Another new old guy post....

[Allen207]

yeah, I apologize for that. I have been reading threads until my eyes are twitching, trying to figure out what I need.

Let me start by saying the pinacle of my boards when I was a lad was a G&S fiberflex with Tracker trucks and Kryptonic reds in 65mm. I rode that thing EVERYWHERE. (about 1976-1980)

About 5 years ago I bought a longboard for when I was too cheap to drive, and didn't want the hassle of dragging my bike around with me. It is a generic 44" deck with no name trucks and Krypronic Krypto Classic 76mm red wheels. The board is kind of long heavy and high, I want to upgrade.

Question #1. Am I living in the stone age, or are the Kryptos ok for general commuting? I kind of like them, but maybe I am missing out on way better kit.

I want a reasonably short board that I can push and maybe pump a bit (when no one is watching to see the old dude making a fool of himself) I have been looking at the BC Eel, the Bustin Strike, the Landyatchz Drop Hammer, and the Honey Rogue.

Trucks? Tracker? Indy? Randall?

I would welcome your suggestions, and input.

[rosewood thief]

yeah, I apologize for that. I have been reading threads until my eyes are twitching, trying to figure out what I need.

Let me start by saying the pinacle of my boards when I was a lad was a G&S fiberflex with Tracker trucks and Kryptonic reds in 65mm. I rode that thing EVERYWHERE. (about 1976-1980)

About 5 years ago I bought a longboard for when I was too cheap to drive, and didn't want the hassle of dragging my bike around with me. It is a generic 44" deck with no name trucks and Krypronic Krypto Classic 76mm red wheels. The board is kind of long heavy and high, I want to upgrade.

Question #1. Am I living in the stone age, or are the Kryptos ok for general commuting? I kind of like them, but maybe I am missing out on way better kit.

I want a reasonably short board that I can push and maybe pump a bit (when no one is watching to see the old dude making a fool of himself) I have been looking at the BC Eel, the Bustin Strike, the Landyatchz Drop Hammer, and the Honey Rogue.

Trucks? Tracker? Indy? Randall?

I would welcome your suggestions, and input.

Old (good) Kryptos are a collectors item now, great wheels. If I were you I would keep them for as long as you can. A top mount with Indy Hybrids would be sick, low, and fun. Look at an Earthwing Supercharger set up with Hybrids and your Kryptos. You may get bite, I'm not sure...

[alocin]

here's another new old guy and i also have a set of kripto classic LOL but i also own a set of Orangatangs inHeat, Bigzigs 83a and Gumballs 78a.
materials are different now and you might have to try (and spend) a bit to find out what works best for your riding style.
regarding the board...i've just bought myself a Loaded Vanguard and IMO it's an amazing board to commute (paris trucks, venom bushings, gumballs)

[TwinTown Skater]

Allen/Alocin:

Welcome to both of you. Quivering eye fatigue is a definite potential here. My skating story is similar to Allen's in that I skated a bunch in the old era, and have been back at it for 4-5 years.

My reading is that the krypto wheels you are referring to aren't the late 70's vintage, correct? If all you are doing is cruising, then I think if you like what you have, skate it. Engineering has changed a bunch over the years, but a wheel's primary function is to roll and smooth the ride.

For pumping, bushings will be a key component, secondarily truck design. I've had limited luck pumping my Randals, but using other folks Bennets I can rock all day long. If you are really interested in pumping, look up Chris Yandall, another OG still at it. He pretty much uses Bennets exclusively.

Good Luck and welcome to the fish pond.

[Tbear]

Another new old guy post....

Just my type of writing. I joined the community when I came across the thread dealing with longboarders over forty, being well over forty, I decided to plunge right in!

This has been fun, in that I have been able to share some thoughts and feelings that I have about this refound activity. I guess what I would like to really share in this particular thread is the need to reach out for knowledge.

Another earlier thread has encouraged me to not close up this activity so soon, SOOOO, I have decided to buy another board! That would make a quiver of 3! (actually really not a quiver, in that I really do have a quiver of skis, let say that one really is a quiver- 10+ or so, I actually only ski three of them)

By next spring I will make a purchase, right now I am looking at Landyachtz:
Evo, Drop Wedge, Chinook, or Dually. I currently have a Sector Nine, Bomb Hills and an Arbor, Hybrid. My research shows another Sector Nine, 9 Star for a really reasonable price.

I would take suggestions on another company to look at, I have read the name Rayne a bunch of times, and to be honest a Concrete Wave had a spread on boards, and Wowza, too many to research.

Skiers often "demo" their stuff, or stick with like "materials" throughout a career. Actually tennis players will often do the same. But the longboarding choices just seem to be so wide open, before you even choose to customize with wheels, trucks, bearings, spacers, etc...

Thanks for letting me vent this, and I will continue to enjoy the free spirit that seems to happen with most of the threads.
Tbear
Sheridan, Wyoming

[Brute379]

That deck is still around and good as ever! Early 08 saw the introduction of concave..it only took 30years...

To me the biggest change in skating in the last bunch of years has been the improvements in urethane.

Decks are great and new functional shapes are coming out frequently and exotic materials are regularly used by small builders, this is a great time in skating.

The Fibreflex pin with Bennett, Paris ( in my case Bennett front/RTS rear) is still a great setup.

[Allen207]

Thanks for the input. Gives me more to think about, I think I will try and build a general purpose board around the wheels I have. Brings up a question. Why do some folks run one type of truck in the front and another in the rear?

[Brute379]

Thanks for the input. Gives me more to think about, I think I will try and build a general purpose board around the wheels I have. Brings up a question. Why do some folks run one type of truck in the front and another in the rear?

Turn in the front, stability/traction in the rear.

One of the greatest examples of this is the Tracker RTX/RTS combo.

Through the years there have been many variations, with cnc trucks, bearing pivot trucks etc.

One of the best bang for your buck setups is the Bennett front with a Tracker RTS rear in the appropriate width.

[xrayvzn]

Welcome to the 'fish. Guys our age usually have more boards than we use. But thats the good thing about being "older", at least for me discretionary income is more readily available than when I was younger.

Good luck finding your longboard, there are too many good options to choose out there. Trucks and bushings are easier to narrow down. I prefer Randal's or Paris with upgraded bushings such as reflex. For pumping wheels, you should look at 70 mm zig zags such as the limes. I think my next board may be a Gravity kalai or a BC eel.

Stay young through skating.

[lmg]

honey rouge randles with green bushing 70mm 4president 80a orangatang.I have a lot of s/b you can see on my pics profile but i can not stop rideing this set up. light pumps well no flex

[zooblast]

Another old newer guy here.

I too have been riding a long time, and got back into it hard
as of late. I ride with my friends and daughter. I have way
more boards then I need and just bought my first 2 Fullbag
boards 1 is set up with RTS/x and zig zags, other is on its way.
this has become my favorite feel combo.

good luck on your choise.

Zoo

[loug]

an old wet fart here, try newer wheels if you have room. something like gumballs or, my favorite, grapeyapes. really cushy ride and can take some smaller road obstacles. been back into skateboarding for a few months now and can recommend some nice boards. last board i had before these was back in the early to mid '60s

1 ly evo

2 rayne nemesis

3 kracked skulls 46" scimitar

4 cris yandall pro model

5 loaded dervish, don' have this one yet but proly in a couple of weeks.

1,2 and 3 are close to the ground and easy to push. 1 and 3 are good for pumping, 3 is the best with soft bushings. using it now as my main pumper. knees have been a little on the stiff side the past month so the decks closer to the ground are easier to push. the pro model is for skogging, havn't gotten this down yet but sounds like really good exercise. once you're hooked you won't be able to have just one. since august? i have 5, one on the way and a rack. was reading about a board today and i hope it wont be 7 but know it will. sure beats walking and getting to places where driving/parking is limited.

[alocin]

It's funny how lots of "us" that were sk8ing back in the 70s' are now back into it!

[sonnydukes]

Hi guys, I am in the right place...This thread is VERY encouraging to me...
I started skating in 1978 with a california free fromer...Then took along break till 2001, and hit the skate park pretty hard for a few years, and owned element, flip, birdhouse, zoo york, enjoy, zero boards...
Just recently I got into longboards, and LOVE it....
I know there are many sector 9 haters, but i love mine... My favorite board is a sec 9 waimea (fish tail), but i changed the wheels to retro 70's flashbacks, and changed the bearings to bones reds, and kept the stock gullwing charger trucks.. I love to carve down some hills on this board, it is stable, and i think it looks soo classy....
I also love pintail's...
I think my next board will be some type of drop thru...
I am glad to see im not the only old dude skating...
Also Hawaii is a mecca for longboards, alot of people use them for transportation,, and alot of others sidewalk surf,, and others bomb hills (we have some sick hills on oahu)
most skate shops, and surf shops only sell sec 9,, I know i can order online, but shipping to Hawaii is expensive..

[zooblast]

I love my Sec 9, but yes I see many here are not lovers of them?
to each is own. I like the tight feel it gives. however I like all my boards.
it is nice to see I am not only old dog that still rides.. I just know all
the kids around my house get a kick out of the old guy with a beer in
hand pumping by..


Zoo

[Tbear]

I posted this on the action shots thread, and you guys are sooooo nice!

A couple of you have shared some possibilities for that next board so as to move toward "quiverdom." The embedded youtube basically shows what I really like about the longboarding, I kinda gs/carve down and tuck turn down the hills, and then slam it into a screeching slide.

I would love to put all the elements into one long huge multiple minute ride down a hill with controlled slides at max. speed, but I am somewhat sure that time has passed. But, I do want to make turns and screech that damn thing!

William Richards,TX, thanks for the props and info. I see where the Landyachtz web site lists the following descriptors for information: pushing, carve, dh, slide, and freeride. Boarding down the hill at some speed, doing some carves, and then sliding around a turn or into a controlled slide is where I am at. Pushing happens, don't dance(my wife says no to that one), and pumping is probably not there too(my wife says no to that one too).

Anyways, this is me running a nice little run in a new neighborhood/housing subdivision right in town. What is cool about Wyoming, is that most of asphalt is new, and there are bunches of places to go. In my opinion, some like you see on Youtube all the time.

I guess I got to admit that I have spent way too much time watching "longboarding" on Youtube. I guess I would have taken lessons, but seeing how the nearest longboarding school is ??????? Is there such a thing? I had to learn some of this stuff somewhere.

YouTube - Longboarding Old Man in Wyoming

[8ftbed]

@Tbear

[zooblast]

Tbear..that my friend rocks.

Zoo

[ameangreenbean]

I love the shout outs! No doubt in anyone's mind that you are having fun!

Thanks for giving us all a bit of inspiration!

[Pleinair]

Mile High Skates

Get this and never look back.
The recent Krypto models have been overshadowed by many newer wheels, although their quality is decent at best. If you still have your old ones, those are great wheels even by today's standards.

With that board, there are no possible upgrades you would want to make.