Seismic, Dan Gesmer, and your feedback. Lets hear it.

[Nickle]

[Michael Billings]

My Avilas are a tad on the big side, but God do they grip...

[Nickle]

My Avilas are a tad on the big side, but God do they grip...

Width or diameter? What duros? What are you using them for? What trucks and board?

[Directive0]

I'd like to see those little urethane "eggs" that popped up a while back make it somewhere. The seismic springs are nice, but sometimes they're Too snappy.

[Momona Boe]

Dan is the ******** best!!! He's extreeeeeemely knowledgeable, very responsible, and an all around great guy!

I've been using Seismic 180's on a 60" deck for about a year and I dig them very much - plus they look all space-age to my friends. And I've used Avilas for a couple of years as well, Bilzo's right - they ARE huge! Gotta be careful on the wheelbite, BUT they roll over anything.

I know Sensei is also a big fan of the Avilas.

oh, and Cambria's are one of my faves for slalom

[Mile_High_Mark]

I would like to see Dan offer a center-set version of the Avalon and Avila with slightly stiffer/rounded edges. Something like a Grippin, but with 3dm urethane.

[Michael Billings]

My Avilas are a tad on the big side, but God do they grip...

Width or diameter? What duros? What are you using them for? What trucks and board?

I am using them on my custom Boo right now with Indy 109s. The width and height are a tad big for what I am doing, but I might switch them over for use on my speedboard (work in progress *coughDemonseedcough*). I use an 80/76 split duro, and rarely have problems with grip.

The wheels definately have a spot in my quiver when grip is needed and size isn't an issue, but for slalom I find them too big.

[Mile_High_Mark]

Oh, and an inbetween sized wheel... 72mm.

[ttoversteer]

I'm afraid I have to echo other statements: GRIP! My Avilons grip so well it's not that I am carving turns, but that the world is turning under my board! Awesome.

Seismics: I love the way they feel/perform. That said, it is a real PAIN IN THE BEHIND to dial them in; I had to buy all kinds of extra parts, etc, to find a setup I like. Now I have that setup, and a whole bunch of extra (Most barely used) parts: Enough springs for 4 trucks, and one stable baseplate.

Unfortunately, I cannot think of any way possible to compile a SIMPLE table of what might work for most riders. A COMPLEX table is possible, but that would be a significant undertaking.

For example, I am a 145lb rider. Everyone I talked with urged me to go with quick/stable, but I went quick/quick. Both came with yellow springs. On my 'short' board, quick/stable (or quick/quick with red springs) is the way to go, but on my 'long' board, I prefer quick/quick with yellow/red. Other riders of similar weight prefer SOFTER springs, and different geometries. I have a feeling if I go to yet a longer board, I'd prefer yellows and quick/quick. And I won't even get into board stiffness being a factor.

The long and short of it is (Pun intended): Setting up Seismic trucks is a crapshoot for newbies; it depends on the rider, the board, and the style of riding. If you are lucky enough to try out different setups before purchase, super. I didn't have that luxury.

Seismic: Awesome product, difficult for the untried newb to configure.
3dm wheels: WOW! GRIP!

[Sensei]

Yup, I love my Availas. Great for carving, hold their speed, grip like crazy, etc. The wide contact patch feels more stable at speed, IMO, then say grippins (never tried gumballs yet though). In fact, I just ran them in the Central Park Race and they worked great. Everyone who tried my board afterwards was asking about them and where to find them.

Hey fats, what springs you runnin on your 60"? I was thinking about getting a set of seismics to try out on my Coffin.


In a related note, I just read an article in Transworld Shoe...I mean Skate mag (subscription bought for a school fundriser for my niece) where the author slams Dan Geismer. Here's a quote "It also behooves me to mention the cringe-worthy name of Daniel Gesmer, the leotard-clad ballerina who so eloquently claimed that the essence of skateboarding was gliding and turning." "and with his fruity antics and balding ponytail marked his place as a cancer in skateboardings dimly-lit past."

The rest of the article goes on to slam freestyle and vert. The whole thing was supposed to be about the music in Peralta's bones brigade vids. It left a very bad taste in my mouth. Great what these rags are teaching the kids today.

[Nickle]

Oh, and an inbetween sized wheel... 72mm.

I agree with that. I think between 70mm and 76mm is ideal for most of our uses. I would also like to see a reinforced outer lip in a center set wheel. That is why I love Grippins. I can rotate them once they start coning.

I like the off duros that Seismic does too. I like seeing the 76a and 74a duros. (I realize that urethane hardness will dive either direction by a point or two, but I like seeing the origin at those duros.)

[ttoversteer]

Oh, sorry. In my rant, I forgot to supply some info pertinent to the first post:

My primary use for the wheels/trucks is carving. Lowish speeds 10-15mph in a parkinglot. I'm using the softest duro of the Avilons. (72a? 74a?)

I do not bomb, and I occasionally integrate slalom into my carving sessions.

[Momona Boe]

Sensei - I'm not sure what springs I'm runnin' - I'm still tryin' to dial that in. Unfortunately, I need like an afternoon and a hill to try all the different combos

[Mile_High_Mark]

Yeah, how dare Dan make products that actually work! And jeeze, he actually talks to people who use his stuff! And to boot, he offers credit terms to tiny little e-tailers like me w/o a ton of paperwork! And don't get me started on the healthy margins and superior customer service...

If that guy wanted to see a kook, he shoulda looked in the mirror.

[Sensei]

The author's name was Andreas Trolf, by the way. FLAME ON!!

[Mile_High_Mark]

The author's name was Andreas Trolf, by the way. FLAME ON!!

Yeah, that guy's trying to make a name by harshing on stuff. Read his CD reviews in the same ish.

Tell me how that ****in' Entenmann's donuts ad in the same ish is core, b!tch. Yeah, that's making skateboarding better...

[Directive0]

Yup, I love my Availas. Great for carving, hold their speed, grip like crazy, etc. The wide contact patch feels more stable at speed, IMO, then say grippins (never tried gumballs yet though). In fact, I just ran them in the Central Park Race and they worked great. Everyone who tried my board afterwards was asking about them and where to find them.

Hey fats, what springs you runnin on your 60"? I was thinking about getting a set of seismics to try out on my Coffin.


In a related note, I just read an article in Transworld Shoe...I mean Skate mag (subscription bought for a school fundriser for my niece) where the author slams Dan Geismer. Here's a quote "It also behooves me to mention the cringe-worthy name of Daniel Gesmer, the leotard-clad ballerina who so eloquently claimed that the essence of skateboarding was gliding and turning." "and with his fruity antics and balding ponytail marked his place as a cancer in skateboardings dimly-lit past."

The rest of the article goes on to slam freestyle and vert. The whole thing was supposed to be about the music in Peralta's bones brigade vids. It left a very bad taste in my mouth. Great what these rags are teaching the kids today.

Yah i'd like to see bam or some other one-trick poney skater try and do 12 complete 360's, or rock ANY of the **** he does in 4 wheels down. To the author I say : **** YOU BUDDAI!

[Sensei]

The author's name was Andreas Trolf, by the way. FLAME ON!!

Yeah, that guy's trying to make a name by harshing on stuff. Read his CD reviews in the same ish.

Tell me how that ****in' Entenmann's donuts ad in the same ish is core, b!tch. Yeah, that's making skateboarding better...

and the right guard ad, and the boost mobile ad, and the mountian dew ad, and the winter fresh gum ad, etc. I almost fell off the bowl when the first mag I got from the subscription (hadn't read transworld for about 10 yrs before) had an ad for Harley-Davidson in it.

The Mcdonalds add did make me hungry for a big mac though......god I'm fat!

[Mile_High_Mark]

Complaining about skating in a magazine that's p0wn3d by big corporations and advertisers is so ironic that it's not even funny.

[Directive0]

kinda like avril lavigne...