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| Q&A: Going Downhill with David Rogers (858 Posts)
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This weekend
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On 4/22/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Planning on a GMR session on Sunday if it's dry out. Mercado...you want to put that new board to the test? Round up some more Pump Station riders if you can...SteveC? SFNasJ? JohnO? Maysey? ..great practice if you're going to Maryhill.
Kludy and Kludy: I'm not sure about John, but I'm NOT going to make that race on Sat...Sorry bro(s)!
David
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David / Hot Heels
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On 4/22/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
David:
Thanks for posting up that video link the other day! Good stuff! You guys are sure keeping the stoke alive in the northwest! Keep it up! I hope to make Maryhill this summer but I won't be going to Europe...maybe next year. Not sure about other US guys going overseas..Flindt, Freeman possibly.
Hotheels huh? You're gonna have a blast! John and I took our share of wins on that hill...not standing on boards however!! The last time I rode a speedboard there the hill kicked my ass. My fondest speedboard memories from HH are battling it out with Cliff Coleman (in 2000?)...I think we were racing for 30th place or something..ha ha. Manu with his sick style had that hill wired back around the same time. The hill is great, the parties are even better. I learned that racing luge with a hangover is much easier than racing standup with a hangover...go easy on the Jägermeister shots no matter what all the euros and SA guys say!!
The top 3 hairpins are tight so you have to take them kinda slow. Try to stay out of trouble as quite a few tangles and spills usually occur in the hairpins. Next is the Carousel. The Carousel is kind of a 90 right, 90 left, 180 right group of turns. The approach is fast(mid 40's ?) and sliding seems to be the rule thru that critical section. If you get the Carousel wired, it is surely one of the coolest sections of racetrack in the world. I really sucked thru that section on my skateboard, but I have seen video of Bradburn and others a few years back just ripping it up! After the Carousel, you have a long fast (50ish?) strait that leads you to Hells Gate. Hells Gate is a blind right/left chicane that you pucker up and hit at full speed...you will know why it got it's name when you see what is on the otherside of the protective barriers that line the course..yikes!! Once you make it thru Hells Gate, there is a full-tuck,long, right hand sweeper that leads you to the finish. There is plenty of time to draft and make up ground after the Carousel. Good tucks and big balls rule the bottom part of the course.
Be ready for anything....bring spares. I'm not sure of the condition of the surface...be ready for rough spots and slick corners. Bring all of your favorite wheels..you have plenty of time to test out different setups. Be ready for rain! Make sure you have plenty of shoe(s) if you are a foot dragger...they don't call it Hot Heels for nothing!!
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Lowered Boards
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On 4/22/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Lemon8:
My riding experience is with drop-thru only..ie. Kebbek smoothcut, BigRedX. I have never ridden a dropped platform board such as Landy DH/Evo or Kebbek Flushcut/Caften.
A board without any drop/drop-thru, starts to get pretty tall when using Randal trucks and large diameter wheels. Much of the drop just gets the board back down to a "normal" ride height. This aids in pushing, footbraking and being able to get your slide glove on the road for "hand down" turning techniques.
Changes in stability are more likely due to feeling the reduced leverage that you have on the bushings when turning a dropped deck. Some riders experience that the dropped boards do not have as much grip in turns. This is likely due to changes in geometry that reduce the "down" force while increasing the "sideways" force on the wheel when turning. If you slide your turns, the "dropped" geometry may fit your style better than a "flat" board that is set up for optimum grip.
I don't think that riding a dropped board reduces the aerodynamic drag significantly, but it may put the "wake" at a lower overall height and make the rider harder to draft. Best aerodynamic drag numbers might be obtained with a board that's 8 inches off the ground....I wouldn't want to ride a board that tall and you would likely need wind tunnel testing to determine your optimal aerodynamic ride height.
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ECE
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On 4/22/2005
Yorck
wrote in from
Germany
(82.83.nnn.nnn)
ECE 2205 2204 are the European helmet safety standards for Motorsports. Very simular with Snell. Multi impact testing ect.
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Airoh helmets
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On 4/22/2005 Andreas
wrote in from
Sweden
(83.227.nnn.nnn)
The airoh mx helmets are ECE2205 approved but are not Snell tested. Sorry for shoting off my big mouth about the snell part i kind of thought that it would be snell if it was ECE tested.
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Speed 'Management'
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On 4/21/2005
civilian2b
wrote in from
United States
(140.185.nnn.nnn)
this is my first post here and i was wondering someone could give me the low-down a few techiniques to keep me alive a little while longer..
longstory short, i'm just getting into skating and long/speedboarding..my buddy took me out one night and popped my downhill cherry something fiece...now i'm busy pricing snell approved helmets and custom leathers (well..no really)...
now i've got two setups that i use for general commuting and getting around, and i need a little help trying to dialin the settings for them
i'm running a blank 44" with a little concave and a kicktail, 9" wide
randal 180's and 65/88 no skoolz and rocket steels...i've got some stock krux bushings in them untill i can get another order in for some bones hardcore and/or tracker stim's (this is my main commuter)
for speed i've got the big red x with randal 180's (and i'm looking for a set of used randal dh's...if anyone's got any??) 90mm/78a flywheels, rocket bearings with blue tracker stims on the boardside and medium bones hardcore on the roadside (as opposed to top/bottom)
ok, so now that introductions are out of the way :)...here's what im wondering
-Ye Olde Speed Wobbles
i've heard tighter trucks will eliminate speed wobbles at lower speeds 20-25? ..any truth to that?..obviously 'how tight' i run my trucks is up to me, but what's a good 'feel' i should be looking for in regards to my trucks responsiveness?...i'm a light-weight guy (145) if that helps..
also...The Loosening of my ankles/legs & getting lower in 'the crouch'...i've heard this is good 'absorbing' the wobbles..
my only concern with this is whether or not when i get The Wob's, if i should tense up and try to engage in a 'hard carve' or sorts, or just loosen up and 'ride it out' (my fear with riding it out is that the board will just toss me down to the soon-to-be red asphalt below..
as far as getting lower in the tuck, i find that it helps reduce the wobbles, BUT it speeds me up, so when standing back up i'll be in the same predicament again ???
-Foot Braking
it came instinctively to me (thank god) BUT, when happens when i get to that speed where i dont have faith in my ability to take one foot off the board to engage the Foot Brake without fear of getting my face ripped off (full face..i know)...help me out..i dont like it when i'm going too fast to footbrake
-Air braking..(before footbraking)
haven't tried this yet (mainly due to my 'in'frequency of skating), but do all i really have to do is 'create a larger profile'...think it would serve me good to wear a jacket with a zipper and just unzip and let it flow??..but that raises the question..would i provide so much drag that i could fly off the back of the board??
-Sliding
well..that's a whole 'nuther post right there...i figure i should at least get the basics of riding down before sliding all over gods asphalt playground..
thanks for any help
-justin
p.s. skateboarding has made me sick...and i hope i never get well
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tHIS NeXT rAcE
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On 4/21/2005 KLUDY
wrote in from
United States
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH IF THE TWO OF YOU BROS COULD COME SAT.IT WILL MEAN ALOT!
ITS A FAMILY THING.
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Big fish for Chaput
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On 4/20/2005 ninoaki
wrote in from
Switzerland
(81.62.nnn.nnn)
let me get in touch with you some good news for you "revolutionary".....iff you know what i mean my e-mail aki@roll-laden.tv (the green gobblen
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wheel balancing? 100mph?
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On 4/19/2005
david
wrote in from
United States
(68.167.nnn.nnn)
darryl, all this talk of wheel balancing and 100 mph runs leads me to believe you are fooling around with the idea of doing 100 mph stand up? got any hills in mind? Hiller dr in berkeley tops out at 65(jeez, so slow)
some top secret desert hill perhaps?
dave and john, i am going to race hot heels this year and was wondering if you could enlighten me on the course. i have seen pictures, looks pretty insane. top speeds? i imagine all those hairpins require sliding? any wheel recommendations?
are either of you guys going this year? any other americans? darryl?
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Lets go skate
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On 4/19/2005
Andrew Mercado
wrote in from
United States
(71.105.nnn.nnn)
Hey Jon,this is andrew from over at Madrid. When you were over here the other day i took the info you gave me and set up my downhill/drop thru board. Showed it to your brother at pump station and rode it too. If you are riding at all this weekend E mail me (I lost your number) and lets go skate.
Andrew
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Helmets
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On 4/19/2005
David
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Andreas..Thanks for the helmet info...those look great! The "Tyger" model with faceshield also looks interesting. I could not find mention of the "snell" and other certifications on the website..? Please keep us informed of what you find out there! I think some of the euro downhillers (Yorck? possibly) might be in contact with Icaro to try and coax them into making a downhill specific helmet.
It sure would be great to get a helmet company behind our sport.
Lance..10 lb steel military helmet? You are kidding...right? I think you should hang it back on the wall and get something else. Downhillers need helmets to protect their skulls and brains during a crash...shrapnel and stray bullets have not been a problem as of yet. A military helmet is not designed as a crash helmet, neither are those big red fireman helmets!!
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Wheel Balance
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On 4/19/2005
David
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Darryl: First...check your wheels to make sure that they spin true with bearings and spacers pressed in. You can check circular runout (how round the wheel is) using a dial indicator, or use your eye to toss out any wheels that wobble when you spin them on an axle.
For balancing...small parts balancers are available at some hobby/RC model shops...look here> http://www.shopatron.com/product/product_id=DUB499/101.0
You might find a local RC racer who has one or a local machine shop may have a similar balancer for small parts. Basically you add weight to the light side or subtract material from the heavy side until the wheel is balanced. Don't remove material from the hub/wheel in ways that will weaken it, and don't add weight that can separate from the wheel when in use. For a 100mph run, I think wheel balance could be very important.
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Lowered platforms
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On 4/18/2005 Lemon8
wrote in from
South Africa
(196.25.nnn.nnn)
To the Roger Bros, Id dig to know what you think about the whole lowered platform concept? If it does make a difference to just a normal flat concaved board and by making a drop through that it would make more of a difference. Talking about the lower you are the more stable and less drag so you should go faster. But in racing would it even make a difference?
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helmets...
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On 4/17/2005
Flavien
wrote in from
United States
(69.109.nnn.nnn)
I just hope that you don't fall as much as I do :)
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Helmets
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On 4/17/2005
Lance
wrote in from
United States
(68.218.nnn.nnn)
Man, my helmet is like 10 lbs. Solid bulletproof steel and kevlar. just go borrow a helmet from vietnam veteran and you wont ever get hurt, lol. ROCK ON
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helmets
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On 4/17/2005
andreas
wrote in from
Sweden
(83.226.nnn.nnn)
Dave,John and everybody else there is a MX helmet made by www.airoh.com that is snell2000 and E.C 2255 typed. The model is called STELT and to top it off it´s 950grams heavy wich is about the same as a mtb helmet. There is also a speedski helmet walla geting a helmet tested by snell..more on that later
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Im FREE!!!!
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On 4/15/2005
Aaronw
wrote in from
United States
(24.52.nnn.nnn)
All the family stuff is taken care of, the lady is out of town this weekend and I need to go fast (well, not as fast as you guys).
You guys free for GMR??
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100MPH
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On 4/15/2005
Darryl
wrote in from
United States
(24.161.nnn.nnn)
Sorry I took so long to get back to this,
Yes I was waaaaay off w/ my answer. So much for my secret life as a mathmatition.
So Dave you suggest balancing the wheels? How would you go about this?
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Speed helmets
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On 4/15/2005
John
wrote in from
United States
(207.200.nnn.nnn)
Isaiah,
The helmets that we have been using in the past don't meet the criterion for Maryhill. These helmets were made by Icaro and were designed for airborne sports like hang gliding. They are not nearly as robust as helmets that will be required for Maryhill. Timeship Racing has stipulated that helmets must be of full face design and meet the Snell M95 or Snell M2000 standard. Helmets that have these ratings will have a sticker that indicates compliance with the Snell Memorial Foundation. There is usually a serial # as well. The sticker on my M95 rated, Bieffe helmet, is located on the expanded polystyrene inner liner.
Snell M95 is the older standard and Snell M2000 is the current standard. I believe my M95 is from 1998 or 1999. Most manufacturers recommend replacing a helmet after 3- 5 years to ensure that the material properties of your helmet have not deteriorated. Any helmet that has suffered a good impact should be replaced or sent back to the manufacturer for inspection. Buying a used helmet is never a good idea, because you don't know what type of impacts it has been subjected to.
There are many helmets that meet the M2000 standard and I am shopping for a new helmet myself. Many guys are using offroad motorcycle helmets that meet the Snell standards. These helmets seem to offer better visibility than typical motorcycle helmets, however, most of them lack a face shield and are designed to be used with goggles. Guys are using thin lexan sheet to make face shields for offroad helmets. Timeship has stated that face shields will be required and I believe Joe sells material to make shields for helmets.
A good source that I know for helmets is www.ChaparralMotorsports.com
This place has all types of motorcycle helmets to select from. As far as aerodynamics of helmets is concerned, I doubt you will find any thing as aero as the airborne sports helmets, but these helmets don't meet the impact standards we are looking for.
Happy shopping and I hope to see you at Maryhill!
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speed helmets
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On 4/14/2005 isaiah
wrote in from
United States
(24.21.nnn.nnn)
I tried to post this question under speedboarding but I didnt get a response, maybe the roger bros can help me out. What kind of helmets do you ride? or what are some of the more aerodynamic helmets out these days that meet snell ratings for races + where can you get them online? I was hoping to enter the maryhill race but Im without a helmet that meets qualifications
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lithium grease
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On 4/14/2005
joseph
wrote in from
Australia
(211.30.nnn.nnn)
it corrodes urethane and rubber so be carefull
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lithium
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On 4/14/2005
Lance
wrote in from
United States
(150.176.nnn.nnn)
Hey, anyone tried Lithium Grease?
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lance
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On 4/14/2005 Aengus
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(193.113.nnn.nnn)
Yo dude, if you talk like you write I think I'd be scared to meet you! seriously though, gravity board is a little misleading, I mean fair enough your defining the use of gravity as a salient feature in the boads use. However a speeed board is for use with gravity, therefore its not a useful distinction. Carving is a useful term.. Anyways I'm in training so thats why I'm being pedantic, speed on bro's
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Gravity
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On 4/13/2005
Lance
wrote in from
United States
(150.176.nnn.nnn)
A gravity board? Never heard of it? It is a longboard with attitude haha. No, it is similar to a longboard in length, but it has lots of flex, giving it a smooth 'hard carve' ride. No, I dont build them for Gravity Skate Co. I custom build them though. Dude, I gotta get to a speed board race haha...maybe this summer, besides I have friends and relatives in Cali. so maybe everything will work out...I'll keep you updated...PEACE
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why you should race maryhill
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On 4/12/2005
david
wrote in from
United States
(67.100.nnn.nnn)
http://academic.evergreen.edu/p/pridav25/sk8movies/Seattle_Sessions-Lo-Res.mov
18 meg, quicktime file, check it out.....
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