Help for New Slalomers! (please read)

[guivans]

Yeah...in the meanwhile i went to my room to check that again and was trying to force the trucks to move with diferent angles of the force aplied with my hands....and also checked that.
I simply never tested that before or thought about it....thats why angled risers dont go to 80 degrees!!!!
But thanks for the info too...
Cheers

[sweetbroo]

hey Jo you seem to know what your talking about,

New longboarder and want to try all diciplines at some point. Atm i would love to get a board for pumping to and fro from shops/work and slalom with mates on weekends, though living in aus my board selection is greatly restricted cause it costs heaps to get it here. I am looking at either Flexdex 30" slalom 30v or Gravity super slalom 29" or Gravity Giant slalom 32" or S9 Bamboo Maccas 32". what would be the pick ? also with trucks paris 150s or 139 RTS/RTX or some seismic setup? or what should i generally be looking for in a pumper/slalom? thanks for the tip on 3DM and ZigZAgs i ll get some of them.

Any help from anyone who knows anything about this would be super!
cheers

[PrettyPrinceofParties]

Hey i am setting up a slalom board right now and i was wondering how the wedging differs from front to back truck

[sharcsplean]

hey Jo you seem to know what your talking about,

New longboarder and want to try all diciplines at some point. Atm i would love to get a board for pumping to and fro from shops/work and slalom with mates on weekends, though living in aus my board selection is greatly restricted cause it costs heaps to get it here. I am looking at either Flexdex 30" slalom 30v or Gravity super slalom 29" or Gravity Giant slalom 32" or S9 Bamboo Maccas 32". what would be the pick ? also with trucks paris 150s or 139 RTS/RTX or some seismic setup? or what should i generally be looking for in a pumper/slalom? thanks for the tip on 3DM and ZigZAgs i ll get some of them.

Any help from anyone who knows anything about this would be super!
cheers

the trackes are a good choice for starting slalom - stay way from the flexdex and probably s9 becasue they are way flexy. you want a stiff deck. you will find a flexy deck easier at frist and you will out ride it quickly. my first was an s9 cosmic rider - fun deck too soft. The 32 in one may be better for you - you can dril holes and adjust the wheelbase - that give you more options.

have fun

[cjbliss]

First of all let me say that I've probably been skating for 10 years, longboarding exclusively for the last two, and starting slalom in the past week. I can not believe how much fun it is! As of this afternoon especially i am completely hooked.

With that said, I've read through most of this thread ( i started skimming towards the end) and feel knowledgeable enough to buy a good set up for what I think i'll be doing. problem is i don't really have alot of money at the moment and the money i am getting is going to getting some new parts for my speedboard before MCGF. I also have been getting in to board building and although the boards i've made so far are far from perfect, im making alot of progress. Actually the board i'v been slaloming on i made (but i made it real quick and cheap cus i didnt know if i'd like slalom). My first question is, should i buy a board or if building it is ok, what are the major things i want to keep in mind when building it? (shapes, materials, dimensions?) My second question about trucks, I'm using some regular "to do a kickflip on" trucks (and bad ones at that) so I can imagine i want something different. What are some solid but affordable slalom trucks and how should i set them up? (nose wedging seems to be common)

[Xgecko]

tracker 106 rtx/s are the best inexpensive slalom trucks......next step up would be Bennett front Seismic stable rear

[sweetbroo]

the trackes are a good choice for starting slalom - stay way from the flexdex and probably s9 becasue they are way flexy. you want a stiff deck. you will find a flexy deck easier at frist and you will out ride it quickly. my first was an s9 cosmic rider - fun deck too soft. The 32 in one may be better for you - you can dril holes and adjust the wheelbase - that give you more options.

have fun

yeah thanks mate! i ve got some 4.3 bennets and a 106mm rts on my home-made 70s min deck thing and its pretty sweet but i havent got any cones yet.. at the moment its just shoes but ah shoelaces = very quick stop.. so i think cones will be the next step towards actually enjoying slalom. but i cant really pump on it i need something flexy, 42" cruiser with randals pumps well and comet slalom deck with carver cx n bones medium bushings is nice as well.... my home made deck is flat so i m gonna attempt to make something with hardcore concave hopefully that ll help...

[zgadow20]

I'm new to slalom. I like it. But when I carve too hard my wheels slide. And then I fall. And now I've got a crapload of road rash. I know the best solution is to get grippier wheels. But I want wheels that can hold an edge and stck to the ground when I carve and I also wanna be able to slide them. What's a good wheel for everything?

[Joe & Nick]

There is no slalom wheel and slide wheel all in one. Mutually exclusive.

BUT

YOu can tighten up your rear truck and make sure your weight is right over the rear truck.

[PMC]

Hey Joe, I have a problem with my Radikal front truck, it folds and locks up(it appears to do so) , I have change bushings several times and it has not helped.

This is what's happening; I'm going through the cones at about 15 mph and all of a sudden the front trucks just folds and locks up then I fly

Last friday I was playing with bushings and I had a clear radikal on top a barrel yellow stim on bottom, I was doing maybe 5 to 10 mph in front of my house and it threw me.
There is no wheel bite, I have a soft khiro wedge and 3* khiro rail wedge total of 10*

Eddie told me to check the spherial maybe it was locking up but It's ok. I saw a mark on the wheel that look like it hit one of the nuts but when I tried to make it hit (by hand) it did not do it.

The kingpin is ok and the spherical bearing is fine, I do not understand what is going on, why the truck is doing that. By the way I have the 3/8 axels and I run 70mm Zigs.

[easy]

Hey Joe, I have a problem with my Radikal front truck, it folds and locks up(it appears to do so) , I have change bushings several times and it has not helped.

This is what's happening; I'm going through the cones at about 15 mph and all of a sudden the front trucks just folds and locks up then I fly

Last friday I was playing with bushings and I had a clear radikal on top a barrel yellow stim on bottom, I was doing maybe 5 to 10 mph in front of my house and it threw me.
There is no wheel bite, I have a soft khiro wedge and 3* khiro rail wedge total of 10*

Eddie told me to check the spherial maybe it was locking up but It's ok. I saw a mark on the wheel that look like it hit one of the nuts but when I tried to make it hit (by hand) it did not do it.

The kingpin is ok and the spherical bearing is fine, I do not understand what is going on, why the truck is doing that. By the way I have the 3/8 axels and I run 70mm Zigs.

It's "truck bite" - inner lip of wheel is hitting the baseplate. Few ways to get rid of it; wider axles (1/2" should be enough), trim the inside lips of the wheels a touch or use a full size rad bushing on the bottom (little less lean potential). You might also clear it up with a little firmer barrel on the bottom.

[PMC]

It's "truck bite" - inner lip of wheel is hitting the baseplate. Few ways to get rid of it; wider axles (1/2" should be enough), trim the inside lips of the wheels a touch or use a full size rad bushing on the bottom (little less lean potential). You might also clear it up with a little firmer barrel on the bottom.

THX Easy, I'll try that when I get home, right now I'm on a business trip in Philly till the end of the month. This problem is driving me crazy not been able to figure it out but you're explanation makes a lot of sence.

Hopefully it will fix it and I can ride with out getting free frequent flyer miles it sure takes all the fun out of it.

THX!!!

[hyper whittle]

CONES and ALTERNATIVES:

Cones need to be stiff. Soft cones will wrap around your wheel and take you out. Solo Cups work, but to start bright colored chalk marks, large washers, tennis balls cut in half will all work.

Can anyone recommend for or against Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups? They seem kinda perfect, stiff and steep enough to knock away, not get stuck under... I think... I happen to have a gazillion of them on hand from a local recycling program. Big ones look best, about 5 tall x 4.5 diam.

Chalk and hard rubber squares have proven hard to see at a distance, and it's been too breezy for Solo cups most days. Theoretically we'll get some real cones soon, but patience is not a virtue I possess.

If it's known to be a really BAD substitute, please feel free to post the warning. The only test I can think of involves a chance (for me) to kiss the pavement.

If this is pure genuis... um... wanna buy some halfway washed out yogurt cups?

[hyper whittle]

But then, on yonder thread, someone says plastic cups = death. And those Wally cups would be stiffer plastic than these, more "plinkier".

Again, err, I think...

100 bucks sounds like a reasonable investment in some real cones. I still ache from my last roll.

I could actually get by with half that probably.

I don't think a trunkfull of water bottles sounds very convenient...

[GPymp]

There is another alternative ....

There is an old school skater here (open class) and he uses 1/8 inch think floor mats. He then cuts them in circles..(the size of the bottom of a standard cone) I have used them before. You dont get wheel snag, you feel a tiny bump if you hit one. I think he got them at a dollar store or a clearance rack at a hardware store. (cant remember)

Just an idea someone has tried already and works.

[rwadley]

I have heard that brightly painted fender washers makes a good substitute for cones

[speshlspeclsteak]

ive been running some 7-10 ft spaced courses on my vangaurd (flex 2) and my cut down bomb hills (28" wb) on my driveway thats gets me over 25 regularly. what style setup would be best for these types of courses?

[Parallel Man]

I have heard that brightly painted fender washers makes a good substitute for cones

That's what Curt Kimbel used when he was practicing in front of his house in Maryland.

He said the best thing was who cares if a car comes by? Plus, I think he used some really good sized pieces so that when he hit them he could hear them CLINK on the asphalt and he knew he'd missed.

I don't know that he painted them or not. I guess it depends on how dark/black the asphalt is if something needs to be done to improve the contrast.

[stevie]

ive been running some 7-10 ft spaced courses on my vangaurd (flex 2) and my cut down bomb hills (28" wb) on my driveway thats gets me over 25 regularly. what style setup would be best for these types of courses?

lucky you to have a spot like that at home

sounds like a hybrid/GS setup would work well, 20-22" w.b., 110-125mm hangers

how long & wide is the driveway?

[speshlspeclsteak]

15 feet at the skinniest with an almost 180 degree turn if i start in the garage. i was looking at an axe 3 and axe 2.5 complete but they come with 80a zigz and i wasnt sure if those would be good for my size (5'8" and between 180 and 190)