Please let me hijack this thread for a quick question related to big boards.
I usually ride a <8" popsicle for street tricks, but coming to a certain age I'd like to have an cruiser that I can also skate occasionally. My first board in the early 90's was a wide board, and therefore I'm looking into something considerably bigger. I recently got the occasion to ride a few minutes on a 9.5 Krooked Ray Barbee (the Friends deck with the fishes) and I absolutely loved it! So I'd like to get one (with rails, of course!) - now question is which trucks. For wheel size, I'd probably go for 55-58 mm, definitely not higher than that.
I've been riding Thunders for the past 17 years or so, and the board I tried had Indys which felt much stiffer than my usual Thunders. Obviously it could be down to rider's preferences... but I have two questions:
1. Do I need to consider switching from Thunders to Indys/Aces for a bigger board? I usually ride my Thunders loose and use a small 1/8 riser to avoid wheelbite.
2. Which size trucks should I buy? I don't think I'll ever go higher than 9.5, but might go a tad smaller. I guess I'd still have to go with the Thunder 161's or the Indy 169's?
I've been skating for 30+ years and I'd love to give it another 30+ years so thankful for any tips you guys can share.