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| Q&A: Going Downhill with David Rogers (858 Posts)
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Chappy/Top Challenge
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On 8/24/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Chris..I don't think they are going to use a timer. This year it is a two day event...1st day qualify (random/computer generated packs?)...2nd day race. I hear they will race the top 32 as opposed to 16 like last year.
I'm also a fan of the timer...unfortunately it seems like we are a minority these days. Apparently, qualifying is boring for the crowds and the slow riders just hate the reality of it!! The changes to the format this year are a significant improvement over last year....at least they are not going to do something really silly like Grand Prix or Le Mans starts!!
I'm not sure about letting that Dirt$urfer Company "buy" their way into the show....sure would be nice if there was a Downhill Skate Co. with pockets as deep as that Dirt$urfer guy!!!
Regardless of all that, I think Top Challenge is probably the best downhill race we have in North America. I wish I were going back this year. I was planning on going with Judith, but the INS "red tape" says otherwise.
Buy your flippin’ ticket! Don't you have a win to defend?
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from FLINDt.
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On 8/24/2005 RIDah.
wrote in from
Canada
(24.84.nnn.nnn)
I am trying to get to Montreal right now. I rode the board you gave me in Colorado last weekend and got the HIGHEST MPH and the FASTEAT QUALIFYING TIMe, thanx! I put on my 97mm ABEC11 Flywheels just to see how they would stack up against the field, thanx again ROGERS BROs. for giving me the opportunity to represent your product!
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The Gun
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On 8/24/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
WT...Your board looks great!! Those Turner boards sure look fast and sexy! Let us know how it rides....have fun!!
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Qualifying in Montreal
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On 8/23/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
Hey Dave, A question in your forum was raised about the Top Challenge Qualifying Format. Has it changed from a "race to qualify point system" to a traditional timed qualifying format, or is there just a different day to qualfy in pack races?
The websites says that "Top Challenge uses a point system for the classification of the athletes, not taking time performance into account." I'm reading this to mean that there are no timed qualifying runs, and that once again they are going to choose random bracketing and points to determine who gets into the "real" race.
Does anyone know for sure? I'm trying to figure out whether or not to buy a ticket.
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The Gun
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On 8/23/2005
WT
wrote in from
United States
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
David,
Thanks for the advice. I did wedge it and also took care to tighten it up. Thanks also to all the advice I got by e-mail. Åfter I play with this awhile, I'll do what's needed to get get the Randalls and set this baby up with some different suspension
Here's the way it came out:
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Downhill Gun
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On 8/18/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
WT...Take steering out of the back with a steep wedge and play with tightening the back truck and/or harder bushings to get the board stable at speed.
I don't have much experience with Seismics. I suggest that you start with the medium springs and move to harder ones if you can't get the board stable with rear truck adjustments.
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Set up
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On 8/18/2005
WT
wrote in from
United States
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
David,
Chicken did a custom 150mm Indy Offset for the back. I'm spacing it to match a 155mm Seismic with the medium yellow springs on the front. (Should I change that up to a harder red spring?) Wheels are 4mm-shaved Avilas front and back. This is all going on the 44" Turner Summerski Downhill Gun.
I'm completely new to longboard geometry and steering, so I'm really in the dark as to how a tanker behaves. Any advice would be helpful.
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WT's longboard
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On 8/18/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
WT...what brand of trucks are you running?
For conventional trucks, try both wedges with the fat end toward the rear of the board.
Taking steering out of the rear truck will give you some high speed stability...adding steering to the front will make it turn through the cones easier.
Adjust the back truck significantly tighter than the front and give it a test ride.
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Mike's DH set up
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On 8/18/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Mike...sounds good but you might want to use 35 degree baseplates from Randal DH trucks. I think the EVO was designed around the DH baseplate. Using the 50 degree RII base might give you excessive steering angle in the front.
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Brent......GMR
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On 8/18/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Brent...faster? For sure!! Blue?...yes. Heard a rumor about a possible Saturday session at GMR.
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Longboard wedging
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On 8/17/2005
WT
wrote in from
United States
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
I'm setting up my new longboard next week. (My first.) Should I use flat risers or wedge it? Which results in greater stability at straight downhill speed? Or does it make any difference? I'm only going up to 155m truck width because I want something that will not only bomb but also be a decent longboard slalom machine. Is there any preferred riser set up to avoid speed wobbles?
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downhill set up
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On 8/15/2005 Mike
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(195.93.nnn.nnn)
Hi chaps, i've presently got a dedicated slide setup (36" and hard wheels), but i'm also looking for something a lot faster that will also carve and slide. Getting equipment over in UK isn't all that easy unless you want to pay huge shipping fees but i've found a uk site thats selling a "Landyachtz evo" with kryptonic Classic K 80mm wheels and Randal 180's.
Does this sound like a good combination for a fast downhill setup that will also carve and slide? Any advice would be much appreciated, cheers.
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Gumby Falleth
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On 8/14/2005
Eddy
wrote in from
United States
(207.69.nnn.nnn)
Kenny it was good talking to today. The news!!! Gumby Texas Outlaws takes a tumble. We are hitting this hill that drops pretty fast 22-27 mph wind at your back, it then does an S turn. Gumby decides he is dropping in switch stance. He makes the top section and the bottom section. 5 ft from the end of the run he encounters a problem he is thinking how and when do I foot break. Too late the bro puts his foot down, the board wobs out from under him and he does a roll out on the asphalt, no shirt on. ROAD RASH. Friends don't let friends ride slalom courses switch stance. Take care bro. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.
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olins leather
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On 8/14/2005 mike p
wrote in from
United States
(69.107.nnn.nnn)
it wasnt really a thrift store, dont go to kmart or something. it was a used clothing store. make sure u dont get sketchy s#@! from some sketchy store.
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leather on ebay...
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On 8/14/2005
mike p
wrote in from
United States
(69.107.nnn.nnn)
i got ripped off on ebay buying leathers. beware. check classifieds, or find ebay sellers that are in your area and physically hand them money as they physically hand you the suit. thrift stores are also not a bad option. that's where olin got his skin, and its holdin up pretty good.
oh, and dave, unfortunately me and olin got kinda busy this summer. im workin mon-thur doin construction, and olins workin and stuff too. we may still make it down at some point, and if we can we'll let you know. god, i really want to...
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speed on GMR
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On 8/13/2005 Brent
wrote in from
United States
(69.229.nnn.nnn)
Will I be faster if I ride one of your new Anodized Aluminum boards down GMR. We should find out tomorrow,I'll take blue or black.
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bpizzle
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On 8/12/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
bpizzle...Getting some leathers should probably be your next priority. Ebay is probably going to be your best bet for saving cash when you buy. The slide gloves and helmet are a must. An old leather jacket with jeans and your kneepads will keep most of the skin on your body if you can't afford a full suit.
Forget about bearings and put that money toward the leathers. Keep your bearings clean and lubed and they will get you down the hill just as fast as $100.00 ceramics.
Your board setup sounds good. I've got nothing on my race board that would make it any “faster” than yours...honest. You might not need the Randal Downhills but might consider a Downhill (35-degree) base plate for the front of that EVO. With the added steering of the deck, the standard 50-degree RII base may give your board a bit too much steering resulting in a wobble or twitchy feel at speed. The RII 180 on a DH base plate is a popular combination for speedboarding.
For more speed...work on your push, your tuck, keep most of your weight on the front foot, find someone to draft.... or find a steeper hill!! Stay safe!
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Montreal
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On 8/12/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Ian.....Wives? We are only allowed one (1) in California and I've met my quota! The wife and I had planned to make it to Top Challenge, however, we are still waiting on some "official" papers to allow Judith and child to pass back and forth across the border with the correct "authorization". We hope to make it back to Montreal in October if all goes well. Maybe we can get together for a skate and a beer or two when we are in town.
The format at Top Challenge is not keeping me away. The 2 day format this year seems like a big improvement over last year. I like to see all of the riders make the "main" event. If you want the maximum number of 4 rider heats going down the hill, it seems like everyone should race.... sitting on the sidelines really sucks! I prefer the fairness of timed qualification, but understand some of the motivation to have "random" heat qualification.
Running a 32 or 64 rider grid and racing all the possible "consolation" rounds gives all the riders the same number of runs and all riders get a shot at the win no matter how they qualify. The entire finishing order is nailed down by racing...not by the qualification order or method. Why eliminate riders in qualification?...let them all race on race day....if time permits.
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Big Wheels/Andreas
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On 8/11/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Andreas,
I've never been a fan of the "big" diameter wheels. They have never shown any real advantage other than letting one cross railroad tracks, cracks and potholes more effectively. In most cases, I think "big" wheels run slower than a wheel in the 75-85mm range.
In the mid 1990's there was a 90mm Labeda wheel available..70mm Kryptos and 72mm Hypers were still the wheel of choice.
Around 1997 or so Sean Mallard and "Electric" Louie worked on the Exkate wheel design and development together. They made a bunch of proto wheels to test in sizes up to 100mm or more. They concluded that 82mm was the optimum size..the Cherry Bomb was the end result. I think they were on the right track!!
A year or two later, Krypto introduced the 76mm Racecore, which seemed to have no problem keeping up with the 82mm Cherries in most situations. Then came the ABEC-11 83mm Flywheels, 80 and 85mm Kryptos, 92mm Flywheels, 101s, 90s, 97s, 77s...lots of choices for the racer!
I own quite a few of the "big" wheels and would run them in a race if I thought they would make me faster. My favorite wheel choices for downhill run between 76mm and 83mm...the 78a 77mm Striker falls in that range. The depth of the urethane on the 76 Fly is a bit thin for my liking and seems to make the wheel a bit rough on anything but smooth pavement.
I think you guys are getting it right.
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AaronW & Weight
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On 8/11/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Aaron..I don't think 200 lbs is going to change much when compared to say 170 lbs.
If both riders have the same aerodynamics, I think the 200lb rider will be faster on the same(soft)wheels. I'm sure there is a weight at which the wheels would be "overloaded" and run a bit slower if the rider was heavy enough.
Traction issues may be a bit different. Soft wheels may scrub, wear and slide easier for the heavy rider. A few duro points harder may give the heavy guy more grip on certain surfaces.
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New to speedboarding
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On 8/11/2005
bpizzle
wrote in from
United States
(67.163.nnn.nnn)
to the Roger brothers...
I've been riding longboards for coming up on my 4th year, and just recently got into speedboarding. I'm only 15 without a job and obviously can't afford the kinds of things you guys have on your boards, but I'm looking to get into the sport safely with some decent equiptment.
Right now I'm running a Landyachtz Evo, Randall 180s w/ flipped hangers, 78a Gumballs and some generic abec 7 bearings. Our part of town is built on a hill and there are tons of quick, steep little runs around here that I can practice on. I've gotten up to the mid to high 30s very comfortably and now I'm looking to go faster.
The first few pieces of information I'm looking for involve safety equiptment... All I wear right now are some sliding gloves, Harbinger mountainboard knee pads and a motorcycle helmet. Again, without much income...what is the most effective safety suit I could get for the money? I was looking at slightly used leathers on eBay, any other places I should look? I got this helmet for running a 50cc Honda MB5 my dad got my brother and I a few years back, it fits comfortably and I'd assume it should do its job if I were to take a crash (knock on wood). My brother took the Honda into a ditch and his helmet held up nicely, so I don't think I'd need to upgrade the helmet just yet.
In a week or two I plan on upgrading some stuff on my speedboard to try to squeak out a bit more speed from it. I plan on picking up a pair of Randal Downhills and some Builtin Abec7 bearings. Anything else you would reccomend that would be a worthwhile upgrade while I'm at it?
Any advice or words of wisdom for a young and very new speedboarder would be appreciated. Like most other guys reading this forum, I appreciate the time you both put into helping us out. Thanks a lot.
-Brian
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Rogers in Montreal
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On 8/10/2005 Ian
wrote in from
Canada
(67.71.nnn.nnn)
I heard a rumour that you won't be coming? I hope this isn't about format, we have a whole day of qualification this year and a final 32. It's a great place to find wives too!
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geting it right
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On 8/7/2005
Andreas
wrote in from
Sweden
(83.226.nnn.nnn)
Dave and John
Sorry about the last post i dont konw that went wrong
We did trial runs side by side in åre. Åre is 2,5km and has a top speed of 80km.
One rider had 101mm 75a flywheels(kurt) and the other had 70mm 84a flashbacks(ankan).
Coming in to the first corner thay were side by side (same speed) and coming out of the corner they were still side by side.
They staid side by side all the way down the line.
The only diffrens was that ankans flashis where eaten up and nicely coned.
A lot of riders in sweden are starting to use 78a 77mm strikers or the 76mm flywheels now that they know that a big wheel wont help on a real hill
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wheels
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On 8/7/2005
Andreas
wrote in from
Sweden
(83.226.nnn.nnn)
Dave/john
We did trial runs side by side in åre. Åre is 2,5km and has a top speed of 80km.
One rider had 101mm 75a flywheels(kurt) and the other had 70mm 84a flashbacks(ankan).
Coming in to the first corner thay were side by side (same speed) and coming out of the corner they were still side by side.
They staid side by side all the way down the line.
The only diffrens was that ankans flashis where eaten up and nicely coned.
A lot of rider are starting to use 77m Chris
We did trial runs side by side in åre. Åre is 2,5km and has a top speed of 80km.
One rider had 101mm 75a flywheels(kurt) and the other had 70mm 84a flashbacks(ankan).
Coming in to the first corner thay were side by side (same speed) and coming out of the corner they were still side by side.
They staid side by side all the way down the line.
The only diffrens was that ankans flashis where eaten up and nicely coned.
AChris
We did trial runs side by side in åre. Åre is 2,5km and has a top speed of 80km.
One rider had 101mm 75a flywheels(kurt) and the other had 70mm 84a flashbacks(ankan).
Coming in to the first corner thay were side by side (same speed) and coming out of the corner they were still side by side.
They staid side by side all the way down the line.
The only diffrens was that ankans flashis where eaten up and nicely coned.
A lot of riders in sweden are starting to use 78a 77mm strikers or the 76mm flywheels just to save weight now that they know that a big wheel wont help on a real hill
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soft vs hardXweight
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On 8/6/2005
AaronW
wrote in from
United States
(209.203.nnn.nnn)
Hey Dave, long time no skate
Does the riders wieght come in to factor? I am 200 pounds, so would a harder wheel, like 81a, act similar under me as a 75a or 78a would under you?
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