If I'm coming from loose (just surfy, not rattling) Aces, and I'm going to run 56-60mm wheels (on some Matt Reason fanboy shit), is there a reason to get Venture 5.8s over Independent 149s? Those 30$ 5.8s look real tempting
I like Venture more than Indy. So factor that in.
I get a better ollie with Venture.
Venture is cool, Indy is not.
My understanding is that the cheaper Ventures, the cast, are made in the USA at ermico in SF.
Indys are made elsewhere.
I like the stability of Ventures.
I do not like that I need to be a little more specific with bigger boards with Ventures (the effective wheelbase on Ventures is .25” greater than Indy, comparing cast models, and this causes some boards to feel/ride as though they were larger. When I stick to the size that works best for me, this is actually a bonus with Ventures, but on larger boards it exacerbates my big board problems).
Ventures have a harsher grind. I think the alloy in Indy might be different/better for grinding. The Independent truck hanger is also more rounded, allowing for a smoother grind.
Ventures wear out faster. This does not bother me.
Ventures are lighter than Indy, again comparing 5.8s to 149s, cast to cast.
You might need to mess with Ventures a little bit more to get them to turn the way you want them too. Some popular mods are to remove the bottom washer, and to use a flat top washer. Of course doing this can smoke thru bushing faster.
Ace’s have a great turn, no doubt. I don’t really like the pop tho.
I have skated really well (for me) on 139s in the past, but….have always looked for something else. And with the skateboard politics, it’s easy for me to want to support dlx, instead of nhs. This is a personal thing for me, and isn’t something most people need to consider.
Can’t imagine the above will be helpful