Unpopular Gear Opinion Thread 2025

[moonordie]

Wheelbases over 14.5 and lengths over 32.25 are pointless for 95% of skaters.

This is supposed to be unpopular man, preaching facts in here.

[back smith]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[skatefresh]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

The last set I had was a pair of 147s in 2020. They felt unstable, squirrely and twitchy in a bad way. I lost a bunch of flip tricks and just hated how they felt. I used to like them when I was younger since they’re lower than Indys, but Ventures are more forgiving and turn more similar to Indys. Hell, I’m gonna get flamed for this, but after running several sets of Indys over the years, I think Venture highs actually turn better. The stage 4 remakes like Ace probably turn great, but when Indy switched to stage 11 and made them 55mm tall, I quit riding them. I loved stage 10s.

[Rick Trapasso]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

The last set I had was a pair of 147s in 2020. They felt unstable, squirrely and twitchy in a bad way. I lost a bunch of flip tricks and just hated how they felt. I used to like them when I was younger since they’re lower than Indys, but Ventures are more forgiving and turn more similar to Indys. Hell, I’m gonna get flamed for this, but after running several sets of Indys over the years, I think Venture highs actually turn better. The stage 4 remakes like Ace probably turn great, but when Indy switched to stage 11 and made them 55mm tall, I quit riding them. I loved stage 10s.

Wow, those are some seriously unpopular takes.

Gnar'd

[back smith]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[close]

Im currently in truck madness purgatory and have swapped between Indy Thunder and Ace about 10 times over the last few months so if anyone reading this can send help I’m lowkey drowning in a lake of indecision 🫠 But I have gained a fair amount of insight into how these trucks behave and compare to each other. It’s ruined my consistency though. For science!

Interesting, for me Thunders turn just fine. Too loose they're even a bit squirrelly.

Anyway, obviously the solution to your issue is to try Ventures.

[JM]

Josl1n will single handedly turnaround Lakai’s reputation with his soon to be released Pro shoe that looks suspiciously like his old shoe, but with a bubble.

[skatefresh]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[close]

Im currently in truck madness purgatory and have swapped between Indy Thunder and Ace about 10 times over the last few months so if anyone reading this can send help I’m lowkey drowning in a lake of indecision 🫠 But I have gained a fair amount of insight into how these trucks behave and compare to each other. It’s ruined my consistency though. For science!

[close]

Interesting, for me Thunders turn just fine. Too loose they're even a bit squirrelly.

Anyway, obviously the solution to your issue is to try Ventures.

AWAKE 

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

Unpopular here…popular everywhere else…..Indy is the correct answer……everything else is personal preference….

[BeachChicken]

You get used to the turn you have. Fine tune it with bushings if you care. It's all different arcs. For me I hate Venture at the end of the arc, but like it up top. Indy gives me the opposite problems if I don't swap bushings

[Creachteach]

Kinda wanna try the NHS birch construction decks, "7 ply northern birch hardwood deck pressed using specially designed crosslinked glue - creating a responsive and durable deck at an affordable price".

I would really like for everyone to not buy birch boards, because then if they’re not getting sold, they’ll stop making them.

But I’d like all manufacturers to support some sort of regrowth program, so we can keep the maple coming, and not destroy the environment.

[back smith]

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Kinda wanna try the NHS birch construction decks, "7 ply northern birch hardwood deck pressed using specially designed crosslinked glue - creating a responsive and durable deck at an affordable price".

[close]

I would really like for everyone to not buy birch boards, because then if they’re not getting sold, they’ll stop making them.

But I’d like all manufacturers to support some sort of regrowth program, so we can keep the maple coming, and not destroy the environment.

But they say they've got the space age glue that makes birch good for decks..

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

Do they even use glue in space?

[Steely Daniel]

It's made out of space horse hooves or it's some kind of epoxy more likely.

[Sloppy Krooks]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[close]

Im currently in truck madness purgatory and have swapped between Indy Thunder and Ace about 10 times over the last few months so if anyone reading this can send help I’m lowkey drowning in a lake of indecision 🫠 But I have gained a fair amount of insight into how these trucks behave and compare to each other. It’s ruined my consistency though. For science!

Slappy.

[Xen]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[close]

Im currently in truck madness purgatory and have swapped between Indy Thunder and Ace about 10 times over the last few months so if anyone reading this can send help I’m lowkey drowning in a lake of indecision 🫠 But I have gained a fair amount of insight into how these trucks behave and compare to each other. It’s ruined my consistency though. For science!

[close]

Slappy.

+1 (even tho I'm swapping off them for the T2s when they drop).

[BeachChicken]

Looking forward to buying lightly used sets of T2 about 4 weeks after drop when people realize they're not going to dramatically change their skating or skate like older Thunders.

[Skate_woebegone]

Rictas are good wheels, they just make an awful sound when they slide.

[Pavement Diver]

Rictas are good wheels, they just make an awful sound when they slide.

If I had more tolerance for predictably regrettable decisions, I'd try some crystal cores. Just not worth the hassle of swapping out bearings.

[Unkle Fleak]

The best bones wheels are clear and hard as fuck

[Lessfillingtastegreat]

Dude. I feel you on this one.  I have some 56mm v5 cut cleats that are 101b or some shit. Damn they are fast

[JugeL]

Thunders are for YouTubers.

Best take yet

[RichardBarkley]

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Thunders suck. They don’t turn, they just lean and then wheelbite immediately. Venture highs do everything Thunders do, but 10x better. I don't get the popularity.

[close]

Depends on how much you weigh, how you skate and how much you actually expect them to turn. You can’t do a surfy u turn on thunders but if you’re skating a plaza doing lines or a manual pad /ledge they do fine. They also pinch well and a lot of people like them for their stability.

[close]

When's the last time you rode Thunders?

I've got some Thunder Fours from like 1998 and the description could kinda fit them, but it might be because the bushings are 30 years old.

[close]

Im currently in truck madness purgatory and have swapped between Indy Thunder and Ace about 10 times over the last few months so if anyone reading this can send help I’m lowkey drowning in a lake of indecision 🫠 But I have gained a fair amount of insight into how these trucks behave and compare to each other. It’s ruined my consistency though. For science!

[close]

Slappy.

[close]

+1 (even tho I'm swapping off them for the T2s when they drop).

Forgot about them when they dropping

[BeachChicken]

Vague date of "June". Thunder pros are on and off them it seems and many have never heard of them lol. A local shop employee was a tester and doesn't know. He rode Indy his entire life and compared them to an Indy. FFS they're only 1mm shorter, but 100 metric units uglier. I'll still try and re-sell them.

[Scab Picker]

Some shoe companies should use different size lace lengths for different size ranges. It’s very rare that I get laces that are of reasonable length. In the 2000s, I used to get ridiculously long laces that would be too much for even size 13 shoes. At least, those could be cut. Now, I’m getting laces that might be ideal for small sizes. Why are there 7 eyelets if I can only lace 5 with the provided laces?

[WoodRat]

Some shoe companies should use different size lace lengths for different size ranges. It’s very rare that I get laces that are of reasonable length. In the 2000s, I used to get ridiculously long laces that would be too much for even size 13 shoes. At least, those could be cut. Now, I’m getting laces that might be ideal for small sizes. Why are there 7 eyelets if I can only lace 5 with the provided laces?

This

[disclosed]

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Some shoe companies should use different size lace lengths for different size ranges. It’s very rare that I get laces that are of reasonable length. In the 2000s, I used to get ridiculously long laces that would be too much for even size 13 shoes. At least, those could be cut. Now, I’m getting laces that might be ideal for small sizes. Why are there 7 eyelets if I can only lace 5 with the provided laces?

[close]

This

not unpopulair

[ToriNoFuji]

I’m not going to buy US brands anymore because high prices and BBS is owned by a MAGA cultist.

[kickbacktail]

This is likely a very unpopular opinion given how much I see it here, but using the term “quiver” when referring to skate gear is really lame. I get what it means and I’m sure the first time I heard it I thought it was clever. But honestly when I see it now I can’t help but picture a fat dude at a computer with 7 pristine setups behind him

[Too Frank To Fred]

But honestly when I see it now I can’t help but picture a fat dude at a computer with 7 pristine setups behind him

Literally me, right now. 

[Obijuan91]

I’m not going to buy US brands anymore because high prices and BBS is owned by a MAGA cultist.

Looks like hlc it is then, been wanting to try Roger’s new shapes