Pat Donnelly Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 From FirstTracksOnLine.com & USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-03-09-freebord-main_x.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 http://www.tierneyrides.com/ Check these things out...I tried one recently on flat ground...wow. I am just too afraid of leaving large hunks of flesh on the pavement to take it too far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK2TX2CA Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Check out Hugh review / test of some of the alternatives here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjl Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 I found the freebord to be really, really hard to ride. Also, they are specifically going for the skidding feeling with those 2 freely rotating center wheels, so while it may appeal to beginner/intermediate snowboarders or those who like to butter the board around, it's kind of the opposite of what we like to do on bomber - carve. I have a tierney rides and it is supposed to be a carving machine, but I am too scared to ride it fast enough to ride it effectively (Its trucks give it the equivalent of a very long sidecut radius). The BMW Streetcarver is the most fun toy I've picked up so far - skate it around on flat land at running speed and you can really lay it over. Take it any faster and you'll launch yourself (it really wants to turn - it's like having a board with a tiny sidecut radius that won't skid), but I don't like going faster than running speed on asphalt anyways... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim S Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 I learned how to slalom skateboard before i learned how to carve an alpine board. i made a huge step in learning to carve when i decided to not think about carving a snowboard but pumping a slalom board. It all came to gether in an instant. The driving motion you do with your arms is almost identical on both a snowboard or a skateboard (if you face forward and not sideways as in surfstyle). If you watch John Gilmour carve you will know what I mean, he looks the same on a snowboard as on a slalom board and he rips on both. Of course you will do 5 times the number of turns on a skateboard but turning is good. I've seen people ride a terneyboard but I have never riden one. It looks more like riding a snowboard but you got to get up the speed or it just tips over. Skateboards are more stable at higher speeds. I much prefer to run cones on a good slalom board. I liked it so much that i took up alpining because it looked so similiar and a bunch of slalomers were already really into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baka Dasai Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Longboard skateboarding is so similar to carving a snowboard it's not funny. The only thing that's different is that it's harder to skid to a stop and the speeds are slower (but that might be just fear). I only took it up last summer and I was instantly addicted. I just wish there were better hills/asphalt near where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pepe Le Pew Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I got one of these a little while back: http://www.wavejammer.com/skate/longsk8s/longsk22.shtml I ride it in a parking lot on week-ends. Go down, take the elevator back up, and so on... Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Interesting stuff. The freeboard thing would appear to emulate what I don't do: skidding. On the other hand if you can hockey-stop it, that might be useful. I'm heading for dollar-land shortly and thought I might pick up a long-skateboard. I wonder: (1) Anyone got any suggestions on how to size those things... how do I pick the right board for my weight? How much flex is good, to replicate carving? (2) How do you dump speed on these things? Can you slide the wheels sideways at all? How do you control that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Originally posted by UK2TX2CA Check out Hugh review / test of some of the alternatives here Just read this review comparison and it seemed to like the freebord a lot primarily because you could skid/slid it. While those are useful... I would rather have something with better edging... I'm more interested in building carving skills then spinning flatland 360s. Plus... it looks like the freebord requires a big hill... and I don't really feel like driving back to the start point every run. It would be preferable if I could pump it on a parking lot instead of riding a hill... so for me it looks like a slalom skateboard or a carvboard... is it possible to pump a carveboard. I'm trying to learn more about slalom skateboards... but there is almost too much information for me to process on ncdsa.com or http://www.slalomskateboarder.com. Maybe I'll pick up more as I spend more time reading. Like there isn't a nice and simple "welcome center" at those sites like their is here at BOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-CanCarve Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 From my experience I would recommend a traditional longboard skateboard over any of the hybrid carvers. The perfromance and stability of a longboard feels almost exactly like an alpine board on the road. I would recommend a Bozi MB-II (44" - 48" long) - www.boziboards.com - set-up with either Randall 180's or Seismic 180's trucks. There is a wide range of wheels to choose from, but the ABEC 11's or 3DM's give you the most traction and speed. Vlad, is also on the money a longer slalom board (Bozi GS36, Insect, Roe, Pocket Pistol) would perform like a Madd 158 on the pavement. Add a slalom course of cones and you have a summer full of fun. Add in slider gloves and you can lay down carves with your hand on the pavement. Just my 2 cents. All the best, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Rob-CanCarve From my experience I would recommend a traditional longboard skateboard over any of the hybrid carvers. The perfromance and stability of a longboard feels almost exactly like an alpine board on the road. I would recommend a Bozi MB-II (44" - 48" long) - www.boziboards.com - set-up with either Randall 180's or Seismic 180's trucks. There is a wide range of wheels to choose from, but the ABEC 11's or 3DM's give you the most traction and speed. Vlad, is also on the money a longer slalom board (Bozi GS36, Insect, Roe, Pocket Pistol) would perform like a Madd 158 on the pavement. Add a slalom course of cones and you have a summer full of fun. Add in slider gloves and you can lay down carves with your hand on the pavement. Just my 2 cents. All the best, Rob Does length affect turning characteristics in the same way? (36" vs 44" boards)? Are the ABEC11 or 3DM wheel good for relatively clean asphalt that has a few cracks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pre School Rider Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Yup,length is one factor in a board's turning,but it dosen't affect this as directly as it does on snowboards. The 'wheelbase' is changeable on Skateboards,so that's a good reference for turning potetial. Flex is another thing,and it's also pretty wide-open in what's available. Camber,flatness,rocker, and concave all affect the board's flex and turning. Material choices also factor in,so Glass,Vertical laminates,Carbon-Fiber,Bamboo all are things to take note of. If it's 'all wood',expect a less lively ride. So,use the given length,wheelbase and stiffness to help sort out the likely turning characteristics a board will have. Just remember it's not as 'sorted out' as it is with snowboards,so reveiws of specific decks are even More subjective than what you'll glean from Snowboard reviews. Keep in mind that choice of trucks also drastically change the turning formula. I've witnessed JG ripping through 6' spaced cones on a 56" Ed Economy longboard! The board barely FIT between cones standing still,and I had 28" 'slalom' boards that would've struggled to make that course set. :p It's NOT cut+dried! Wheels : Yes,both 3DM and many ABEC 11 wheels have grip and speed to spare. If you have older tar,stuff with cracks or is rough in texture,pick a bigger,softer wheel. ABEC 11 and 3DM specialize in big,soft wheels,but both make harder formulas as well. The "A" Shore scale of Durometer is used to denote hardness. So,softer would be below 82A,medium up to the low 90A's,and up thru 99A would be hard enough to make your teeth rattle. In Longboarding,Slalom,and Downhill,55mm is Small in size,65mm is medium-small,70mm is medium-large,75mm+ is big,and 100mm+is Illegal-but-fun. :D Wheel width is often a good indication of potential grip,as is the outer shape. If it's knife-edged or square-shouldered,it's meant to Stick. If it's got rounded sides,slippage is likely at the limit. If it's skinny and rounded,it'll slide easier. In the ABEC 11 stable,the Flashback is a winner,and 3DM's Avalon is racier,but also a proven go-fast/turn sharp design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Pre School Rider Yup,length is one factor in a board's turning,but it dosen't affect this as directly as it does on snowboards. The 'wheelbase' is changeable on Skateboards,so that's a good reference for turning potetial. Flex is another thing,and it's also pretty wide-open in what's available. Camber,flatness,rocker, and concave all affect the board's flex and turning. Material choices also factor in,so Glass,Vertical laminates,Carbon-Fiber,Bamboo all are things to take note of. If it's 'all wood',expect a less lively ride. So,use the given length,wheelbase and stiffness to help sort out the likely turning characteristics a board will have. Just remember it's not as 'sorted out' as it is with snowboards,so reveiws of specific decks are even More subjective than what you'll glean from Snowboard reviews. Keep in mind that choice of trucks also drastically change the turning formula. I've witnessed JG ripping through 6' spaced cones on a 56" Ed Economy longboard! The board barely FIT between cones standing still,and I had 28" 'slalom' boards that would've struggled to make that course set. :p It's NOT cut+dried! Wheels : Yes,both 3DM and many ABEC 11 wheels have grip and speed to spare. If you have older tar,stuff with cracks or is rough in texture,pick a bigger,softer wheel. ABEC 11 and 3DM specialize in big,soft wheels,but both make harder formulas as well. The "A" Shore scale of Durometer is used to denote hardness. So,softer would be below 82A,medium up to the low 90A's,and up thru 99A would be hard enough to make your teeth rattle. In Longboarding,Slalom,and Downhill,55mm is Small in size,65mm is medium-small,70mm is medium-large,75mm+ is big,and 100mm+is Illegal-but-fun. :D Wheel width is often a good indication of potential grip,as is the outer shape. If it's knife-edged or square-shouldered,it's meant to Stick. If it's got rounded sides,slippage is likely at the limit. If it's skinny and rounded,it'll slide easier. In the ABEC 11 stable,the Flashback is a winner,and 3DM's Avalon is racier,but also a proven go-fast/turn sharp design. Hehe information overload... sound like I'm going to have to go to a shop and demo/rent some boards to figure things out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim Tuthill Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 I guess I'm too old for this! The danger of a total wipe out at my age does not appeal to me. I rode one of Chuck barfoots new models with the real lose rigs. It would turn on a dime. I knew it just a matter of time before I was face down on the ground with skin left behind. Since this sport started in front of my house in Hermosa beach Cal. , I can chime in! We used metal wheels, you know, you sisters shoe skates. The best was at night, sparks on the pavement. wear lots of leather and have at it. Hope to see you at the SES next season. tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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