Honest Review of the Abec11 ReFly 90mm Wheels

They actually feel really good!

They're a 74a wheel, which means that they are really soft. 

Granted now, I have experience pumping some Pantheon Karmas, as well as 85mm Speed Vents. 

Now, because of my limited experience (Speed Vents and Karmas), I can't delve too far into detail, but, here are my thoughts.

1. The Comfort 

The Comfort on these wheels are astonishing. 

Although, that comes with a disadvantage as well. But yeah, these wheels, when initially pushed, feel absolutely amazing. 

2. The Pumping 

The Pumping is..... okay (?). I mean like it does it's job fine enough, but I was struggling with it a little bit. But it pumps fine. This actually is a sorta extension on point 1 though, being that because they're so soft, they're harder to pump. Now, with the Karmas, also being 74a, it's weird. They don't feel that soft, so they feel better in the pump, but with the Abec11's, they feel gummy. Which should in theory be great for pumping, however, because they're so soft, it also decelerates the wheel just a tad, which equals to more work on MY (YOUR) part. So, with that being said, I have no idea why the Karmas are better, whether it's the shape, or the urethane, I like the Karmas a heck of a lot more than the Reflys!!

3. These wheels aesthetically are very pleasing.  But also, they're a very simple wheel. Nothing fancy about these wheels, no sir! In fact, that's probably why I don't like them that much, THEY'RE A VERY SIMPLE SHAPE.

4. In comparison to the Karmas (review coming soon btw) they feel a tad sluggish, but overall, they are for sure a wheel haha! I think because of the urethane, plus the simple shape and design, these wheels feel really lackluster.

My overall rating of them tho??

6/10 

They feel good enough for pumping, but, there are better options for sure.

Honest Review of the Seismic Blast Waves

They're an *okay* wheel. 

This is the good

They are pretty good for slower speeds. 

This is the bad

They are only good for slower speeds. Don't get me wrong, they're a great wheel, with lots of potential. However, that potential is limited due to its size. 

When you really want to get going, they feel like they hold you back. 

So according to some, they're really sluggish when they're poured in 78.5a urethane. Which is the formula I got. Apparently they are better in 80a and 77a, but I haven't tried it. 

My overall rating of this wheel? Ehhhhhhhhh...

5/10

Pretty lackluster, they feel good when you are starting to pick up speed, but, that's where the fun starts and subsequently ends. And trust me, I really wanted this wheel to work for me, but, maybe in the future I will try a harder variation. 

LDPUMPing

Hey everyone! 

How is your weekend going??

I just got back from pumping my board.

Initial thoughts: it's fun as hell.

How was I able to pump? The secret was the rear end bushings (for me), I switched them to 92a Ronins, (previously were 96a Krank Tall Fat Cones), and boy !! The difference is like night and day!!

So it wasn't necessarily the wheels holding me back, so much as it was the bushings. 

I don't know tho, as I will have to test it out soon (maybe tomorrow night?) , but, I like it. I have so much control, and when I need to gain speed, I just give it a wiggle and I am already up to speed. 

Honest Review of the BB+

To clarify, I don't technically have a BB+. I do, but I also don't. What I have is a prototype, with a Poplar core, Fiberglass, Carbon Fiber and Hard Rock Maple.

But this board is great for a multitude of reasons. Number one being that it's so spacious.

My BB+ is a 29" which is 1" longer than the regular BB+'s length.

And man is it fun! I have the BB+ Platform with an ECOLITE torsion tail with 96a Tall Fatcones, Glass drop front, Poppy 55° 125mm with Riptide Bushings in the 75a Green Barrel APS, and a 70 purple APS Cone. All with 75.5mm Alpha Wheels 

I have my angle set to 59°, and with the Alpha Wheels, I feel like I can definitely pump this bad boy. 

And hey look! I can pump it! Pretty alarmingly fast, as a matter of fact. I was actually pumping it so good that I am now considering bumping up my diameter size to an 80mm.

It's also really comfortable. It has the same concave as the AZ, and a link to that article is right here. But to summarize one of the points I made, it feels like a cloud beneath my feet.

It also has a pretty good wheelbase Size, at 23.375"

So you know, it's very good for pumping!

And pump it I can!! It's got a good comfy flex to it, and man I can't recommend it enough!!

Also the graphic is pretty dope too!!

10/11

Honest Review of the X26 Setup

The GBOMB Setup Review 

So, I got a GBOMB Setup. 

It's Super nice. 

I got the X26 Platform with an ECOLITE torsion tail with 96a Tall Fatcones, Glass drop front, Poppy 55° 125mm with Riptide Bushings in the 75a Green Barrel APS, and a 70 purple APS Cone. All with SpeedVents for Wheels, front is an 80a durometer, with the rear being 77a. I have the wheels setup with these different duros to minimize slip. 

It's a fun little board. I have my front angle at like 59° . (Poppy's 55 + 4 from adjustable angle bracket), and man I tell you what, it's a very fun board. 

My only gripe with it is that it's too short for my stance. But other than that? It's a great introductory deck to get started in the LDP world.

7/10

Honest Review of the AZ

The Honest Review of the AZ

It's a good piece of wood. I really enjoy it for four reasons mainly.

1. Comfort

It's super comfortable. With the gentle flex of the wood, plus the ample foot space to position your feet, it's like a cloud.

2. The Wedging 

This board is really cool too though because of the wedging. It has 10 degrees in the front, and -13 in the rear. What this essentially does is make it more "pumpy", with a pretty low rear to compliment it. 

3. The Construction

 It's handcrafted in Montreal, Canada, with fiberglass OVER the graphic. Which leads me to another point.

4. The Graphic

I'm a sucker for simplistic designs. That, plus the fact that it's under a layer of fiberglass, makes this board really durable. 

9/10. 

My experience Pumping

What even IS pumping?

Pumping on a longboard is essentially a technique for generating forward momentum without pushing off the ground. It's achieved by rhythmically shifting your weight from your toes to your back heels, while also carving slightly in opposite directions. This creates a pumping motion that propels the board forward. So a lot of people, myself included, listen to music while skating, which helps with the rhythmic pattern.

Imagine carving turns on your longboard, but instead of aiming to change direction completely, you're initiating small carves back and forth. As you press down on your toes, the board carves slightly one way, and the flex of the board combined with your weight transfer generates forward momentum. You then transition your weight to your heels, carving slightly in the other direction, which further propels you forward.

Pumping requires practice to master, but it's a rewarding skill that allows you to cover long distances without getting tired. It's also a great way to improve your balance and carving technique.

So what is MY experience?

My experience was that it was very fun, it really works your core, plus the ankles. I was essentially on a really long Surfskate. It was 56" long with like a 34" Wheelbase. For reference, most Surfskates are at the most 34", with a Wheelbase of 18". So I was on a really long one for sure!

Ken, my Therapist, standing with my board. Can you tell he's proud to hold it? Haha

It's really fun to go side to side in succession while feeling the board go forward. It feels both exhilarating and efficient. You'll feel your legs engaged, core activated, and upper body swaying in unison. As you master the pump, you'll carve through smooth pavement with a sense of weightlessness and continuous speed.

But here's the thing, it HAS to be smooth pavement. Well, either that, or have a pivot cup/tube in the truck. Not a Spherical bearing, because then you will get massive road vibration, which will make your ankles sore!

Luckily, when I was pumping, I was doing it in the therapy clinic. Man, it sure feels nice! But now, I want to pump on an actual trail!! I was actually pumping it earlier today on Sunday, March 31st. Man am I excited to start pumping my AZ and my X26!!

My board, pictured here with Love Handles from my boardshop, Kraken Boardshop!! 

The Overall experience of it tho? 10/10

It's crazy to feel yourself, essentially flying through the air as you twist your ankles and get your whole body in the groove. It's super fun, a great workout, and you can really get up there in terms of speed! I highly recommend for anyone!!!!

Honest Review of the Don't Trip Poppies

The Poppy Review 

Pictured right here is my AZ, with some Poppies and SpeedVents.

The SP 55° 125mm Poppy is a phenomenal truck.

Pictured here is the Poppy Truck installed on my GBomb Setup, with a front DDR, and rear TTS, on the X-26 platform.

The Good

This truck has been amazing so far. With my recent(-ish) injury, I have had to cut back on the DH aspect of my career, but now I'm focusing on Long Distance Pushing/Pumping, or LDP, and so far, it's been a blast. Let's get the good things out of the way.

High Angle

These trucks sit at an astounding 55°. For reference, the average truck sits at about 50°. What this high angle means is that you can carve, or rather, pump, your board. Paired with a low degree rear (like my TTS, or a TTA, or an ECOLITE) it'll be good for high speed pumping. Oh yeah, did I also mention that this truck is on a DDR, which is essentially a front bracket, that is adjustable? It adjusts the angle, so currently, I have it at about 65°, and boy it's perfect. 

Width

The Width on this hangar is perfect, it's 125mm adjustable to 143mm. Now granted, I did have the wider version, 152mm adjustable to 170mm, and I did not like the wider version one bit. I had a friend, we will call him Tommy , he was able to pump a Genesis I had, but the thing is that he had to use his WHOLE body. I can't really do that, I can get into the groove, sure. But doing full body pumps, I cannot do, I can wiggle and get going that way. So that's why I opted to get a new hangar that's a little more narrower. With narrower hangars, they actually travel less distance than with wider trucks in the same amount of time.

The Old Genesis, pictured right here

SP Vs. Pivot Cup

I opted for the SP (Spherical) baseplate for this truck, mainly for one reason. The reason being that I was thinking of taking this truck out onto smooth pavement. I was being stupid and took it out on a really rough road, and man, it is brutal!! Constant vibration from the road, I think that if I could go back in time, I would have opted for the Pivot Cup version. But I am not complaining much. 

I knew what I was signing up for, and to be honest, I think I know what to do in the future, aka not take it out on rough roads!!

The Look

It looks like a really good truck. It comes with one color for the hangar, Silver, and one color for the Baseplate, Black. It truly looks badass.

The Bad

I've read a lot about this truck, and apparently there's a known issue with it. Apparently around 1000km (or roughly 621 miles) to 3000km, the kingpin will snap, rendering the truck useless. 

It's mainly a safety issue, but some preventative work can be done to it for sure. But , alas, the kingpin is luckily replaceable.

And that's what is essentially going to make my review harder on the Poppies. I love these trucks, but, the fact that they are only "durable until..." , let's just say that it's not ideal. 

9/10

These are a great truck, but there are some improvements to be had.