Terryw Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 Been doing some research for the past couple of weeks on carving boards. I have pretty well settled on on the T-board. I just wanted to hear from other owners here and see if they are still happy with thier T-boards. I should add that I am fortunate enough to live in an area with several good hills that are calling to me every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 T-board version 1: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/tierney_article.cfm version 2: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/tierney_new_carver.cfm other boards: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/street_carvers.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 If you've got the right hill - it's a blast. I really enjoyed mine when I lived on a quiet street with a fairly steep section and a nice runout. After I moved to a flatter neighborhood I had little use for it and now use a Loaded Vanguard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 I would recommend the indy rubber tires for the hard carving on the steep hills. I am ordering a stiffer bushing since I'm a little heaver than most and definitely get the longer board because you can still make SL turns even though it says it's got a GS feel. The feeling of the ride on the indy tires is very cool. It's such a smooth, quiet ride while cruising down the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 I'm not saying not to get a T-board, but if you're looking for something that will flex back with camber kind of along the lines of a snowboard carving, then you might want to look into longboards. It might just be me, but one of the things that really makes alpine snowboard carving what it is has to do with the flexing and pop of the board while carving. I've never been on a T-board, but it looks pretty darn stiff and non-flexing. http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/ that place has a ton of info (I'd say even more than BOL), which isn't necessarily a good thing. you might also want to take a look at this thread. if you think a longboard might closer fit what kind of summer carving you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 I'm not saying not to get a T-board, but if you're looking for something that will flex back with camber kind of along the lines of a snowboard carving, then you might want to look into longboards. It might just be me, but one of the things that really makes alpine snowboard carving what it is has to do with the flexing and pop of the board while carving. I've never been on a T-board, but it looks pretty darn stiff and non-flexing. You're right, that is the only problem with the T-board, and it is a big one. No flex. They need to put those cool trucks on a longer deck so you can stand <i>between</i> the wheels rather than on top of them. I haven't checked lately, maybe they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 i have a t-board. i bought into the hype. it is fun but i've become skeptical of the claims of others that this is a snowboard crosstrainer. with the t-board you're basically tipping the board side to side. your feet are near perpendicular to the board. not very alpine-ish. there's no pop to the turns. its hard to pump the board to keep the speed going on flats. on the positive side, it is a very stable board at high speeds. no speed wobbles. good for going downhill. my biggest complaint about the t-board are the wheels. i went through a couple sets. i had urethane front, rubber on rear wheel. they wear out quickly. the wheel hubs have a tendency to crack. if you see any videos of people doing ollies, know that wheel(s) will be cracked. i had one wheel where chunks of plastic came off. here's a link to a photo of my wheel. wheels are not cheap. here's a video i made with my t-board. you can hear the sound of a cracked hub. its a ticking sound. i bought an skateboard from insectskateboards.com after reading someone post about them on bomber. i got more use out of that board than the t-board. wasn't bomber selling t-boards? i don't see them advertised anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebu Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 Has anybody rigged up any sort of temporarily permanent way of getting back up the hill in the summer, similar to lifts or ropes in winter? Riding would be awesome, but alot less so if I'm spending 80% of my time walking back up the hill. Nobody would be willing to drive up and down the hill, just so I'd have a ride. I just think it'd be cool to have something like a rope driven off of a tractor pto or somethin similar that you could set up and spend a day riding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2slopesurfer Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 http://www.freebord.com/main.html tried my buddies, can't wait for mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 http://www.freebord.com/main.htmltried my buddies, can't wait for mine From watching the videos, it doesn't look like much "carving" but rather skidding. So, when they said they were trying to mimic snowboarding, they were right correct in that respect since the majority (99%) of snowboarders are skidding all over the place like in the videos, rather than carving. As for carving though, it doesn't look like much of the summer carver. I could be wrong though, since I've never been on one. It's just the impression that i get from the videos on the site itself look more like a skidder board rather than a carving board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebu Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 I'd imagine with the adjustable center wheels and all those things you could probably get it alot more carving agressive than they had it. It does have quite the look of snowboarding though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted April 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 Well I am glad I asked prior to commiting mysself to the T-board. I read all the great testimonials, but I was worried about versatility. I was also curious about longevity. I took a look at that carveboard from Jacks post, I really like that board. It just so happens that there is a board shop with the wave carveboard about twenty minutes away from me in Alta loma. They will let me demo the board prior to sale. It would be nice to actually try one of these boards I have been reading about. So far all of my research has been on the net not on my feet. I believe that I could have a great time on all of these boards, but I would feel a lot more comfortable buying something I have actually ridden on. I have a small quiver of snowboards, I guess it is time to begin my long board quiver! Thanks for all of the feed back guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik J Posted April 13, 2007 Report Share Posted April 13, 2007 Jack's article states that you can buy just the trucks(are they still called trucks?) & wheels for the T-board. I'm not sure how they are mounted but maybe an old snowboard mounted with the trucks and wheels would make things interesting. My old Aggresion board is delam'ed and collecting dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Has anybody rigged up any sort of temporarily permanent way of getting back up the hill in the summer, similar to lifts or ropes in winter? Riding would be awesome, but alot less so if I'm spending 80% of my time walking back up the hill. Nobody would be willing to drive up and down the hill, just so I'd have a ride. I just think it'd be cool to have something like a rope driven off of a tractor pto or somethin similar that you could set up and spend a day riding... City bus! Here in Portland, you can ride about 2 hours for $1.75 or so. Buses come up the big hill (Upper Belmont, from SE 39th to SE 70) near my house every 15 minutes - perfect! I've killed quite a few summer days yo-yoing that street with a longboard or Dirtsurfer (though it's tough to get the drivers to let you take a Dirtsurfer inside the bus). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted April 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 What a cool idea. Gotta love that public transportatiion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted April 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Hey Eric, I went back to the web page for Tierney boards. I think the reason they don't flex much is because of the way the trucks mount the wheels directly under the board towards the center of the board for each wheel. In other words the nose wheel pivots towards the tail, and the tail wheel pivots towards the nose. If the board flexes too much, I believe that the board could actually contact the wheels with the bottom of the board. Of course if you are going to customize it any way, you could probably machine some kind of spacer between the truck and the board which would raise you a little higher above the ground and allow a higher angle of carve before hitting the edge of the board, hmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebu Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Another problem with flex in the tboard is when you flex it you will be tilting the trucks to be riding more on top of the wheels. Basically having the swivel head towards a near vertical (swivel axis will be more horizontal) position and that would make it quite unstable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 if you're to make a custom board using t-board trucks, you might as well just buy a t-board before commiting time and effort. you might like it as it is. a longer t-board... the front truck pivots, the rear truck is locked. at least it feels locked. the rear torsion ring is so stiff on my older board that i can't move it with my hand. so when you turn, the nose of the board does all the turning, the rear wheel follows. a longer t-board would make for a very wide turning radius. i think the reason its long as it is because they wanted a very turny board. i'm speculating here but i don't think camber or flex would do anything to improve the ride. popping with a cambered t-board would just cause the trucks to swivel more. the energy would be dissipated in the front torsion ring. the front torsion ring provides just enough torsion to cause the truck to return to center on its own. the newer boards have a lighter smaller truck. maybe they handle better. i don't know. anyone contact kurt tierney? there's the x-boarding.com site that he moderates. he's a very easy going guy. i'm sure he's open to new ideas. i've talked to him once while ordering wheels. he gave me some free torsion rings. maybe he's got some used boards for sale to experiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 i posted a review about a year ago. first, it's true, kurt adn the tierney guys are great to deal with. that being said, it's fun, for me it's about the total feeling of the board, not just flex. it turns very tighthly but do not get the edge on the ground or you be thrown off (like i was). it's just for hills, no cruising. of course it doesn't feel as stable as a longboard b/c it only has 2 wheels, hence the closer feeling of riding in powder. i don't use mine much b/c i just don't live around a lot of rideable hills. i'd start out with a regular longboard before buying a t-board. and def. wear protection if you do ride a t-board, especially elbow pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted April 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I am sure Kurt put a lot of time and effort into basic research when he came up with the current configuration of the T-board. I would certainly try it as is before playing with the base configuration. The T-board looks like great fun, and I do have some decent hills around the corner from me. But I will probably go with a more traditonal carving long board for now just for its versatility. The hills are great but I think I will still need to be able to work the flats too. However, next time around I think I will be picking up the T-board. I will just have to have different boards for different terrain, no problem! The tough part is getting my wife to buy into that logic. She allready frowns at the snowboards on the garage wall.:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 ^^ Hehe, you can get a quiver of summer carving boards to match your quiver of snowboards. I'm sure the wifey will love that. As for T-boards and flex, as I said earlier, I've never ridden one, and that being said, I wasn't suggesting that they "fix" anything. I realize it's stiff and non-flexing, which is fine. It's engineered and designed differently. I'm merely suggesting a board with a flexing deck that you can decamber and flex while carving as an alternative to the T-board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gleb Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I'm going for the careboard. Looks solid and perfect for the hills out here. I'll be doing alot of midnight cruising on the streets of boston because there are sooooo many streets with nice pitches and good pavement. Still holding onto winter though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Carveboards-Great carving sensation if you want to do low speed turns. Will have some serious wobble at anything over 15mph. They even tell you not to ride it at higher speeds. Can use both dowhill and on the flats. T-Board-Downhill only. Awesome carving sensation-probably the best of them all in this aspect. You can ONLY "carve" this thing. Super stable at high speeds since it only has two wheels. I rode mine at 33+mph on the 2nd day out. Wheels wear out fast on rough pavement! Get the rubber wheels not the white/clear ones! They last MUCH longer! The last con would be there's no good way to stop on this thing. It's either ride out the hill you are on and hope that you'll eventually start going uphill, or BAIL. BAILING at 30mph is not going to be fun so pick your hill wisely. FreeBoard-Never rode one but it looks like a softboot type of riding style more than a carving style to me. (aka Skidding not Carving). Still looks awesome though. Traditional Longboard-I have a Loaded Pintail Bamboo and love it. I haven't rode anything else since I got it, but I primarily ride in the arroyos here which the Pintail is the best thing so far. All that pop is great for pumping the walls. Just my $0.02... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted April 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Went out last night and tried out the wave carveboard. That is the one with the big rubber tires. Had to have it! Brought it home and surprise surprise, my family seems to be interested in riding it too. My son wouldn't give it back for about 45 minutes. Way fun board. Its been a long time since I have either surfed of skateboarded, but so far this feels more like surfing to me than like sonwboarding. Maybe once I get real comfortable on it and start pushing it more, it will feel more like boarding. Still , it is a whole lot of fun either way. It is also the first skateboard I ever bought that came with instructions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 T-Board-Downhill only. Awesome carving sensation-probably the best of them all in this aspect. You can ONLY "carve" this thing. Super stable at high speeds since it only has two wheels. I rode mine at 33+mph on the 2nd day out. Wheels wear out fast on rough pavement! Get the rubber wheels not the white/clear ones! They last MUCH longer! The last con would be there's no good way to stop on this thing. It's either ride out the hill you are on and hope that you'll eventually start going uphill, or BAIL. BAILING at 30mph is not going to be fun so pick your hill wisely. . I wondered why you never see someone stop one of these on film.:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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