Wheelbase Questions

[dakara]

Expand Quote

I’m trying to figure out what to do for my next setup and am kind of confused as different people seem to say wheelbase does different things.

I currently ride a 8x31.75 with approx 14.25 wheelbase, 2-3 fingers of flat and pretty mellow kicks and concave. The wb and fingers of flat are rough measurements as I only have an old shitty rubber tape measure and my fingers are very slender. My trucks are Indy stage 9 129 and my wheels are 54mm ff tablets. I am 5’7 with proportional legs and size 7.5 feet.

The main thing I don’t like with this setup is the pop is very unexplosive and I often get ghost pop particularly on kick flips. The second thing is i get unstable and veer off severely when setting up for kick flips and tres. Both of these have a lot to do with my ability, but particularly with the pop I’ve never had any problem snapping high, floaty ollies but with this setup the pop feels so anemic and I can barely clear 2 decks even if I really fucking go for it. My style is mostly street but not very tech, I mostly do board slides, simple grinds, 180s and kick flips while cruising around Tokyo, and I also love jumping down stuff and natural tranny.

Where I’m confused is according to Ben degros, a longer wheelbase means more explosive pop. But others say that shorter wheelbase helps you get more pop and higher ollies since the angle of the board is more steep, and longer wheelbase or a deck that hits quicker is better for long ollies.

With my poor understanding of wheelbase effects besides my intuitive understanding of my skateboard as a lever, I’m thinking of going with a 8.2-8.4 deck that’s not too long, with a slightly longer wheelbase than 14.25 and steeper shape(if I can even find such a thing at my tiny local) paired with 149 indys. My thinking is I like the feel and turn of indies, so extend deck instead of going with thunder or venture, and the wider trucks will help with stability when setting up and especially with getting into grinds which I prize much more heavily than tech flip stuff. The extended wheelbase should give me snappier pop, but the more aggressive shape will give me higher ollies.

Is my logic sound or am I way off? What would you guys recommend for what I’m looking for? I don’t have many skate buddies and the ones I do have are tech junkies who skate tiny decks so I can’t really try out different shit.

[close]

Interesting questions, and I do not have answers! Looking forward to seeing what others say.

129s, on an 8”....129s, are to me, and very difficult truck: they are tall and narrow. Narrow trucks turn quicker/more sharply (I think. This is why slalom boards narrow). Your trucks are are .4” less than your board, creating more leverag for turning. A wider truck, or smaller board to truck ratio, could yield more stability.

The deck shape and truck combo may be affecting your pop. I’ve heard that flatter boards, more fingers of flat, not good with Indy. I had one super flat Bianca board when they started (ps stix) and the pop with Indy’s, on 3flips, was the best ever for me, but I’ve heard enough people say this that it makes sense.

Wider trucks can help with setup, but they are heavier/slower turn/slower flip.

You already have a good wheel size for pop imo.

The wheelbase stuff I’m interested in hearing someone chime in on.

Ya I got back into skating about a year ago and the trucks were salvaged off of my cousins board which is probably a decade old that I found at my parents house. Previously my wheels were rictas worn to 46mm from the same ancient setup and the pop was nonexistent. I’m planning on getting wide trucks regardless and am pretty set on indies as I like the turn, and aces seem to have qc problems. I am just confused as to what to do I terms of wheelbase, length, kick angle, finger of flat combination.

[franquietits]

I’m trying to figure out what to do for my next setup and am kind of confused as different people seem to say wheelbase does different things.

I currently ride a 8x31.75 with approx 14.25 wheelbase, 2-3 fingers of flat and pretty mellow kicks and concave. The wb and fingers of flat are rough measurements as I only have an old shitty rubber tape measure and my fingers are very slender. My trucks are Indy stage 9 129 and my wheels are 54mm ff tablets. I am 5’7 with proportional legs and size 7.5 feet.

The main thing I don’t like with this setup is the pop is very unexplosive and I often get ghost pop particularly on kick flips. The second thing is i get unstable and veer off severely when setting up for kick flips and tres. Both of these have a lot to do with my ability, but particularly with the pop I’ve never had any problem snapping high, floaty ollies but with this setup the pop feels so anemic and I can barely clear 2 decks even if I really fucking go for it. My style is mostly street but not very tech, I mostly do board slides, simple grinds, 180s and kick flips while cruising around Tokyo, and I also love jumping down stuff and natural tranny.

Where I’m confused is according to Ben degros, a longer wheelbase means more explosive pop. But others say that shorter wheelbase helps you get more pop and higher ollies since the angle of the board is more steep, and longer wheelbase or a deck that hits quicker is better for long ollies.

With my poor understanding of wheelbase effects besides my intuitive understanding of my skateboard as a lever, I’m thinking of going with a 8.2-8.4 deck that’s not too long, with a slightly longer wheelbase than 14.25 and steeper shape(if I can even find such a thing at my tiny local) paired with 149 indys. My thinking is I like the feel and turn of indies, so extend deck instead of going with thunder or venture, and the wider trucks will help with stability when setting up and especially with getting into grinds which I prize much more heavily than tech flip stuff. The extended wheelbase should give me snappier pop, but the more aggressive shape will give me higher ollies.

Is my logic sound or am I way off? What would you guys recommend for what I’m looking for? I don’t have many skate buddies and the ones I do have are tech junkies who skate tiny decks so I can’t really try out different shit.

I'm definitely no teacher, but I'll try.

For me, wheelbase is about "stability" vs. "finesse" in that a longer wheelbase gives you a more stable ride, yet requires more loading power (pop) to get flip tricks off. A lot of vert and tranny skaters use longer wheelbases for the stability factor and leg room (14.5"-15"). However, if you have a shorter wheelbase it becomes easier to pull of flip tricks because its less length/less power you have to work with (13.75"-14.25"). Also, personal physical attributes can influence what wb you choose (eg: if you have longer legs, choosing a deck with a smaller wheelbase may cause you to feel cramped in).

Technically, a longer wheelbase can give you more pop, because it requires you to push down on your tail harder, but it's also dependent on other factors at play. To me, it sounds like your struggling to find the proper point of leverage that works for you, and that is dependent on the trucks you pair with the deck. This is where the truck axle placement works as a fulcrum point on your board:



So, if you your using a pair of trucks that places the axle farther in towards the center of the deck whilst having a longer tail/more fingers of flat, than the more time it'll take for the tail to hit the ground (Edit: whups, I meant to say the tail hits the ground faster, the nose teeters into the air at a lower angle)  resulting in less yield of pop. If you have trucks that place the axle farther our towards the end of the nose and tail, than the fulcrum point will yield way more pop.
This sounds like the problem that you're having, so I would say if you want more pop to your ride and still want to use the same deck, than switch to trucks that place you axle out farther towards the ends of your board. It should take care of the problem. Or, if you can just switch to a deck with shorter fingers of flat  and keep the same trucks. It's all about finding that "goldilocks zone".

Other factors such as wheel size and kick steepness also matter, because it alters the degree of leverage and how much time it takes for the tail to hit the ground, but for me I worry least/last about those and more about finding the right truck/deck combo that works for you. I try to base everything around the deck I choose to ride. If I get a deck with short finger space, then I know its gonna feel better with trucks that place the axle more towards the center of the board.

or just listen to the master:

[franquietits]

Damn, this ones good too.

[rocklobster]

I’m trying to figure out what to do for my next setup and am kind of confused as different people seem to say wheelbase does different things.

I currently ride a 8x31.75 with approx 14.25 wheelbase, 2-3 fingers of flat and pretty mellow kicks and concave. The wb and fingers of flat are rough measurements as I only have an old shitty rubber tape measure and my fingers are very slender. My trucks are Indy stage 9 129 and my wheels are 54mm ff tablets. I am 5’7 with proportional legs and size 7.5 feet.

The main thing I don’t like with this setup is the pop is very unexplosive and I often get ghost pop particularly on kick flips. The second thing is i get unstable and veer off severely when setting up for kick flips and tres. Both of these have a lot to do with my ability, but particularly with the pop I’ve never had any problem snapping high, floaty ollies but with this setup the pop feels so anemic and I can barely clear 2 decks even if I really fucking go for it. My style is mostly street but not very tech, I mostly do board slides, simple grinds, 180s and kick flips while cruising around Tokyo, and I also love jumping down stuff and natural tranny.

Where I’m confused is according to Ben degros, a longer wheelbase means more explosive pop. But others say that shorter wheelbase helps you get more pop and higher ollies since the angle of the board is more steep, and longer wheelbase or a deck that hits quicker is better for long ollies.

With my poor understanding of wheelbase effects besides my intuitive understanding of my skateboard as a lever, I’m thinking of going with a 8.2-8.4 deck that’s not too long, with a slightly longer wheelbase than 14.25 and steeper shape(if I can even find such a thing at my tiny local) paired with 149 indys. My thinking is I like the feel and turn of indies, so extend deck instead of going with thunder or venture, and the wider trucks will help with stability when setting up and especially with getting into grinds which I prize much more heavily than tech flip stuff. The extended wheelbase should give me snappier pop, but the more aggressive shape will give me higher ollies.

Is my logic sound or am I way off? What would you guys recommend for what I’m looking for? I don’t have many skate buddies and the ones I do have are tech junkies who skate tiny decks so I can’t really try out different shit.

Hey brother, I was going through the exact same problem a couple of months ago. I was riding a Jart 7.75 x 31.2 x 14.25 with Venture 5.0 Lows and was having a shitty time. I was never great at kickflips but this setup was driving me crazy because even on regular ollies my board wasn't coming up anywhere to where I was jumping, like I was floating way above the board when I popped.  I didn't matter that the board was listed as having very steep concave, I just couldn't get the pop I wanted.

Experimented with a few setups and trucks and am pretty satisfied with an 8 x 32 x 14 board with Thunder 147, also enjoyed a 8.06 x 31.91 x 14.44 with Thunder 148. I've tried Indy 139 with the 8.06 setup but with Thunders the pop was everything I was looking for. It probably varies from person to person but my ideal Axle to Axle WB is somewhere between 17.32 to 17.5.

Board length also factors in too. A shorter board and longer WB will give you a very short nose and tail.

WB and finding a matching truck is the most important thing that can make or break a setup. "Trucks are the life of the setup" is was one of the comments on Ben Degros' videos and I've found that to be really true.

My take would be to:
1) Analyze your setup during the session. What do you mean when you say the pop feel anemic? Does the board feel floppy like you're jumping way higher than you're popping? Or does the nose feel too light and uncontrollable?My board felt too light when I swapped from Thunders to Indys and couldn't control my ollie up ledges.

2) Before making adjustments to board width, try a pair of Thunders if a friend has them or buy a pair. I feel they are the same middle ground truck. In terms of extending wheelbase, it goes from longest to shortest, Venture, Thunder, Indys & Ace. I feel Venture and Ace have a specific use case, so most riders should find Thunder or Indys a good fit for most boards. I'm roughly around the same height and feel the 147 or 148 is a good versatile truck that can be ridden from 7.75 all the way to 8.5.

3) Consider swapping to a smaller wheel size after you find your trucks. The couple of millimeters of height can tune the pop that last bit to get the setup right. Or try riser pads if you got a pair.  I feel getting the WB and truck combination is the most critical, followed by truck height.

4) Get used to riding your truck loose: probably an old wives tale but a guy I met at the park who skated really hard and fast recommended loosening my trucks by 1/2 to 1 turn. Yes you turn more easily but it allows for more give and leeway when you pop or land tricks.

Welcome to the gear madness.

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

Yeah, I'd say get in 52mm wheels, and get a set of regular thunders....or ventures I guess....

[dakara]

Everyone thanks a ton for the advice! So with reading your posts, I should lengthen my wheelbase a bit and go with a deck with less fingers of flat, correct? I’m pretty set on indies, I ride them and like them , and as I cruise around a lot and use my board for transport and also want to start riding bowls, so I’ll probably look for extending my wheelbase with my deck. I was considering aces but I’ve heard too much stuff about qc issues and I’m not sure I’d like how “twitchy” people say they are.

Rock lobster in regards to what my pop feels like, your description of the board not coming up is accurate. It also just feels very unexplosive when my tail hits the ground, like once it hits it just kind of stays there before I slide my front foot up

[munchbox]

Everyone thanks a ton for the advice! So with reading your posts, I should lengthen my wheelbase a bit and go with a deck with less fingers of flat, correct? I’m pretty set on indies, I ride them and like them , and as I cruise around a lot and use my board for transport and also want to start riding bowls, so I’ll probably look for extending my wheelbase with my deck. I was considering aces but I’ve heard too much stuff about qc issues and I’m not sure I’d like how “twitchy” people say they are.

thats not what they said at all lol

[oldbummer]

Sometimes I think the whole levarage triangle angle stuff is all bullshit.  The underlying thing you are trying to do is jump.  If you can do that easier with a wider stance then the rest of it won't matter.

Theoretically a shorter wheelbase will be more responsive, but are you really being limited by that, or would the extra stability of wider stance help you more?

[munchbox]

Sometimes I think the whole levarage triangle angle stuff is all bullshit.  The underlying thing you are trying to do is jump.  If you can do that easier with a wider stance then the rest of it won't matter.

Theoretically a shorter wheelbase will be more responsive, but are you really being limited by that, or would the extra stability of wider stance help you more?

i personally think its good to take it to the limit of its responsiveness if that makes any sense. have the wb be wide enough where you have a stance you can work with and not much more than that. really helps with ease and control of pop and leveling tricks out naturally. finding your perfect wb is one of the most important things you could do with your setups.

for me that is 14.5. anything below that and it feels like skating with shackles. 14.75 is workable, but takes more effort to maneuver. 15 inch wb sessions can only have a short period of seriousness due to the herculean effort it takes to rotate, flip, pop, etc. they are gassing and would only ride them for specific things like having fun, tranny and building endurance lol

point being said a longer wb wont hurt if your just doing ollies, but even then you will get tired much faster than if you are on a fitting wb

[texasplant]

If the general rule is match your wheelbase to your shoulder width - but I’m a small dude but feel really good on slightly longer wheelbases (14.5), how much does truck brand change that rule? Understandably no matter what trucks you run your foot placement will barely change, but in a little comparison I did yesterday between two boards, one with Indys on 14.25”, and the other 14.5” with Aces, I found that the actual wheelbase on the 14.5 ended up still being shorter than the one with Indys. Does this make sense?

TLDR, I’m short, but feel better on a long wheelbase + aces. Theoretically should you take into account overall wheelbase, or just deck wheelbase when choosing?

Edit: my shoulders measure 15” even though I’m 5”5. No wonder longer feels better, always figured I should I have a short wheelbase but maybe not. 

[sammyz]

wheelbase has a couple different impacts...comfort and tricks.

on the comfort side, my personal rule is, if you are standing with feet shoulder width apart, you don't want your front foot any further forward than the inner bolts of your front truck. 14.5 is about just right for me, but up to 15 is ok too
 
as far as tricks and pop goes...thats when trucks and fingers and flat etc come in...in this part, there are so many variables, it becomes very hard to predict how a board will feel until you actually set it up and skate it.

I try not to change trucks, I've kept with Indy's for ages and try and get decks that feel comfortable and with about 14.5wb...but I have about 4 different size sets of spare wheels and thats what I use to make the pop feel right.

[rocklobster]

wheelbase has a couple different impacts...comfort and tricks.

on the comfort side, my personal rule is, if you are standing with feet shoulder width apart, you don't want your front foot any further forward than the inner bolts of your front truck. 14.5 is about just right for me, but up to 15 is ok too
 
as far as tricks and pop goes...thats when trucks and fingers and flat etc come in...in this part, there are so many variables, it becomes very hard to predict how a board will feel until you actually set it up and skate it.

I try not to change trucks, I've kept with Indy's for ages and try and get decks that feel comfortable and with about 14.5wb...but I have about 4 different size sets of spare wheels and thats what I use to make the pop feel right.

That's a good way to minimize variables, Indy's add 3" in axle to axle WB, so it seems like 17.5" is a your ideal WB. I find wheel size has a smaller impact to pop feel than WB and mostly affect height of your pop. If I feel my board is going higher than I'm comfortable I remove risers. I've ridden nothing but 52mm so I'm keen to try a 54mm just because I skate some rough asphalt going to the park.

[munchbox]

anyone ever redrill their wb upwards? looking at a 14.25 that i know would be perfect at a 14.5

[satan]

So wheelbase and pop...
Degros really confused you guys, huh?
Better to pay attention to tail length and height for pop..
Look at the triangle of leverage stuff the Prof talks about

[Xen]

So wheelbase and pop...
Degros really confused you guys, huh?
Better to pay attention to tail length and height for pop..
Look at the triangle of leverage stuff the Prof talks about

I'm on a really long tail, 6.875" (7.125" nose, 14” wb x 31.875") and the tail is fucking with me. Board is all about kicks.

[Solid bowlcut]

Why do people prefer longer wheelbase for tranny skating? I have always skated pretty small wheelbases so i have no idea how something like +14.5 wb would feel.

[palelight]

Why do people prefer longer wheelbase for tranny skating? I have always skated pretty small wheelbases so i have no idea how something like +14.5 wb would feel.

I think it's mostly for stability. You're less likely to loop out when you have more area to shift your weight/pump.

[ClownOfTheDay]

I always thought the WB madness was ridiculous , until I got threw Ben Degros. I was watching one of his vids about WB and all of a sudden it just snapped in my head, "Is my WB the reason why I don't like more board" So I did my research and found that my real board was 14.38, So now I have a 14' WB for spring I'll see how I like it.

[Esmith5488]

Expand Quote

So wheelbase and pop...
Degros really confused you guys, huh?
Better to pay attention to tail length and height for pop..
Look at the triangle of leverage stuff the Prof talks about

[close]

I'm on a really long tail, 6.875" (7.125" nose, 14” wb x 31.875") and the tail is fucking with me. Board is all about kicks.

I think there was one crailshape I like a lot with a 6.8 tail but I don’t thing the nose was that long. I think for me the steepness is the killer, but I agree the kicks are the most important part of a deck shape

[Esmith5488]

I always thought the WB madness was ridiculous , until I got threw Ben Degros. I was watching one of his vids about WB and all of a sudden it just snapped in my head, "Is my WB the reason why I don't like more board" So I did my research and found that my real board was 14.38, So now I have a 14' WB for spring I'll see how I like it.

My friend who has always killed it final looked at his old boards after I told him about wheelbase and figured out what worked and got one of the 8.06 full se decks with a 14 inch wheelbase and I skated with him on Friday and he was landing everything almost.

[ClownOfTheDay]

Expand Quote

I always thought the WB madness was ridiculous , until I got threw Ben Degros. I was watching one of his vids about WB and all of a sudden it just snapped in my head, "Is my WB the reason why I don't like more board" So I did my research and found that my real board was 14.38, So now I have a 14' WB for spring I'll see how I like it.

[close]

My friend who has always killed it final looked at his old boards after I told him about wheelbase and figured out what worked and got one of the 8.06 full se decks with a 14 inch wheelbase and I skated with him on Friday and he was landing everything almost.

Well for awhile now I've been battling with width but maybe that isn't the problem, maybe it was the wheel base.

[Fred Gerwer Frank Gall]

Expand Quote

Why do people prefer longer wheelbase for tranny skating? I have always skated pretty small wheelbases so i have no idea how something like +14.5 wb would feel.

[close]

I think it's mostly for stability. You're less likely to loop out when you have more area to shift your weight/pump.

yes, it just feels more secure and less effort when pumping for speed. in saying that it does depend on what type of transition. if you're skating big back and fore walls with proper vert a 15" wheelbase feels really nice. if you're skating small tight round wall (pool type scenarios) less wheelbase feels better. I find if my trucks are constantly engaged (ie I'm turning a lot,) I can get away with a smaller wheelbase. if i'm going straight a lot (ie a halfpipe) a longer wheelbase feels better.

[Xen]

I used to think it was width I wanted (smaller or wider) until I discovered the WB/truck combo made all the difference (but that's not to say width isn't important).

You know based on feel and visuals if the board is too wide/narrow, and if you feel cramped (and that's hard to explain). WB has a lot to do with your stability, your center of gravity so if it's too short you feel uncomfortable, limited almost...when too long same thing, flip tricks get weird, leverage, etc.

You know when you gel with a board and skate amazeballs? You can just step on it and push and everything feels 'right'? You have to track that shit mentally and stick with it as this madness shit will fuck up your game

[roanrox]

I got a question: how WB would affect my ride when keeping everything else the same?
I ride 8.5 x 32” decks (indys only) and been riding 14.25 WB for a while. Now I want to try 14.5 WB on a same sized deck (8.5 x 32).
Yea I do know my ollies gonna change due the lever thing and my nose and tail will end up being shorter, however am I going to feel any difference other than that?


alright just answering myself — and maybe helping others.
got the new deck (Baker Kader OG Shape - 8.5x32 14.5WB. Had an incredible session today. Gotta say that I like short tail/nose better and the longer wheelbase got me higher ollies / better flip tricks and miniramp game now feels even better. I skate transitions 95% of time. Seems that I’ve found my perfect board specs. I’m 5.11, 180lb broad shoulders, size 10 shoes btw

[moonordie]

Maybe

[rocklobster]

I used to think it was width I wanted (smaller or wider) until I discovered the WB/truck combo made all the difference (but that's not to say width isn't important).

You know based on feel and visuals if the board is too wide/narrow, and if you feel cramped (and that's hard to explain). WB has a lot to do with your stability, your center of gravity so if it's too short you feel uncomfortable, limited almost...when too long same thing, flip tricks get weird, leverage, etc.

You know when you gel with a board and skate amazeballs? You can just step on it and push and everything feels 'right'? You have to track that shit mentally and stick with it as this madness shit will fuck up your game

Track that shit with a Google Sheet, too many variations to play with especially with forged vs cast, DLX SE, truck height etc.

I got a question: how WB would affect my ride when keeping everything else the same?
I ride 8.5 x 32” decks (indys only) and been riding 14.25 WB for a while. Now I want to try 14.5 WB on a same sized deck (8.5 x 32).
Yea I do know my ollies gonna change due the lever thing and my nose and tail will end up being shorter, however am I going to feel any difference other than that?

Maybe

The most incomplete but accurate answer. WB measurements are mostly a guideline for how setups will feel, you won't know until you hop on for that first ollie.

[dakara]

Everyone thanks a ton for the advice! So with reading your posts, I should lengthen my wheelbase a bit and go with a deck with less fingers of flat, correct? I’m pretty set on indies, I ride them and like them , and as I cruise around a lot and use my board for transport and also want to start riding bowls, so I’ll probably look for extending my wheelbase with my deck. I was considering aces but I’ve heard too much stuff about qc issues and I’m not sure I’d like how “twitchy” people say they are.

Rock lobster in regards to what my pop feels like, your description of the board not coming up is accurate. It also just feels very unexplosive when my tail hits the ground, like once it hits it just kind of stays there before I slide my front foot up

So I finally got around to measuring my wheelbase with a proper tape measure and think I found my problem. It’s actually ridiculously short at about 13.75inches on an 8 inch. Paired with Indy stage 9’s my wheelbase is incredibly short, which probably means I’m just cramped up as fuck paired with the leverage point as while I’m only 5’7, I’m all legs and no torso. Here in Tokyo these are the only blanks they sell at all the shops, and I measured the largest size they have (8.25) and the wheelbase was 35cm on the dot aka a shade under 14 inches. I asked the dude at the shop about it and he said ya he agrees they are too short but they were designed with Japanese skaters in mind who are generally shorter. Kind of a shame cause I like the shape and the quality is good for a blank despite being China made. I’m currently debating whether I should start spending the extra scratch for brand boards that are to my specs and sticking with Indy for my next truck because I know and like them, or because I’m broke keep getting blanks but switch to ventures to increase the wheelbase via truck.

[rocklobster]

Expand Quote

Everyone thanks a ton for the advice! So with reading your posts, I should lengthen my wheelbase a bit and go with a deck with less fingers of flat, correct? I’m pretty set on indies, I ride them and like them , and as I cruise around a lot and use my board for transport and also want to start riding bowls, so I’ll probably look for extending my wheelbase with my deck. I was considering aces but I’ve heard too much stuff about qc issues and I’m not sure I’d like how “twitchy” people say they are.

Rock lobster in regards to what my pop feels like, your description of the board not coming up is accurate. It also just feels very unexplosive when my tail hits the ground, like once it hits it just kind of stays there before I slide my front foot up

[close]

So I finally got around to measuring my wheelbase with a proper tape measure and think I found my problem. It’s actually ridiculously short at about 13.75inches on an 8 inch. Paired with Indy stage 9’s my wheelbase is incredibly short, which probably means I’m just cramped up as fuck paired with the leverage point as while I’m only 5’7, I’m all legs and no torso. Here in Tokyo these are the only blanks they sell at all the shops, and I measured the largest size they have (8.25) and the wheelbase was 35cm on the dot aka a shade under 14 inches. I asked the dude at the shop about it and he said ya he agrees they are too short but they were designed with Japanese skaters in mind who are generally shorter. Kind of a shame cause I like the shape and the quality is good for a blank despite being China made. I’m currently debating whether I should start spending the extra scratch for brand boards that are to my specs and sticking with Indy for my next truck because I know and like them, or because I’m broke keep getting blanks but switch to ventures to increase the wheelbase via truck.

I would go with longer WB trucks, personally not a fan of Indys. Do they sell Dwindle board in the shop? They may be slightly short at 31.6" but at least they maintain a 14" WB. Anything less than 14" just feels strange.

[dakara]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Everyone thanks a ton for the advice! So with reading your posts, I should lengthen my wheelbase a bit and go with a deck with less fingers of flat, correct? I’m pretty set on indies, I ride them and like them , and as I cruise around a lot and use my board for transport and also want to start riding bowls, so I’ll probably look for extending my wheelbase with my deck. I was considering aces but I’ve heard too much stuff about qc issues and I’m not sure I’d like how “twitchy” people say they are.

Rock lobster in regards to what my pop feels like, your description of the board not coming up is accurate. It also just feels very unexplosive when my tail hits the ground, like once it hits it just kind of stays there before I slide my front foot up

[close]

So I finally got around to measuring my wheelbase with a proper tape measure and think I found my problem. It’s actually ridiculously short at about 13.75inches on an 8 inch. Paired with Indy stage 9’s my wheelbase is incredibly short, which probably means I’m just cramped up as fuck paired with the leverage point as while I’m only 5’7, I’m all legs and no torso. Here in Tokyo these are the only blanks they sell at all the shops, and I measured the largest size they have (8.25) and the wheelbase was 35cm on the dot aka a shade under 14 inches. I asked the dude at the shop about it and he said ya he agrees they are too short but they were designed with Japanese skaters in mind who are generally shorter. Kind of a shame cause I like the shape and the quality is good for a blank despite being China made. I’m currently debating whether I should start spending the extra scratch for brand boards that are to my specs and sticking with Indy for my next truck because I know and like them, or because I’m broke keep getting blanks but switch to ventures to increase the wheelbase via truck.

[close]

I would go with longer WB trucks, personally not a fan of Indys. Do they sell Dwindle board in the shop? They may be slightly short at 31.6" but at least they maintain a 14" WB. Anything less than 14" just feels strange.

Admittedly I haven’t tried ventures and haven’t tried a set of thunders in years, but I feel comfortable with indies, they work well and I know what I’m getting. That said, I’m open to trying a new truck since I was planning on buying a new set anyway.  I’ll ask if I can cruise around on a venture setup if the shop has one, they usually have 7 or 8 of the workers completes outside the shop. If that goes well I’ll try out the 8.25 14wb blank and venture setup since that’s a lot cheaper for my broke ass. If I’m not feeling the ventures I’ll go with the Indy and bite the bullet on Japan’s $100+ brand name board prices and get something around 14.25wb and hope my shit doesn’t snap in which I won’t have a ride till next paycheck.

[oneOone]

I measured the Thunder and Venture Wheelbase difference on the same deck.
Did it in Centimeters, two measurements for each truck (left and right), average of both measurements.

Venture HI Titanium coming soon.

Image attached.