Unpopular Gear Opinion Thread 2026

[skateboarder4life]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

[JugeL]

Venture lows > highs

[Ok]

Venture lows > highs

this is so dang true

[Ok]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

and a fuck you to you

[The Huffer]

You can put Ventures on a long WB deck and Ace on a short WB deck and the universe will not implode.

[TwisT]

The graphic matters

[DNTRODDEN]

You can put Ventures on a long WB deck and Ace on a short WB deck and the universe will not implode.

DUDE!!! WTF!!!
What in the actua.....wait

That's what I do with my AF1s and T2s....LOL

[Ok]

You can put Ventures on a long WB deck and Ace on a short WB deck and the universe will not implode.

i’m a broken record, but ace only work for me on short wb

[big_kev_215]

I don’t really like wide, squared off wheels like conical fulls.  They were a fun novelty when they started getting popular like eight years ago or whatever but they do nothing to improve my skating. 

[Sandwich Marty]

I don’t really like wide, squared off wheels like conical fulls.  They were a fun novelty when they started getting popular like eight years ago or whatever but they do nothing to improve my skating.

They improve traction though. I can keep more speed with a wider riding surface I’ve noticed.

[Plan9Customs]

I don’t really like wide, squared off wheels like conical fulls.  They were a fun novelty when they started getting popular like eight years ago or whatever but they do nothing to improve my skating.

I’m with you for the most part. My caveat is, I like them for mellower curbs since I have a habit of really leaning into slaps and a mellow curb with lots of wax on the top(I’m against that completely) has gotten me bodied quite a few times. Coni fulls keep me from going over easily. Everything else, classics 100% of the time.

[Ok]

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I don’t really like wide, squared off wheels like conical fulls.  They were a fun novelty when they started getting popular like eight years ago or whatever but they do nothing to improve my skating.

[close]

I’m with you for the most part. My caveat is, I like them for mellower curbs since I have a habit of really leaning into slaps and a mellow curb with lots of wax on the top(I’m against that completely) has gotten me bodied quite a few times. Coni fulls keep me from going over easily. Everything else, classics 100% of the time.

imma agree.
i remember putting on my first conical fulls, 54s, and they felt so heavy. hated it.
i did super like a set of 52 101 conical fulls, but that was probably a one off

[Texas_Tone]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

This dude is out here using fucking carriage bolts to keep his trucks on, you sir are a goddamn enigma, don’t ever change plair

[Roisto]

This is an unpopular fact, not an opinion: increase in surface area/wheel width does not increase grip.

[The Huffer]

This is an unpopular fact, not an opinion: increase in surface area/wheel width does not increase grip.

It can in the right environment...  but there are lots of variables... It can delay the break but once sliding, wider wheels can actually be more slippery. again depends on wheel duro/ formula and what terrain...

[2b3nj14]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

personally really can't stand the look of non flush bolts

[Richard Skidder]

Expand Quote

This is an unpopular fact, not an opinion: increase in surface area/wheel width does not increase grip.

[close]

It can in the right environment...  but there are lots of variables... It can delay the break but once sliding, wider wheels can actually be more slippery. again depends on wheel duro/ formula and what terrain...

My bro science theory is that the outer edge of the wider wheel catches harder which is what’s responsible for the reluctance to initiate the slide. Sort of like wearing a shoe that is a little big and tripping on the carpet. It’s not so much about the surface area being larger but about the edge of the wheel being further out  and a bit more square.

[DNTRODDEN]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

This is an unpopular fact, not an opinion: increase in surface area/wheel width does not increase grip.

[close]

It can in the right environment...  but there are lots of variables... It can delay the break but once sliding, wider wheels can actually be more slippery. again depends on wheel duro/ formula and what terrain...

[close]

My bro science theory is that the outer edge of the wider wheel catches harder which is what’s responsible for the reluctance to initiate the slide. Sort of like wearing a shoe that is a little big and tripping on the carpet. It’s not so much about the surface area being larger but about the edge of the wheel being further out  and a bit more square.

and then, when you get it to break free...off you go

[DarkPools]

I can't stand the "classic" shapes from Spitfire and other brands, and I know a lot of people praise them for their "all around" versatility, but they feel too dainty and hard to control compared to the conical/radial/OG classic style shapes out there. I break into slides and hold grinds just fine on my conicals/og classics tbh

[Llewellyn Moss]

I can't stand the "classic" shapes from Spitfire and other brands, and I know a lot of people praise them for their "all around" versatility, but they feel too dainty and hard to control compared to the conical/radial/OG classic style shapes out there. I break into slides and hold grinds just fine on my conicals/og classics tbh

An unpopular gear opinion that in my mind is an unpopular fact

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

I can't stand the "classic" shapes from Spitfire and other brands, and I know a lot of people praise them for their "all around" versatility, but they feel too dainty and hard to control compared to the conical/radial/OG classic style shapes out there. I break into slides and hold grinds just fine on my conicals/og classics tbh

[close]

An unpopular gear opinion that in my mind is an unpopular fact

Ha yeah, brand new Classics are good for some, but I very much prefer them once they have worn down a couple of mm and widen right out in the contact patch / riding surface.

I have definitely slipped out a lot more on new thinner Classics, compared to some that are well worn, or other wider shaped wheels.

[Purplefrosty]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I can't stand the "classic" shapes from Spitfire and other brands, and I know a lot of people praise them for their "all around" versatility, but they feel too dainty and hard to control compared to the conical/radial/OG classic style shapes out there. I break into slides and hold grinds just fine on my conicals/og classics tbh

[close]

An unpopular gear opinion that in my mind is an unpopular fact

[close]

Ha yeah, brand new Classics are good for some, but I very much prefer them once they have worn down a couple of mm and widen right out in the contact patch / riding surface.

I have definitely slipped out a lot more on new thinner Classics, compared to some that are well worn, or other wider shaped wheels.

This. I just switched from classic 99s to radial full 97,and now I want 99a in the same shape,just to slizz around more

[dr.prestige]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

[img width =100]https://i.ibb.co/7xTbWc0V/1000029644.jpg[/img]

Nah I’m bound to boardslide the threads off the side of one or two of them and then I’ve ruined some hardware. Also if I go for a nosegrab I could scratch my fingers on those. I’m team flush bolts for life

Venture lows > highs

Hell yeah

[Jort250]

Is there an advantage to running 1” hardware over 7/8”? I’ve wonder this for a while

Mine is that I love woodgrain graphics. They’re just a tiny bit lighter via less paint and I love how they look when they wear down

[Sandwich Marty]

Is there an advantage to running 1” hardware over 7/8”? I’ve wonder this for a while

Mine is that I love woodgrain graphics. They’re just a tiny bit lighter via less paint and I love how they look when they wear down

Omg those trucks🫦 pure groove porn

[Mbrimson88]

Is there an advantage to running 1” hardware over 7/8”? I’ve wonder this for a while

For some people who might not want to tighten up their bolts so the head is flush with or sunk into the deck, 7/8" bolts are going to be too short, especially with regular nuts on cast baseplates, so they will need 1" bolts in that sort of situation, eg I had a guy who kept losing nuts and a bolt or two in a session after setting up his new board, but he didn't want to tighten things down enough that they actually stayed done up.  Swapped in 1" bolts for him and things worked, even though he didn't want to use them because he said they were too long...  Go figure.

Any 7/8" bolts with either low head nuts on cast baseplates, or regular nuts with forged baseplates, or even for some bolt brands that use smaller heads, it is a lot easier getting things done up nicely without over doing it and everything stays tight, otherwise I would always be using 7/8" over 1" bolts, when and where I can.

Having that extra 1/4" of the bolt sitting up can be a pain, as per comments above.

[DarkPools]

I swear by 1" bolts for nearly all my set ups. I like the 7/8" flush approach, but too many times growing up bolts being too short  would unscrew themselves and I'd be down 1 to 2 bolts unexpectedly while out skating :/

I'll take 1" Phillips so I don't deal with that anymore. I also skate Indys, so either 53.5mm or 55mm height baseplates means the 1" fit both quite well

[Sila]

The graphic matters

Skateboarding is very psychological so if I'm riding a board with a graphic I'm not 100% down with it definitely nags away at me.

[somethingmustbreaknow]

Everyone knows what I'll say about shoes so here's a new one. About 1/4" of bolt extending past the nut on the bottom of your deck is ideal. Flush is not good

damn, you definitely won't lose your nut or your bolt this way anytime soon. or your truck for that matter

[scab]

Ventures have an excellent turn if you know how to leverage it.