Unpopular Gear Opinion Thread 2026

[roba]

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

i agree but to unlock their full potential you'll need a flat washer for the top

[scab]

Expand Quote

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

[close]

i agree but to unlock their full potential you'll need a flat washer for the top

Being fat also does the trick but I agree a flat washer is preferable.

[SwitchBenihana]

A truck doesn't have excellent turn if you have to modify it much beyond tightening/loosening or a set of bushings made by the same manufacturer. If people are putting Ace bushings in a Thunder, for example, they don't actually like Thunders at that point since they're configuring the truck significantly different than it was designed.

[Benicio El Toro]

Would like to hear more about this leverage you speak of

Do you have to swap bushings?

How loose are you running?

Mother's maiden name?

[Mbrimson88]

Would like to hear more about this leverage you speak of

Do you have to swap bushings?

How loose are you running?

Mother's maiden name?

Unpopular opinion on Ventures, but I can make them turn as much as I want, which is a lot more than how they might turn for anyone else, but I have to shorten the wheelbase to about 14" or less and heavily modify the bushings to get it that way.

The funny thing with modifying a set of Ventures to have them just how I would have other trucks, without adding in any other parts, but heavily modifying the existing parts, like this:

1. Cut the bottom 1 mm from the top bushing, then put the cut off bit under the hanger with the bottom bushing to bring the hanger up so it can turn more.
2. Machine the top washer to almost flat, or so there is very little overhang of the usual washer that sits round the bushing.
3. Machine down the kingpin nut, taking a mm off the bottom of it, so the nut still has the nyloc and regular top, but is way lower / thinner (also not going too hard on it, so it doesn't melt the nyloc either)
4. Reassemble everything with kingpin nut flush and skate.

I usually have to add wheel wells to the deck, otherwise I get too much wheelbite from the amount of turn, more so that adding risers of any height.

Depending on the deck dimensions, maybe even redrill the deck or the baseplate holes to bring the trucks in a bit as well, but quite often the V8 baseplates are a little too much for each.


This could just as easily go in the madness or even the Venture thread, but this much work is usually way too much for anyone else to think about, let alone messing things up at any stage, but I just did another set of Ventures yesterday that took all up less than half an hour from taking apart to putting on a board, so with a little know how and practice, it is not too difficult.

[DNTRODDEN]

A truck doesn't have excellent turn if you have to modify it much beyond tightening/loosening or a set of bushings made by the same manufacturer. If people are putting Ace bushings in a Thunder, for example, they don't actually like Thunders at that point since they're configuring the truck significantly different than it was designed.

I guess this will be unpopular, but I swap bushings and washers in almost every truck I ride; I buy trucks for wheelbase not turn, so that might be what makes this unpopular, but not sure. T2s and AF1 work for me, but I cant ride Thunder bushings, and I can but don't like to ride Ace bushings, they just feel dead to me, so they all get switched.

[rikki]

Ventures turn well enough stock.

With a flat top washer, they turn almost too much. For me at least. Maybe for a loose truck person it's just right.

Anyway, there's no other tinkering needed. Just the flat top washer works miracles.

[scab]

Ventures turn well enough stock.

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

[DNTRODDEN]

Expand Quote

Ventures turn well enough stock.

[close]

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

PREACH!!!

[rikki]

Expand Quote

Ventures turn well enough stock.

[close]

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

Yes, I totally agree with your original post (and this one as well). I was rather referring to the somewhat excessive tinkering some people seem to think they have to endure to make Ventures do what they want to do.

I mean, let's put it this way. If one has to frankentruck their Ventures to the ridiculous maxx, why ride them in the first place? They're VENTURES. They're not supposed to turn like Ace. I skate Ventures for what they are, not for what I wish they would be.

[Llewellyn Moss]

Expand Quote

Would like to hear more about this leverage you speak of

Do you have to swap bushings?

How loose are you running?

Mother's maiden name?

[close]

Unpopular opinion on Ventures, but I can make them turn as much as I want, which is a lot more than how they might turn for anyone else, but I have to shorten the wheelbase to about 14" or less and heavily modify the bushings to get it that way.

The funny thing with modifying a set of Ventures to have them just how I would have other trucks, without adding in any other parts, but heavily modifying the existing parts, like this:

1. Cut the bottom 1 mm from the top bushing, then put the cut off bit under the hanger with the bottom bushing to bring the hanger up so it can turn more.
2. Machine the top washer to almost flat, or so there is very little overhang of the usual washer that sits round the bushing.
3. Machine down the kingpin nut, taking a mm off the bottom of it, so the nut still has the nyloc and regular top, but is way lower / thinner (also not going too hard on it, so it doesn't melt the nyloc either)
4. Reassemble everything with kingpin nut flush and skate.

I usually have to add wheel wells to the deck, otherwise I get too much wheelbite from the amount of turn, more so that adding risers of any height.

Depending on the deck dimensions, maybe even redrill the deck or the baseplate holes to bring the trucks in a bit as well, but quite often the V8 baseplates are a little too much for each.


This could just as easily go in the madness or even the Venture thread, but this much work is usually way too much for anyone else to think about, let alone messing things up at any stage, but I just did another set of Ventures yesterday that took all up less than half an hour from taking apart to putting on a board, so with a little know how and practice, it is not too difficult.

Bro over here re-engineering trucks.

Am curious though, after all that work (more so in the initial tinkering stages on the first set you did this), do they resemble a different brand truck?

[DNTRODDEN]

I think the question is does it resemble a truck he wants/likes to ride. I think there is way more to a truck than just how it turns, I could never ride a Lurpiv, looks like ass, might be the best geo for me and my style, but it is still a hard pass.

[Urtripping]

NB# shoes are all very ugly

[Benicio El Toro]

^agreed and overpowering visually

Thanks for the venture responses

[dumbfuck]

i have skated ace classics, af1, venture v lights, regular thunders, indy stage 11, slappys, and lurpivs and they all fuckin suck completely and are all terrible compared to stage 10 indy

second best is slappy if u dont mind the humiliation  of people at the park noticing you purchased a product that says slappy on it but i do mind that

lurpivs are the worst trucks of them all followed by venture v light u cant even get a normal skate tool on your hardware w ventures and they wheel bite before they turn and the pinch sucks

the metal sounds good when it grinds thats the only positive thing i can say about them also you cant invert the kingpins, terrible

[SwitchBenihana]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Ventures turn well enough stock.

[close]

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

[close]

PREACH!!!

I'm sorta in the middle: I want stability but I also like carving into things to adjust trajectory or scrub speed.

[Sandwich Marty]

i have skated ace classics, af1, venture v lights, regular thunders, indy stage 11, slappys, and lurpivs and they all fuckin suck completely and are all terrible compared to stage 10 indy

second best is slappy if u dont mind the humiliation  of people at the park noticing you purchased a product that says slappy on it but i do mind that

lurpivs are the worst trucks of them all followed by venture v light u cant even get a normal skate tool on your hardware w ventures and they wheel bite before they turn and the pinch sucks

the metal sounds good when it grinds thats the only positive thing i can say about them also you cant invert the kingpins, terrible

You’re just burnt out if you think all of those trucks “fuckin suck” also, the people at your local skatepark don’t give a shit about your setup.

[lamfordie]

Fp insoles are the best

[Chalupa]

Expand Quote

i have skated ace classics, af1, venture v lights, regular thunders, indy stage 11, slappys, and lurpivs and they all fuckin suck completely and are all terrible compared to stage 10 indy

second best is slappy if u dont mind the humiliation  of people at the park noticing you purchased a product that says slappy on it but i do mind that

lurpivs are the worst trucks of them all followed by venture v light u cant even get a normal skate tool on your hardware w ventures and they wheel bite before they turn and the pinch sucks

the metal sounds good when it grinds thats the only positive thing i can say about them also you cant invert the kingpins, terrible

[close]

You’re just burnt out if you think all of those trucks “fuckin suck” also, the people at your local skatepark don’t give a shit about your setup.

Their username checks out.

[kintetsubuffaloes]

NB# shoes are all very ugly

I could not be more apathetic to NB# and their bulbous silhouettes

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Ventures turn well enough stock.

[close]

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

[close]

Yes, I totally agree with your original post (and this one as well). I was rather referring to the somewhat excessive tinkering some people seem to think they have to endure to make Ventures do what they want to do.

I mean, let's put it this way. If one has to frankentruck their Ventures to the ridiculous maxx, why ride them in the first place? They're VENTURES. They're not supposed to turn like Ace. I skate Ventures for what they are, not for what I wish they would be.

Bro over here re-engineering trucks.

Am curious though, after all that work (more so in the initial tinkering stages on the first set you did this), do they resemble a different brand truck?

I guess the answer to all these questions or comments, is more so "Because I can" rather than anything else really.

Quite simply I enjoy messing with stuff and with all the talk on here (from others maybe more so than current reply) that Ventures don't turn (enough) I had a number of trade in sets I could play with and see what is going on and then see if I can set up a pair of Venture trucks on a board I would usually skate on my mini ramp and not really notice a difference.

End result - yes I can.  Would it be more beneficial to do this for all Ventures - absolutely not, as they are an amazing truck all on their own, perform great, allow people to turn enough (as mentioned) while still being stable and effective, have both low and hi options, have the V8 standard baseplate, etc.

Also the test of not actually changing in or out anything from the stock set was a good challenge too, because for all the people who have to swap in harder bushings, or other things, this also shows that the trucks can be modified completely from the existing parts they come with.

Do they feel like a different truck, no not really.  They still skate like a Venture, just now with shorter wheelbase and more turn than what they did before, but I do have one board completely stock untouched which is a base reference for how Ventures do feel as well, which I use for comparison.


Anyway, it is the Unpopular Gear Opinion thread, which is also why I had posted the previous info in here, more so than the Venture thread, or even the Gear Madness thread, so this might be the best place for it.

Are Ventures my main truck - no.

Are Ventures now on boards I can and do skate regularly - yes.

Did I enjoy being able to do this - most definitely.


I don't ever claim to be anything more than just a guy who has a small skate shop and still skates regularly on my own terms, but also spends time exploring the different products and having that as a positive creative outlet over any number of other things, especially other negative things that I try to stay away from as I get older.

This place also helps a fair bit there too, from basic interactions to interesting (harmless) arguments about things, but at the end of the day, anything to do with skateboards and I am in.

[nopopnostyle]

To me, the tinkering is almost as calming as the actual act of skating.

And can sometimes be a motivation to go skate on days I otherwise wouldn’t have gone.

To me it’s basically the same pattern of creative process.
Thinking about something and then making it reality.

I also enjoy talking, writing and reading about it.

To me it’s just an extension of my „skate-brain“ and another way to satisfy my skate related desires.

I can also totally understand how someone doesn’t get or have this urge at all. I can even relate to the sentiment that this talking about tinkering can be weird to people but I‘m a live and let live kind of guy and wouldn’t tell these people that it is weird to me not to feel that way.

So I guess everyone is different and that’s a good thing.

[Slayer666]

Changing anything about ur trucks will make them turn worse flat washers or whatever tf stock is best. Put one already broken in indy barrel in ur ventures to make them work 1000x better

[scab]

To me, the tinkering is almost as calming as the actual act of skating.

And can sometimes be a motivation to go skate on days I otherwise wouldn’t have gone.

To me it’s basically the same pattern of creative process.
Thinking about something and then making it reality.

I also enjoy talking, writing and reading about it.

To me it’s just an extension of my „skate-brain“ and another way to satisfy my skate related desires.

I can also totally understand how someone doesn’t get or have this urge at all. I can even relate to the sentiment that this talking about tinkering can be weird to people but I‘m a live and let live kind of guy and wouldn’t tell these people that it is weird to me not to feel that way.

So I guess everyone is different and that’s a good thing.

Well said.

[roba]

Changing anything about ur trucks will make them turn worse flat washers or whatever tf stock is best. Put one already broken in indy barrel in ur ventures to make them work 1000x better

lol so which one is better, stock or indy barrel?

[dumbfuck]

follow up unpopular opinion

heavy metal punk rock shop patch vest fs slash grind slappy curb men pouring beer into their increasingly large guts has made skateboarding even more embarrassing than it already was

john lucero is cool because he is a fat pig who is still highly skilled and coordinated and his hairball bizarro tricks are mostly cool because he executes them w elegance and grace

old men larping as lucero is the new mid twinks larping as dylan, it's pathetic and delusional

fat guys ur not lucero u actually suck

mid twinks ur not hot and ur impossibles dont wrap and ur ego sickens me

pretending to be someone else is the opposite of being yourself

[SwitchBenihana]

At this age I'm happy to be a mid twink vs just a standard twink and that I still have impossibles at all.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

I hate classic shaped wheels

That is all

[HyperBeam]

Expand Quote

Ventures turn well enough stock.

[close]

That was the sentiment of my original post. I'm an ogre. I don't actually want to be able to u-turn on a dime. I want trucks that keep my board on a somewhat stable trajectory while I frantically try to set up my feet for the trick I've been trying for the last hour. If my trucks respond to the slightest movement I won't even make it to the ledge.

i'm with this. turnmaxxing trucks are not as fun as people claim. more fun to be able to approach obstacles and have balance and board control.

[Toadfish Rebecchi]

NB# shoes are all very ugly

100% agree with this. Having a giant N, or any letter, on the side of your foot is bizarre to me.