Several years have passed since launch of the innovative Oysi frames. The products of this brand have become very popular, especially considering that skating flat setup has gained a lot of supporters. The model in question can significantly lower difficulty curve for 8-wheel skating, making it more enjoyable.
The length of the frames!
The feature that I pay a special attention to, when choosing frames, is their length. To put it simply, I prefer longer frames.
Long frames means more grinding surface, good stability on landings and above all, the visual aspect - there is nothing less pleasant to look at, than a skate in a large size with a frame which is too short, wheels completely hidden under the boot.
If one does wear a boot size up to EU42, they probably will not notice such problem. For most skates above size EU45, unfortunately, there are almost no ergonomically designed frames (the groove of the frame does not align with the groove in the backslide plate). This problem was noticed by Cletus (Oysi producer & designer) and pushed him to create a product tailored to needs of skaters with big boot sizes - 281mm long frames that not only look great, but function even better.
Configuration options
Basically, apart from the length, the greatest feature of OYSI frames is how the wheels are positioned. The frame does not have "frame spacers" that we put in a specific way to achieve rockering. Instead, the middle wheels are simply placed a little lower than the outer ones. It provides a lot of possibilities to choose the size of the wheel, according to one’s particular needs.
All options are described in detail on the manufacturer's website, so there is no point to list them here. Personally, I’ve found wheel setting of 67-54-54-67 (all wheels with flat profile) to be the most versatile. The mentioned configuration gives me a minimal rocker, so my skates, despite having a pretty long frame, are still very agile. Personally, I use the following wheels in my frames:
- Outer positions – Hyper Dwarfs 67 mm or Kryptonics 66,5 mm
- Inner positions – Eulogy Metatron 54 mm or Abdiel 55 mm
It is worth to mention the "Magic Rocker" setting, i.e. outer wheels with "speed" profile and "flat" profile inner wheels. This setting will further maximize manoeuvrability – the outer wheels will not touch the ground on sharp turns. It is a useful setup for bowl skating and cornering. Undercover wheels are a good pick here as they come in a wide range of sizes, profiles and colours.
I’ve described general rules of choosing wheels for flat setup in my previous article.
The hardware is no joke
The box includes, apart from frames themselves, a complete set of really good quality hardware - including dedicated UFS bolts (M6-1.0 ISO 7380-2 Button Flange) and spacers. Many frames come with axles and bolts made out of pretty soft metal alloys, which makes it easy to strip their head or damage the threads when rotating wheels, for example. This is the reason why I usually swap stock axles for better ones (if it is possible, of course) – but there is no need to do this in case of Oysi.
In case of other frames, I usually pick Powerslide Double Axle 8mm. These work well in THEM and Create Originals.
There’s one additional surprise in the box - 16 nylon washers used for “Coping Mode”. Nylon washers can be placed between the male part of the axle and the frame. This will cause the axle head to extend past the outer frame wall. We are essentially getting a truly old-scholl sensation of grinding here – that metal-on-metal feel. Axle heads will get in contact with the coping first, before the outer frame wall touches. This is especially useful when we skate at the facility which does not favour or even allow waxing.
Easy Mode for grinds
The split between the middle wheels and the size of the H-block itself are like a loving mother – they will forgive everything. Even the fresh amateur should have zero problems with grinding. The first impression that comes to mind when looking at OYSI frames is a freestyle frame with additional outer wheels :) Some may even say that grinding with Oysi is "cheating" - the easiness of grinds can make a blader really lazy when it comes to style. The Oysi are slightly taller than the standard aggressive frames, but with a groove of this size it shouldn't be a discomfort to anyone.
Durability
I have a habit of wearing out my frames on soul tricks in unnatural speed. On average, I have to replace the frames with new ones once a year because of worn walls. In case of Oysi, I have been riding the same pair for nearly 3 years :) The frame walls are super thick and symmetrical which also can prolong its life cycle – if the wear is significant, just flip them and they will last for months to come.
Oysi Medium version
The popularity of the first Oysi model raised a need of shorter version, for smaller skate sizes. This is how Oysi Medium came to life. The Oysi Medium Chassis 65 is designed to ride a flat setup, using a combination of 65mm outer and 58mm inner wheels and is available in either 257 mm or 269 mm wheelbase lengths. Both provide the same, thoughtfully contoured and centred, groove with a 127mm middle wheel split. Medium version will be perfect for skates in the size range 39-42. It is simply a smaller and shorter version, but otherwise all the properties of the "older" sibling have been retained.
Oysi - a frame for everyone
In the end, the Oysi frames strike a balance between the classic flat, anti-rocker and freestyle setups. With the outer 72mm wheels, they can be even used for a light urban skating, with added benefit of ability to perform tricks without worrying about wheelbite. And just like in the “old days” you can actually use them to skate between the spots while skating street, with acceptable level of comfort and speed, which isn’t given even in case of classic flat setups.
Thanks to possible wheel setups variety, Oysi frames can be as stable as the regular antirocker setting or have enhanced agility, feeling almost like a freestyle slalom skate. The newcomers will definitely appreciate the ease of learning the first grinds, and the seasoned skaters will be delighted by the fact that their repertoire of tricks won’t decrease drastically after switch to 8 wheels. I highly recommend trying Oysi frames - you won't regret it!
Oysi frames come with a variety of colours, meaning that we can choose ones matching the rest of the skates. Example below:
What are you waiting for? Go to our shop and order a pair!
