You just bought your new surfskate, maybe a cool Carver with Cx or C7, but also one of any other brand, you took it out of the box, you got on it, you started pumping and ... it's not what you expected ?
Too tiring? Not very responsive? Did you expect it to be softer? Doesn't it turn tight? Or maybe he is too much of a dancer? Too unstable for you?
First of all, no panic! Don't worry, you didn't make a mistake with your purchase, or at least it's certainly too early to tell.
The fact is, it happens all the time. As soon as the new skate arrives home, the impulse is to get on it and go, but the factory setting is not always the correct one for your weight, your level and your style.
So, before you despair and sell off your surfskate to switch to a different model, try tuning it by following some of our tips for the first set up of your new surfskate.
CX type front trucks
Let's start by talking about Carver's CX type front trucks . This is the most famous, but obviously there are many similar ones from other brands for which more or less the same considerations apply. These are very simple, versatile and performing reverse kingpin trucks. Precisely because of the simplicity of the system, many tend to think that there are no settings and improvements to be made, and instead we assure you that this is not the case.
The CX truck is composed of a pin and bushing that determine the twist and response. A nut on the end of the pin allows you to loosen or tighten the system.
1. Adjusting the nut
The first thing to check is the adjustment of the truck nut, which are of the self-locking type. When they arrive from the factory, the Carvers are usually tightened by 3 or 4 turns from the end position. This set up can be good for those who weigh at least eighty kilos or for those who are new to the surfskate and are looking for more stability. For light people, girls and children the first thing to do is to loosen the screw as much as possible.
The setting should also be varied according to use. To tackle descents and high speeds, it is better to tighten the nut for more stability.
Beware that even minimal variations, like 1/4 turn, lead to significant differences in the behavior of your skate.
Common Problems and Solutions:
- Even if I push with all my weight I can't turn tight: try to loosen the screw
- In tight curves or when I push a lot on the truck the skate bends completely until it almost touches the wheels and often runs away (try to tighten the screw a little).
- My nut tends to unscrew: it could be a defect in the rubber that ensures the self-locking function, or you have unscrewed the nut too much. Keep in mind that the nylon ring on the top must be bitten.
2. Lubrication
Have you loosened the screw of your truck as much as possible but still feel it too stiff? Would you like a softer board under your feet? Do you struggle to bend or turn? Maybe it's your kid's skate and he's still too light to fold? Also this time, before replacing the bushing or even the whole skate there is something you can do and that is to lubricate your truck a little.
Try putting some grease in the pivot cup and also on the bushing. I assure you that with grease you will find yourself a completely different board and 10 times softer and smoother. You will also extend the life of the tires.
It seems incredible the miracle that a little grease can do ... but if you are a biker you have surely experienced the difference from using a well lubricated bike ...
As for the question of which grease or lubricant to use, everyone has their preferences here ... In fact, most gear or bicycle greases that can be found at hardware stores or on amazon are fine. Vaseline grease is also very suitable. However, the most suitable and recommended is marine fat
There are even those who use soap, and in fact even this works a little ... but not as much as fat.
Common Problems and Solutions:
- The surfskate squeaks: try putting some grease in the pivot cup and bushing
- I hear strange creaks coming from the truck: take it apart completely, clean everything, put some grease on it and put it back together.
How often?
There is actually no rule. It all depends on the use that is made of the skate and where it is used. If there is a lot of dust where you use it, it is clear that it will need to be cleaned more often. In any case it is quite easy to understand when it is necessary to do some maintenance because you will find that the performance of your surfskate is no longer what it always has, it begins to creak etc.
3. Replacement of bushing
If you have already tried to loosen the screw and grease the truck but you still don't have a good feeling with your surfskate, it might be worth considering whether to replace the bushing.
Carver mounts Graphite 89A bushinges on his surfskates and they are medium-soft bushing. These are bushes that are fine for the vast majority of people ... except for those who weigh very or very little. Very light people, teens and children may need softer bushing, while people weighing over 100kg are often better off with harder bushing, especially if they want to use the surfskate for cruising or downhill.
Personally, we had a great time fitting softer bushes on our son's skate. For his carver we have chosen the Orangatang Knuckle Soft which are 87A and are among the softest on the market.
With these bushing and some fat, he too, weighing just 20kg, is able to tilt the board and do a little pumping instead of lifting the board.
C7 carver type front trucks
The C7 carver type front trucks are a little more complicated and have some more components and settings on which to intervene, but the concept is always the same. Based on your characteristics and the feeling you want to achieve, it is possible to intervene to have a more mobile or more stable surfskate.
Screw adjustments
This time the screws on which to intervene are two, or rather we have a screw and a nut that allow us to adjust the rigidity of the truck. The screw is the small one placed at the base of your truck. This screw passes inside the steel spring that is inside the truck, so by loosening it the spring loosens, by tightening it the spring tightens. Also in this case the factory set up is the intermediate one . If the screw is too tight for your weight, you will have a hard time turning and pumping.
Above the truck, above the rubber pads, we find a nut like in the CX truck. It is also possible to intervene on this by loosening or tightening it.
Also in this case it is important to consider that the setting should also be varied according to use, for example to tackle descents better to have a more stable skate.
Be careful not to touch the Pivot Bolt instead. That absolutely must not be loosened and only disassembles occasionally in case of maintenance and thorough cleaning.
Common Problems and Solutions:
- Even if I push with all my weight I can't turn tightly: try to loosen the screw and nut
- In tight curves or when I push a lot on the truck the skate bends completely until it almost touches the wheels and often runs away (try to tighten the screw a little).
For lubrication and bushing the same considerations apply as we have already made for the cx truck.
Rear Truck
Everyone tends to forget it ... but your surfskate has 2 trucks: one front and one rear! And the rear truck is as important as the front one and needs the same attention, adjustments and care.
Just to be clear, it is useless to loosen your front truck if the rear one is too tight ... Basically everything you do to the front truck, you must also do it to the rear truck.
So if you want a softer surfskate, loosen the rear truck too, lubricate it and if you replace the front truck bushing, obviously you have to do it on the rear too!
Now you are finally ready to enjoy your new surfskate. Our advice is to experiment with the different settings in order to get the right feeling with your new board under your feet. As for the maintenance and cleaning not only of trucks but also and above all of wheels and bearings and upgrades to do to your skate, we will talk about it in a future article.
Pubblicato il 03 luglio 2020 | Blog > Technique: SURFSKATE