Two Review

As many people who skate with me know, I swear by the Ground Control Featherlite frame, in fact in our review section it is the highest rated frame (95% or 7.6 wheels out of 8). That is why I was excited when Ground Control (G.C) released pictures of their second edition of the Featherlite frame (FL2) on the internet, and I immediately knew I would be picking them up to do a review on them. I first received the frame on August 24th from Shop-Task and have been riding them non-stop and putting them through their paces in order to provide a solid review.

Shot of the FL2 box.

How the frame looks before, and after use.

Weight

As to be expected, these frames are extremely light, even lighter then the original Featherlite frame (FL1). However, do not expect a significant weight decrease in the FL2, when I held both frames in my hand I only felt a slight difference in weight and that was only achieved by taking the hardware out of both frames. What you can expect are some of the lightest, if not the lightest, frames on the market, which weigh in at only 7 ounces with the anti-rockers and the hardware still in (proof) (The FL1 weighed 7 onces with out anti-rockers). Now these frames will not make you jump leaps and bounds higher then you usually do, but you will feel the weight difference underneath your feet if you are switching from a heavier frame (such as an Able, a Kizer Fluid, or even a G.CFromula One). However, If you are switching from a Featherlite frame, or even a Xsjado frame, then the difference in weight will be minuscule, if you even feel it at all.

How the FL2 and FL1 look back to back.

Design

G.C has taken an already amazing design in the FL1 and improved for the second edition of the frame. The sides of the frame have had more plastic taken off so that the there is even less friction when doing soul and topside tricks. The FL2 has a larger recessed surface area because G.C has streamlined the protruding plastic around the outer edges of the frame, which creates even less friction when doing grinds than the FL1s. The final results is a slightly faster frame on souls and topsides than the FL1s that has the same feeling while on grinds. However, you must take into account a few things, the difference in grind speed is not drastic when comparing the FL1 to the FL2, and also, I skated the FL1s until the bolts began to grind on obstacles, which may have slowed me down slightly.

A better look at the streamlined plastic of the FL2 that reduces friction.

The side walls of the frames are comparable to the width and thickness of the FL1s, which means they are average when compared to other frames on the market. However, this time G.C have beveled the edges so that cess slides are easier right out of the box. This is a nice edition to the frame, and shows that G.C have put a lot of thought into the second edition. However, what I would have liked to have seen in addition to the beveled edges is a thicker side wall. Although the plastic is now more durable and harder than the FL1 I still believe a thicker side wall would add to the longevity of the frame, much like a Kizer Fluid frame. The FL2 has a lot of plastic taken out from the first edition, it would have been nice to see some of that plastic put back in, to increase the thickness and the durability. I believe this would benefit the frame greatly, especially if they are making beveled edges for cess slides that can wear down a frame rather quickly.

Better look at the new beveled edges.

Side walls are about average size, would have preferred a little thicker.

A nice change from the FL1 is the new design for the bolt holes. One of my largest complaints about the FL1s was that the bolts were not recessed enough and that I found myself grinding on them. However, the FL2 has taken steps to fix that problem. The new frame has deeper recessed holes for the bolts to go into, which means I will not be grinding on metal any time soon. I really liked this improvement, and believe that it will add to the durability of the frame.

A look at the deeper recessed bolt holes.

The H-block on the frame has also been changed. It seems that people who bought the FL1 thought the H-block was a little too wide, so for the second edition it has been made slightly smaller. Now I did not feel any change in the H-block during the transition from my FL1s to my FL2s, however, I only skate anti-rocker so that could be the reasoning. As far as I am concerned, I love the H-block, its raised and angled design allows me to lock in all my tricks effortlessly and hold them.

FL1 sides walls (black), FL2 side walls.

Sizing

G.C has heard the cry of all big footed people out there and has now added a third sizing to the FL2, which is something that was never offered in the FL1s. The new sizing goes from small (6-7), medium (8-11), to large (12 and up), this is a vast improvement when compared to the old sizing of the FL1, which only gave you an option of a small frame (6-7) and a large frame (8-14). What this means is that people now have more options to get a frame that fits better for them, and will not be complaining that the FL2 is either too small or too large, which can only result in more comfort on your skates.

Overall Wear

G.C has definitely improved the wear on the frames. One of my biggest complaints about the FL1s was that I was wearing through them too quickly. Luckily, G.C has fixed this problem and has outfitted the FL2 with a stronger and harder plastic compound, which is noticeably different when it comes to the skates durability. Also, the frame still comes with the same symmetrical design that the FL1 came with, which just adds even more longevity to the frame. Overall, I think this is one of the largest improvements for the FL2, my bolts are not getting worn down, and my H-blocks are withstanding the test of time and wear.

H-block and side walls holding up well!

Hardware

I have a mixed feeling about the hardware that comes with this frame. At first, I absolutely love that this frame comes with 42mm nylon GC anti-rockers, it saves me money on buying anti-rockers, and is definitely an increased value over the FL1 that did not come with antis. Plus, they are antis that do not make any of noise (remember the ones that came with the G.C 2s and sounded like they were Fisher Price?), which is definitely a plus. However, these skates come with the dreaded sickle bolt, I hate the sickle bolt…a lot. I know G.C advertises the bolts as an improvement, and that you only have to use one hand to tighten and untighten the screw, but seriously, is it that hard to use both hands, or to have two allen keys? But that is not why I hate the sickle bolt, I hate it because, generally, people do not have sickle bolts laying around their houses and you cannot just replace a sickle bolt with a normal bolt because the wholes will not allow you to. So if you loose, or damage, a sickle bolt you are forced to buy a whole new set for 8 dollars, plus shipping. Personally, I think this is a horrible idea, and I even mentioned how bad of an idea it was in my Formula One review (proof) when the bolt was first introduced. Luckily, I have devised a plan that may save you 8 dollars (if you buy this frame or own the Formula One frame), I simply just flip the frame so I am grinding on the side of the normal bolt heads. This leaves the sickle bolts on the negative side of your frame, which is much less likely to damage, or wear down the bolts.

Dreaded sickle bolt.

…the reason why you cannot use other UFS bolts.

Feel

Right out of the box these frames feel amazing. They have all the good things that made the FL1 popular, with a few improvements that make them feel even better. I have touched on the new plastic compound, and G.C has advertised it as giving you “faster grinding speeds” (proof), but to be completely honest, although the new material makes the frame more durable, I do not believe it actually makes it any faster. I do not find it faster on my royale tricks when compared to my FL1s, and I truly believe the reason why it is slightly faster on souls and topsides is because there is less plastic on the side walls to create friction. Having said that, the frame is fast on grinds, and is very solid and responsive. Overall, this is the best feeling frame I have ever owned, and has just improved on the great feel of the FL1. I believe the feel of the FL2 is its greatest selling feature, for me at least.

Overall

I feel the FL2 is a great addition to the Featherlite family, with G.C making minor improvements and fixing some of the old problems that came with the first addition. I particularly like the new plastic compound and the deeper recessed bolt holes, these minor improvements have added to the longevity of a great performing frame. Also, the frame is a better value for your money because you also get the 42mm nylon anti-rocker wheels for the same price as an FL1, so that is also an improvement. In contrast, I dislike the sickle bolts and find them unnecessary, and I also wish the thickness of the sidewalls could be increased. I would say if you already own a pair of FL1 and they are good condition, wait until you need some frames and then pick up the FL2s, the improvements you get will be worth your money. If you are riding another frame other then a Featherlite, then I would highly suggest picking yourself up a pair of FL2s, the advantages are numerous. The price point is cheap at $54.99 (proof), you get a lot for what you pay for, the frame feels outstanding, and lastly, the durability of the frame has been increased.

Score

I am giving the FL2s a 7.7 out of 8 wheels, or 96%

Actually Selling the FL2

I have actually received 4 pairs of the FL2s (both in sizes small and medium and in colors white and black) from Shop-Task, and I will be selling them in the Greater Toronto Area for $65 each pair. If you are interested in picking yourself up a pair contact my E-mail at canadianroll@gmail.com or contact my cell phone at 1 (905) 865-7999 to arrange a meeting location.

-Nick. D