Longboard Suggestions?

[skatha]

Skatha:

You should have outgrown that by now. The loaded bamboo pin should be a good addition to the quiver.

Bola

www.allboardssports.com

I'd love to try--I'm rocking a "roll-a-bout" now.....had my OATS procedure-cartilage graft- on the 3rd. I had a medial tibial osteostomy for exposure-now I've got 2 screws holding my tibia together. I'm on the DL

http://roll-a-bout.com

As an aside, I was telling one of the hospital administration about it. He mentioned a little half-pipe work, posting pics, getting a sponsor, then I could really get some cash when I resale on ebay

[Skully]

Try this guy:

Subsonic

Scroll down on the homepage to "Drop Boards".

I haven't ridden one yet, but I hear nothing but good things about them.

Here's a couple of them that make me drool:

[Guest naj]

Hey, has anybody tried sector 9 boards? are they good?

[Ernie00]

If you are anything like me and are the DIY kind of person. Take a look at this. After a lot of sanding, staining and varnish the results are pretty good. I used 7 ply and added some camber with the weights.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate1.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate2.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate3.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate4.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate5.jpg

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate6.jpg.JPG

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate6.jpg.JPG

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate8.jpg.JPG

http://www3.sympatico.ca/veroba/skate9.jpg.JPG

[lonerider]

Hey, has anybody tried sector 9 boards? are they good?

Well they won't fall apart on you... but they aren't the most innovated of companies... their most interesting board to me is the Bamboo Pintail with the 'W' concave which I thought was 'decent' The W concave means the board is curved upward at the sides cupping your heel and toes (more locked in feeling) AND a middle bump under the arch of your foot to maximize the foot to board contact. Since you are in Europe I would go with something on your side of the Atlantic... there are a lot of companies making boards that I would love to have...

Lush Longboards - Kilima or Samba model

Faltown Skateboards Bomb or Slide model

Pogo Longboards yes apparently they made longboards as well.

If vendors are hard to come by I think MileHigeSkate.com and PurpleSkunk.com both ship internationally.

[skatha]

Hey, has anybody tried sector 9 boards? are they good?

I like mine, but I'm hardly a "pro".....

I live in Houston and for the small rises that I have to bomb, my S9 does just fine.....

I'd probably get something narrower if I had to do it all over again, but, then again, I haven't really taken my S9 out in a year, 'cuz of my ankle

[NateW]

I have a Landyachtz Urban Assault, which is similar to the board pictured in ralann's post, but with a narrow kick-tail sticking out from the back truck, and the trucks are angled for tight turns rather than stability.

On the one hand, it sold me on the drop-deck idea. On the other hand, it's too narrow and possibly too low - my toes and heels drag sometimes, and I feel like I can't get enough leverage to lean hard into turns. I'm not sure if the reduced leverage is just the width alone or if there's something about the drop that also affects it, but I suspect the latter. It's also kinda short after you subtract the angled ends, so I have to use a pretty tight stance.

So I upgraded to the Kebbek JimZ Flushcut - their site is at http://www.kebbek.com but it's flash-based so you'll have to find the board yourself (not that it's hidden). It's longer, wider, and stiffer, and I really like it. I set it up with Randal's turny trucks and I carve hills instead of bombing them like the JimZ intended.

[Justin A.]

I just saw this on the Science Channel : http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep28/Skateboard.html I think it could be the answer to skateboarding woes. Its really cool. Definitley worth a look at least.

________

XL250

[Baka Dasai]

I just saw this on the Science Channel : http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep28/Skateboard.html I think it could be the answer to skateboarding woes. Its really cool. Definitley worth a look at least.

Ben, one of the guys behind Scriber, rode one at the Australian Slalom titles last Sunday, and also at a slalom race in Sydney last December. He rips on it, but the trucks are a bit wide for slalom.

He showed me the trucks, and how they have built-in steering-angle adjustment, which is a great feature. The drawback is that the springs that control the turning didn't seem to be adjustable, and come in one stiffness - floppy loose.

I didn't get a chance to have a test-ride which I'm regretting now.

Here's Ben riding it in December:

[lonerider]

I just saw this on the Science Channel : http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep28/Skateboard.html I think it could be the answer to skateboarding woes. Its really cool. Definitley worth a look at least.

The site is www.grombiz.com, it is definitely a cool setup. I might take a look at it when it hits the States (Oct 2006 supposedly).

[Guest naj]

down (and up) hill skating.

maybe i'll get one of those together with the jet board...and a pair of these http://www.finn.no/finn/viewimage?finnkode=7599971&reference=759/997/1_635411010.jpg&adheading=Motoriserte+rollerblades&sid=4akXxsjws037262&pos=8

Then probably be the "ultimate-year-round-board-blader-ripper":AR15firin ....or just be another geek:freak3:

Anyway, i ordered a lush Kilima yesterday,is there somebody here who have riden a kilima? how cool r they?...never tried them before you see:)

[kirtap]

So I got my Loaded Vanguard two days ago and I already love it. I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I read earlier about the different settings on the trucks. To me the board feels a tiny bit too turny and I was wondering how to change that. Do you just tighten one of the screws, or get a stiffer bushing? I've also seen something about changing the angles on the trucks but I don't really know what it does or how to do it. I've searched for it online but havent had any luck yet so thanks for your help. Besides that this board is amazing and will keep me busy all summer.

[lonerider]

So I got my Loaded Vanguard two days ago and I already love it. I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I read earlier about the different settings on the trucks. To me the board feels a tiny bit too turny and I was wondering how to change that. Do you just tighten one of the screws, or get a stiffer bushing? I've also seen something about changing the angles on the trucks but I don't really know what it does or how to do it. I've searched for it online but havent had any luck yet so thanks for your help. Besides that this board is amazing and will keep me busy all summer.

There are a variety of ways to do this. I list these in my order of preference.

1. Tighten the kingpin on the trucks (it's the big bolt going down the middle), these puts more pre-load on the bushings (the conical donuts of urethane in your trucks) and will give you most resistance when you try to pressure the edge and lean the board over. Don't do it too much though (such that the bushings are noticeably warped).

2. Use harder bushings - buy bushings with harder durometers, that way they compress less per given unit of force, again meaning you will be able to lean the board over less. For Randals I personally really like the Radikal bushings, but with the edges lathed off to much them fit better. You can buying them individually at MileHighSkate.com (I used a regular Khiro blue insert top and you can use the stock top you have). I'm 150 lbs and I use red (80a) in front and blue (85a) in back... if you are > 20 lbs heavier I would go with blue and green (90a). I have extra green and black (95a) if you want a pair.

3. Finally you can buy wedges to change the steering angle of your trucks... narrow side pointing outward makes them turn tighter, narrow side in make them turn wider. Here is a more detailed explanation. The big difference from the first two is that the board will still lean over the same amount per unit force... but it will turn less even so. I don't recommend this for a Loaded Vanguard setup with Randals.

[lonerider]

It's finally stopped raining and after a long wait (took 2 weeks instead of 2 days), my trucks came back from the shop newly faced (it's like aligning the wheels on your car). Here is a clip from my first carving session of the season (I'm a little stiff cuz I'm riding a completely new setup - deck (Bamboo Vanguard Flex 4), Trucks (Force R7 - like Randals but better), and Wheels (75a Gumballs).

Oh, and here is a slide video made up of clips taken the same day. It's my first time making a video that isn't a single raw clip so it's a little short.

That setup is a Brad Edwards 40, Core 6.0 and 60mm Lush Cannonballs.

[kirtap]

I noticed in the video that you werent doing the slides with your vanguard. Would that be bad for the wheels if you wanted to concentrate on carving or hard since the wheels are 76a or something close to that? I know that sliding is a common way to stop quickly while going fast or if you dont have any space to run off, but would you recommend that with the vanguard, or should I just try to stick to hills where I can run off speed at the end?

Again, thanks for all your help.

On a side note, so far I've taken the board out everyday since I got it (last friday) and I am completly in love with it. I even take the dog on walks with it and always keep it in the car just incase I drive by a good looking hill.

[lonerider]

I noticed in the video that you werent doing the slides with your vanguard. Would that be bad for the wheels if you wanted to concentrate on carving or hard since the wheels are 76a or something close to that? I know that sliding is a common way to stop quickly while going fast or if you dont have any space to run off, but would you recommend that with the vanguard, or should I just try to stick to hills where I can run off speed at the end?

Again, thanks for all your help.

On a side note, so far I've taken the board out everyday since I got it (last friday) and I am completly in love with it. I even take the dog on walks with it and always keep it in the car just incase I drive by a good looking hill.

Yes, because the wheels are so soft (75A is nearly the softest you can buy) they have a tendency to get chunk ripped out of them if you slide them too much on rough surfaces (especially if there is glass debris on the road). So in general I tend to "drift" more with them to scrub speed (whenever I'm grabbing the board in that video I'm probably drifting a tiny bit and burning off some speed) compared to a full pendulum slide. If the pavement is smooth and slick, you can totally slide them... it's just that if you happen to hit a jagged portion of the road, it tears a pieces out your wheels (and I'm trying not to trash my brand new wheels my first day on them).

If you don't know how to slide yet, definitely learn on something aside from your nice Gumballs beacuse you will probably flatspot your first set of wheels by accident.

A bit of sliding on a Bamboo Vanguard with 75a Gumballs.

http://media.putfile.com/Riding-with-Loaded

[kirtap]

So drafting is just when the back set of wheels lose a little bit of grip and slide out a little while the front ones follow their path? Sometimes on steeper hills it feels like the slide out a bit, but not too much.

[Gecko]

So drafting is just when the back set of wheels lose a little bit of grip and slide out a little while the front ones follow their path? Sometimes on steeper hills it feels like the slide out a bit, but not too much.

no "Drafting" is when you are being sucked along in someones wind shadow/wake

"Drifting" is carving tight enough to just exceed the grip of the wheels but not enough to cause the whole board to slide

[lonerider]

So drafting is just when the back set of wheels lose a little bit of grip and slide out a little while the front ones follow their path? Sometimes on steeper hills it feels like the slide out a bit, but not too much.

Yes, that is what "drifting" is basically. Some people can do all four wheels in a slight drift I think.

[kirtap]

drifting....drafting....just one little typo. I'll use the excuse that I was tired and in a hurry when I wrote that. But thanks for all your help in the past couple weeks. It really has been a big help and I'm glad I ended up with the Vanguard. Many of my friends are already talking about getting a longboard (although I'm not sure how many will actually follow through on it).

[Gecko]

I only corrected it because when DHing with friends Drafting is very very fun. Drifting is really just an almost slide

[lonerider]

Lonerider:

Why is the force better if it is a Randal knock off? I think we all know the limitations of the RII and ways to correct them.

It may be nice to know why you would not recommend wedging to detune a loaded deck.

I would recommend the downhill Randal but wedging is way cheaper.

Bola

I just recommended some guy to call you for a Loaded board (he didn't want to pay CA sales tax AND shipping). I understard you are lazy and retro and all... but leave the 1900's behind and setup an online shop.

And no you are wrong... not everyone knows the limitation of Randals (pretty sure no one on this post does). They are many was to correct them, but you can do all of the to a Force truck as well. Hopefully with the new baseplate design (which they finally did after lots of complaining) will bring Randals out of the doghouse. I really like my Randals, and I will keep riding them, but I'm not going to gloss over their flaws or pretend that someone else has put out a superior product out of some misplaced sense of loyalty because they were one of the first and the best.

Photos: Randals vs Force

The Force are not so much a knock-off as a redesign. They took the basic Randal idea and cleaned up the hanger and baseplate design - making them stronger and lighter. They have better straighter axles, faced hangers, better pivot cup alignment and material and they just feel like a really high quality Randal, which is notorious for quality control issues... so much that they are nicknamed Vandals. I'm sure you frequent SilverfishLongboarding.com and can read up about it there.

See here for a review.

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/article.php?story=20060112131536669

I don't recommend using wedges to detune a Loaded (or going to DH's) because I personally think because lower angles kill the carving goodness of the Loaded boards. At most he could flip the hangers, they will reduce the angle by like 5 degrees. This is my personal preference and recommendation.

Here is a thread on the new baseplates

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/showthread.php?p=375579#post375579

And here is a photo comparing the new Randal baseplate to the old one (left to right). You can see the old Randal pivot didn't really fit into the pivot cup that well (newer one is much better... more like the Force). Another thing I've been told is that the kingpin bore is straighter now (used to be mis-aligned on some trucks).

[Guest naj]

has anybody tried seismic trucks or holeys?

what do you guys think about them?...planning to get one you see, but i can't make up my mind...

[lonerider]

has anybody tried seismic trucks or holeys?

what do you guys think about them?...planning to get one you see, but i can't make up my mind...

I own both. Seismics have a really strong return-to-center out of a carve. Some people like it, some people don't... I'm 99% sure you won't know until you actually try it.

Holeys are similar to Randals in design, but lighter and more agile. Again built a tiny bit better (even though they are made in China - designed in the UK). They have really good stock hourglass bushing that some good tight turning (Their slogan is "Holey Trucks... they turn" say that five times fast) while still being pretty stable. Compare to Seismic you will be able to tip them over with a mild somewhat linear resistance (it gets slightly harder to tip the board over the more you tip it over). In contrast Seismics, which use springs instead of bushings, have a geometric resistance (I might be mixing up my terms), that is to say it gets noticeably harder to lean the board over at the end and it will "spring" back pretty hard will lots of "rebound". In general, I like the "pop" to be in my board (a la Loaded) and not it my truck - but that's personal preference.

You really will need to try them yourself to decide... no no... I mean TRY THEM yourself!

[Gecko]

I've had this knockoff argument a number of times concerning skateboard trucks. Especially concerning Randals and Independent trucks. Force trucks are copies, well made copies (many have said better than the original) but they are still copies. The same has been said about Tracker's Orion trucks and the Grind King Jay Adams trucks. Orions are copies of Indy's because many people just don't like the way regular Trackers turn (like me for instance) and the Grind Kings? well Jay likes to grind (one might say he is a master) his input created a truck that rides remarkably like an Indy but with a lighter baseplate and a better kingpin (IMHO since I use Grindking kingpins on all my Indy's and my Randals). However I'm way to hardcore an Indy rider (even have the malteese cross tattoo'd on my wrist) to change trucks especially after 20 years of loyalty.