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| Deck Reviews (10390 Posts)
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Insects -- 32 GS/City Bomber and 44 Big Bug
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On 7/27/2004 Jim R
wrote in from
United States
(67.100.nnn.nnn)
About a month and a half ago I ordered an Insect GS 32 after seeing a pic Steve Hopper (of Insect) posted up on another forum. At 6'2" and about 250 lbs or so lately, I figured the standard medium flex might not be the way to go for me. Steve agreed and said he'd take care of me. Soon after placing this order, I had a little financial windfall and when I found out the 44" Big Bug was available, I decided to order one to replace my Fibreflex FunShape (way too flexy for me, gave it to my fiancee and she loves it). I decided to order completes: Seismic 105's and Flashbacks on the 32, and R2 180's and Flashbacks on the Big Bug (I did end up swapping out the RII bushings for Stims/Bones) . About 3 weeks later got a nice big box with both of them in it (very well packed I might add). Absolutely beautiful boards.. top notch construction and craftsmanship. The more I ride these boards, the more I love them ( and I loved 'em the first time I rolled on them).
The flex and camber is perfect on both. The GS (32 X 8) is a total blast, agile and zippy. It's a super responsive speedy little thing and is a joy to cruise and pump around on.
The 44"er just rocks! Whether out for a lazy cruise or screaming down a parking garage, it has a confidence inspiring combination of responsiveness and solidity.. rides like a dream. When I let my friends check it out, I seem to have a hard time getting it back ("Just one more run, ok?").
Steve is great to deal with and the boards are amazing. I find myself smiling a lot when I ride them.
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Isaiah Cruisin Commuter
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On 7/27/2004
tom
wrote in from
United States
(68.234.nnn.nnn)
I have a new Comet 36" downhill just for this kind of thing.
155 aluminum Seismics, 65mm 78A black Power Paw's (center set, although the side set ones are great also)and Oust Moc 9 Airs.
In my opinion a great all around deck for this kind of thing.
Not too flexy, no kick in the nose, nice kick tail, little bit of concave, Seismics are super sensitive and wide open loose, wheels are great.
Overall a super responsive versatile ride and my one board that comes with me on a plane when I can only take one board.
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swift 40
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On 7/27/2004
james
wrote in from
United States
(4.157.nnn.nnn)
Wow what a setup you have going there. Talk about a truly customized board...
I talked with scott as well via email and he mentioned the khiro bushings would be more ideal with R2's. I wasn't fully understanding his reasoning, but maybe because of the lowered deck a more softer bushing is needed??
I want to use the swift for pretty much all of the same uses you mentioned (pushing, carving, bnombing, etc.) and this board looks like it can emcompass all these styles! I also want to do some Sliding, and i've just researched for sliding wheels. I'm thinking a set of 94a CLiff Sliders for sliding, and a pair of krypto 80mm 80a wheels for more intense riding. I mentioned i purchasesd a UA with flashbacks...well i wanted the 80mm krypto's too on the UA, so for some less intense swift rides ill throw the flashbacks on the swift and toss the krypto's on the UA for a speedier assault in the urban streets ;)
I can't decide on bearings however. Bearings is the one part of a board I dont like to spend lots of dough. Im skeptical of Reds, not sure if they will roll as fast as I want. (im riding on bones swiss now, riding on reds will just make me anxious for more speed(?)) Ill be trying Biltin's Abec 5 on the UA and If I like those I might throw a set of the swift.
So, as of tonight, Im thinking of the swift 40 with R2's, krypto 80mm 80a wheels, with some cliff sliders for sliding (ill use those on the UA too) and possibly biltin abec 5 OR pleasure tools abec 7 or B. Reds ... but I need some feedback on the reds, im still skeptical! Gumballs on the swift sound really good, but I think i want to try the bigger krypto's. what else...yeah ill need to stock up on some risers too, 1/8" most likely, and one question SILVERSURFER, what are the benefits of a larger kingpin for R2's?
YOur comments and suggestions are welcome SS, and anyone else.
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Curve Swift 40
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On 7/27/2004
silversurfer
wrote in from
United States
(24.62.nnn.nnn)
James -
I'm working on a very similar set up.
I'm putting together a board for cruising, pushing, carving and bombing and I am going with the swift 40, also. I'll use this one in the 7 mile nyc central park push race. The race is in May, 2005.
I have been talking to Scott (the artist who custom builds the Curve skateboards) about building me a swift 40. I was thinking original 8 trucks, but scott said that board bite could be a problem with them (unless 101mm wheels are used).
Scott recommended Randal r2 180's or Seismic 180's. He thought gumballs in a 81a/84a combo would be good.
He's going to start building my board, they take about three to four weeks to complete as they are hand built one at a time by one guy.
I am considering having him do a custom color stain and some custom grip tape on my swift.
I am leaning towards the randal r2 180's with some bushing and kingpin upgrades. 1/8" soft risers or maybe some flux risers.
I have some 78mm 78a Nicotine Prototype wheels coming for it, the ones with the cool aluminum hubs. I'll use some grind king rims with it, too.
I have a set of 75a gumballs that I'll use when I need a smoother ride for rough roads.
For bearings I'm gonna get some ceramic rockets, actually the new down hill rockets for this set up.
Any comments or suggestions on this set up?
James, how are you going to set yours up?
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Curve Swift 40
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On 7/27/2004 james
wrote in from
United States
(4.157.nnn.nnn)
Im really thinking of getting this board. it looks awesomely cool, hugh's review was the bomb, and its wide for my size 11 feet. I dont want siesmecs however, I want R2's. Curve's site has a generous offering of abec 11 wheels but I'm also not sure I want to get gumballs or flashbacks. I just ordered a Landy UA with flashbacks (78a) and I can always throw them on the swift. Does anyone have a swift 40 with a killer setup they wouldnt mind sharing? Im looking for something to just blow my mind with this board, its so rad and Im so close to getting one.
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Tom P.'s board choice...
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On 7/27/2004 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(24.53.nnn.nnn)
Tom,if you freecarve on Snowboard,and like the Vanguard,then you need FLEX in your board.Greenbrew might flex some,but as far as I know,it has no Fiberglass in it.The Sector Nine lineup,well,some boards do have Glass in them,some don't.Most Sectors suffer hugely from the generic-feeling Pivot trucks that are slapped on them,and their wheels tend towards being rather quick wearing.Look closely at what Comet is doing,using Vertically laminated woods wrapped in Glass and Carbon,and at a cost the is affordable.Look also at G+S's FibreFlex boards,or Bozi's boards.The Vanguard is almost Exactly (well,I'd change wood choice,but..Oak is good enough!) what I'd be asking for to put under Snowboard Instructors during the Summer Months.It has Camber,Concave,Flex,and Quality in it's build.I've been sawing down Snowboards for a decade-plus,and using these cut-down ecks to cross-train on.Now,it's a buyer's market,where you can search out awesome Carving Toys and find trucks that crank turns,and wheels that hold carves hard enough to make yer eyes bulge! Don't settle for boards that are ho-hum and long-ish; look for Quality,Construction,and Purpose that suits the need for Carving! Glass,Carbon,Veritcal Laminate,Good Concaves,and shapes that allow for cruising. Look again,look carefully...
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oops
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On 7/27/2004 isaiah
wrote in from
United States
(67.170.nnn.nnn)
that entry was directed to tom P not cathpah
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sector 9 bomb hills
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On 7/27/2004 isaia
wrote in from
United States
(67.170.nnn.nnn)
ive ridden this board and i think its a piece of junk. its carves are sketchy and have no fluency. And it bombs no better than it carves, its overly concanved making an uncomfortable riding platform. cathpah if you really want a cruising board than you cant go wrong with a skinnier lighter board with a short wheelbase
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crusin commuter
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On 7/27/2004 isaiah
wrote in from
United States
(67.170.nnn.nnn)
Im looking to by a new longboard that works well with 155mm seismics and soft duro avalons, something under 38inches and that i can work on pumping with but yet not to slalomy that i cant take it downhill. any feedbacK
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Drop thru evo????
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On 7/27/2004
cathpah
wrote in from
United States
(24.159.nnn.nnn)
Has anyone ever changed either the DH-Race or Evo into a drop thru board? Kebbek style? Anoyone with any expertise in dropping boards, your help is requested. Would it be possible/functional? Is there too little wood up front? Would it make it too low so that the board would bottom out. Any help is appreciated. thanks!
Shred the Gnar!
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S9 bomb hills or Greenbrew carver?
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On 7/26/2004
Tom P.
wrote in from
(209.94.nnn.nnn)
I just started skating in the past month, using my girlfriend's Loaded Vanguard. I'm loving it so much that I decided I need to get my own board :) Looking at this as a kind of crossover sport from snowboard carving, which I started getting into last winter. So... that said, I called the Purple Skunk store and they had some great suggestions. Now I'm stuck on choosing the actual boards, and since I live in rural Colorado I have no place to demo them from. My choices came down to:
#1: Sector 9 "Bomb Hills"
and
#2: Greenbrew "Carver"
I'd probably setup the (what seems fairly standard) Randall-2's 150 with Abec11 70mm 78A wheels. What I'm looking to do the most is carve on city streets and the bike path -- and so my question is, which should I go with? They both seem to be great decks, and I wish I could try them out and compare...
I'd appreciate any feedback and suggestions. Thanks,
tom.
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Originals/Geezer
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On 7/26/2004
tom
wrote in from
(68.234.nnn.nnn)
SS
Let's take it over to the truck forum, check there.
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Geezer X / Originals for ED E
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On 7/26/2004 silversurfer
wrote in from
(24.62.nnn.nnn)
What did geezer x do to your Oringinals? Some 8mm axles would be nice, I did not know geezer worked on Oringinals. Then again, you said it didt't really work. Hmmm....
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Ed E set up
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On 7/23/2004
tom
wrote in from
(68.234.nnn.nnn)
JP
My Ed Economy I got from Ed just before the Gravity marriage (thanks Ed for the custom graphics!)with the super 8's, 78A Flashbacks and oust moc 9 airs.
Plenty fast. I think the 10's on this board or any board start to lose their sharp turning radius so in my opinion that kind of defeats their whole purpose really. I've also tried lots of different size wheels and I agree that when they get bigger the whole thing starts becoming tanknish and slow. I think these flashbacks are just right although I just got some nice 70mm black power paws that are a refreshing break from all this green!
The original trucks have a little slop in them which I've even had Geezer-X take a look at and try and solve but it didn't really work. On this big a board, you don't really notice the slop and I keep them super loose maxed out so you don't feel the ultra quick return to center snap which doesn't feel natural. They also come with these new lighter softer springs standard which helps.
I have to say my Ed E bankrider (whatever the thick stiff one with a tail) is one of the greatest things ever made. It was really good with Randal 180s and I might still try seismic 180's for the hell of it but this set up right now is really nice. I plan on buying a spare this summer just because I like it so much and you know how these things go, just like the Luke Nosewalker changes might eventually happen and "you can't get those anymore man...except maybe ebay." I'm paranoid and I admit it...if I find something that's amazing I always buy a spare.
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Luke Nosewalker or something better
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On 7/23/2004 JP
wrote in from
(67.83.nnn.nnn)
Tom,
I have been thinking about originals too. Do you have the super 8 or 10 on the Ed E? What wheels do you have on it too? I have gumballs, but I think they make the Ed E too slow . . . thinking 76mm kryptos . . .
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Luke Nosewalker..or..something better!
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On 7/23/2004
tom
wrote in from
(68.234.nnn.nnn)
OK thanks for the suggestions.
I already have an Ed E. with these new wide (over 180mm)original trucks which are actually really great on this board. I can carve a doughnut within a seven foot radius.
I want something to use my carver trucks on and so far after trying them on lots of boards....I think I've decided to buy one of these they look pretty cool and well made. Probably better than a Luke. Should be a surfy ride for sure...but not so squirelly as the shorter boards I've had these trucks on. Anyone ever see one of these or own one?
http://www.epiclongboards.com
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eddy and the newbie
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On 7/23/2004 cfavero
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
eddy,you have a heart of gold.whether you know it or not,you have an awesome reputationas someone always passing along the stoke.thanks for that st louis photo last winter,cf
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warpage
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On 7/23/2004 cfavero
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
warped or twisted boards are usually reccomend to the garbage pile.although on 2000 i had a dregs biker sherlock(36)that was twisted and i swore it helped my pump on flatland.cf
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Spindog longboards?
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On 7/23/2004
G-Flash
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
Has anyone heard of Spindog ? My neighbor just got one and it has the exkate carve trucks and what appear to be the krypt's 70 mm classic shape but in a red urethane with the spindog logo on the wheels but duro reading. The deck is a double kick and is 44inches in length. Any info on the manufacture would be great!
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Luke Nosewalker, or something just like it?
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On 7/23/2004 JP
wrote in from
(12.30.nnn.nnn)
Tom, how about the Ed E bank rider or loose screw or fatboy?
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Luke Nosewalker, or something just like it?
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On 7/23/2004
tom
wrote in from
(68.234.nnn.nnn)
Since the new Luke Nosewalker has the kick nose and tail is there anything out there like the old model by any other companies (wider than JAM)
Long, really wide, flat and thick/stiff.
yeah yeah yeah
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Warpage
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On 7/23/2004 Jerry
wrote in from
(69.194.nnn.nnn)
Anybody want to comment on how much board warpage affects performance? The left front wheel on my 32" F13 board is about an inch off the ground. You can see the warp very well by sighting down the deck. Should I retire it and get a new one, or is it not that big a deal? It's hard for me to tell.
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LY UA
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On 7/22/2004
Steve in AZ
wrote in from
(130.13.nnn.nnn)
Scott: What PSR sed. In short, YES it can be made more stable...which is what I've done to mine. The current set-up de-wedges both front and back trucks, moves the rear one back 1.25" (half of the 2.5" O/S pattern), uses the thin spacers to "level" the thing, and runs the smaller Fly's on 160mm trucks that PSR alluded to.
A few other points:
-180mm hangers are TOO WIDE for the UA. OK for the RTV, but not the UA.
-I went from 74mm75a Flys to 80mm XT Wheelz Mags...and they're a LOT faster than I thought they'd be!
-Try a bunch'O stuff, Scott. You've got about as much consensus as you can hope to build on this site. It all comes down to how stable/quick YOU think it is.
-=S=-
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44" G&S Pin
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On 7/22/2004
Steve in AZ
wrote in from
(130.13.nnn.nnn)
Yup. Both the 44" and the 38" G&S Pins run a bit narrow but keep relatively long wheelbases. Avalons and Avilas just plain run wide, and Flashbacks, being flat-backed, do the same.
Run 150's with either of those wheels. If you have any 160mm DH hangers, those will work too, but 180's are just too stinkin' wide for that deck, unless you ONLY run center-set wheels, like 74mm Flys, centerset Powerpaws or Grippins. Even then, the more narrow trucks (150 & 160mms) work much better.
OH...and on these carving set-ups, run the standard 50* base on the rear. Besides already being drilled for N/S pattern, the ride is much more responsive but still quite stable. I run a VERY mild de-wedge on my rear Randal II's (cut soft spacers, or about 5*)
-=S=-
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44" G & S
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On 7/22/2004 G
wrote in from
(69.69.nnn.nnn)
Put 150's on the G & S. The wheelbase makes 180's to wide. Steve in AZ do you agree?
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