Gear madness support thread

[moonordie]

Buying way too much shit of Depop lately ... most recent given the cooler weather ...

Bianca Chandon sweatshirt
Noah Long sleeve tee

Both $20 something

2 Pair of Nike All Court CK  1 from depop/1 from ebay

And from SPOT
The 20 year GT blazer lows

I'm gonna buy one more deck and then chill for a while ... I hope

We know it won't happen but still I wish you all the strength to be able to do it.

[rikki]

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Help. I’m about to buy some Dragon 93s, when I’m perfectly happy on my x97’s

And then also buy x99’s for park skating.

[close]

Don't no need for the 93s if you are digging the 97s...but if you have the itch...those new nanorats are a betting looking/feeling/skating 97a....

As for park...101/103a all the way.

[close]

101a formula four, and 103a STF? (Or SPF?)

[close]

That depends on you and the park?

SPF are dangerously glassy. 101a spits are probably what you need, I tend to carve fast (for fun) when not 'skating' in bowls so I need something like OJ elites, something grippy I can trust.

SPF 84B (meaning 104A) is actually surprisingly grippy and, most importantly, fast as fuck. There's a reason why park/bowl riders use them a lot.

[wax poetic]

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Buying way too much shit of Depop lately ... most recent given the cooler weather ...

Bianca Chandon sweatshirt
Noah Long sleeve tee

Both $20 something

2 Pair of Nike All Court CK  1 from depop/1 from ebay

And from SPOT
The 20 year GT blazer lows

I'm gonna buy one more deck and then chill for a while ... I hope

[close]

We know it won't happen but still I wish you all the strength to be able to do it.

Hahaha, thank you for trying to help me.  Would gnar if I still had that ability

[JM]

crisis averted.... got my old x99's back from a friend and will try skating those now that they're nice and broken in.

but the dragons..... not sure if the dragons are still calling for the occasional street exploration.

*and wouldn't ya know it: they feel exactly like the x97's on a street cruise to the coffee shop.

**and broken in they feel and sound a little more like a “normal” skate wheel. Yee-haw! Guess they just needed more time to break in before I gave them away to friend.

***and the will was weak. Bought some dragon 93’s for street journeys. Support the local, so there’s at least that.

[Rick Trapasso]

My thunder/Indy back and forth madness is so bad it actually makes me feel like a crazy person sometimes.

Couple months on one, then lose my mind and back to the other for a couple months.

Cycle goes like this. Start on indys, having a good time, loving the turn and 360 flips. But then my pop starts to feel like it's lacking, I start to mess with different height/weight indys but ultimately end up putting my thunders back on.

On thunders, loving the snappy pop, pinch, and pop shuvits seem to work way better. Ollies everywhere seem better and more controlled. But then I start to feel like I cant get the turn I want, 360 flips seems to take more effort, and nose/tail slides feel like shit. I adjust my technique for slides as much as I can and am able to manage them a bit better, but inevitably I end back up on indys. And my fs nose slides particularly are immediately improved.

The cycle starts over again.

Thinking I might give Indy mids a shot, but I feel like this might just be a futile attempt at curing my discontent/insanity.

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

V8’s? 

[Rick Trapasso]

V8’s?

I can't imagine I would enjoy the turn. I gave the last ventures I tried up because I hated the turn

I also like a longer WB than most since I'm 6' 4"

When those first came out I considered trying them on my usual dlx 8.38 14.5 WB with only the back truck moved in. But I talked myself out of it because of my current situation and not wanting to add a third truck to the equation.

In the course of about a year I rode indys, thunders, ventures, ace, and lurpiv.

So I'm actually doing better than I was at one point believe it or not.  Haha.

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

yeah, i just found running the tighter wheelbase they set up like an indy but popped like a thunder.  That said, while you can loosen them alot, it's just lean, they'll never turn like an Indy.  I can see how an indy is maybe easier to scoop vs. a thunder too, thunder's pop super flat which on alot of tricks makes sense though. 

[Rick Trapasso]

yeah, i just found running the tighter wheelbase they set up like an indy but popped like a thunder.  That said, while you can loosen them alot, it's just lean, they'll never turn like an Indy. I can see how an indy is maybe easier to scoop vs. a thunder too, thunder's pop super flat which on alot of tricks makes sense though.

For sure, each truck has a few tricks that are much easier to do on them vs the other.

Drives me crazy lol

[BeachChicken]

My thunder/Indy back and forth madness is so bad it actually makes me feel like a crazy person sometimes.

Couple months on one, then lose my mind and back to the other for a couple months.

Cycle goes like this. Start on indys, having a good time, loving the turn and 360 flips. But then my pop starts to feel like it's lacking, I start to mess with different height/weight indys but ultimately end up putting my thunders back on.

On thunders, loving the snappy pop, pinch, and pop shuvits seem to work way better. Ollies everywhere seem better and more controlled. But then I start to feel like I cant get the turn I want, 360 flips seems to take more effort, and nose/tail slides feel like shit. I adjust my technique for slides as much as I can and am able to manage them a bit better, but inevitably I end back up on indys. And my fs nose slides particularly are immediately improved.

The cycle starts over again.

Thinking I might give Indy mids a shot, but I feel like this might just be a futile attempt at curing my discontent/insanity.

I was there and went with Indy's honestly because my pop is a tad higher and Thunder bushing issues got annoying. With blue bushings I have all the stability I need.

Now it's between 5.8 and Indy's. I can swap between pretty quick and the differences are minor but the grind of Ventures at chunky spots can be a total bummer as is the manual point.

At the same time I'm fine with either and not stressing too much. In the last year I've had Lurpiv, Indy, Thunder, and Venture all types and I'm back where I started. I think finding a truck you like or deck you like and building around it is the way to go.

[Rick Trapasso]

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My thunder/Indy back and forth madness is so bad it actually makes me feel like a crazy person sometimes.

Couple months on one, then lose my mind and back to the other for a couple months.

Cycle goes like this. Start on indys, having a good time, loving the turn and 360 flips. But then my pop starts to feel like it's lacking, I start to mess with different height/weight indys but ultimately end up putting my thunders back on.

On thunders, loving the snappy pop, pinch, and pop shuvits seem to work way better. Ollies everywhere seem better and more controlled. But then I start to feel like I cant get the turn I want, 360 flips seems to take more effort, and nose/tail slides feel like shit. I adjust my technique for slides as much as I can and am able to manage them a bit better, but inevitably I end back up on indys. And my fs nose slides particularly are immediately improved.

The cycle starts over again.

Thinking I might give Indy mids a shot, but I feel like this might just be a futile attempt at curing my discontent/insanity.

[close]

I was there and went with Indy's honestly because my pop is a tad higher and Thunder bushing issues got annoying. With blue bushings I have all the stability I need.

Now it's between 5.8 and Indy's. I can swap between pretty quick and the differences are minor but the grind of Ventures at chunky spots can be a total bummer as is the manual point.

At the same time I'm fine with either and not stressing too much. In the last year I've had Lurpiv, Indy, Thunder, and Venture all types and I'm back where I started. I think finding a truck you like or deck you like and building around it is the way to go.

Makes sense. I mainly ride the dlx 8.38 14.5wb shape.

Every now and then I try something else, but this is def my comfort zone.

Been considering an 8.5 with a 14.5wb. but I haven't seen any with tapered kicks like I like.

Weird how tapered kicks is almost becoming an old school thing lol

[FrenchSkater]

 Hello there ! I want to start a debate and also testimonials from several people out of curiosity and because I just asked myself the question..

In your opinion and by your experience , what are the perfect trucks brand for flatground ? 

[Sedition]

In your opinion and by your experience , what are the perfect trucks brand for flatground ? 

The correct answer is, "The perfect trucks are the perfect trucks for you."

There is no objective way to answer this question. You have to find your own way.

[JM]

Hello there ! I want to start a debate and also testimonials from several people out of curiosity and because I just asked myself the question..

In your opinion and by your experience , what are the perfect trucks brand for flatground ? 

Maybe these.



(*Have a gnar. I feel bad.)

I think a better answer is that it depends on what kind of flat ground game you got. Something like Indy that is higher will have more time to snap, and result in higher tricks (theoretically).  So if you got super pop like Luan Oliviera or Tiago, then go with a truck that will allow for it.

A low truck like venture lows or Thunder will snap quicker; not give you as high potential; but will allow for quicker, lower tricks. So if you’re a tech god and quick feet, then a low truck might be better.

These are just my theories, because I have abysmal flat ground.

[Rick Trapasso]

........yea

I put my thunders on again.


I think I just need to submit to this and accept I'm going to switch my trucks a few times a year despite wanting to stick to one brand.

Maybe those new t2's will solve this, but that sounds like wishful thinking haha.

Never liked thunders with risers tbh so if theyre higher than 52mm I doubt I'll love them.

[JM]

........yea

I put my thunders on again.


I think I just need to submit to this and accept I'm going to switch my trucks a few times a year despite wanting to stick to one brand.

Maybe those new t2's will solve this, but that sounds like wishful thinking haha.

Never liked thunders with risers tbh so if theyre higher than 52mm I doubt I'll love them.

Hear me out….

I have one board for street exploration, and one for park skating.
The street exploration board has:
-Indy’s

The park board has:
-Thunders

One was put together with spare parts, and they both get skated pretty often switching from park to street.

So just have two boards put together that are pretty similar and just switch out when you feel like it?

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

Hello there ! I want to start a debate and also testimonials from several people out of curiosity and because I just asked myself the question..

In your opinion and by your experience , what are the perfect trucks brand for flatground ? 

Venture or Thunders…..Venture: stability and leverage, Thunder: light and easy pop.

If you’re just good and it doesn’t matter: Indy…

[Rick Trapasso]

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........yea

I put my thunders on again.


I think I just need to submit to this and accept I'm going to switch my trucks a few times a year despite wanting to stick to one brand.

Maybe those new t2's will solve this, but that sounds like wishful thinking haha.

Never liked thunders with risers tbh so if theyre higher than 52mm I doubt I'll love them.

[close]

Hear me out….

I have one board for street exploration, and one for park skating.
The street exploration board has:
-Indy’s

The park board has:
-Thunders

One was put together with spare parts, and they both get skated pretty often switching from park to street.

So just have two boards put together that are pretty similar and just switch out when you feel like it?

I probably would ever skate them like that, like one board for one thing. But having two setups ready would save me time for when I inevitably switch lol

[eviltgirl]

When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it?  Switched from ace to indy and its been two weeks and I don't know if I'm going to stay with it

[Mbrimson88]

When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it?  Switched from ace to indy and its been two weeks and I don't know if I'm going to stay with it

I think there is a point where you realise something is just not working no matter what, at which time it is almost silly to keep going with it if it is going to make you hate your ride.

That is different to setting up a new board or whatever and just taking time to adjust to it, of which I know the difference, eg this is feeling a bit weird, but I will stick with it, vs this sucks and I hate it and don't even want to skate...

Any new thing, but especially trucks, can be a deal breaker if you don't wear them in well to start with, eg just roll around for a good while, break in the bushings, or swap them out if they are not working, because most take a bit to get right, or in the case of going from Ace to Indy, if they are not turning as much as Ace, take out the bottom washer on the Indy bushings and see if that makes them a bit more turny like Ace.

I usually ride Indy and have done for decades, had a session or two on boards with Ace trucks, then going back to my other board with Indy trucks, they felt like they didn't want to turn at all and were just wrong, so then it took a bit to get back to the normal feel there.

Other than that, no truck of a different brand is going to feel instantly awesome, unless you are a skateboard magician or something like that, but try to work out what it was about the different truck that worked or now doesn't work for you.  I could guess the following:

Indy you might get ghost pop as they are taller and further out than Ace.

Indy don't turn half as quick as Ace, especially if you rode them fairly loose - take out a bottom washer and see how that feels, so you can always just put it straight back in without issue.

New truck grind is always going to be more slippery than old worn in truck grind - scratch them up a bit on a rough curb if they feel too slippery new.

Work in the bushings a bit - stand on the board feet pointing towards nose or tail on either edge over one truck and step left right left right up and down to break in the bushings sooner, then repeat on the other truck.  Often do this on carpet or something just to avoid slipping out, but it breaks in bushings really well.

[BeachChicken]

If I am not mostly at par in 2 sessions it's binned. If I am mostly at par but seeing some issues, I give it 5-6 sessions in which I make a conscious effort to adapt to the issue. This means if a flip trick feels bad I set my ego aside and spend a while skating flat trying different timing and foot positions to see if it's a quick fix. If its something like a deck and 8-9/10 things work on it, I just won't but it again.

[JM]

When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it?  Switched from ace to indy and its been two weeks and I don't know if I'm going to stay with it

I try for one session and decide I hate gear. Happened with wheels and decks.

Maybe I’m too quick to decide…

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

I tough it out usually for almost the length of the board…IMO there’s always some benefits, even if you don’t like them.  Regardless….i try to sell for half or save and set up with older wheels, deck as a complete.

[Sedition]

When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it? 

There is no single, correct, answer to this question. That said, there is a line between (a) "Product X is just not for me," and (b) taking sufficient time to "adjust" to something new. Where is that line? It depends on the person, and also how much experience they have trying different stuff out. Moreover, if you look at this thread, you will see some people have spent years switching back and forth between the same two truck brands, and still don't have a solid answer. One of the things I try to think about when trying something new is "Does this feel different, or does it feel bad?" Different, is something I might be able to work with. Bad, is something I should get rid of, and quickly.

Trucks are something you have to take on their own terms. If you spend a lot time trying to get a Thunder to turn like an Indy, then you should probably just be riding Indys. Sure, tweak trucks to see what variation you can get within the scope of their own world (and see if you like that world), but don't try to make Ace-world into Indy-world, etc.

And last, I always refer to this as "The Ben DeGros Rule." What was the one, big lesson of Ben's six years of equipment madness on youtube? To me, the big take-a-way was that he could actually do all of his tricks on whatever he was trying, but on some stuff things just felt better. To that end, I would encourage everyone to just ride the equipment that feels the best under their feet, and makes them happy when they look at it.

[rocklobster]

If I am not mostly at par in 2 sessions it's binned. If I am mostly at par but seeing some issues, I give it 5-6 sessions in which I make a conscious effort to adapt to the issue. This means if a flip trick feels bad I set my ego aside and spend a while skating flat trying different timing and foot positions to see if it's a quick fix. If its something like a deck and 8-9/10 things work on it, I just won't but it again.

2 sessions to get an inkling if it's me or the gear, 3rd session confirms it. Especially if the rest of the gear hasn't changed.

[rikki]

How the F can I kinda lose my ollie with new, extra gritty grip? I would've thought it'd be the other way around. Front foot not being able to move as much as it should?

[moonordie]

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If I am not mostly at par in 2 sessions it's binned. If I am mostly at par but seeing some issues, I give it 5-6 sessions in which I make a conscious effort to adapt to the issue. This means if a flip trick feels bad I set my ego aside and spend a while skating flat trying different timing and foot positions to see if it's a quick fix. If its something like a deck and 8-9/10 things work on it, I just won't but it again.

[close]

2 sessions to get an inkling if it's me or the gear, 3rd session confirms it. Especially if the rest of the gear hasn't changed.

This should be framed.

[scab]

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When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it? 

[close]

There is no single, correct, answer to this question. That said, there is a line between (a) "Product X is just not for me," and (b) taking sufficient time to "adjust" to something new. Where is that line? It depends on the person, and also how much experience they have trying different stuff out. Moreover, if you look at this thread, you will see some people have spent years switching back and forth between the same two truck brands, and still don't have a solid answer. One of the things I try to think about when trying something new is "Does this feel different, or does it feel bad?" Different, is something I might be able to work with. Bad, is something I should get rid of, and quickly.

Trucks are something you have to take on their own terms. If you spend a lot time trying to get a Thunder to turn like an Indy, then you should probably just be riding Indys. Sure, tweak trucks to see what variation you can get within the scope of their own world (and see if you like that world), but don't try to make Ace-world into Indy-world, etc.

And last, I always refer to this as "The Ben DeGros Rule." What was the one, big lesson of Ben's six years of equipment madness on youtube? To me, the big take-a-way was that he could actually do all of his tricks on whatever he was trying, but on some stuff things just felt better. To that end, I would encourage everyone to just ride the equipment that feels the best under their feet, and makes them happy when they look at it.

Very well put.

[MMongrel]

I tough it out usually for almost the length of the board…IMO there’s always some benefits, even if you don’t like them.  Regardless….i try to sell for half or save and set up with older wheels, deck as a complete.

Same here. I had to retire a Dog Town Karma shaped board early because even after a month of skating it here and there it was just so cumbersome to skate that I didn't have fun with it and still felt pretty bad about not skating it. I saved it still since I liked how it looked and maybe it will go on a wall or get turned into a cruiser. To be honest it almost made me shy away from shapes for a bit.

When it comes to popsicles I've lately gone for a couple of shapes that I know I like. I have a couple of more blunt shapes on a pile if I feel like it but when changing a board I usually still feel the need to grab or buy a G053 or a deep concave HLC pop.

[Weeb_poser]

When you guys switch gear, how long are you trying it before you decide you don't like it?  Switched from ace to indy and its been two weeks and I don't know if I'm going to stay with it

I try it for three sessions unless it's something that makes me feel weird straight up then it's retired straight away. I have skated gear I was on the fence about for ages and then ultimately go back to my same set up and feel right at home.