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| Freecarving (257 Posts)
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On 11/7/2004
trish
wrote in from
United States
(207.224.nnn.nnn)
I hope I am not being to mundane. I believe I am really hooked on freecarving. And I take my last statement back....You can put a "monster" board with soft wheels in a slide with enough speed and weight (my old body). LOL. I found another great hill today and did just that. this time with purpose.
Thanks Joe I. for the advice. I think riding with someone would be great. I can't seem to find anyone. The few people I have met are young guys who are really great about giving advice butI don't know if they want a 39 y/o lady tagging along. I have been cruising around my small town, picking up my kid at school on the longboard. I get lots of looks and kids love it but so far, nobody has approached me to ride. So, if there is anybody that lives in the park city, salt lake city area "Utah" let me know. I could use some visual aide! In the mean time I will enjoy my serentiy. Ride on.
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un-intentional slide
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On 11/7/2004
trish
wrote in from
United States
(207.224.nnn.nnn)
Thanks.
I don't think I will be able to do it again anytime soon. and I'm not sure if there was much style either. LOL. I think the conditions were just right. I think I was more excited that I could acually stop myself and then when it broke into a slide, it was competely unexpected and non-intentional. The road is brand new, oiled, and it was a cool day. oh, and it really didn't slide far. But the idea that I did was a cool feeling! Bit of a confindence booster. hang in there swooper...hopefully you'll get a few rides in before winter! Hey Troy, hopefully you can too. Ride on.
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Slide
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On 11/6/2004 Troy
wrote in from
United States
(24.185.nnn.nnn)
Nice Trish.
That board's not the easiest thing to slide either.
(Talking about a 56" monster with soft Avilas).
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tween seasons
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On 11/6/2004
swooper
wrote in from
United States
(69.20.nnn.nnn)
We've gotten just enough snow for the road to get graveled, but not quite enough for my old bod. So, a couple of weekends layoff. ARRRGHH...it feels like forever! Nice to think, though, that powder will be calling soon!
Nice going, Trish, there's some young women around here who really throw some stylish slides.
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backside save's her
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On 11/5/2004
trish
wrote in from
United States
(207.224.nnn.nnn)
The sun was out today, the snow melted off the streets and I took "the board" for a spin. I found a nice, quite, not to steep road because I am a newbie at this. And guess what. I laid down a backside slide that felt auwseme! I had to due to the big old dumptruck coming up. I am so glad I read the forum on stopping and my homemade sliding gloves worked great. And yes, I am a beliver in pads. Troy, I took your advice and bought good pads. And for the rest who have given me advice..thank you and I can't wait for the next ride. minus the truck of course. Ride on!
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The Younger Sister
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On 11/2/2004 Tracy
wrote in from
United States
(66.62.nnn.nnn)
Hey, just got back from visiting Trish! Played a bit on the long board, and am feeling like, hey mabey I can do this! Does that surprize you Troy! I think I'll head up to the local Lip Trix and invest in a board. We have a small skate park here, and some killer hills, (Trish bring down the long board) Troy, your girlfriend sounds awesome! I'm sure sbe'll be up and riding that 'pretty' board soon. All girls want a pretty board at some time or another, my board will be really pretty! See ya later!
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Full moon!
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On 10/30/2004 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
Did anyone else get out there and Ride by Moonlight late this last week? Man, couldn't believe how bright it was, hardly needed my Petzl light at all. Then there was that Crazy Eclipse!! Totally awesome stuff to see! Luckily in my immediate area, I've a few good places where there are no streetlights or houses along the way to blot out the stars, or moonlight, and so only an ocassional car passing by takes away any of your night vision. It's spooky though passing through areas with trees [those that still have leaves on them] casting long shadows across the road. Gotta ride by feel in those spots. That'll probably be the last-next-to-last runs for me on the bigger hills. Once the road crews spread salt (after the first hard icing on the roads) it's pretty much over hereabouts. Of course, then there's Snowboarding, so it gets Good Again!
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Loaded Vanguard - Thanks guys!
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On 10/28/2004 Al_Downhill
wrote in from
United States
(63.206.nnn.nnn)
I heard about the Loaded Vanguard on this site and I got one with a premium setup (ABEC II Gumballs) offered on www.loadedboards.com. See the pic...Man I love love love! this ride - peace @
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Group hug.........ok, ok, that's enough.
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On 10/28/2004 Troy
wrote in from
United States
(24.185.nnn.nnn)
Hey Joe.
No need to welcome Trish. I believe she's the one who got me into skateing.
Way back when, we were the Triple T skateboard team (Trish, Troy, and Ted [wonder what happened to that guy]).
Rippin up driveways on our Huffy thunderboards like nuthin. (except Ted, he had a really cool Logan Earth/Ski).
Trish went to Breck and got the stoke back.
My girlfreind is very cool but a bit of a spaz. Won't be seeing her on a board for a while. Plus she won't skate on what I have. She wants me to MAKE her a board first. And it has to be pretty. (like I have time for that).
Plus if she takes it up I'll have to walk to the top. No good.
Anyway, I happened to go "Freecarvin" today. (nobody charged me).
Beautiful sunshiny day in the Northeast.
Leaves are almost at there peak and all over the road. Absolutely beautiful.
Nice day to be alive.
Shred on Trish. Boards are on there way. (too bad there's too much snow to use them, hee hee).
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Freshies!
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On 10/26/2004 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
Joe,, Um, No!! However, my fave hill, Rt 279, just opened to the public as a State Highway. On the flip side, Okemo just added new tar to the Sachem Condos last summer! 17 hairpins in 750 vertical feet, and worn shoes/wheels by the bottom.
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Group Hug
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On 10/26/2004
Joe I
wrote in from
United States
(63.87.nnn.nnn)
Trish,
Welcome. My best advice is to find a skate pal. While skating is solitary, confidence soars and enthusiasm is easier to maintain in the company of another. Let us know where you are. Perhaps we can include you in the next grass roots event in your area.
Troy,
If I have not told you already, you've got a very cool girlfriend. When will we see her on a board?
Swooper,
Enjoyed reading your posts. Just goes to show you though we are all divided by distance, the love of the carve and the wind in our face unites us.
PSR,
Don't you ever get tired of riding perfect new asphalt? You lucky bastard.
Joe
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Nuthin much
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On 10/26/2004
Tom M.
wrote in from
United States
(198.26.nnn.nnn)
Eh, does your GF have a sister (or an under 55 mother)? <g>
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Nuthin much
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On 10/22/2004 Troy
wrote in from
United States
(24.185.nnn.nnn)
Nice post Swooper. I was there with you for a minute.
Just discovered this out of the way forum. I usually come to this site, check the Slalom, Gong show, Buy Sell Trade, and Vendors forum and leave.
I should come here instead and spare myself the drama of the soap opera that the slalom primadonnas sometimes (usually) create.
That was some good advice you gave my sis Trish.
Carving on skateboard, ski's, snowboard, surfboard, rollerblades (not), radio flyer, or whatever is addicting.
Even if you've only done it once you spend the rest of your life at least thinking about doing it again.
Hats off to you for riding so much.
So many times even people who love to skateboard will go a long time between rides. They get busy or don't have the board with them or get embarassed because they might fall down, or become nervous because it's been a while and they might get hurt, or they have the wrong shoes, or they have cheese in there pockets and don't want to smash it...(well maybe not that one), or whatever.
I know because it happens to me all the time. (I often have cheese in my pockets).
I don't skate nearly enough but when I do I always think "damn! I gotta do this more often!"
I was with my girlfriend yesterday. We went to the beach, then she asked if I wanted to go skate. (I had a board in the car). I said "no, that would'nt be any fun for you and I really don't feel that good (I have a cold) and blah, blah, blah. She said "you're going skateing!". She dropped me off at the top and picked me up at the bottom. 5 times.
Every run I thought "damn! I gotta do this more often!".
She's good.
Get it in. It's going to be a long winter.
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From the 'Soulriding' forum
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On 10/17/2004 Library Boy
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
On 9/28/2000 Pre-School Rider wrote in from 209.198.xxx.xxx:
I've been blessed by being in VT most of my life.It's a small state,used to be quiet(at least until the flatlanders built all those condos)and is just packed with hilly roads that twist their way down into the valleys.It's an amazing experience to go out for a lazy drive(Bring Boards!)and find these hidden country lanes,tucked in amongst woodland and farmyards,and then grab your board,and just cruise!I run shorter boards than most who look through this site,because the hills here demand tight turns,where speed control,technique,timing,and sticky wheels to make it down in one piece.I find myself often alone,walking up some road like Higley Hill,or Wateringtrough Hill,or Agony Hill,hills that earned their names when horse+buggy was the way to travel,just admiring the beauty of this old countryside.I take note of that landscape even as I wander back down it,linking carved arcs,sliding smoothly to shrug off that extra momentum,tucking here or there just to make it over the next knoll...It's amazing to find yourself a thousand feet further down the hill,a few miles from the top,panting,knowing you just totally ruled it on a backroad,with only the wildlife being aware that you'd passed this way.It's then you know that you've refreshed your soul..Ride on.
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Nice story, swooper
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On 10/17/2004 Bugs
wrote in from
Japan
(220.4.nnn.nnn)
About "finding your sport" - I just regret not having started this sooner. But let me begin at the beginning.
The street I grew up on was a steep hill, and in 1974, on my 8th birthday, I received a fibreglass skateboard with urethane wheels. Within a few years I was carving turns down that hill every afternoon - full C-turns, sometimes with a small amount of uphill to them. I was addicted to that weightless feeling you get as you quickly transition from one turn to the other.
But I stopped skating by the time I was about 12 - I can't remember the reason why.
I took up skiing but I could never get that pure weightless feeling. In 1995 I took up snowboarding, and quickly graduated to a hard-boot, alpine setup. At last I could replicate what I had done all those years ago while skateboarding on my street - carving across the fall line and than launching my body downhill while trusting and praying that the board would come back around underneath me and pick me up.
And then last year I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a skateboard. I hadn't ridden one for 25 years, but it all came back to me in a single afternoon. It was a joyous reunion, tempered only by the regret that I'd waited so long.
Now every hill I ride takes me straight back to my childhood, and the street I lived on. The carving, the weightlessness, the thrill, and the adrenaline are forever linked in my brain with those afternoons riding the street I grew up on. I've come home.
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switching to snow soon?
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On 10/16/2004
swooper
wrote in from
United States
(69.20.nnn.nnn)
Trish, I'm not a helmet expert at all. I use a Protec skateboarding helmet. I figure if it's good enough for vert it's good enough for "sane speed" downhill riding.
What do I wear, every time? The Protec, Rector ramp-style knee and elbow pads, Crash-Pad.com padded shorts, and cutting board-type slider gloves. With all this stuff on, if I do mess up and take a spill, I just let the fall happen without trying any desperate save. With the major impact points covered, a little road rash seems to be the most likely result. The Crash-Pad shorts don't hold up to road rash either, so I wear canvas shorts over them. Pretty hot in warm weather, but good protection.
I'm hoping for a couple more good weekends before we're covered in snow until April. We'll have had about seven months of riding season. I've gotten something like 175 rides down our 6 mile hill, around a thousand miles of riding. Five sets of wheels are used up. I've spent lots of hours walking uphill through the woods, enjoying the quiet and the long views. We've ridden down alongside thunderstorms, watching lightning and pouring rain from the sun-drenched Ski Hill Road. We've gotten soaked a few times, roostertails of water flying off the wheels, getting looong slides on wet asphalt, and just made it to the car other times, swooping down the road with the curtain of rain approaching across the valley. We've had some exciting and scary fast rides with a strong tailwind out of the Tetons. We've seen deer, elk, moose, and bears while riding. This evening I rode past a deer on the shoulder who just watched me ride by without moving. We've been towed uphill behind a truck like waterskiing. We've ridden uphill hanging out the windows of stuffed Suburbans, on tailgates, and on roofs. We've had a lot of laughs and made a lot of friends. We've gotten lots of thumbs-ups and "looks like fun" comments, with the wistful look of "I'd love to try it". We've shared many riders' first descents and the stoke they were glowing with. I got two silent full moon rides through the black and silver woods. Lots of amazing sunsets, looking 150 miles across Idaho to the mountain chains on the western horizon.
I'm 50 this year and feel I've found my spot and my sport. I've gotten dependent on walking up the hill and riding down again to drop my everyday worries and get smiling. It's great riding with youngsters. It's great to get so much fun out of a couple of hundred bucks. It's great to feel like I can continue riding downhill as long as I can stand up.
Paul Brabenec
Victor, Idaho
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Snow
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On 10/16/2004 Bugs
wrote in from
Japan
(220.4.nnn.nnn)
Winter is coming, and I just spent the morning sessioning a local hill - a steep, barely 2-lane road with an unridable metal ditch running across the bottom of it. Speed control is the thing on this hill - you've got to get the board pointing across the fall line, but there's not much width so every turn has to pushed to the limits of traction. I had my new Insect Dragonfly with Seismics and Flashbacks (84a front, 78a rear), and I found I was getting a nice bit of controlled drift on my turns that helped keep the speed down.
Just a perfect morning - one deep-leaning turn after the other. Waiting for the snow so I can do the same thing at higher speed.
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great advice
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On 10/5/2004
trish
wrote in from
United States
(65.103.nnn.nnn)
thanks swooper for the advice. I have done a little pool riding and I do have most of the gear. I was just reading the forum about crashes and it scares me a bit but I have been practicing foot-braking. It's coming. I am definantly hooked on this sport. About helmets......Is a good top-end mnt. bike helmet a good one for boarding? Thanks again for the advice. I am heeding it. Ride on!
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Washer or not W/ Fat bushings
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On 10/4/2004 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
Lonerider, you want to pick your washers carefully if you use either Radikal or Stimulator bushings on Randals (or Tracker RTs), as width and thickness will change how the truck feels underfoot. Wide washers,ones that're close to the width of the bushings, will restrict steering lean. Narrower washers (watch for sharp/rough edges!) will increase steering lean. No bottom washer gives even more lean, but can be tough on bushings. Always use a top washer, as I've seen bushings blow right on by the end of the bolt/nut of a kingpin when No Top washer was used.
Washer thickness is tougher to deal with, as you'll find that the wrong thickness will give you some difficult moments in getting threads on nuts/bolts of kingpins to 'hook up'. [But,yes,a thicker bottom washer would gain in some steering angle,though the tradeoff in lean might not be worth it.Thin wedges like the Cell-Blocks are a better bet to add/detract from steering input.] The normal washers you find at Hardware stores are supposed to fit within the ASTM guidelines,though they'll vary as much as 2mm in larger sizes. Stainless Steel is allowed to be made thinner for a given washer size,looks trick,and won't corrode,so that's what I like to get. You can get a bit more tech/trick by using machine bushing shims,or by redrilling fender washers. McMaster-Carr and other Tool-Supply shops have scads of stuff like that.
Speaking of tool-supply stuff,look at your kingpins. Putting in a slightly longer bolt does wonders for stacking up thicker bushings like the Radikals. The trouble is that your hardware store is likely to only have 1/4" length differences in a 3/8" bolt. Automotive shops however may have that 1/8" longer bolt in stock? Check. Also note thread length. Having less threading means you've got a thicker kingpin over the majority of it's length. Bushings fit better,and if you flip your kingpins on Randals, that longer shank makes thing a bit snugger down at the baseplate.Learn your 'grade marks' on bolts,too. Knowing whether it's a Grade 5 or Grade 3, is a good thing. Some U.S. makers still have marking that signify who made them,whereas the Oriental stuff is often stamped with only a grade-mark,and Sometimes that's not even the right grade for the metal quality used (something I wish U.S. Trade Laws dealt with better. U.S. bolts are still a better bet,especially if the maker is reputable!). Lastly,double check the wear on the plastic ring inside of Stop-Nuts. Worn plastic here can lead to vibration taking the nut off While You're Riding! Bad place to be,so don't go there...
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deep lean
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On 10/4/2004
Lonerider
wrote in from
United States
(206.65.nnn.nnn)
Thanks for the all suggestions. I rode joecarve's 38" Fibreflex with R2-150s and Yellow stims and that's close to what I want, but it feels more "turny" than "carvy "as you get a lot more turn with less lean where as I want to get more turn from lean (even 30* would be nice).
I just order a few sets of Radikal bushings Will I need longer kingpins for double radikals? Do I need washers too? Washer add "height" to the bushings, which make them turnier per lean - correct? Maybe I'll get one pair of Khiro bottom bushing and try those out too for comparison (I have currently have a top/bottom pair).
If that doesn't work, I'll look at the original s10 trucks as well.
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Learn the skills, Trish
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On 10/2/2004
swooper
wrote in from
United States
(69.20.nnn.nnn)
Glad to hear about your ride, Trish. Around here, newbies seem to separate into 2 types. The first just wants the simple thrill and soon gets banged up and quits. The other "goes to school", usually with some guidance, and starts to learn the slowing and stopping bag of tricks. My advice, get geared up with pads, gloves, etc. so you'll get up smiling from small learning spills. Set your limit on speed. Until you learn footdragging, powerslides, etc., no faster than you can run. You'll be so excited by your first rail-grab 180's and slides you'll see how much more fun you can have!
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Rt 279, Foliage,Sunset!,and then a Full Moon!
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On 9/27/2004 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
Having good hills here is a given,as is being able to climb up and get a good view of the fall fooliage as it turns bright red and orange. Having a three-lane wide,new and silky-smooth roadway with no cars is a true rarity. Having all that going on,and catch a great western view of a spectacular Sunset,followed within the hour of a brilliant FullMoon,and to then be out cruising is just about Nirvana!! Nelson and I went out and freecarved my favorite (but soon to be opened) road, did some awesome follow-the-leader tucks,turns + slides (though I cannot pull off those Shoot-the-Duck into 180* slides C.N. pulls off!) ,going into speeds ranging from the mid-30's down to the teens without ever stopping. We then set a hybrid/g.s., and broke out the Turners for a few,watching the sunset peak into magenta-to-orange across the western ridge. We had dinner at the brewery in Bennington. I went to lock up the Rec. Park where I work,and noticed the Full Moon lit up really well. I hopped back into the car, and got on the East facing VT. side of Rt 279 (C.N. and I had been on the N.Y.,west-facing side earlier). It was an easy hike,about 3 miles up from the Subaru Dealer's. All I took was safety gear,my Landy D.H. and my Petzl headlight,and just Bombed it silly! It's new tar,like 3 weeks old (if that) ,but has the paint laid down,so you can just totally relax and let the full flow of a 4-5% grade hill gently pull you down the road. Nice speed,cruising fat turns at 35 or so,then coasting down into the 20's across the flats. The next hill,the one that drops into the Exit-1 N.Bennington area is about 5-6% grade over a 1/3 mile. From the crest of that pup,you can see the Bennington Battle Momument all lit up,and notice how much light comes up from Bennington itself (small town,but it's all woods around it). I ended up merging into traffic by Exit-1's East-bound on-ramp, but my car wasn't but 2 blocks away from there. Yup, nights like this make living in the Backwoods of New England just fine with me!! [Hmm, if it's clear the next two nights...]
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new to freecarving
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On 9/26/2004 trish
wrote in from
United States
(65.103.nnn.nnn)
I am a newcomer to the freecarving scene. My brother hand-made me a carver and I took it for a run for the first time yesterday. Oh can I say I am hooked... what a rush! Can't put into words what the feeling is. Can't wait to go faster, bigger. Guess I had better get some gloves and learn how to stop. LOL. If any one has any tips for a 39 year old newbie, I could use it. Ride On????
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deep lean for lonerider
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On 9/24/2004 vaitus
wrote in from
United States
(216.166.nnn.nnn)
a while back I had a s9 cosmic1 set up on 187mm webb trucks and 75a flashbacks and even though I've never taken any measurements I can tell you that was my deepest leaning setup ever....only problem being "footbite". The vanguard being longer that should be less of a problem, and with a longer kingpin and double stimulators, you should easily get in carveboard territory.
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deep lean
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On 9/24/2004 toddc
wrote in from
United States
(68.125.nnn.nnn)
lonerider - try a longer wheelbase - find that on a longer wheelbase - say 33" h-t-h, you HAVE to make a deep carve to get an RII to really turn/lean. Originals are far too turny for me and feel like a gimmick truck though many swear by them - I have them on a long wheelbase deck as mentioned and they are still too turny. I like how I long wheelbase forces you into a wider stance and a lower position when cornering - and also calls for a deeper lean to make a tighter line - the essence of longboard carving.
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