Specific board pumping question

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 12:15 PM

OK. I wanted to ask a very specific question about board pumping. I've read up on the various elements that make a good pumping board, but I still have to ask. My board is the Mini-carve. My trucks are 150mm Randal RII nice and loose. My wheels are the Gravity Fu 78a. I'm not looking for "the pumping machine" but I'd like to know if this setup is adequate. The reason I go with the Randals over some torsion trucks is that I do a little hill bombing and even loosened up those Randals are rock solid, even compared to the Tracker Darts that I swapped them for.

So, is this setup "good enough?" I'm fine with it not being as good as say a shorter board with torsion trucks, but I'm just wondering if it's doable.

**Steve Ignorant** · 04-01-2008 12:19 PM

Once you know how to pump a board, you'll be able to do it to basically any setup around. That being said, I know the Hypercarve with Darts is an intensely pumpable deck, so I shouldn't imagine the Mini-Carve being too different with Randalls.

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 12:23 PM

Wow, that was fast. Thanks. Looking at the guides, it seems that a shorter board is preferred, but if you can do it with a nice big hypercarve, then it has to be possible. Do you know anything about whether the randal or tracker darts would be better for doing so?

**Steve Ignorant** · 04-01-2008 12:41 PM

Well, I know that most people tend to prefer the tracker trucks for the Hypercarve, but trust me, don't get too caught up in gear. I learned how to pump on a Sector 9 Uluwatu (same size as the hypercarve, and wider) with stock trucks (alpines) with slow wheels. The best thing to do is just get out and do it until it starts to make sense, and then you're set. I can pump a five foot dancer, or a slalom deck. It's just a matter of understanding the motion. However, I'll let someone with a little more experience with Randall trucks explain whether they or the darts are better, I don't want to cloud your mind.

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 12:50 PM

Hey, I appreciate any info I can get. I can't tell which trucks turned better, but I can tell that the Randals were more stable downhill. The trackers definitely sat lower, low enough that I could add wedged risers and still be a little lower than the randals.

**Blix** · 04-01-2008 12:51 PM

Just get some better wheels and you`ll be fine. I really like the shape of the Fu`s, but they are very slow.

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 01:01 PM

Define speed here. Is it hardness, contact patch, size, all of the above? What do you recommend?

**Steve Ignorant** · 04-01-2008 01:12 PM

Well I'm switching my friend's Fu Manchus out for BigZigs. The Fu Manchus just feel sort of dead. I've heard some slalom dudes describe wheels like that as... squishy? I don't know, not a lot of rebound I suppose.

**Blix** · 04-01-2008 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Falkon

Define speed here. Is it hardness, contact patch, size, all of the above? What do you recommend?

It`s the (lack of) quality of the urethane, better wheels like Bigzigs rolls a lot better pr. push, the difference is dramatic. The size and contact patch of the Fu`s are good, makes for smoother drifting, but they feel kind of dead.

That said, Gravity has promised better wheels this summer and my hopes are up, Fu`s with great urethane would rock!

**V.B** · 04-01-2008 01:27 PM

It's really surprising how much better wheels can help.

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 01:29 PM

I just been learned

I guess I'll have to see about these big zigs. I know well that it's not so much the gear, but if there's anything that really makes a dramatic improvement, then I'd like to at least know about it.

**sAMOa** · 04-01-2008 01:38 PM

i can pump anything. some things pump way better than others. my favorite pump deck that let's the operator take over the shake, rattle and rolls is the Axe II followed closely by my Galac Skogging Deck which has been custom setup with lot's of turn up front and very little from behind. It could be set up for pumping but when it comes to blasting down a racing course, your best moves IMO, are the ones that rely less on the board and more on technique. to a certain degree, all boards pump more or less. tuning has to do with technique and style and not all boards work for funky technique.

all i can say is ... less is more .

cYa

p.s. lekovich handmade this board for me. it's a GALAC skogging design with carbon fiber nd tonkan bamboo. dunno what trucks to toss on it. i'm spinning for a few days thinking of weight and performance plus major durability.

**Hanael** · 04-01-2008 03:24 PM

make sure you don't set up the truck that way...

**the scapegoat** · 04-01-2008 03:26 PM

www.pavedwave.org

**streetheap** · 04-01-2008 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Falkon

I just been learned

I guess I'll have to see about these big zigs. I know well that it's not so much the gear, but if there's anything that really makes a dramatic improvement, then I'd like to at least know about it.

Just like bushings, you want wheels that have a definite "push back". Lime BigZigs definitely do.

**skeeterdechico** · 04-01-2008 03:46 PM

I just switched old style hawgs (same exact specs as fu's) with bigzigs and it made a huge difference. Thin contact path= sliding out and not effective energy into your pumps. So I would say any wide semi-grippy wheels with a middle of the road duro like 79a-84a. Flex helps a lot. Softer doubled barrel bushings are nice. I think just about any trucks will work that aren't for a specific discipline i.e. randal downhills or something. I have Paris with Karrot bushings on the bottom and white barrels on the top and it's great, easy to learn.

just got done pumping down my street with new stuff on my board. It was so much easier.

**Falkon** · 04-01-2008 06:35 PM

I know geometry of the trucks will help. Torsion trucks like the Revenge have too much turn for the hills, but even the loose Randals seem to be rock solid down hills [we're not talking huge hills]. The Randal trucks I have came with the red bushings. Is there something that would work better yet still leave me with a stable setup?

**streetheap** · 04-02-2008 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Falkon

I know geometry of the trucks will help. Torsion trucks like the Revenge have too much turn for the hills, but even the loose Randals seem to be rock solid down hills [we're not talking huge hills]. The Randal trucks I have came with the red bushings. Is there something that would work better yet still leave me with a stable setup?

Someone may have better advice for you, but these are trucks I've ridden and know pretty well. Your RII 150s should be pretty easy to pump. If you want to go twitchier, Indy 169s, Tracker Sixtracks (161mm), or Ace 55s or 66s could be something to look into. If you're concerned with stability, I would say your 150s are a good happy medium.

**Falkon** · 04-02-2008 08:46 AM

I found the section on Paved Wave talking about reverse kingpin trucks. Most of this bushing stuff confuses me, because I have no idea what my ideal setup is. I'm thinking time on the board is what I need most of all, but I'll take a setup that will help me out. I'm down for faster wheels for sure if it really makes a difference. For turn speed, these Randals seem to do the job. On the Mini-carve, I can really loosen them up without wheel bite and they still feel stable down grades.

I guess I'll have to read up more to figure out if I'd do better with other bushings. Thanks for the help.

**Camel** · 04-02-2008 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Falkon

OK. I wanted to ask a very specific question about board pumping. I've read up on the various elements that make a good pumping board, but I still have to ask. My board is the Mini-carve. My trucks are 150mm Randal RII nice and loose. My wheels are the Gravity Fu 78a. I'm not looking for "the pumping machine" but I'd like to know if this setup is adequate. The reason I go with the Randals over some torsion trucks is that I do a little hill bombing and even loosened up those Randals are rock solid, even compared to the Tracker Darts that I swapped them for.

So, is this setup "good enough?" I'm fine with it not being as good as say a shorter board with torsion trucks, but I'm just wondering if it's doable.

I'll answer the original question rather than joining the conversation. Randal's are a stable truck, great for carving and some bombing. However, a Paris truck might be what you are looking for. A 180 setup with Randal yellow bushings, tighten the back 3 turns more than the front. This will give you an incredibly stable board that also has enough turn in the front for pumping to speed. If you are looking for a good "all around" use for everything board, this is the way I would go personally.

The Paris trucks just have a lot more play left to right than the Randal's are capable of by design.

If you are looking for a serious pumping truck... Bennetts on the front, RT-S on the back. And take a look at the gear section on Paved Wave

Hope that helps.