that's cause usually when you go into the crouch your just really crouching over the middle of the board, and don't have much weight over your front truck. try putting more weight forward, and if you did, well, why am i typing
Normally I never do that, I just needed to do a quick turn, and I didn't feel like turning the proper way, so I did that, and my balance was thrown off a bit, nothing severe or anything, but i noticed that my board had the tendency to move a lot more when I was in that (for obvious reasons)
I'm still looking for one where there's a van at a stopsign at the bottom of a hill, and dude freaks out, is unable to turn, and wobbles straight into the back of the van. Classic combo of target fixation (look where you want to go!) and wobbles all in one. Post it if you happen to run across it?
I find being crouched down is more stable, but obviously my friend doesn't agree. I think it was more the change of stance that messed him up. Maybe his stance had something to do with it. I find the Brazilian tuck to be much more stable than the American tuck. When I go over bumps and the board moves around, I can stop the wobbles quicker with my weight low because it is easier to stay centered over the board. When you are high it is easier for your weight to get out over the edge and magnify the wobbles.
That's what I have found.
That makes a lot of sense. When you're low, it takes much more lean to move your center of gravity over the edge of the board, like you say. Your body weight has less leverage over the trucks. So you'd probably have a much larger initial disturbance to get you into wobbling.
I'm not used to the Brazilian tuck, and I'm not very flexible when I'm down in it. I find it harder to separate my body-weight balance from turn inputs, which should make me more wobbly once a good wobble starts (though as you say it's harder to get into it in the first place). But this sounds like my personal issues. In that Teutonia vid, when Dalua tries to pass K-Rimes, you can see that he's plenty able to control the wobs in the Brazilian tuck (though they get him in his second attempt at passing right near the finish line).
Anyway, when you're down low, it's really easy to just lean over a bit and skim a hand to stabilize out pretty quick (at sane speeds).
Last edited by hexagon5un; 12-28-2007 at 11:46 AM.
I remembered him wobbling more near the end -- in retrospect it looks like it was mostly target fixation. Not that he's smooth and steady and in control...
Last edited by hexagon5un; 12-28-2007 at 11:48 AM.
I've never actually gotten the wobbles in a Brazilian tuck. Most of what I know is about keeping them at bay, rather than stopping them once you get them. I'm not sure those are always the same. In an American tuck I find holding my upper body in a solid position and locked in keeps me stable. Moving around is a bad thing. One thing I like about the American tuck is your legs can be like a suspension to your upper body.
I once had the wobbles when I was crouched down going around a corner. This was before I had slide gloves. I hit some really bad bumps, like 1 or 2 inches, and lost control. I and the board went all over the road, but I was able to stay on until it slowed down and I decided to bail because my weight was so low. I just grabbed onto the board and held on for the ride. It was pretty crazy. Now with my gloves I would put my weight on my hand and stabilize the thing.
It's a shorter Kryptonics deck and wheels. Maybe 38". It's got risers and feels pretty high. Not very stable. I don't even know what trucks it has. I'll have to look next time we ride together. It's really more of a slide deck.
its also in your head
after i got speed wobbles on this hill
everytime i went down after that i thought i was gonna get it and i did
then one day i was coming at the hill scared like always then i saw this punk kid cut off this kid learning to skate then laugh at it
so i decided to chase after the kid on the bike and cut him off...so i shot down the hill and i was so foucsed on cutting him off i didnt think about the wobbles, not only did i get to cut him off almosr making him fall but i also went down the hill faster then ever before
Sorry, this is repeatedly stated here but I have to disagree. First of all the wobbles I get are of such high frequency that consciously "over-correcting" just doesn't come into play. Secondly, when I get the wobs I purposely shift my weight forward and stiffen my leading ankle to counter the oscillations. (think increasing pressure on the front edge of the leading foot)
I find this tactic effective and in direct contradiction to the conventional "wisdom".
.
(Buncha half-baked bullcrap deleted. Thanks for calling me on it EnemyCombatant.)
However, I've been thinking about your stiffening-ankles solution, and it may be just as good advice as going loose. As long as whatever you're doing isn't feeding the oscillations, you're probably going to damp the wobbles out If you think about it, both going loose and going super-tight are stopping the heel-toe balance reflex and should work.
Thanks for bringing this up.
Last edited by hexagon5un; 01-10-2008 at 06:22 PM.
Speed Wobbles are one of longboardings greatest pleasures!
I mean it's the longest lasting adrenaline rush you can get when longboarding.
Better than when you are able to do a trick, and more intense than the most satisfying carve.
Being wobbled for 5 seconds, feels like 1 min. You get that fear...You try to relax and focus on controlling the situation. Mind over body. Seems impossible.
You go: *Panic* "I'm going to fall!" "No!" "Not yet at least!" "Relax or you gonna get hurt!"...Heart rate goes up! Tunnel vision!?? The muscles on you face feel funny. So does your body. "Kneel down...slowly??" "Don't move...at all?"
"Seems like I' going to make it this time." "Will I?" Seconds pass...seems like forever.
Then it all goes away. You made it. Avoided the fall.
You get those cold sweats and a huge adrenaline discharge. "I made it!!" "Yeaaa! Ufff."
It's a great feeling.
Of course if it goes wrong is sucks big time.
Dan
Last edited by transitioned; 01-10-2008 at 09:28 AM.
Because it's such a fast reflex, I think it's a likely candidate for the driving force in the wobbles.
There is no "balance reflex" that does not include signals from the inner ear as part of the loop. We're not talking about getting knocked on the patella in the doctor's office here. The feedback loop is a mechanical one between the board and ankle joint.
I'm glad you agree along with others that shifting weight to and stiffening the front foot helps tame speed wobbles. Try it you'll like it.
Speed Wobbles are one of longboardings greatest pleasures!
I mean...
right on.
i have to say some of my most stoked moments are getting past speed wobbles or making it through those giant cracks/potholes i didnt know about or nailing that gnarly turn at speed or...
for me, those skate or die moments are the sweetest.
There is no "balance reflex" that does not include signals from the inner ear as part of the loop. We're not talking about getting knocked on the patella in the doctor's office here. The feedback loop is a mechanical one between the board and ankle joint.
I'm glad you agree along with others that shifting weight to and stiffening the front foot helps tame speed wobbles. Try it you'll like it.
I think you're probably right about the inner ear being important, and I'm not really so sure about my use of "reflex" here -- I'm not that kind of doctor. I did some digging around, and it looks like people call a lot of stuff "reflexes" that aren't reflexes in the short-loop-to-the-spine sense, and I made the wrong conclusion about that. I should probably delete that post.
What I'm talking about is sometimes called a "postural reflex" and refers to the way you press down with your toes, for instance, when you're pushed from behind. It's not conscious, which is why I guess they're calling it a reflex. But it does seem to involve all sorts of sensory inputs: inner ear, vision, and proprioception. And anyway, it causes the effect we need to make the wobs -- an unintended steering of the board with the right timing to feed the oscillation.
-- an unintended steering of the board with the right timing to feed the oscillation.
And the maniacs that have posted about how "fun" it is are totally whacked!!!
I hate getting the wobs. Having to pull a controlled speed-check drift at 35 or 40 mph is all the friggin' excitement I'll ever need. (you can tell from the previous statement that I'd rather be turning right.)
Give me hard bushings and a tight de-wedged rear truck all the time!
And the maniacs that have posted about how "fun" it is are totally whacked!!!
I hate getting the wobs. Having to...
i hate speed wobbles, too. but they do sometimes occur and successfully dealing with them, as transitioned so eloquently posted, is usually quite the rush.
as far as dealing with them, one method i have picked up is to pick an imaginary spot in the road about 40-50ft in front of you and 5ft to the left or right and aim for it. once you get there, if needed, repeat. this re-focusing and re-directing(albeit minor) seems to help me skate through the trouble, much like buggybomber chasing down the biker(focusing) and perhaps similar to enemy combatant's stiffening his front foot(directing).
hope this might help someone.
hey guys i was wondering if harder duro wheels might lead to an unwanted drift that would then cause wobble.. it really sounds possible for the wheels to just un-grip automatically at high speed and have disastrous results please correct me if im wrong here
I mysteriously ate asphalt last night. On a drop thru drop deck eith Bear 10mm 50/50 . A car pulled out in front of me @ about 35 mph and I cautiously changed lanes (there were left over cinders mid road ) I immediately wobbled and was thrown super man. I feel stupid and lucky I was knocked out briefly and half my face is rashed bad!!!! No helmet like a dumb ass!
[FL_RIDER_93] 8:29 pm:edit: { removed due to [FL_RIDER_93] homophobia )
#[green] 1:38 am: its not like this is my first time with him
[Arcadium] 4:34 pm: i really dont care about the extra half inch
hey guys i was wondering if harder duro wheels might lead to an unwanted drift that would then cause wobble.. it really sounds possible for the wheels to just un-grip automatically at high speed and have disastrous results please correct me if im wrong here
Most people get wobbles in the straights, and you're not really worried about traction there (and I haven't had wheels just "un-grip" regardless of duro).
That said, when wheels break and re-grip in a hard corner, it can sometimes shake your ankles and you might wiggle a bit. Usually they go away pretty quick as long as your weight's leaning into turn (and you haven't highsided yet). Nobody likes jumpy grip in turns, but I think it's a different phenomenon.
If anything, harder duro wheels lend themselves to smoother drifts, and they don't really have that jumpy slip-catch-slip-catch behavior. So my guess is there's nothing to fear from higher duro wheels and the wobbles.
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Re: Speed Wobbles and You
Originally Posted by GravityRider15
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In that Teutonia vid, when Dalua tries to pass K-Rimes, you can see that he's plenty able to control the wobs in the Brazilian tuck (though they get him in his second attempt at passing right near the finish line).
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