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New Morewood bikes and Spank Bars
Our friends at Bike Magazine shows us Morewood’s new bike designs featuring unique pivots and geometry adjustments.
Check it out at: http://www.bikemag.com/gear/morewoods-split-pivot-and-eccentric-pivot-bikes/
Visit www.bikemag.com for the latest in products, racing, how-to videos and industry news.
Garage Mayhem
Skaters: Max Capps, Jonny Huang, Lee Eisler, Spencer Adams
GoPro held by: Max Capps
Put away the downhill boards and bust out the double kicks and mini cruisers to entertain yourself in this scenario. Ride with a group of your friends down several cement stories of hundreds of parking spaces. Right turn after right turn, it becomes a race to the bottom. Take the elevator back up for another run. Dodge a security guard…or two. Then do it again another night. Not necessarily fast yet still extremely fun, check out the battle on the way down.
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Freebord Review
Snowboard the Streets
There’s a certain rush you get carving down a mountain on your snowboard. This feeling is unlike any other. Steen Strand, the man behind Freebording found a way to bring this feeling to the streets.
“What I realized pretty early on is that a snowboard has the ability to move sideways over the snow, and a skateboard doesn’t” said Strand.
By placing a wheel in the center of the trucks that rotates 360 degrees, Steen has created a snowboard on wheels. Linking turns, from heel to toe edge, a rider can carve down any hill at whatever speed he/she desires. The two center wheels simulate the p-techs base of a snowboard, and the four outer wheels act as the steel edges of a snowboard.
The ability to ride sideways, spin 360’s, and float into switch are what makes this ride so much different from skateboarding, and more like snowboarding.
Imagine being able to pick up your snowboard, walk to your closest hill, and snowboard it. Every hill becomes a snowboard run and lift tickets are free. Whether you are going to the death-defying road across town or the mellow hill near your home, you find good roads and bad ones.
Does catching an edge mean anything to you? Every snowboarder has caught an edge before, and the concept is no different here. It isn’t something that happens often, but being prepared with pads, gloves and a helmet isn’t a bad idea.
It is important to remember while you are riding one of these things that there are some major differences. The biggest one is the lack of soft cushiony snow beneath you, and the presence of rough asphalt.
So Cal Represent 2010
The Dethbox crew rolled down from San Francisco for an epic weekend of riding. Filled with some of the best roads in L.A and Southern California and lots of blood and sweat. I lagged hard making this video but here it is for all of you to enjoy.
Film/Edit by Lee Eisler and Dan Shanker
Riders: Dub C Rider(John Laudin), Bently , Bob Glashan, Lee Eisler, Dan Brunner, Chipper(Nic Ruiz), Gooner(Austin Lin),
Alex McClellan, Tyler Stoehr, Damian
And Freebords version made and filmed by Bently Anderson
Riffe MA-060 Dive Mask / TUSA Snorkle dive combo
Manufacturer – Mask: Riffe, San Clemente, CA / Snorkel: Tabata Co, Long Beach, CA
Model – Mask: MA-060, Snorkel: SP-200 Hyperdry Max
Price -Mask: $65, Snorkel: $43
Review -
Riffe’s MA-060 dive mask is made of high-quality silicone and tempered glass that provides a tight seal and package. Even at depths measuring more than 20 feet, the mask equalized with ease and the single lens construction provided a clear view without distorting your peripheral vision, including low light conditions with visibility of less than 15 feet. The all-silicone construction is also comfortable and breaks-in to the users face quickly.
TUSA’s SP-200 Hyperdry Max is exactly what its name suggests it to be. At the surface, the SP-200 performs with the best snorkels on the market, providing adequate guard against splashing, while still retaining maximum air-flow. Under water, however, is where the SP-200 shines, providing optimal seal with two high-buoyancy floats that keep water out, and should it get in, a high flow purge valve allows the user to easily get it out. An ortho-conscious mouthpiece and flexible silicone neck offers maximum comfort and its swivel positioning system makes sure that your snorkel is always at the correct position.
Bottomline -
TUSA’s SP-200 and Riffe’s MA-060 makes for a combo that rivals that of Starsky and Hutch. Both are excellent in repelling water, lessening purging sessions when going under.
Gloves offer good protection
Riding without gloves could end up like this. I might not forget them again.
Cleaning your bearings in six easy steps.
Clean bearings equal fast bearings so it is always a good idea to clean and lube them up regularly. You will know it is time to clean your bearings if they are noisy or not free-spinning. You can check this by holding them between your thumb and index finger and feeling if they are gritty or smooth. Here’s a step by step process of how to clean and lube your bearing in the comforts of your own home.
Step 1:
Go to your local skate shop and find both a bearing cleaner and some type of bearing lubricant. Both items are necessary.
BSB bearing cleaner and lubricant
Step 2:
Remove the shields from the bearings.
Shields off
Step 3:
Soak the bearings in the cleaner BSB Quick Wash ($12) for 5 minutes and clean the shields with soapy water and a paper towel.
Step 4:
Remove the bearings from the cleaning solution and dry them off.
Step 5:
Lube up the bearings with BSB Professional QuikLube ($12). This helps prevent your bearings from rusting up. Apply liberally, but not too much as this can lead to more build-up due to the solution attracting dirt and dust.
New wheels and clean bearings!
Step 6:
Pop the shields back on, and press them into some fresh new wheels and you’re now ready to roll.
Stan’s Tire Sealant Review
Manufacturer – NoTubes, Big Flats, NY
Model – Tire Sealant
Price -$25
Review -
A workshop staple for many riders, Stan’s Tire Sealant has saved many from losing precious seconds in racing, hiking their bikes down the hill or making their riding buddies wait as they change a flat. Stan’s solution has been around for years and has seen use in many venues from National’s to grass root races. Pros and weekend warriors alike have used Stan’s sealing effectiveness in preventing flats due to thorns, goat heads even nails and glass.
Bottomline -
Pulling out 16 goatheads from my tire after riding through a patch solidifies the effectiveness of Stan’s. The solution – plain and simple works, and I use it even on ust tubeless set-ups for the added confidence and time-saving for when I will not need to put a tube in my tire should I flat. After using similar products I find myself going back to Stan’s as my go-to tire sealant. Pour two scoops worth and ride away, its even helped keep pressure and re-seat my tires after a pinch flat situation.
Transition TransAm Frame Review
Manufacturer – Transition Bicycle Company, Ferndale, WA
Model – TransAM Frame
Price -$589
Review-
Transition Bike Company’s TransAM frame was designed to be a well-rounded hardtail that is good for bar runs to multi-day epics. The steel frame is quiet no matter how chunky the terrain is. While this bike shines on buff singletrack and climbs like a goat, it is by no means a flimsy XC bike. Slack, smooth and stiff are just a few of the noticeable characteristics this frame offers. Transition includes a headset and seatpost clamp with frame. The campy style headset is smooth, and durable. The seatclamp on the other hand lost its clamping power early in the game, causing the seatpost to slip while in the seated position.
Bottom Line –
If you’re looking for a hardtail to replace a quiver of bikes, this is the frame to get. It’s slack, it’s steel and it’s a deal. The iscg tabs allows you to run it as a 1×9 with a bash/guide, and having the ability to run a 160mm fork means you can shred the gnar with confidence.
Feel free to put your opinion on this frame below.
Clear Kryptonic 80MM/80A Wheel Review
Manufacturer – Kryptonics, Santa Fe Springs, CA
Model – Clear kryptonics 80MM/80A
Price -$16 – $25
Review-
I threw these on my Freebord after riding no other wheels besides the Slashers. I found that this soft wheel rides buttery smooth and it feels like your riding some fresh powder. Not necessarily built for speed I have found that this wheel is great for just cruising and throwing down some fresh carves and slides. I just could not get going fast on these, even with no slides or speed checks the wheel would not take me faster than 35 m.p.h. This is a very soft wheel and it wears down quickly. Also any slide over 25 m.p.h will put your clear Krypto’s in serious jeopardy of flat-spotting. I have been throwing these wheels on my board whenever I just feel like doing some cruising.
Bottom Line-
There is nothing wrong with riding the clear Krypto’s. They definitely are not good as the Slashers but at less than half the price it’s a much better deal than the slashers are. I will be ordering more of these. Great price for a decent to good wheel. I was surprised by how smooth the ride was. For $15.99 they are a great deal, but I don’t know how much more I would be willing to pay for these though.
16 Fresh Clear Krypto’s. I’m ready to roll.
Feel free to put your opinion on these wheels below.