Looking for a stout board...

[BigT]

So im new to longboarding and im looking for a board that wont explode when i look at it....reason being i'm 5'11'' 310lbs... can anyone suggest a good board? my buddy is a longboarder and he uses a loaded vanguard which he let me try but it flexed like mad and he started to freak out ...i like a longer board 40''-50'' but nothing much longer...i was checking out the Gravity Ed Economy, Kracked Skulls and Subsonics Reflex 46 but im not sure and really all im worried about is strenght as i pretty much like all styles...mainly for cruising btw thanks!

[pavedwave]

..i was checking out the Gravity Ed Economy, Kracked Skulls and Subsonics Reflex 46 but im not sure and really all im worried about is strenght as i pretty much like all styles...mainly for cruising btw thanks!

tell subsonic scott your weight, he has ways of strengthening up boards, i know a guy about 270lbs riding a subsonic built to his spec. the Ed E Street is 15-ply but i'm not sure that's strong enough.

[Daniel M.]

talk to scott at subsonic or longboard larry, they can customize a board to suit your weight.

longboardlarry.net
http://home.pacifier.com/~buzzer/cur.../subsonic.html

[mojomuskrat]

I am of a similar mass, and any of my boards will work for you (especially the Landyachtz Evo or Gravity Ed Economy), also the fiberflex 44 kicktail should work (I have never tried it). Right now I am digging on the evo, because it is super low, stable, can handle speed, and with the wedging is nice and maneuverable.

Just try not to get anything too flexy.

PM me and I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have about any of my boards (see sig or search for me in quiver pics).

Here are links to other threads on the big guy topic, if you want to see responses to similar questions :
http://www.silverfishlongboarding.co...d.php?p=541335
Boards for big guys
http://www.silverfishlongboarding.co...d.php?p=550813
http://www.silverfishlongboarding.co...d.php?p=557570
Newbie, big guy looking to start boarding.
Need help finding a longboard for a pretty heavy man.
Longboard for 350 Lbs.

and a link to a big guy board build thread:
My 295 lb friend wants a board....[/QUOTE]

[BigT]

Ok so i checked out the Evo and im really diggin it..only question is sinc its only 11 ply will it really hold me up? ive been to a couple of the local shops around my town and they say i would need at least 18-20 plys....

[mojomuskrat]

I ride an evo, and I am a similar weight... It barely flexes at all for me. If you can find someone locally who has one, you could try it first... but I can't imagine it being a problem for anyone under 350.

I have a few boards that are only 7 ply, and they work too... Only board I've had trouble with is a super cheapo shortboard ($30 complete) which delammed on me. You might require heavier duty if you were going to be landing lots of aerial tricks on it, but for general cruising you should be fine with the 11 plys (not many jumping tricks you can do on the evo anyway).

I also have the 18 ply bank rider, and even at its whopping 38.25" wheelbase, 18 plys are overkill for someone of our weights. Shorter wheelbases will require fewer plies, as will features like concave or fiberglass construction that stiffen and strengthen the board.

[Exille]

Ok so i got excited and ran over to my local board shop and they had a barely used evo deck only and i picked it up, i know absolutely nothing about what kind of trucks or wheels i'll need..can anyone suggest some?

[mojomuskrat]

Ok so i got excited and ran over to my local board shop and they had a barely used evo deck only and i picked it up, i know absolutely nothing about what kind of trucks or wheels i'll need..can anyone suggest some?

Most say Randall Downhill baseplate (30 degree) for the front, and Randal II 180mm for the rear, and RII 180 hangers on both.

I used to run mine with RII's on both ends (it was OK, and cheap, but lacked something), and I may try to get a DH baseplate someday, but I'm liking holeys right now. they come with great bushings stock, and will be perfect for your weight. Alternatively, you could go Bear Grizzly trucks with a 10mm axle (8mm is standard), or crails.

If you get holeys or randals, while you're at it, you could look for a 2.75" grade 8 kingpin (a 3/8" carriage bolt with 32tpi threading) for added strength, and flip the kingpin such that when you look at the bolt you see the nut and the bolt head is in the baseplate. Flip the cupped washer on the bushing to face outside, and the truck will turn deeper and protect your bushings. This stuff is optional, and can wait, but it will only cost you about $2 (and time looking for 'em) and will help tune the trucks.

For wheels, I really like the pink powerballs. I've tried a few other things, but those feel the best in my opinion. If you're not man enough for the pink color, you can just dye them red, purple or black with some RIT dye. Keep wheel size above 70mm, so you can roll over anything and you can avoid bottoming out.

[Exille]

Hey thanks for the great info, ill see if i can piece this all togethor tomorrow!

[Exille]

Bear with me for a sec... ive scouted some Bear Grizzly 1052 10mm's that my buddy has a never used and hes willing to let me have them for $60 is this a good price? im a complete noob if you couldnt tell already...he says they have 90a Khiro bushings in both and Abec7 bearings so pretty much complete i would guess...what does the baseplate do? do i need one? i dont plan on doing any downhill stuff since im not a fan of road rash...and as for wheels i really dont care what color they are because they can be dyed, for the powerballs are they the 72mm 78a's?

[Lee W]

Bear with me for a sec... ive scouted some Bear Grizzly 1052 10mm's that my buddy has a never used and hes willing to let me have them for $60 is this a good price? im a complete noob if you couldnt tell already...he says they have 90a Khiro bushings in both and Abec7 bearings so pretty much complete i would guess...what does the baseplate do? do i need one? i dont plan on doing any downhill stuff since im not a fan of road rash...and as for wheels i really dont care what color they are because they can be dyed, for the powerballs are they the 72mm 78a's?

The baseplates are the square part of the trucks that have the 4 holes drilled in them for bolts (well...sometimes they have 6 holes but that's beside the point). The hanger is the T-shaped part that the axles and wheels are on (axles are part of the hanger, wheels are separate obviously).

The baseplate will come with the trucks you buy (unless you get a crazy specific setup, which again is not what you are doing and not what most people do). If he said there are abec 7 bearings as well, then he's selling you trucks and bearings at the same time. That should be worth it, as long as they are in good condition. The 10mm axle might also be a good idea for you (regular axles are 8mm), it will give it more strength. Go for it, should be good.

Keep in mind I haven't rode an Evo with Grizzly's, so if someone with experience can give you another nod on it then that'd be good too

[mojomuskrat]

Keep in mind I haven't rode an Evo with Grizzly's, so if someone with experience can give you another nod on it then that'd be good too

Ditto... never tried them. Looks like grizzlies cost between $60 and $75 (US) before shipping if you order them new. So if his are new, you can save yourself the cost of shipping. 10mm axles also means it is harder to find replacement bearings and bearing spacers. A lot of folks like grizzlies, but look for an evo-specific review if you can. Evo's built in wedging makes it perform differently with some trucks.

By the way, bearing spacers are just short metal tubes that go between the bearings to keep them spaced apart and aligned properly, which lets you crank your axle nut down nice and tight. It also preserves the life of the bearing and improves performance.

Another alternative if you have the deck only is http://www.milehighskates.com/catalo...69bbkobffh9uo7
decent price for decent all-around components. RII's will be OK to at least get you rolling (you might even find them at your local skate shop), even though I personally prefer holeys over RII's (again, I haven't tried a downhill baseplate with the randalls).

The problem with skate gear is there are lots of options, and when you start you don't know what you like, and preference plays a big role.