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| Completes (3882 Posts)
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Review |
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Flowlab
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On 7/12/2000 Blah
wrote in from
(209.132.nnn.nnn)
Hey Hugh,
How long do ya got the board? Me and my brother are up to try it out.
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flowlab has arrived
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On 7/12/2000
hugh r
wrote in from
(205.216.nnn.nnn)
When I got home today the large box was sitting in my living room...
Here are my impressions after 15 minutes of riding:
First, the deck is actually very well made. Appears to be a 7ply maple. The workmanship is nice. Double kicktailed with lots of camber. Mild flex under my 230 lbs.
The wheels are a flat roller-blade type.
This is not a board for an inexperienced carver. Going straight takes some work. The small surface area of the wheels seem prone to wobble. My son, who is just learning to carve had a hard time with it. However it did carve well for me. With more wheels hitting the pavement, it really hooks up.
It is actually quite easy to pump and the results are increased speed. This is not a high speed set up though. But rather seems better for slower mellow carves or small hard carves.
I will put some miles on it and let you know how it goes.
Also, for those who expressed an interest in getting together for a test ride, I will e-mail you and we can set it up. I am leaning for hitting the SF Valley on sunday the 23rd of july.
I will post some pix and thoughts on my site... HR
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nogolab
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On 7/11/2000 cmc
wrote in from
(216.34.nnn.nnn)
Hey - Let me know what it's like when you get a small rock wedged in between them rollerblade wheels.
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Nogolab
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On 7/11/2000 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Mmmmmm,me thinks there's an echo on this page,i seem to remember hearing this stuff said before.Well maybe not exactly the same, the bearings are probabely loaded angularly because of the curved axle.If you had size 6900 bearings , then it would be neccessary to sleeve the bearings .You would have straight sleeves that bridge the the bearings making them run parallel to each other instead of on the curved axle.The sleeves would reduce the bore from 10mm to 8mm or whatever would slide smoothly on those freaky curved axles,but they may still side load unevenly.If the sleeve had a built in spacer between the bearings(that just made them three times as hard to make) and a little bit extra length so only the sleeves touch each other,therefore each wheel would spin freely on its own ,then the bearings might slide out of the wheel a bit during a turn and the bearings would rub/sideload.Lets see; a groove in the core for a snap ring that would hold the bearings in the core,similar to that tiny snapring that lets you remove the sheilds from some bearings with no damage. Ah, now it seems like things should be running smooth, Those 6900 series bearings are gonna run ya though,like four dollars each (4x28=112) those sleeves shouldn't take your local machinist more than maybe three or four hours to make (you do need 14 of them) machinists charge at least 40 and as much as 80 an hour,depending on the machines they have (4x50=200) and then the snap rings,those can't be added or it might be risky to cut grooves in the core of the wheel,you could try it,(back to your machinist),most likely that would have to be a factory modification,and i don't think they're really all that anxious in making changes,the best anyone could hope to do is carefully degrease the core and bearing and glue the bearings in(yuck).In the end your still fighting the physics of all those bearings and all that urithane accellerating and decellerating with every change of the turning radius,granted now they're functioning smoothly and your wallet is considerably lighter figure 350 or so, so now when your goldenlab runs nearly as fast as a slow skateboard you'll find out exactly how good those wheels are,with enough speed to make slides happen and maybe even necessary you'll find that since you're never on more than four narrow wheels at any moment of the slide it wouldn't help that much if those narrow wheels were made from Cherry Bomb urithane,they will get mangled quickly. If you could find a stock pile of Formula One(acme) single bearing wheels,they had ridges on both sides of the bearing that were shaped so the bearing could be sqeezed over and would snap into place (they did rip out under the stresses of "normal" skating) ,you would only have to make spacers for between the wheels. Wait,those wheels were only like 45mm and real hard,not longboard kind of stuff. If you (Flowlab) were to make wheels that had a urithane core similar to the single bearing wheel and then poured a 78a tire around it; wow ,it might work ,just don't go to big with the tire because it adds to the leverage that will be ripping at the bearing and the ridges holding them in.I hope this doesn't read like a rant, i consider it a truthful evaluation and somewhat of a technical consultation on what it would take to make a flowlab flow , with some skepticism,on a more pessimistic note ,most of this will go no further than this web page MDH's board will probabely never function up to it's somewhat questionable potential.
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Flowlab
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On 7/10/2000 MDH
wrote in from
(141.211.nnn.nnn)
Well, after dropping over two bills and waiting almost two and a half months for it to be shipped, I finally got a flowlab from the UPS man yesterday. I had to email flowlab endlessly about shipping and they gave me the run around many times, but I have it, I've ridden it and here is what I've found so far:
Out of the box, 14 inline wheels with a pair of bearings per wheel. Mounted on a curved axle. The axle nuts were really tight and the wheels would not spin free. I loosened the axle nuts and I can still only get about two or three spins out of the wheel before it stops. New bearings? Too much axle bend? I don't know, but if they are any looser they will rattle.
The deck, Big, wide, double kick with a ton of camber. Not too stiff but it doesn't matter because the axle geometry doesn't require flex for super sharp carves.
The ride, wobbly at first, especially if your going slow. Pushing is strange, but you get used to it. At speed it carves back and forth alot like a snowboard. really tight and quick or long and drawn out. I haven't gotten it to slide or drift yet. It really hooks up well.
The problem, because of the sticky bearing problem I have this thing is really slow. And the harder you carve the slower you'll go. Within the first hour on it I had to go to the steepest sickest hill around just to get this thing going. Maybe if the bearings start to loosen up and spin it will be faster?
I'll post again after riding it for awhile. Cheers...
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campus board
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On 7/10/2000
Sarah
wrote in from
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
the campus board does look pretty cool, though i don't know if i would actually use it...
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gravity
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On 7/10/2000 le rider masqué.
wrote in from
(213.78.nnn.nnn)
hi
i have bought one gravity hypercarve (it s great !!!) in france and i want to have some explain
about the speed meter.... is there any specific rules ??
can i change miles by km ? what is the "odo "screen? when i press during
some sec in the left button at the odo screen there a number (455), what
is it?
thank a lot .
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Fluid Campus Board
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On 7/8/2000
Matt
wrote in from
(169.232.nnn.nnn)
I'm not familiar with these boards at all. I have ridden skateboards before, what's the point of these "mini-longboards?"
-Matt
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campus board
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On 7/8/2000 billy bob
wrote in from
(216.101.nnn.nnn)
ps.
forgot, I saw it at the longskate site.....
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campus board
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On 7/8/2000 billy bob
wrote in from
(216.101.nnn.nnn)
did anyone see the new fluid campus board or skate it yet, looks cool it says its a dry erase board, I wish I was in school could score some girls #'s and cheat sheet on the bottom...
what's the word?
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slow lab
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On 7/7/2000 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
wouldn't worry to much about the test,then again a free board from them would have several years worth of bearings for your real skateboard,so you can go back to being bummed:)
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Sector 9: super cruiser
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On 7/6/2000
Fahme
wrote in from
(209.66.nnn.nnn)
I just got me a sector 9 super cruiser, and it is the most kick ass board. I use to skate shortboards, but found them to be boring, so finally my birthday came around and i got this sucker. It's got 46" board, w/ 65mm/78A d nineballs, and they handle perfectly. It also has greaseball bearings, and they are awesome (the wheels just won't stop!). It flexes nicely and has a great turning radius. It is great for carving, and has some rad colors. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a sector 9, u won't be disappointed. P.S. tighten the trucks a little, my first ride ended in some bad wheel bite, @ some 20 mph. oh well.
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flakelab
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On 7/6/2000 cmc
wrote in from
(24.4.nnn.nnn)
I agree with you on that one Hugh. I believe a bunch of friends can as well. False promises don't reign in my book. Maybe they ought to stick to roller blading!
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flakelab
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On 7/3/2000
hugh r
wrote in from
(205.216.nnn.nnn)
Flowlab does in fact seem to filled with empty promises. The test board has still not arrived. I now am left wondering if these guys are for real.
To those of you who warned me... I should have listened.
To those of you who e-mailed me about a test/comparison session... I appologize.
Flowlab gets the HR two thumbs down... HR
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Motherlode Bobtail
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On 7/1/2000
Andrew Burgon
wrote in from
(207.108.nnn.nnn)
Hey, I had a Gravity hyper-carve for almost half a summer I
thought it ruled my friends did too.
Then I met Martin Barr, owner of Motherlode, he let me try
his board and it was the best ever! The board was smoother
and carved so well I immediatly sold my old one and
purchased on of his. He invited us to his shop where he
hand makes every-one. Now I have one, and it is as solid as
anything. The board is as durable as a snowdoard, and with
awsome (custom) graphix, Randall r-2's and German bearings,
krypto all for about the same price as the Gravity.
I think I have reached longboard heaven.
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Envy or Flexdex?
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On 7/1/2000
Jesse H.
wrote in from
(216.78.nnn.nnn)
hey guys,
I was wonderin' if I should go with a Flexdex Pro 60 with 70 mm Power Paws, R2's, and flat risers (the complete offered on the Flexdex site). Or should i get an Envy Classic with 70 mm power paws, R2's and angled risers? I wanna do some cruisin' and board walking tricks but I also want to do some downhill riding up to 25-30 mph.
Thanks,
Jesse H.
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Idiana Longboard
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On 6/30/2000
Boudewijn
wrote in from
(212.206.nnn.nnn)
I am in love with my Indiana board
Rides like a dream
Cheers!
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Dregs 34
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On 6/29/2000 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Just set up my brother with a Dregs 34 pool board as a commuter board,his car is broken and he needs a good way to get to the bus.I took it for a little cruise and it was pretty cool, The Seismics,off of my Sector Pheonix do feel alot better on a shorter board,and the little 59mm 78a roadriders are nice little wheels,overall, not a bad board.Hopefully he has better luck with it,than the last time he skated.(see crashes)
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pro 60
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On 6/27/2000 wiggy
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
The pro 60 is as flat as my local break at the moment, you will not be upset with one they just rip. I usually ride 44 inch entropy and thought any bigger would be a dog. How wrong could i be?
I cannt divulge my contacts top secret.
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Flexdex 60: CHeap? HOw?
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On 6/26/2000
Lawless
wrote in from
(63.195.nnn.nnn)
how did you getting cheap? know any sites?
hook me up! thanks
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Pro 60
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On 6/26/2000
Jesse H.
wrote in from
(216.78.nnn.nnn)
Hey Wiggy. I am thinking of getting a Flexdex Pro 60 and I will probably get one but I just want to know if it is flat or if it has a kick tail or a concave.
Thanks,
JH
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Flexdex pro 60 & wingnut 41
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On 6/26/2000 wiggy
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
I ahve read the bashings about flexdex and was a bit funny about getting one untill i was offered them cheap (with randles and power paws)
The pro 60 is one of the best longboards i have ever ridden by a long shot and the r2s just blow your mind one of these is a must for all. She is 60 inch of pure carving pleasure and is wood not flexdex material
The wingnut has the potental to be really good, the flex is nice the shape is nice and is carves like a bird but it is just toooooooo heavy. you can feel it so much when you are kicking up a slight hill even. But to be fair is is a downhill carving board and she does that really well.
Flex dex dont deserve the rep they are nice boards and do what the should , rip on the hills.
My personal flexdex choise is the pro 60 hands down
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Escape Route Streetboards
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On 6/24/2000
Matt
wrote in from
(63.203.nnn.nnn)
this board rips. the 44" shredder bombs on the hills. i like the fact they come with indy 166's stock. the other three look badass but i haven't tried them yet.
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Flexdeck
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On 6/24/2000 Alex
wrote in from
(203.76.nnn.nnn)
G'day from downunder...
Great to read the posts and wanted to share with you my own experience with Flexdeck even though my experience is not in downhill racing.
Living on Sydney's Northern Beaches in a street which has a nice little hill three of us dads got tired of chasing our kids on their Razors and bikes so looked into longer skateboards: One Gravity 42, one sector 9 44" and my K40 Flexdeck. The people bagging Flexdeck should not be bashing the hell out of them at skateparks or attempting 40mph downhill runs. I last rode seriously 20 years ago and the Bahne Superflex with Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels was (arguably – in Australia) the best board available - I believe the Flexdeck is just an extension of this but aided by years of research and some technology. The Gravity board rolls the best helped by the 73mm wheels and I have seen other sector 9's at the local bowl but for pure carving pleasure I do not see how you could go past the Flexdeck.
It's all about having fun and trying a few different boards and finding out what suits your style.
How boring would life be if we were all the same?
Cheers
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Envy twintip XS
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On 6/23/2000
Maclean
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
Just an update on the XS. I put indy 156's on it and the difference is incredible. I swear this board was made for 156mm trucks.
I do not recommend buying the Envy XS complete. Buy just the deck and put a set of indy 156mm on it.
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