Skateboards for Skateboarding

[HardKore]

It is my little nephews birthday (8yo) and i told him I'd get him a skateboard. I went to target but they only had two skateboards. I don't know a damn thing about skateboards so if anybody can point me into the right direction, that would be great!

looking to spend from 20-60 bux

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5245313

how about this one?

The Mike McGill Air Speed Pro Series Skate comes stock with 7-ply Canadian Maple laminate, OS780 full non skids, stone finish reinforced aluminum trucks and hangers, 5A cast PU cushions and 58 x 40mm 99A cast PU wheels and ABEC-5 chrome bearings.

I have no idea what this means.

thanks for the advice.

[j.steimer04]

U can modify a board just like you can a car. If he ends up wanting different trucks, wheels, or the deck all together, he atleast has a place to start with somethin like the board posted.

[HardKore]

yeah i was rolling around one at target and I know that on concrete it is going to be slow as balls. haha

so is it the wheels that I change out to make it go faster or bearings?

[accordsleeper89]

Originally Posted by HardKore

yeah i was rolling around one at target and I know that on concrete it is going to be slow as balls. haha

so is it the wheels that I change out to make it go faster or bearings?

Larger wheels will have a higher top speed, but the smaller wheels will accelerate faster. I own both a shortboard like the one posted and a longboard. The longboard is more fun for cruising, but you can't do any tricks on it because its a whopping 38" long with a lot of flex in the deck. But to answer your question: bigger wheel=higher top speed, better bearings=more rolling distance. I have ABEC 7s on the longboard with 65MM wheels and its a lot of fun in parking garages and on steep hills. On the shortboard I have 50MM and ABEC 7s (still working on burning them in) but the shortboard is noticeably slower and always will be because of wheel diameter.


One more thing: with the transition to larger wheels you may want to be on the lookout for wheel-rub against the deck while turning, it could throw you off if you are going fast enough, at the very least it will slow you down.

[j.steimer04]

Faster bearings FTW!

[HardKore]

Originally Posted by j.steimer04

Faster bearings FTW!

so. uhh. which ones?

With the stock bearings in can see the poor kid start skating on the concrete and come to a stop as if riding over tar. So what bearings do you recommend? ABEC5 is what it comes with. Do I go higher up in number?

thanks for the help btw.

[HardKore]

oh snap just read your post sleeper

makes alot of sense.

thanks

[HardKore]

yeah I want him to have more rolling distance. I'll probably let him get used to the stock bearing and when I can tell he is gaining some skill illl kick it up a notch with new bearings.

Damn... this makes me want to buy one.

[jon]

i need a new deck, i broke mine

[j.steimer04]

Originally Posted by accordsleeper89

Larger wheels will have a higher top speed, but the smaller wheels will accelerate faster. I own both a shortboard like the one posted and a longboard. The longboard is more fun for cruising, but you can't do any tricks on it because its a whopping 38" long with a lot of flex in the deck. But to answer your question: bigger wheel=higher top speed, better bearings=more rolling distance. I have ABEC 7s on the longboard with 65MM wheels and its a lot of fun in parking garages and on steep hills. On the shortboard I have 50MM and ABEC 7s (still working on burning them in) but the shortboard is noticeably slower and always will be because of wheel diameter.


One more thing: with the transition to larger wheels you may want to be on the lookout for wheel-rub against the deck while turning, it could throw you off if you are going fast enough, at the very least it will slow you down.

This guy knows his shit.

[accordsleeper89]

Originally Posted by j.steimer04

This guy knows his shit.

Thanks man, haha I've been skating quite some time, still do......though my school doesn't exactly have a large surfer/skater community. I may not be the best I know at skating, but I have a lot of fun doing it and that is where it counts in my opinion.

Originally Posted by jon

i need a new deck, i broke mine

Blind makes a new composite deck dubbed "Eternal Life" and supposedly if you manage to break it within 90 days of buying it they give you a new one for free.

[j.steimer04]

I was never a skater, but I have a few friends growin up that are pretty good and a couple of em have sponsors now, so I was around it for a while.

[accordsleeper89]

Originally Posted by j.steimer04

I was never a skater, but I have a few friends growin up that are pretty good and a couple of em have sponsors now, so I was around it for a while.

yeah, my friends are who got me started. I'm still not sponsored, nor do I care to be, because honestly I just haven't reached that skill level yet.

Hardkore: good choice, but generally speaking you may want to loosen the wheel bolts a little, to the point of where the wheels barely have some lateral motion if you were to try and move them in such a manner, as some wheels come overtightened. Also some bearings take a while to get worked in.

[HardKore]

which bearings do you recommend?

thx for the tip