Speed Wobbles

[HyenaChaser]

Ancient Chinese secret: play this in your head whenever you get speed wobbles and you'll make it

[Sondor]

I'm an engineering student currently doing my MA.
In this semester we had to do a teamworkproject, and there where a skateboarding related one - of course I picked that. It was related how human balancing works etc. Long story short, the teacher showed us a previous article on how they analyzed skateboarding mechanics and some of the conclusion was that going faster increasis your stability and speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

[goodatmeth]

Topic revival because here's what Pedro Delfino says in the comments on his newest video:

"all about that back leg burn. Wobbles are caused by too much weight on your front set of Trucks. To control the wobble, shift your weight entirely over your back trucks almost going into a manual. That should do the trick.. however, wobbles are inevitable even the best meet that fate. Use caution and S carve the hill."

Which kinda goes against everything said in this topic. Seems like he's wrong, but who knows better than him?

Source:

[Frank and Fred]

You'd think crouching low would help but if you look at Gerwer and the GX crew they all raise their hands above their heads when they really get cooking.

I've also heard different theories on loose vs tight trucks. Personally tightening my trucks feels safer but I'm guessing once the wobble kicks in on tight trucks its worse and even harder to re-gain control.

not going the longboard route, what set up would you ride to feel comfortable bombing hills?

[biaherl]

"all about that back leg burn. Wobbles are caused by too much weight on your front set of Trucks. To control the wobble, shift your weight entirely over your back trucks almost going into a manual. That should do the trick.. however, wobbles are inevitable even the best meet that fate. Use caution and S carve the hill."

Which kinda goes against everything said in this topic. Seems like he's wrong, but who knows better than him?

A couple of weeks ago I got speed wobbles for the first time in a while, I did the exact same thing. The control is in the back foot, make yourself heavy like Frank says but the most important is to not panic. You can really roll out of some crazy wobbles



I skate factory setting or a little looser on my trucks. The skinnier the board the more I have to loosen my trucks or even take out washers.


Bombing hills is the best warm up. I just started doing it again lately because I skate with a friend that skates way too slow, so I take him to long gradual hills with low traffic to teach him how to go fast. Hasn't worked for him yet



I don't have any preference for what board i bomb with, I avoid longboards and big wheels. The speed wobbles I got were on the new && wheels, I saw 52mm and thought no need to carve and just took the hill like Hook

[scab]

speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

I realize this post is ancient, but just imagine doing this in a real world setting. "I'm about to lose control and eat shit, better put my weight onto the front truck!"

[Chavo]

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speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

[close]

I realize this post is ancient, but just imagine doing this in a real world setting. "I'm about to lose control and eat shit, better put my weight onto the front truck!"

I've never been able to recover from speed wobbles, but there are many videos online of people (dedicated to bombing hills) doing just that by leaning forward. If you notice the stance of downhill skaters going 70+ mph down windy mountain roads, their weight is distributed as much as they can on the front truck.

[scab]

Expand Quote

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speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

[close]

I realize this post is ancient, but just imagine doing this in a real world setting. "I'm about to lose control and eat shit, better put my weight onto the front truck!"

[close]

I've never been able to recover from speed wobbles, but there are many videos online of people (dedicated to bombing hills) doing just that by leaning forward. If you notice the stance of downhill skaters going 70+ mph down windy mountain roads, their weight is distributed as much as they can on the front truck.

First of all, I didn't say it would be the wrong thing from a strict physics perspective, but your wording is confusing me a bit: Are you talking about downhill longboarders? Because I'd very much like to see them use their techniques on an 8.25 popcicle on a city street and see how they hold up.

[behavioralguide]

Imagine doubling down on your speedwobbles, leaning forward and then get pitched.

[animalflesh]

Pedro is saying that cause he rides his back truck much tighter than his front and he’s also talking about going down steep declines

I ride my back truck tighter than my front and leaning back does help… believe it or not a little speed check tail scrape ollie can sometimes help as well

But ultimately I think the best thing to do is nothing, just go noodle leg and imagine your ankles are totally relaxed like you’re not even on a skateboard… your reflexes will absorb the wobble better that way and there won’t be any weird weight shifting

[mattchew]

Not much of a hill bomber but leaning forward seems so counterintuitive to me, I always lean back.

[tzhangdox]

In my experience leaning forward does help reduce speed wobbles, but if you get pitched forward you're more fucked.

Weight over back feels less stable, but easier to bail out and slide on your butt from that position.

[behavioralguide]

I highly doubt the scientists factored in front wheelbite and I highly don't doubt they can't differentiate between a skate and longboard

[Sativa Lung]

Pedro is saying that cause he rides his back truck much tighter than his front and he’s also talking about going down steep declines

I ride my back truck tighter than my front and leaning back does help… believe it or not a little speed check tail scrape ollie can sometimes help as well

But ultimately I think the best thing to do is nothing, just go noodle leg and imagine your ankles are totally relaxed like you’re not even on a skateboard… your reflexes will absorb the wobble better that way and there won’t be any weird weight shifting

Samesies. Tight in the back loose up front. Im constantly picking my nose up and like mini mannying when I get cooking. I don't know why, but it feels more stable and I'm always paranoid about smacking a stop rock with my front wheels and getting pitched into a Gonz at the car wash imitation. I'm sure it's not the best possible way to do it but its just what feels natural to me. Smacking the front wheels back down feels like it kinda works as a speed check too, but it probably doesn't.

[Chavo]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

[close]

I realize this post is ancient, but just imagine doing this in a real world setting. "I'm about to lose control and eat shit, better put my weight onto the front truck!"

[close]

I've never been able to recover from speed wobbles, but there are many videos online of people (dedicated to bombing hills) doing just that by leaning forward. If you notice the stance of downhill skaters going 70+ mph down windy mountain roads, their weight is distributed as much as they can on the front truck.

[close]

First of all, I didn't say it would be the wrong thing from a strict physics perspective, but your wording is confusing me a bit: Are you talking about downhill longboarders? Because I'd very much like to see them use their techniques on an 8.25 popcicle on a city street and see how they hold up.

Don't know much about their setups but I borrowed a downhill setup once and mechanically it works like a normal skateboard. Despite more optimized equipment, these guys are getting speed wobbles and getting pitched like the rest of us.

[scab]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

speed wobbles can be reduced putting your weight towards the front trucks.
They got this without riding a skateboard ever

[close]

I realize this post is ancient, but just imagine doing this in a real world setting. "I'm about to lose control and eat shit, better put my weight onto the front truck!"

[close]

I've never been able to recover from speed wobbles, but there are many videos online of people (dedicated to bombing hills) doing just that by leaning forward. If you notice the stance of downhill skaters going 70+ mph down windy mountain roads, their weight is distributed as much as they can on the front truck.

[close]

First of all, I didn't say it would be the wrong thing from a strict physics perspective, but your wording is confusing me a bit: Are you talking about downhill longboarders? Because I'd very much like to see them use their techniques on an 8.25 popcicle on a city street and see how they hold up.

[close]

Don't know much about their setups but I borrowed a downhill setup once and mechanically it works like a normal skateboard. Despite more optimized equipment, these guys are getting speed wobbles and getting pitched like the rest of us.

Works like a normal skateboard meaning "consists of a plank of wood, two trucks and four wheels with bearings".



Look at the length, the width, the wheelbase, the ratio of truck size to wheel size. Are you really going to tell me that putting your weight on your front foot will feel the same on this thing as it does on a regular skateboard?

[Ray C. Usery]

Every video I've seen of a longboarder getting speed wobbles they end up smacking the ground real hard almost as if they don't even know how to skate. Idk maybe I've only seen the fails. Their boards are designed to avoid wobbles

A normal skateboard with 14 to 15 inch wheels base = back foot

You can lean down to get more speed but if you start getting wobbles in my experience you gotta get up slowly with control with most of your weight on your back foot

[Chavo]

Every video I've seen of a longboarder getting speed wobbles they end up smacking the ground real hard almost as if they don't even know how to skate. Idk maybe I've only seen the fails. Their boards are designed to avoid wobbles

A normal skateboard with 14 to 15 inch wheels base = back foot

You can lean down to get more speed but if you start getting wobbles in my experience you gotta get up slowly with control with most of your weight on your back foot

No amount of fancy equipment or leather jumpsuits can replace skill.

It makes sense to "unweight" yourself or temporarily shift back going over bumps, but that sounds insane to lean back during the onset of speed wobbles.

You can easily test your stability by going down a moderate hill on one foot, one run standing towards the front bolts, and the second run towards the back (mongo). I can initiate wobbles at moderately slow speeds leaning back, but I have way more control towards the front.