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| Q&A: Slalom Pro Mike Maysey (2489 Posts)
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not exactly variable flex, but...
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On 12/16/2003
msk
wrote in from
(66.214.nnn.nnn)
Piezos have been used to control vibration on snow skis, and a few years ago, K2 adapted the technology to mountain bikes. Their "Smart Shock" used piezos and a microprocessor to constantly monitor how fast and how far the shock was moving, and adjust the compression damping accordingly. It worked pretty well, except for short battery life, and people kept forgetting to turn it back on (it would shut off if it didn't sense any motion after a short period, and had to be manually turned on)...
more info
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variable flex
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On 12/15/2003 Aaron Morris
wrote in from
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Gareth,
What kind os stuff does "variable flex". What other sports uses this kind of tech?
Aaron
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Can You Say "piezo" Sure - I knew ya could!
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On 12/14/2003
GR
wrote in from
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"...Today's tech. does not permit this kind of "variable flex", but it would be very cool. Maybe soon..."
Aaron - Sooner than you think! Its already here in a lot of other recreational applications.
G-
PS. Great ideas Mike!
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variable flex
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On 12/14/2003 Aaron Morris
wrote in from
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Mike,
Maybe i thot of a way. If you had a stringer that could be controlled by tension like the muscles in your body. The less tension on the stringet the flexier the board, and ther tighter the stringer the stiffer the board. It could be controlled by a remote that you could adjust when needed. This is fun thinking of ways to improve.
Aaron
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variable flex boards
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On 12/14/2003
Aaron Morris
wrote in from
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Mike,
The easiest solution is to have a bunch of boards with different flexes. Run each board, and see which board produces the fastest time. Today's tech. does not permit this kind of "variable flex", but it would be very cool. Maybe soon.
Aaron
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Traction and Stability
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On 12/14/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
(64.161.nnn.nnn)
...those are two things I am not willing to compromise by moving my feet around on my board during a run. My thought was to uncomplicate the sport, not introduce another variable.
Keep the ideas flowing though....................
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variable flex
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On 12/14/2003 Aaron Morris
wrote in from
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Mike,
You could change your stance on the board, by putting your feet closer together and farther away from the trucks tro create more flex, and then step back to your regular stance. Just a thought, but you might sacrifice traction and stability and other crutial element in slalom courses.
Aaron
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I just thought of something
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On 12/14/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
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I just had another thought....
The variable flex board would work great for setting courses that have the rider speeding through gates at full speed on a deck that is 'locked' out. Then slowing up for a section of cones where the rider has to generate speed on a deck that has a bit of flex for generating speed.
How can the flex on a board be made variable? What kind of material can be both flexible and rigid? How does it change from flex to rigid? How can I control it during a run?
What kind of flex does a slalom snowboard have? How much flex does a giant slalom snowboard have? What about slalom ski's? What about suspension on an Indy car? What keeps the wheels on the ground? I talked to a guy the other day at the bike shop who was a car racer. It was funny how we had similar ideas of durometer, temperature, surface...
I've got a link to share...due to some language I'm going to put an NC-17 rating on it. It's funny sh!t?
Paste the link
http://www.members.cox.net/impunity/endofworld.swf
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Wood
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On 12/13/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
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Aaron, the board's dimensions are 31"x 7 3/4" tapering to 7 1/2" through the tail. It has an inner hole measurement of 19"...it has concave and a kick tail. I haven't ridden it yet as the Bay Area has been recently and continually soaked by rain. Standing on it in the living room feels good, we'll have to see how it performs in a course. If it's anything like the Maha I've been riding, it should be rippin'.
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WOOD
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On 12/13/2003
Aaron Morris
wrote in from
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Mike,
What are the dimension of the wood board that you are riding?
Thanks,
Aaron
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Flex
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On 12/12/2003
slalomskateboader
wrote in from
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Awesome, Mike. Way to think "out of the box"!!!
I just had an interesting thought.........
Most dual suspension mountain bikes have what's referred to as 'lockout.' The shocks have valves on them that can be shut off making the suspension inactive. Wouldn't it be cool to have a board that had controllable flex or 'lockout?' Think of it....At the beginning of a run you could make the deck flex responsive, then it could became stiffer as the riders' speed built. Maybe it could could be built to sense speed or maybe the amount of force you're throwing into it? Personally, I think flex is best at the beginning of a push start run. Ramp starts are probably best on a board with the flex turned off or with the 'lockout' turned on. If the ramp start is no giving riders enough go, the board could be set to flex in the first 5 cones or 8 cones or something like that.
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Wood
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On 12/12/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
(67.24.nnn.nnn)
Here's what I know now...
I already know wood is good.
heheh, he said WOOD!!
I know that all of my slalom boards, since I began skating slalom, have been getting progressively stiffer.
I know...stiff board = hard wheels
Here's what I've observed and experienced...
It seems to make sense (somehow,in my twisted little mind) that a wood plank would perform well. Luca performed well at both the Worlds and Paris on a plank of wood with rock hard wheels in Paris and harder than average at the Worlds. Heck, I have experience in a race myself when I got second in SF at the Gravity Fest Slalom Race on a thick wood deck that PD made for me with carbon fiber on the bottom and no flex. The Sf Gravity Fest wasn't a race with Gary Holl and I going at it like the Mid-Town Races were. Hackett, Olson, Carrasco (winner), Clayton Scott, Hutson, Paul Dunn...all came out to race.
I did have a bit of trouble getting that board up to speed in the course because it was an uphill push start. For the first 8 cones you pumped uphill. Then you crested the hill and skated headlong into a Warren Miller looking pitch. At one point during the race, I remember wishing for a smiggin (technical term) more flex so I could generate more speed at the top. Carrassco was riding a board with a hair bit of flex and I was told he beat me in the top of the course. I think if there had been ramps for the start, I would have been stoked on zero flex.
Stiff boards are more predictable for me. I've never had trouble getting back oncourse on a stiff board. I rode some very flexy boards early on in my slalom skateboard learning and they about killed me. I started riding flexy boards for this and stiffer boards for that. I finally did away with the flex boards and began riding stiffer and stiffer boards until I got on a plank of wood with carbon fiber sttached to the bottom.
These days I only worry about truck tension and wheel duro/diameter. It takes one major variable out of the equation for me. If I can always predict what and where my board will move, all the better. Who wants to second guess how to move themselves to get back on course? Then I can look at how tight to run my trucks and how hard can I go with my wheels before I lose traction?
You know what's funny...I say all this right now, but who knows.
I just had an interesting thought.........
Most dual suspension mountain bikes have what's referred to as 'lockout.' The shocks have valves on them that can be shut off making the suspension inactive. Wouldn't it be cool to have a board that had controllable flex or 'lockout?' Think of it....At the beginning of a run you could make the deck flex responsive, then it could became stiffer as the riders' speed built. Maybe it could could be built to sense speed or maybe the amount of force you're throwing into it? Personally, I think flex is best at the beginning of a push start run. Ramp starts are probably best on a board with the flex turned off or with the 'lockout' turned on. If the ramp start is no giving riders enough go, the board could be set to flex in the first 5 cones or 8 cones or something like that.
Question to manufacturers....Is there a material that can be built into a board so that it flexes up to certain speed and then shuts itself off? Or could there be something built into the deck so it could be either flex or not? Electronics??
Stream of consciousness on 'Sunday.'
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Wood
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On 12/11/2003 Hamm
wrote in from
(199.41.nnn.nnn)
OK Mike, Your homework assignment this weekend is to ride the crap out of that board and come back and tell us: Is stiffer better?
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Mike E-mail me
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On 12/9/2003
Keith Hollien
wrote in from
(128.227.nnn.nnn)
Mike e-mail me your phone #.
Hollien@mail.ifas.ufl.edu
Later Keith, Teams Radikal & RoeRacing.
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more
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On 12/9/2003 hc
wrote in from
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http://www.skateboarding.com/skate/skate_biz/article/0,12364,363208,00.htm
from transworld
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longboarding history
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On 12/8/2003 hc
wrote in from
(69.104.nnn.nnn)
kaz,
the 70's 'skateboarder' magazine had this article on longboarders.
http://www.nosewheelie.com/99-04/feature.html
As for 'pre sector nine' days, back when I was cruizing around in high school and college (early 90's), it was quite rare to see a longboard.
sector nine, i believe, have done a lot in promoting longboarding as its own thing and creating a longboard market.
and internet sites like ncdsa have help a lot of spreading the longboard knowledge.
hc
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history lesson
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On 12/8/2003
david
wrote in from
(192.211.nnn.nnn)
first, get a copy of the concrete wave the book by micheal brooke, second watch dogtown and the z-boys. bet you can get everything you need from those....oh yea, a movie called "stoked: the rise and fall of gator" is coming out in theaters soon, it takes place where dogtown left off.
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longboarding history
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On 12/8/2003
kaz
wrote in from
(64.12.nnn.nnn)
Hey,
My name is Kaz and I am trying to find out a little bit about the history of longbarding, All I can find is stuff on boarding in general. How it started from a mix of surfing and scooters and then is just goes into skateboarding, but when does longboarding and skateboarding break apart? When did longboarding become its own identity? What was longboarding like before companies like Sector 9 started. Who were some of the first sufing companies to make longboards and who were the surfers who used them? Where did longboarding start to evolve from and where is it going?
thanks,
kaz
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F13
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On 12/8/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
(64.161.nnn.nnn)
Hamm, I just got it built yesterday. Haven't had time to ride it yet. It's very stiff, very short and has a nice kick tail on it. I can't wait to rip some TS on it.
Wood is Good
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F13
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On 12/8/2003 Hamm
wrote in from
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so Mike, hows that stiff wood board working out??
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Smokestack
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On 11/25/2003 Michael
wrote in from
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The deals done.
I reckon the Smokestack is THE best selling Pro Slalom board in the UK this year.
The royalties may even pay for all the cups of tea Simon gives me when I'm round his place.
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Smokestack
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On 11/25/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
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yeah, that Smokestack looks like a sick ride...
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Smokestack
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On 11/25/2003 Kenny Mollica
wrote in from
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Niall-
Get the smokestack and put a radikal on the front and use one of your midtracks for the rear. You will love it.
Talk to Stride-he will show you the way.
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Thanks from Niall
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On 11/21/2003
Niall Horton-Stephens
wrote in from
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Quick thanks to all those kindhearted people that took the time to humour my lack of up-to-date knowledge on slalom kit. Coming round to idea of Pocket Pistol... maybe smokestach... they're sooo light, but like the look of the Roe too + all the people there have been really helpful with advice on forums. Will consider trying my old mid tracks for TS, but like what I've heard on the 105 Seismics... like the look of the Radikal or PVDs... so if an elderly relative snuffs and leaves me a pilein the near future, may consider (are they really worth so much money?). Wheels... everyone says Avalons, so will probably go 85 /80 split. Hope to post in future to verify following equation...
Former young bloke on old fashioned kit = Slower time than old bloke who can hardly even touch his toes anymore on shiny new deck.
Thanks again + Mike thanks for your offer for me to mail... may well do when I come to set up.
:-) from London.
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Niall
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On 11/20/2003
mike maysey
wrote in from
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Email me direct if you want to ask me anymore questions...
I can see that everyone has their little affiliations (as do I) but my best advice has to be to look at ALL the options...also, don't worry about narrowing your trucks or any of that kind of crap right now. Stock stuff works great...that's almost all I use and I'm in the top 10 in the pro class in almost every race I enter. I do have some wheels I've cut down, but beyond that I use stock stuff all the way.
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