Gear madness support thread

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

I have only spent a little bit of time on modern ventures but I can say the pop was insane. Really great for flip tricks and popping solid. However, the turn was way too delayed for my tastes. Insanely stable but the turn takes a minute to initiate. This could be great for your style of skateboarding not mine.

Thunders are also pretty stable on center but have a way quicker initial turn and then the turn slows down. I can go between Thunder and Ace without too much drama. The turn just stops way sooner.

If you skate a bit of transition Thunder might have an edge over Venture. If you skate a lot of flat and ledges, Venture might have the edge. Prob will get less wheel bite with Venture also.

[Schinken]

Venture vs thunder can’t decide
Pros and cons

I always tried  to like thunder but I can't  stand the way they turn. It feels like stable->adequate turn->no turn->bushings collapse ->sudden wheelbite.
I like their pop feel and the lower weight.

Ventures have good pop but can be pretty  hefty on short steep tails.
They might not turn as sharp as a thunder but it feels more honest. Kind of  linear turning characteristics.

[IpathCats]

Venture vs thunder can’t decide
Pros and cons

Thunders and ventures are similar trucks. Both providing a larger wb and heavier pop feel. My recent experiences with them were on thunder team hollows and venture hollow lights (both 8.25)

Objectively speaking, Thunders turn and grind better than ventures. This is due to the geo and hanger shape.

Thunders have a short baseplate, so your wheels drag on nose/tailslides. this may or may not be an issue for you. Ventures have a long baseplate that prevents this.

The pop feel on both was very hefty and snappy, but the pop feel on ventures is heftier than thunders.

My favorite part about ventures was the manny point. because the pop feel is so hefty i felt like i could almost lock into mannys. the thunders did this too, but not as well becuase they turn more/better which leads to more wheelbite and less stability.

People rave about the pinch on thunders, but the tradeoff to that is that they wheelbite very easily (literally what "pinching" is)

Becuase ventures turn worse, they ARE more stable at speed.

Subjectively speaking thunders feel more delicate and precise, flip tricks seemed a bit easier to perform on them, but i felt like i had more power in my flip tricks on ventures.

These are my observations as a doomed indy rider, do with them what you will.

[sk8_cat]

I just went through a shitty gear madness when I switched to indy forged hollows from thunders, not only I did that but I had the brilliant idea to try and break in some 94 hard bushings after a few sessions just because I had them lying around.. my indies were already rocking some 94 bushings that had been used a few years back and were totally broken in, the new ones that I put in were a complete nightmare though they were rock hard and they were getting soft at a really slow pace. In my thunders I rock the 100s aftermarkets from the rebuild kit and to be honest they feel like a truly medium bushing and they don't blow out.
I guess where I'm going all with this is that the root of the madness is switching your shit up all the time without an actual reason to do so. It's like there is this underlying greed behind it all, and also that big what if about shit youre going to land on a new setup. I believe once in a while it's good to change shit up to keep things fresh and interesting - but I have learned that it is wise to only change one variable at a time - this way at least you will be able to pin the result down to that specific thing. Sorry for the long post it's just that I needed to vent this madness has me going mad I m telling ya.

One last thing while I'm at it, does anyone have a suggestion about a decent cupsole? something that is just reasonable with a locked in feel but not moonboot looking? That's like a last thing I need to get sorted before I am free of this bullshit

[LebowskisRug]

I will add that the Venture grind tends to be slower/harder and that Ventures pinch very well too.  The top bushing can get eaten by the top washer from pinching too hard. They don't last people as long.

One big thing I would think about is nollie tricks- a lot of people who prefer a faster responding nose don't favor Ventures. Ventures with a steep nose was ghost pop city for me.

Turn wise Ventures have a fairly wide arc and some "wiggle" at the top before the turn really kicks in. You get used to it for the most part. It can make really tight turns somewhat laborious which is why you don't see transition skaters on them much. The flip side to that is that the wiggle helps you ride away from stuff that you land slightly off kilter.

Thunder's turn is fairly immediate. If you're talking about carving they have a smooth arc with resistance in the end. I don't wheelbite turning on Thunders or have any issue carving when I can control my lean. Where I get more wheelbite can be landing off kilter where I really force the truck to lean or turn.

Height wise they are 1.5mm different. I don't notice it much really. I only notice going from Indy Standard to Thunder.

Personally I recommend people coming from Indy or Ace to try Thunder first. It gets you used to a mid truck and grinds better, but has less of a jarring change in pop feel and the turn is surfier. They work well on transition for lots of riders too. Very middle ground truck.

[IpathCats]

I just went through a shitty gear madness when I switched to indy forged hollows from thunders, not only I did that but I had the brilliant idea to try and break in some 94 hard bushings after a few sessions just because I had them lying around.. my indies were already rocking some 94 bushings that had been used a few years back and were totally broken in, the new ones that I put in were a complete nightmare though they were rock hard and they were getting soft at a really slow pace. In my thunders I rock the 100s aftermarkets from the rebuild kit and to be honest they feel like a truly medium bushing and they don't blow out.
I guess where I'm going all with this is that the root of the madness is switching your shit up all the time without an actual reason to do so. It's like there is this underlying greed behind it all, and also that big what if about shit youre going to land on a new setup. I believe once in a while it's good to change shit up to keep things fresh and interesting - but I have learned that it is wise to only change one variable at a time - this way at least you will be able to pin the result down to that specific thing. Sorry for the long post it's just that I needed to vent this madness has me going mad I m telling ya.

One last thing while I'm at it, does anyone have a suggestion about a decent cupsole? something that is just reasonable with a locked in feel but not moonboot looking? That's like a last thing I need to get sorted before I am free of this bullshit

NB 440's are a popular choice, but they are very slim for a cup.

NB 1010's and 808s are beefier but still not gigantic

Emerica KSLs look to have a nice heel lock fit but i cant confirm

[Dooky-shoes]

I have a kid on the way and my madness was banned by my lady. Had to avoid the sale thread and all online shop sales. Hurt a little but i guess its for a better cause.
Someone grab a sick pair of kicks you don’t need on a deep discount for me.   

[camel filters]

I have a kid on the way and my madness was banned by my lady. Had to avoid the sale thread and all online shop sales. Hurt a little but i guess its for a better cause.

You know skate madness is real when you "guess" a new life brought into the world is more important than trying skate gear 

[rocklobster]

I have a kid on the way and my madness was banned by my lady. Had to avoid the sale thread and all online shop sales. Hurt a little but i guess its for a better cause.
Someone grab a sick pair of kicks you don’t need on a deep discount for me.

Parenting is a thankless job, got to reward dad once in a while for helping to raise a young child.

With a deck (or 5). And trucks. And wheels. And bushings.

[Dooky-shoes]

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I have a kid on the way and my madness was banned by my lady. Had to avoid the sale thread and all online shop sales. Hurt a little but i guess its for a better cause.
Someone grab a sick pair of kicks you don’t need on a deep discount for me.

[close]

Parenting is a thankless job, got to reward dad once in a while for helping to raise a young child.

With a deck (or 5). And trucks. And wheels. And bushings.

Good buddy got me a Tired, Para deck as a congrats gift. Totally unexpected. Great shape but will be a wall hanger out of respect…or is that disrespectful?   Still on the fence about walk hangers.

[j....soy.....]

Venture vs thunder can’t decide
Pros and cons

What I liked about thunders: light, low, grind was decent, turn was fun, responsive.  What I didn’t like: wheelbite on landings, ground through fast. 

What I liked about Ventures: manuals, I can skate them looser but still stay in control.  The ‘stability’ is pretty much taking all the benefits of skating tight trucks ie. pop, control, precision but the turn is still pretty deep, and as mentioned you can skate them looser.  They don’t grind as well….

I didn’t notice the ‘hefty pop’ as much as I really felt the power in the pockets on these trucks.  Thunder the pop comes super easy which is fun.  Lots of people skate thunders and don’t feel the wheelbite like I did. 

[LebowskisRug]

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I just went through a shitty gear madness when I switched to indy forged hollows from thunders, not only I did that but I had the brilliant idea to try and break in some 94 hard bushings after a few sessions just because I had them lying around.. my indies were already rocking some 94 bushings that had been used a few years back and were totally broken in, the new ones that I put in were a complete nightmare though they were rock hard and they were getting soft at a really slow pace. In my thunders I rock the 100s aftermarkets from the rebuild kit and to be honest they feel like a truly medium bushing and they don't blow out.
I guess where I'm going all with this is that the root of the madness is switching your shit up all the time without an actual reason to do so. It's like there is this underlying greed behind it all, and also that big what if about shit youre going to land on a new setup. I believe once in a while it's good to change shit up to keep things fresh and interesting - but I have learned that it is wise to only change one variable at a time - this way at least you will be able to pin the result down to that specific thing. Sorry for the long post it's just that I needed to vent this madness has me going mad I m telling ya.

One last thing while I'm at it, does anyone have a suggestion about a decent cupsole? something that is just reasonable with a locked in feel but not moonboot looking? That's like a last thing I need to get sorted before I am free of this bullshit

[close]

NB 440's are a popular choice, but they are very slim for a cup.

NB 1010's and 808s are beefier but still not gigantic

Emerica KSLs look to have a nice heel lock fit but i cant confirm

440's are thin, I like them for that, but I swap the insole immediately. Less durable than 1010, but still great. Easy to find on sale. The heel on the 1010 is thick, but well-padded and tons of support. Forefoot isn't thin, but has some flex and board feel. Lots of people also like the Tyshawn and the Puig.

KSL I was not a fan enough of to keep. They have much more foam in the sole and to ME felt too thick. I don't want cushy foam. I want thin, dense foam.

[sk8_cat]

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I just went through a shitty gear madness when I switched to indy forged hollows from thunders, not only I did that but I had the brilliant idea to try and break in some 94 hard bushings after a few sessions just because I had them lying around.. my indies were already rocking some 94 bushings that had been used a few years back and were totally broken in, the new ones that I put in were a complete nightmare though they were rock hard and they were getting soft at a really slow pace. In my thunders I rock the 100s aftermarkets from the rebuild kit and to be honest they feel like a truly medium bushing and they don't blow out.
I guess where I'm going all with this is that the root of the madness is switching your shit up all the time without an actual reason to do so. It's like there is this underlying greed behind it all, and also that big what if about shit youre going to land on a new setup. I believe once in a while it's good to change shit up to keep things fresh and interesting - but I have learned that it is wise to only change one variable at a time - this way at least you will be able to pin the result down to that specific thing. Sorry for the long post it's just that I needed to vent this madness has me going mad I m telling ya.

One last thing while I'm at it, does anyone have a suggestion about a decent cupsole? something that is just reasonable with a locked in feel but not moonboot looking? That's like a last thing I need to get sorted before I am free of this bullshit

[close]

NB 440's are a popular choice, but they are very slim for a cup.

NB 1010's and 808s are beefier but still not gigantic

Emerica KSLs look to have a nice heel lock fit but i cant confirm

[close]

440's are thin, I like them for that, but I swap the insole immediately. Less durable than 1010, but still great. Easy to find on sale. The heel on the 1010 is thick, but well-padded and tons of support. Forefoot isn't thin, but has some flex and board feel. Lots of people also like the Tyshawn and the Puig.

KSL I was not a fan enough of to keep. They have much more foam in the sole and to ME felt too thick. I don't want cushy foam. I want thin, dense foam.

Thanks for the replies guys, the 440s and the KSLs are in my sights and I am planning to pull the trigger if I find these on sale, also interested in the sb bruin reacts. One thing about nike though is that they tend to discontinue models after a couple of years which can be annoying if you have found something you like.

[LebowskisRug]

I didn't like the Bruin React when I tried it on for the same reason I hated the KSL- too much foam. It's soft, but I find the soft foam leads to less stability and board feel than a thinner, higher density foam. No one I know that has had them has liked them, which is probably why you rarely see them on Nike pros

[Richard Skidder]

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I just went through a shitty gear madness when I switched to indy forged hollows from thunders, not only I did that but I had the brilliant idea to try and break in some 94 hard bushings after a few sessions just because I had them lying around.. my indies were already rocking some 94 bushings that had been used a few years back and were totally broken in, the new ones that I put in were a complete nightmare though they were rock hard and they were getting soft at a really slow pace. In my thunders I rock the 100s aftermarkets from the rebuild kit and to be honest they feel like a truly medium bushing and they don't blow out.
I guess where I'm going all with this is that the root of the madness is switching your shit up all the time without an actual reason to do so. It's like there is this underlying greed behind it all, and also that big what if about shit youre going to land on a new setup. I believe once in a while it's good to change shit up to keep things fresh and interesting - but I have learned that it is wise to only change one variable at a time - this way at least you will be able to pin the result down to that specific thing. Sorry for the long post it's just that I needed to vent this madness has me going mad I m telling ya.

One last thing while I'm at it, does anyone have a suggestion about a decent cupsole? something that is just reasonable with a locked in feel but not moonboot looking? That's like a last thing I need to get sorted before I am free of this bullshit

[close]

NB 440's are a popular choice, but they are very slim for a cup.

NB 1010's and 808s are beefier but still not gigantic

Emerica KSLs look to have a nice heel lock fit but i cant confirm

[close]

440's are thin, I like them for that, but I swap the insole immediately. Less durable than 1010, but still great. Easy to find on sale. The heel on the 1010 is thick, but well-padded and tons of support. Forefoot isn't thin, but has some flex and board feel. Lots of people also like the Tyshawn and the Puig.

KSL I was not a fan enough of to keep. They have much more foam in the sole and to ME felt too thick. I don't want cushy foam. I want thin, dense foam.

[close]

Thanks for the replies guys, the 440s and the KSLs are in my sights and I am planning to pull the trigger if I find these on sale, also interested in the sb bruin reacts. One thing about nike though is that they tend to discontinue models after a couple of years which can be annoying if you have found something you like.

I really enjoyed my Force 58s. Soft and comfy around the collar and tongue without being super puffy. Broke in really quickly with good structure in the heel. Also affordable and not hard to find.

[OhioGuy]

Kinda went wild with the FA sale and grabbed two pairs of TyShawn for $51 each at CCS. Now I’m feeling kinda silly cause I’m “injured” and don’t know when I’ll use all this stuff. Because my right knee has arthritis due to low cartilage. May sell/donate a few of my setups cause I’ll be lucky to skate two days a week 🥲

[goodatmeth]

Can't sleep and just bought venture 5.6 v-lights for no reason, other than it more or less completes my truck collection in terms of wheelbase.

Ace-Royal-Thunder-Polster-Venture, makes me feel like I have the tools to ride any deck I want now.

Never had ventures before, might hate them, possibly leading to free trucks for some kid.
Slight madness, but I'm strict about not changing my setup once it is built and I'm gonna ride these trucks for one decks full life at least. Still have one 14" wb chocolate twin tail that feels way too light with any other trucks, so this should work out fine.

So I've been riding this setup for almost a month now. Turns out I actually love the ventures in the combination with the chocolate twin tail and that reversed my madness. I now have the madness of NOT wanting to switch gear. I hate the thought of getting used to something else now, I haven't been this in tune with my board for quite some time.

I wish I didn't have 3 other new decks to go through after this one. As everybody knows, decks need to be skated in the order they are bought, otherwise they get bad and sad.

[OhioGuy]

Yeah I’m kinda spiraling with my purchases. My issue is I have a fear of missing out on good deals, but I know it’s pointless cause shit is ALWAYS on sale. Also I don’t live in a city with a good skate shop. So I fear that I’ll break something then have to wait for replacements.

And shoes—why are size 13 always sold out?

[IpathCats]

Yeah I’m kinda spiraling with my purchases. My issue is I have a fear of missing out on good deals, but I know it’s pointless cause shit is ALWAYS on sale. Also I don’t live in a city with a good skate shop. So I fear that I’ll break something then have to wait for replacements.

And shoes—why are size 13 always sold out?

They make fewer of them.

[Ride it to dust]

Mate of mine just surprised me with my first olive eagle. Lovely looking shape but im concerned a bit about the longer wb (even though i wanted to try 14.5 again) wondering if anyone has had good experiences with thunders and these decks?

[IpathCats]

Mate of mine just surprised me with my first olive eagle. Lovely looking shape but im concerned a bit about the longer wb (even though i wanted to try 14.5 again) wondering if anyone has had good experiences with thunders and these decks?

If you're tall/have long legs im sure it would be nice.

[Ride it to dust]

That’s enough reassurance for me, thanks dude

[LebowskisRug]

Mate of mine just surprised me with my first olive eagle. Lovely looking shape but im concerned a bit about the longer wb (even though i wanted to try 14.5 again) wondering if anyone has had good experiences with thunders and these decks?

I like that setup with Thunders. The kicks are smaller and not very full so it skates a lot more nimble and floppy than the dims suggest. I find it easier to skate than some smaller decks. Don't dismiss it.

[manysnakes]

Yeah I’m kinda spiraling with my purchases. My issue is I have a fear of missing out on good deals, but I know it’s pointless cause shit is ALWAYS on sale.

That's the thing - watch this thread for five minutes and there will be another 15-20% off sale, or another "buy two decks for $80 with grip and free shipping and a 25% off coupon code!" At this point, I only buy extra decks because A) I go through them quickly, B) this last batch of Covid-era decks are deeply discounted, C) once those decks are sold though, I expect a lot more of the industry will be adopting the FA-style higher price point.

[OhioGuy]

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Yeah I’m kinda spiraling with my purchases. My issue is I have a fear of missing out on good deals, but I know it’s pointless cause shit is ALWAYS on sale.

[close]

That's the thing - watch this thread for five minutes and there will be another 15-20% off sale, or another "buy two decks for $80 with grip and free shipping and a 25% off coupon code!" At this point, I only buy extra decks because A) I go through them quickly, B) this last batch of Covid-era decks are deeply discounted, C) once those decks are sold though, I expect a lot more of the industry will be adopting the FA-style higher price point.

I can see prices going up. I know Welcome’s boards are $75 on their site and basically $70 at most online shops. That’s so tough to swallow. Luckily I’m fully stocked 😂

[manysnakes]

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Yeah I’m kinda spiraling with my purchases. My issue is I have a fear of missing out on good deals, but I know it’s pointless cause shit is ALWAYS on sale.

[close]

That's the thing - watch this thread for five minutes and there will be another 15-20% off sale, or another "buy two decks for $80 with grip and free shipping and a 25% off coupon code!" At this point, I only buy extra decks because A) I go through them quickly, B) this last batch of Covid-era decks are deeply discounted, C) once those decks are sold though, I expect a lot more of the industry will be adopting the FA-style higher price point.

[close]

I can see prices going up. I know Welcome’s boards are $75 on their site and basically $70 at most online shops. That’s so tough to swallow. Luckily I’m fully stocked 😂

Exactly. I bought five FA decks for $26/each as a hedge against deck inflation over the next year or two.

[Ride it to dust]

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Mate of mine just surprised me with my first olive eagle. Lovely looking shape but im concerned a bit about the longer wb (even though i wanted to try 14.5 again) wondering if anyone has had good experiences with thunders and these decks?

[close]

I like that setup with Thunders. The kicks are smaller and not very full so it skates a lot more nimble and floppy than the dims suggest. I find it easier to skate than some smaller decks. Don't dismiss it.

Thanks dude, im gonna try it with thunders. You and @Ipathcats have sold me on it! Going to try and get some more 148 team hollows for Christmas. They seem to work for me

[IpathCats]

I'm a month in on indy 149 titaniums on cast baseplates. These feel like my holy grail trucks. I had a moment of weakness and tried the forged plates when i put on new wheels because i thought the extra height from the new wheels was fucking with me, but im pretty sure my legs were just shot that day. I went back to the cast plates after a handful of tricks on the forged. I'm curious as to how cast plates with a hollow pin feel, but not enough to buy them. After several iterations of my board due to madness over like 2-3 years, im VERY content with where im at, and im not very far from where i started which is the funniest part to me. prioritizing WB was a big key. I would stick with the same width but not even look at wb, so things would feel different when the wb changed and I'd start fucking with shit again.

After trying a bunch of shit over the last few years my board size is 1/8" smaller (8.375 down from 8.5), i took off my risers, and went to cast plates. Pretty hilarious to think about how close i was the whole time. I could probably even handle an 8.5 right now if i had to. which would mean even less of a change haha.

[LebowskisRug]

I'm almost the opposite lately, WB seems to matter less than overall length and specifically kick length. Fuck me if the nose is too long/big or shit is too steep.

I'm pretty content on Thunders, but always daydreaming of Indy's. No such thing of full recovery, just being "normal" and sticking to something until it doesn't work anymore.

Having stacks is a nightmare. It makes you think about things a lot deeper because you've invested so much and those investments might not be ideal.

[IpathCats]

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Mate of mine just surprised me with my first olive eagle. Lovely looking shape but im concerned a bit about the longer wb (even though i wanted to try 14.5 again) wondering if anyone has had good experiences with thunders and these decks?

[close]

I like that setup with Thunders. The kicks are smaller and not very full so it skates a lot more nimble and floppy than the dims suggest. I find it easier to skate than some smaller decks. Don't dismiss it.

[close]

Thanks dude, im gonna try it with thunders. You and @IpathCats have sold me on it! Going to try and get some more 148 team hollows for Christmas. They seem to work for me

I run 149s (indy) on the 8.375(.38 w/e) 14.5 wb dlx shape. I just got an olive eagle too haha. Really up to you, but i like the extra hanger space.

Though, I think thunder 148s have more hanger than 144 indys. I could be tripping, but it felt like that.