|
|
|
| Completes (3882 Posts)
|
| Board |
Review |
|
Surf Stik
|
|
On 6/12/2004
Kid_A
wrote in from
(4.27.nnn.nnn)
I picked up a brand new surf stik cheap ($117) a while back on ebay. I love the damn thing, but there a couple of things that bug me.
The stock wheels are sticky, but slooow. Due to their cone design, they deform a ton while rolling, slowing you down significantly. Despite this, they are not sticky enough to be used in very aggresive downhills runs. I've had a couple of bad experiences where I was going too fast trying, to carve too hard and gave the wheel's traction too much credit.
It uses r6 bearings, and the stock bearings are crappy. They have an ID of .375", which is a bit under 10 mm. The axel it uses is bigger than the standard 8, not smaller. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't put different wheels on it. Since it uses basic bolts for the axels, I picked up a couple of 8mm bolts about the same length as the ones that the board comes with and swapped them out. I needed to add a bore reducer so the bolts would fit snugly into the holes drilled for the .375" bolts in the trucks. With this, I was able to slap on some flashbacks for times when I want the board to go further for every kick on the flats.
The fastest I've dared go on this board has been around 28-30. At that speed, I was getting wobbles. But for some reason, the frequency of the oscillations was a lot lower than the wobbles I've gotten with rII's on my DHR. It was scary nonetheless.
Aside from all of this, the board is a BLAST to ride. You can handle some decently steep hills on it riding rail-to-rail. They really don't have to be mellow as long as you dont let things get out of control--and the 45 degree lean gives you plenty of control. A lot of people ride off the spring driven trucks as being the equivalent of very loose conventional trucks, but they offer a much more stable platform than loose trucks while kicking on the flats, while still allowing for deep, DEEEP carves.
I've yet to take my stik into a bowl or skatepark, but I'm sure it'll be lots of funs once I do!
|
|
|
|
|
da stik
|
|
On 6/5/2004 vaitus
wrote in from
(216.166.nnn.nnn)
both the one I've ridden and the one I looked at in the shop had the same cheapo sealed greased bearings (slow), I can't swear by it but they looked just like regular 608 bearings on a sub 8mm axle...
I agreee with you hc, it's a nice feeling fun ride at mellow speeds, but I still wouldn't shed 200+ bananas on it...better get the nuclear complete, resell trucks and wheels and buy some seismics and avalons/gumballs etc.
wedge dewedge as needed. would make a really comfy long distance pumper commuter board.
|
|
|
|
|
pickle set-ups
|
|
On 6/4/2004
wacky
wrote in from
(67.169.nnn.nnn)
hey skate citizens...
i'm not sure who is constructing them ...but flowlab
is selling the pickle decks off their website
...i guess they wanted to offer a variety of carving experiences?
it seems kind of weird to me ~ just covering the niche market share
maybe they will buy out carveboard and original trucks and baku or
more likely they might resurrect kapu trucks.
it's a nutty world out there!
peace ...monson
|
|
|
|
|
curve
|
|
On 6/4/2004 hc
wrote in from
(69.105.nnn.nnn)
curve not carve. It's their speedboard version.
I wonder if landy made that deck for nuclear pickle.
BTW, I made a 'dropp-thru' deck for my exkate.
Cut out a hole so that your exkate baseplate can fit through.
Mount a piece of wood over that hole.
Mount the truck to that top plate.
You can actually manipulate to top plate to change angles.
Anyways, a pain in the ass way to get a lower ride.
|
|
|
|
|
cheap stik
|
|
On 6/4/2004 hc
wrote in from
(69.105.nnn.nnn)
vaitus, yup like that, wow that's a good deal $100 for the setup.
isn't nuclear pickle gone? would be good collector deal.
with exkate, I couln't play with wedges.
doesn't carve make a deck similar to that?
Notice that deck isn't 'dewedged' like the landy.
|
|
|
|
|
wacked spacing?!
|
|
On 6/4/2004
wacky
wrote in from
(67.169.nnn.nnn)
hey skatecats...
sorry about the hack job w/the spacing
on my post ...i'm not sure how it happened!?
i hope it doesn't bug 2 much!
peace ...monson
|
|
|
|
|
cardio carveboard
|
|
On 6/4/2004
wacky
wrote in from
(67.169.nnn.nnn)
hey hugh...
i was lucky enough to get a used carveboard (only 2 months old!)
for $175 that was 4 yrs. ago ~ i'm still just as stoked on it as
the first time i rode it!! ...i take the beast out to almost every
session and in addition to providing the unbeatable carve experience
it provides just a little extra for the skatewalkback workout.
lugging the *18 lb. machine back up the run adds the necessary
"strength conditioning" to my sessions (no gyms 4 me)...now this only
applys on the 1/4-1/2 mile walkbacks ~ on longer runs in the canyon then
it's definitely shuttle time!
i always take a pump to dial in the tire pressure ...too much and you
are flyin' and skiddin' down the mountain ...too little and your grandma
could tackle the run blindfolded ...get it dialed in and you are surfin'
the concrete wave (w/o the spray ...well maybe a little dust & gravel just
for effect now & then)
i tend to believe the new axles on the carvestik would take conventional
wheels because it sure looks like brad is rippin' it up in that little park
w/some flashbacks ~ they had just come out about the time they filmed that
session ~ i mean they might be sims snakes but they don't make a green wheel
and they are sure not kryptos soooo i've gotta believe other wheels will work!
how about some 90mm or 97mm flywheels w/the 45mm core? ...that could be kinda
schweeet!! ~ or it could totally blow i tend to think it would provide a pretty
killa carve experience ...if they fit conventional wheels i'm saving my coins!
peace ...monson
|
|
|
|
|
pickles and such
|
|
On 6/4/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
(24.48.nnn.nnn)
Yeah... that looks very familiar to me! The pickles are cool and very well built, but they don't perform near as well as the exkates or baku's. Too big and heavy... harsh return to center (snap to center actually)
Mine sit at my brothers house in a box... too cool to get rid of, but too bulky to be effective (though they might do well on a dirt board)
On really steep hills, the carveboards are hard to beat for plain ol' deep carving fun! They are so heavy! That part kills me... rides back up the hill are a must! If I could get one for a very decent price (really cheap) I would love to own one because they are tons of fun! Just have to have the right tire pressure for the terrain... and that can be a bit tricky. HR
|
|
|
|
|
pickle truck deck
|
|
On 6/4/2004 wacky
wrote in from
(67.169.nnn.nnn)
hey hugh...
does that look familiar to you?
did you ever set up a big cruiser w/pickles?
other than height are the pickles great carving trucks?
compared to torsions/seismics/bakus or even the carveboard?
just curious...
(i love my carveboard and i always want to create a lighter
version for more general terrain & i'm low on the r&d fund so
i want to create a sure thing w/o experimenting ~ although i have
been tempted to try hc's carved column exskate version!)
peace ...monson
|
|
|
|
|
cheap stik
|
|
On 6/4/2004 vaitus
wrote in from
(24.199.nnn.nnn)
hc, does your landy resemble this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16264&item=3680898290&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
|
|
|
|
|
the stik
|
|
On 6/4/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
(69.166.nnn.nnn)
There shouldn't be any reason that standard wheels couldn't be used on this... possibly not standard bearings if the axel is oversized like on their Carve boards.
Other than being heavy, it shouldn't be particularly slow (unless it's using sub-standard bearings and wheels)
The trucks are very similar to their others so they should provide some very deep carves... the large wheel are most suitable to steeper hills, but I believe that is due more to the large pneumatic wheels and chunkiness of the board more than anything to do with the truck design.
I'd be interested in trying out the stick.
The most interesting thing is that it's being referred to as a "skateboard"... major departure from the direction that the owner had previously been projecting his products! Nice guy (maybe a little gruff, but a sweet guy all the same) but WAY stuck in the surfing mind set. This is a welcome departure!
If I can remember the Carve peoples names and numbers I may have to set up a test ride (they have been great in the past about sending a factory rider/rep with a truck load of test boards out into the field for guys to play on) HR
|
|
|
|
|
stik
|
|
On 6/3/2004 hc
wrote in from
(69.105.nnn.nnn)
I did notice that the wheels did not use a locknut.
I would have to take it apart next time to see if you can run other wheels.
They use a coned wheel design that suppose to give more grip, but I not sure about that.
The deep lean design makes it easier to break traction for berts, coleman, standing slides. Same goes for regular trucks, looser is easier. I am interested in using it for learning standing slides, seems it's a lot easier on the stik.
As far as it being slow, you can definitely pump faster on a proper slalom setup. But the stik just gives you a different sensation, that 'surfy' feel, which I feel is only good for mellow slopes. I wouldn't use it on the flats or steeps.
I noticed their trucks are designed with a built-in wedge. I would flip the back truck over to desteer the rear to aid in pumping. Also, I believe they offer stiffer springs who would make it more 'skateboard' less 'carveboard', but would help in pumping.
Their video does look cool, but video is deceiving sometimes. I think most of what they do can be done on a longboard with loose trucks.
btw, check out my page
www.geocities.com/wackyboards
|
|
|
|
|
Stik
|
|
On 6/3/2004
silversurfer
wrote in from
(24.62.nnn.nnn)
I heard it was slow and does not interchange with regular skateboard wheels.
I love their video at www.stik.com though.
hc, did you try to slide it? In the video they show some nice slides. Coleman's, Berts, and standing slides. Very impressive.
|
|
|
|
|
stik
|
|
On 6/3/2004
hc
wrote in from
(69.105.nnn.nnn)
This Tuesday, I went to a longboard ride at Stanford University. This ride is put on by Black Diamond Sports of Palo Alto. Lots of rider there.
Anyways, I cruised the parking garage on a borrowed carveboard stik. A fun ride, especially if you know how to pump, quick steering with deep lean, a 'surfy' feel. Felt similar to my landy R3 setup with exkate.
Seems only suitable for low speed carving.
|
|
|
|
|
Extreme Segway without a stick
|
|
On 6/1/2004
Dave H.
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
I actually went the the Segway website and they had a section under "suggestions" that I filled in, suggested a stickless Segway "board". I got a very nasty e-letter from their attorneys saying that they would not, under any circumstances accept suggestions about their product and I was not to pursue the issue. This was surprising, since the website actually asks for suggestions, but Segway seems to prefer positioning itself to blue collar warehouse works and grannies, I suppose. Plus, if they ever did come up with an Extreme Segway, they're probably worried that I'd sue 'em. :)
Dave H.
|
|
|
|
|
8-wheelers for Dave H.
|
|
On 5/31/2004 Chuck
wrote in from
(199.183.nnn.nnn)
Dave - actually in a straight line they are extremely stable...they don't turn with all 8 wheels on the ground! As long as the trucks are all mounted straight there are no fights among the wheels. To turn 'em, you have to get over on one side or the other, lift the outer wheels, turn with the inner 4 wheels/2 trucks.
|
|
|
|
|
segway
|
|
On 5/30/2004 hc
wrote in from
(69.105.nnn.nnn)
daveH, when I rode the segway at IGSA SF, I should have tried to ride it no hands. But I was afraid to do a 'george bush' on it... (the president fell off the thing during a test ride)
|
|
|
|
|
8 wheelers - truck fight
|
|
On 5/30/2004
Dave H.
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
O.K. I can deal with nostalgia. It's just that when I think about the actual geometry of 8 wheels, tied to 4 little trucks, I start getting a headache. Seems to me there's gotta be a torque and truck fight going on at the bottom of those planks. Kudos to the guys who can ride them. I'll bet you could put them on a flintstone wheel and they'd be fine.
Which reminds me, why hasn't anybody removed the stick from a Segway and made an extreme board out of it? :)
|
|
|
|
|
oops...
|
|
On 5/30/2004 Duh
wrote in from
(24.62.nnn.nnn)
I guess Flowlab's have 14 wheels...
8 wheelers are a cool/quirky thing that would be fun to add to a large quiver.
looks kinda tough though...
|
|
|
|
|
Back to the 8s
|
|
On 5/30/2004
Mike Moore
wrote in from
(66.196.nnn.nnn)
I'm finding the 8 hard to ride, but really fun (that's what it's all about...remember?). My purpose, if you can call it that, in getting an 8 was simply...to have one. It is one of those hold backs from yesteryear. I was always blown away by the pix of Toft ripping his...but as a kid didn't have the necessary $cratch to get one. Another cool thing about them is that when you get off it and get back on your "normal" board...everything feels effortless...skate cross training?
|
|
|
|
|
Nostalgia
|
|
On 5/29/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
(69.166.nnn.nnn)
Dr Dave,
I've ridden 8 wheelers (even owned a few) and have never been able to do what these guys do on them! There not easy to ride and are not an improvement over 2 trucks and 4 wheels.
But they are a connection to the past... to a time when all sorts of new things were hitting the skate scene (kind of like today with all the new products available to us)
It is amazing to watch someone rip on an 8... but in my opinion, they'd probably rip on anything they road! HR
|
|
|
|
|
8 wheelers
|
|
On 5/29/2004
Dave H.
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
Very impressive pics, but what comes to mind is that people used to race "Ordinary's" those huge-front-wheeled bicycles and you can still see a random unicycle at the circus.
I'm very impressed with the guys who can run these planks off a 10 foot wall, but somebody with an engineering background is going to have to convince me that it's not a triumph of human talent over stupid design.
Dave H.
|
|
|
|
|
8-wheeler Pics
|
|
On 5/29/2004 chris olden
wrote in from
(67.123.nnn.nnn)
Howdy,
Once again, I would direct you to hop over to bulldogskates.com
and look at the photos of Steve Holt ripping it up on the BDS
proto-8. Frontside Air off a 10' vert wall; "not about speed and
control"? Guess again.
Those photos on the BDS homepage are also posted in larger
size on the BDS forum page under the "8-wheeler proto-type"
thread.
Chris Olden
|
|
|
|
|
8 wheeler pics
|
|
On 5/29/2004
Dave H.
wrote in from
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
I guess you can make a board out of anything. Looks like they're skating on a piece of a door. Maybe it's O.K. for a ramp, but four little trucks and 8 wheels just can't be about speed or control.
D.
|
|
|
|
|
