Is it better to skate different setups or always skate the same gear?

[ChuckRamone]

I have a few different setups with different deck shapes, trucks, and wheels. I bet a lot of Slappers do considering the gear nerdery that goes on around here. Do you think it would be better to skate the same setup all the time, for consistency, or is it good to be adaptable and skate Ventures with OJs on a cruiser one day and then a regular street setup with Indys and Spitfires the next day? Sometimes I think I should simplify and skate the same basic setup all the time but that might get boring.

[HugeBodBoyle]

I tinker a lot. As I have gotten way older, it takes way more effort to get some stuff to flip, so I keep messing with wheel sizes and deck widths.

It's fun to try new stuff, imo, jmo.

[Rick Howards Root Beer]

only have one set up at a time but when its time for a new board ill jump around anything from 8.5-9 size doesnt really bother me and as long as its shaped in some way im happy. i.e my last board was an 8.5 square nose/ tail black label now im on a 8.75 punk point welcome. its more fun to change it up.

[fulfillthedream]

i was so about "always try new things" but man i switched from thunders to indys and this spot i usually skate- wasnt able to land a lot of the tricks i had down.. went back to the shop and got new thunders and was able to skate like normal...

[Roisto]

It’s fun to try new and different things and it can also be useful. But it can easily lead to gear madness (for reference check the truck set ups thread and rob’s madness in it). I’d say getting better at skating is easier if you stick to one setup and don’t change it up all the time “just for fun”.

[beatifk]

I've been skating my "little" board these days because I've got a real bad case of winter legs.

Once I get back into form, I like to skate my heavy setup for a few days and then switch to one of the smaller setups I have and I feel light as a feather.

I actually love having different stuff around to try depending on the day. Some stuff you try and don't like, but then you know not to buy it next time. Skateboard gear doesn't last long so if I don't like something I skate it extra hard with the thought I will replace it in a month or 2.

[rob]

Ahaha hey hey

I’m only crazy with the trucks and sometimes wheels

Trucks to me are the heart/soul of the board

I’ve been skating the same deck for like 3/4 months now and I love it, same wheels for the last 2 months, same shoes for I’d say 4 months, and same bearings for a while

I only swap the trucks cause I lose track of how it got my setup feeling and how consistent I was so I deepen my bolt holes and go back and forth til I feel right and keep that going for about a month tops then go mad again

[alraunen]

It depends on how much you can skate, I used a totally different setup the other day (shaped, rails, thunders) because I broke my deck on my main setup and it was fun. But I can't skate that much with kids so when I go to skate I want my Indys and my popsicle deck.

[colt cannon lunchbox]

There are so many tricks that I've learnt over the years just from downsizing and upsizing board width. I can guarantee that you will be able to flip your board better on a smaller board, and skate tranny better on a wider one.  I couldn't powerslide well or do them silly magenta blunt things until i got 99 f4's either.

[fang]

It’s fun to try new and different things and it can also be useful. But it can easily lead to gear madness (for reference check the truck set ups thread and rob’s madness in it). I’d say getting better at skating is easier if you stick to one setup and don’t change it up all the time “just for fun”.

When I was younger I really enjoyed trying new shapes, trucks etc. I think my "peak" , I definitely rode the same setup repeatedly. From 98-2003, I pretty much rode Alien decks (7.5 or 7.625), Indy 126s, and Spitfire bighead 52s. I haven't changed my wheels since. As mentioned in truck thread, had Indy left their shit alone for stage 9 and onward I would have never gained madness.

[Alan]

I've skated 7.62 for the better part of the last 15 years, then after a year long hiatus about 3 years ago I went up to 8.25, which was fun enough but I lost all my flip tricks (all four of them), and my ollies have gotten tiny. I know it's also a result of getting old, but still... I think I'll go a size down for my next board.

[the snake]

as long as the trucks are indys with black cilinder bushings, yes ! i ride old setups with my kid, in the 8-8.38 range
as rob said, trucks are the heart and soul of a setup

[Beeker]

I gotta have a cruiser myself, it's not that fun doing distance on street wheels around here, on the contrary it's fun as hell with a cruiser and I can still do 2 out of my 4 tricks (kickflips and nose mannys) to impress little kids. It takes like 2 minutes to get used to whichever setup I'm using, so I say just do what you gotta do.

[Xen]

Best to stay with the same setup, most pros do for a reason; deck width and length, wb....same height wheels (width, meh) and same truck setups over and over, that's how they remain consistent. 

I'm sure some pros shake it up but the change-ups are like hey I'm going from a 7.653412342, lo ventures and 51mm wheels so say, an 8.5, ACEs and 55 spit classics...

I jump around from 8.25" - 8.375" with 14.25 - 14.3/14.5" WB.

Over the last 6-7 years I've skated 'best' on 8.125" decks/8.18" (theeves) trucks/52mm (my flip game was on point) or an 8.3, ACEs and spitfires (that combo keeps coming back more often and I know should just stick with it); I kind of force myself to ride an 8.25 to bridge the (ocd) gap in width.

[Willie]

All of my recent attempts to vary setups have not resulted in me finding a setup that I skate better than my normal one (5.2 Venture Highs, 8.0 deck). Now, I dislike my regular setup because it's so skinny and high but I've done worse on everything else.


The only exception was tha I used to have a wider "vert ramp" board (not parks, just real vert) and because vert skating feels so different anyway I could switch between that and a skinny deck without issue.

[Xen]

All of my recent attempts to vary setups have not resulted in me finding a setup that I skate better than my normal one (5.2 Venture Highs, 8.0 deck). Now, I dislike my regular setup because it's so skinny and high but I've done worse on everything else.


The only exception was tha I used to have a wider "vert ramp" board (not parks, just real vert) and because vert skating feels so different anyway I could switch between that and a skinny deck without issue.

Biggest issue for me is Park vs. (real) Street as I skate pretty much bowl parks, with shitty tacked-on feeling street obstacles.

If I were skating street only? 8.18, Thunder 148s, 52mm but that just doesn't work well for me on transition; that's why I hover around the middle ground.

If I could just find and 8.25, full shape with a longer than 14.25" WB I'd be golden!

[backinaction]

I use different setups for different situations - street and street park, flow park, bowls, townie.  Townie is by necessity a different board, but if pressed I could skate my middle-ground board (8.3 twin tail, ML 8.38 trucks, 55mm 101 F4) everywhere - although I would probably put 53mm STF v2 shape on if it was my only board.

If I am doing anything flippy I like an 8", currently with Thunders and 51mm STF. I land more often with this.  I could flip an 8.3, but this is easier.

In a bigger bowl I like a longer wheelbase than the 14.4 of my twin tail.  I usually use a 15, but I'd like to try a 14.75.   I could skate the twin tail, but its so different an environment that it doesn't really effect my skating on either.

When I skate mini ramp I can use any of the setups, but usually gravitate towards the 8 just because the two I skate most often also have a street area next to them and I will probably be trying some flippy stuff there.

I also have a few other setups built just because I had a bunch of decks, trucks and wheels leftover that I tried and they weren't my first choice.  They don't really get skated and just take up space in the garage.

[expired]

Past 4 years I've only skated spitfires and bones bearings, I've switched trucks once over that time from thunder to indy's. I didn't find it much of a change.
When I got back into skating fully again 4 years ago I had a size 8 deck, after I broke that one I went between 8.18-8.25, then was given an 8.38 and liked the bigger board and now for the past two years I've been riding an 8.5.
I find landing on an 8.5 is more comfortable then a smaller board and I seem to catch tricks better rather then with a small board I seemed to over rotate some flip tricks
So my personal opinion is that staying with the same set up is the best for learning new tricks and getting better at skating.
I have a completely different set up for a cruiser but hardly end up even using it at this point

[Lloyd Braun]

Personally I keep it the same. I've ridden 8.5 boards for almost 10 years. Last year some buddies and I bought a batch of blanks from Drifter MFG out of Atlanta and I love having the same exact shape every time. Trucks I was on Independent 149s forever switched to thunder 151's and really like them. They're almost done tho and I have the urge to try ventures. Wheels I don't really care just never spit fire. I ride wheels for a year or longer. Think I've had the same bones reds bearing for over 7 years too, still rolling great.

[Horsemeat]

I agree with xen it’s probably best to skate just one setup. But i’m a nerd so I like to try different stuff. Right now I cut it down to 2 setups one with thunder and a shorter wheelbase and 1 with aces and a longer wheelbase. Both 8.25 with spitfires F4s.

I like the thunders for learning stuff. But every time I roll around on aces I have such a great time just cruising around. They’re so surfy. Maybe i’ll just end up on aces.

[colt cannon lunchbox]

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All of my recent attempts to vary setups have not resulted in me finding a setup that I skate better than my normal one (5.2 Venture Highs, 8.0 deck). Now, I dislike my regular setup because it's so skinny and high but I've done worse on everything else.


The only exception was tha I used to have a wider "vert ramp" board (not parks, just real vert) and because vert skating feels so different anyway I could switch between that and a skinny deck without issue.

[close]

Biggest issue for me is Park vs. (real) Street as I skate pretty much bowl parks, with shitty tacked-on feeling street obstacles.

If I were skating street only? 8.18, Thunder 148s, 52mm but that just doesn't work well for me on transition; that's why I hover around the middle ground.

If I could just find and 8.25, full shape with a longer than 14.25" WB I'd be golden!

Deluxe full 8.25 shapes have  a 14.5" wheel base and a length of 32.22 (I think). Quasi and Habitat do similar shapes too.

[Esquivel]

Trucks and wheels, the same set up for the last 3 years (thunder 149, spits classics/radial slims 52, swiss).
For boards, when I find something that I like, I try to buy bulk or make sure the shop supply is unlimited so that I skate the same board shape for at least a year.
I think skating the same wood helps but you miss all the fun trying new shit out.
Same goes with shoes.

[Xen]

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Expand Quote

All of my recent attempts to vary setups have not resulted in me finding a setup that I skate better than my normal one (5.2 Venture Highs, 8.0 deck). Now, I dislike my regular setup because it's so skinny and high but I've done worse on everything else.


The only exception was tha I used to have a wider "vert ramp" board (not parks, just real vert) and because vert skating feels so different anyway I could switch between that and a skinny deck without issue.

[close]

Biggest issue for me is Park vs. (real) Street as I skate pretty much bowl parks, with shitty tacked-on feeling street obstacles.

If I were skating street only? 8.18, Thunder 148s, 52mm but that just doesn't work well for me on transition; that's why I hover around the middle ground.

If I could just find and 8.25, full shape with a longer than 14.25" WB I'd be golden!

[close]

Deluxe full 8.25 shapes have  a 14.5" wheel base and a length of 32.22 (I think). Quasi and Habitat do similar shapes too.

Not a fan of the 8.25" Full, I found it too long - the SE full is much better (tho shorter wb)

If they made the 'other' DLX 8.25" in full (the one with the 14.38 WB, I'd be on it).

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

I have a miniramp board: big SPF's, wide, tight trucks, reg park board/go to: 8" 51's, street board 8.5 81b's.

If I just skated parks and a bit of street I'd prolly just have one board.  It comes with age, I give myself props for at least using them.

[Not Local]

I wish I could commit to one set up but I split it between a bigger park board with Ace 55s and 58mm wheels and an all rounder with Ace 44s and 54mm wheels. I've been trying to use the same size boards though with either the Dlx 8.62 or 8.5 full shape. If Ace made some trucks between 44 and 55 I might be able to keep it to one set up.

[ChuckRamone]

I wish I could commit to one set up but I split it between a bigger park board with Ace 55s and 58mm wheels and an all rounder with Ace 44s and 54mm wheels. I've been trying to use the same size boards though with either the Dlx 8.62 or 8.5 full shape. If Ace made some trucks between 44 and 55 I might be able to keep it to one set up.

This is what I plan on doing. Different sizes of the same lines of trucks and wheels. Then adjusting will be easier but the setup will work better at the particular spot. To me, that’s almost not switching setups. But I’m gonna gradually stop riding different brands of gear by slowly replacing everything.

[Xen]

Expand Quote

I wish I could commit to one set up but I split it between a bigger park board with Ace 55s and 58mm wheels and an all rounder with Ace 44s and 54mm wheels. I've been trying to use the same size boards though with either the Dlx 8.62 or 8.5 full shape. If Ace made some trucks between 44 and 55 I might be able to keep it to one set up.

[close]

This is what I plan on doing. Different sizes of the same lines of trucks and wheels. Then adjusting will be easier but the setup will work better at the particular spot. To me, that’s almost not switching setups. But I’m gonna gradually stop riding different brands of gear by slowly replacing everything.

I did that a while back, 3 setups (street, park, cruzer), ACEs (33/44/55) STFs (51, 54, ATFs for cruzer), Redz, all around and all NHS wood (8.2, 8.5, 8.75). Redz.

It worked out really well.

[Diocletian]

I never learn and always end up wasting tons of money on different types of set-ups and gear and get mad at myself for being foolish and venturing out.

The go-to for life will always be Ace 44’s, F4 101a 54mm, Bones bearings, and a popsicle board in 8.25”-8.5” gripped with Jessup. Oh, and shorty’s 1” Phillips hardware.

[tangar]

Consistency will definitely pay off by using one setup. Last year forcing myself to skate everyday I didn’t have time to complain or obsess about gear as much. Also skating that much I was able to go between a bigger and smaller setups and do the same few tricks. But I’m either not as smart as you guys, not as good, or both. I use my popsicle and bigger setups both at parks and parking lots. It’s just funner for me to switch it up that way and not have one setup dedicated for one spot or whatever.

[HyenaChaser]

i was so about "always try new things" but man i switched from thunders to indys and this spot i usually skate- wasnt able to land a lot of the tricks i had down.. went back to the shop and got new thunders and was able to skate like normal...

I swore by indys forever, then I had to get thunders out of necessity and I've never gone back. I even dabbled with some indys once and did not enjoy them. Indys are great trucks, but I bet there are a lot of die hards who would switch to thunder if they gave them a legitimate chance.