Honest Review of the Orangatang Love Handles

They're okay. They're really slow though.

I've taken them to a multitude of places, including:

1. The skatepark 

On the skatepark, they're very slow. You will be carving and turning, wiggling, but if you go too slow past a certain threshold they're very hard to get back up to speed. Which is weird. But, my Surfskate is longer than usual (~57") so that may have something to do with it.

2. The trail.

On the trail though? They're very easy to get up to speed. You can carve pretty fast, and then when your carving turns into pumping, that's when you can seriously get some speed.

The Consensus?

They're okay. They really excel at quick, concise movements, especially over a trail where you have to be going back and forth constantly. But other than that? No, this isn't the wheel for me. 

Why?

I think it was two things:

1. The Core

2. The Urethane 

Let me explain to you why I think that. 

1. The Core

It's a VERY basic core. No step to stiffen the Urethane or anything. Like I said, it's just a simple core. Nothing like the EC HUB core from Seismic, which actually stiffens the Urethane. By having the step in the core, it'd actually stiffen the outer lip area, but, no, it doesn't have anything like that.

2. The Urethane 

It's very sluggish, just in general. Many LDP'ers actually don't like Orangatang wheels because of how slow they are. They actually feature a  notoriously slow urethane, called Happy Thane. But there are exceptions to this rule. Like, for example, The Kegels, and The Caguamas. In Heat,iykyk. Even the Bee's Knee's...... So yes there are exceptions, but they're pretty minute when compared to other Urethane formulas. 

Overall though?

Ehhhh...

3-4, maybe a 5/10, high 4/10, really low 5/10. Which is weird because I don't mind this Urethane when poured in, say, a Kegels mold. But, on the other hand however, my Surfskate is on the longer side. So, that may influence the feeling. 

They roll, but other than that? No, these wheels aren't it for me. Very disappointed 

Don't forget to leave a comment.about your favorite Urethane, Wheel or Brand of Urethane, i.e. Abec11, Seismic, Orangatang etc. etc.

Honest Review of the Pantheon Karma

Pantheon Karma Wheel Review 

I've had two sets, the first ones in were, let's say, pretty rough. I got them from a friend. The friend in question actually downhilled on these, and threw some slides. So, they were pretty worn when I got them. I believe they were worn down to at least 91mm, maybe even 90mm.

So obviously, that's not ideal. BUT, I will say this; when I first got them from Sam Odenborg and threw them on the old BB+, I could almost immediately start pumping them. Even with a not so ideal bushing setup. So, that's a good testament to how these wheels perform. 

I liked them so much in fact, that I got them for myself. Here are the specs:

Diameter: 92mm

Width: 53mm

Contact Patch: 49mm

Weight: 278g each

I love them. 

They're grippy when fresh. They're also very fast.

The thing I like the most about the karma's is how they are poured. They're poured to be gripping, no matter what. Like, they're poured with a slight skew. It's pretty interesting. Not only that but they are also poured upside down, so the bubbles are forming on the outside of the wheel, instead of on the inside, because again it has that lip. Pure performance, right?

Plus, with that rebound lip, it helps a lot. I can actually feel it helping. All around though, I am very impressed. 

One thing I absolutely love about this wheel is that it has the Nautilus Core....a new core by Pantheon. I like it cause it's unique, it has that biomimicry effect. The thing about the core though, is that Pantheon updated their core, making this core harder to find, essentially. They updated it to increase the strength, but man, that new core looks boring. I'm sorry, but it had to be said. 

It's also huge. It stands at 92mm tall. In fact it's slightly bigger than my other 90mm wheel, the Abec11 Refly's. And it's at least 7mm taller than my old Speedvents. But it's still small, when compared to it's bigger brother the Hoku, which stands at 102mm. 

But by golly miss molly do I love these wheels. 10/11 for me, truly.

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, 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??

7/10 

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

Honest Review of the Zealous Ceramic's

Honest Review of the Zealous Ceramic's

They're definitely a bearing.

Not much different than Regular Zealous Steel

The Sweet Spot for Pumping

The Sweet Spot for Pumping 

58° is the ideal angle.

58°. 3° higher than 55°, but 2° lower than 60°.

That is the sweet spot for pumping. Top riders set their trucks to that angle. Lena Medringal actually uses that angle on her Platypusher!! And she's a World Record Holder for Women!!

Now, my current setup has a front degree of 65°. Considering the fact that I went from 65° to 59° to then back to 65°, I have it on good authority to say, I know what I am talking about. What this also means, however, is that I can pump relatively quickly. Now, some integrated trucks have a 55° baseplate, but recently, some are even releasing in the 58° angle. Check this video out on the Scythe Crusader. 

Why did my setup have a 59°, vs. a 58°?

So, my setup has a GBOMB Glass Drop. If you don't know anything about the GBomb Glass Drop, it has an articulation range of 30. +15 wedge and -15 de wedge. Here are the specs:

"Drop: 35mm

Angle Adjust Range: 30 Degrees (+15 Wedge to -15 Dewedge)

Frame Weight: 225 grams (7.9 oz)

Material: Glass Fiber in Engineered Polymer Matrix

Color: Black

Deck Interface: Silicone Pad with Concave Compliant Recess

Truck Compatibility: Compatible with RKP and TKP trucks." -GBomb's Website 

So as you can see, the glass drop is pretty cool. But, the reason it's 59°, is because of the notches. Now, the notches are cool, because they help you see what your angle is. But, they're mainly divisible by 2.

Why do I say mainly? Well, because the last notch counts as 3, to make an even +/-15 degrees. 

Now, there are many, many, many, bracket options. Not just in the U.S. (where I am), but even in the EU market, and even China is producing some now. 

For example, from GBomb Longboards, we have the DDS. 

"The patented precision CNC DD-S (Deep Drop Stubby) Longboard bracket features infinite adjustability of truck angles from +12 (wedge) to -2 (dewedge). The light weight makes the DDS an ideal front Longboard bracket. Or, for rear applications where little or no de-wedging is needed. The curves of this bracket allow stresses to flow, and the bracket to flex for performance and comfort. The shock pad deck interface absorbs even more road noise and complies to the deck camber and concave to minimize stress at the interface. The broad shoulder design is intended to handle abuse from even heavy and aggressive riders.

This is the same Longboard bracket used by world record longboard holders. And the same bracket Adrian Oh toured on through over 20 countries and over 20,000 km.

Black and Silver color choice. GBomb Infinity Bolt Hardware included for mounting to deck and truck.

DD-S assembly includes all all hardware (as shown) for mounting the DD-S to the platform and truck to the DD-S.

Mounting pattern for the platform is 2.125" (new school).

Mounting pattern for the truck is 2.5" (old school)." -GBomb's Website 

Vs. the DDR, a rear bracket.

"The patented Precision CNC DDR (Deep Drop Regular) features infinite adjustability of Longboard truck angles from +13 (wedge) to -22 (dewedge). The light weight makes the DDR ideal as a rear bracket or a versatile front bracket. Like the DDS, the flowing curves of this bracket allow stresses to flow and bracket flex for performance and comfort. The shock pads at deck interface absorb even more road noise and comply to platform concave and camber to minimize stress. The ample wheel clearance welcomes even the largest of Longboard wheels, and the broad shoulder interface design is intended to handle abuse from heavy and aggressive Longboard riders." -GBomb's Website 

Now granted, it is a rear bracket, but I included it here because it has so much range that it COULD be a front bracket . But, next, we have the F-13 from Blackdogskates, in the EU. 

It's a 13° fixed bracket, meaning that a 45° truck mounted to it will then turn into a 58°, like I said, the sweet spot...

...In theory. But apparently, they're really funky with RKP's. TKP's though.....

From reading online, it sounds like TKP's work especially well on the bracket, not so much the RKP. But, with a 1°-3° wedge under the bracket, you could get a 11° BP, like a BHanger, and have it work. To get a total of 25°, which is another sweet spot, so to speak.

And then we have the SDF Fork. 

Now, the SDF Fork is cool, because they used to release in Gold. And apparently, they're 13°. So, it really sounds like that to get the best performance, with a fork, you would need a BP of something around 45° for RKP'S and 12° for TKP's. But the thing is, like what "BobRossLDP1 said", "The SDF has a 13-degree wedge, but there are some things to consider before buying. The fork is designed around Bennett geometry TKPs and is intended to tuck the truck in close to the deck to optimize leverage. If you’re using RKPs, it will not be a good experience, the fork is outdated, sits high, and offers poor clearance." 

But another good question "BobRossLDP1" posits is this: "I would assume it suffers from the same issues by proxy, but the owner skates them with poppies and 85mm cags, so I’m not entirely sure if clearance is actually a problem.

Why not just get a drop fork or a comp s if you’re on a budget?"

Now, here is a cool product.

This fork can work with RKP's, so, ymmv. But it's also 13°, making it ideal for 45° RKP's. 

And there are a lot of truck options as well. These are all available here, but, the only caveat is that this is an EU link, and unfortunately, not everybody can be able to get these trucks. But, clearly, you can get a lot of trucks. To make this list concise, I will only mention six trucks, using a set of characteristics to define them. 

1. The width (125mmish-143mmish MINIMUM)

2. The angle (45°ish/50°ish/55°ish/20°ish)

3. The construction (cast, forged, CNC)

1. Don't Trip Poppy (125mm, 45/55/20, CNC)

2. Exile Hydra (125mm, 45/55/20, CNC)

3. Valkyrie MK3.5 (145mm, 45/30, CNC)

4. Paris Savant (125mm, 50/43, Forged)

5. Bear Grizzly Gen 6 (130mm, 50/40/30, Cast)

6. SurfRodsz Grindsz/Hex (139mm, N/A, CNC)

7. Don't Trip BHanger (125mm, N/A, CNC)

(All of these trucks are just examples.)

Now obviously this is a very concise list. Nothing fancy or unique about this list, but I will say this: it's apparent that these trucks are common. Common, sometimes costly, but common nonetheless. 

All the trucks listed are an appropriate option within the suggested rubric, but, there are so many brands of trucks. So many different brands, styles, widths, angles, construction, rake, etc. My suggestion is to try as many truck options as you can. Each one will feel a little different. And that's the cool part, the experimentation.

My setup

But anyway, so yes, trucks, especially truck angles, can make the difference for your ride, like night and day. I think this is the coolest part about skating, which is all the different gear you can get, the stats, specs, and what have you. 

It's important to note: having it be too high of an angle could actually cause the kingpin to snap prematurely. At least for the truck I have, it's known for having issues with the kingpin. Either way, 70° is a LOT of angle, and is way too much anyway. 

Now, with all of this said, some people prefer different angles (65° or less). For going really fast, I prefer 59°, HOWEVER, I will say this: if I am going slower, I do like my angle to be something around 65°. Why? Well, because it's very pumpable at a slower speed. But when you start picking up some real speed, maybe that's when you should lower the front angle, and be more stable. For a pure performance "pusher", you know what I mean?

In all honesty though, it's user preference, and the feeling is very dependent on what kinda road/trail you are skating. But the sweet spot I found is between 58° - 65°, of course with varying speeds. But what do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment. Much love to you and your family, and Metta to your family and you!!

-Boardin Buddhist (or Brad)