I see the antenna for the receiver…
Ok.
I got some help and got it all set up.
I don’t do many smart things in diy.
But making a gorilla tape handle for the battery is pretty good.
So there is the inside and on the corner there rhe receiver.
So I thought I had to replace the box because it was loose one one side and I assumed I had broken through the bottom…
But no. I actually got lucky. and the little nut had just come loose.
Other side…
So I go look for a slightly longer bolt…
And I have to cut one.
I have to cut bolts to size all the time…
Does everyone else do that…
So no need to replace the box.
Stoked on that.
So the receiver goes in.
And the battery and foam and more tape go in…
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Sometimes I wonder if you’ve built more skates than everyone else on here put together. You come up with something it seems like every single night 
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It’s always something dude.
I am the Sisyphus of esk8…
But yesterday it all came together.
And what is best is that today I actually rode.
I am really happy to be riding a lot.
This morning was really rainy and I thought the day was shot.
But the afternoon cleared up and I got to take the Gravel Flux for school pick up.
Then after work I explored the magical loophole again and took the Gravel Flux to pick up dinner. A good 9 Miles.
Right after that I jumped on the GT to try the new Enduro and it was magical.
Sooooo buttery. Huge improvement.
Later on it had rained but I wanted to ride the GT some more.
After 4 miles my knee hurt so I went home…
Was still wanting to ride so I took the Gravel Flux out.
I was gonna go a few miles around the neighborhood.
But it got out of hand and I ended up doing 15.5 miles.
The board was just riding so good I got pumped.
It was really nice out around 65.
And it is neat riding on wet roads.
Growing up skateboarding wet roads were always a bad thing and meant no fun to be had.
Making the Gravel Flux so I feel comfortable riding in any condition is one of the smarter things I have done in diy.
I love love love the street Flux.
But I would never have taken it out tonight…
But the wet roads were a non issue.
And I had an awesome time.
The Z.mote is working perfectly.
My BN drives are running well and sound good.
With winter coming this board will be getting the most action.
Ended up stacking up 32 miles today.
7 Likes
So this is kind of odd.
But this is something that was not on my radar…
There are winterized skate shoes.
And I got a couple pairs to try out.
I should have known to do this years ago. But had not put 2 and 2 together…
But the beautiful days and colors now are a sign that cold is coming.
I managed to find a good solution for my hands.
My feet were still an issue even with really thick wool socks. So I have been asking folks and someone asked me about the shoes and got me thinking.
The black and gray ones are actually a winterized version of my usual Accel Mids.
The Etnies were random but on super sale.
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Omgigies.
Look at how cute this thing is!!!
Thanks a bunch @JoeyZ5 the work looks really nice.
This is such a small little form factor.
Makes me want to make even more little cruisers.
I wonder how far and how well it will be able to move me.
It is going on the Rayne Crush with the Unlimited Hubs.
Pumped.
Got work to do!!!
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What makes them special? Are they just thicker / warmer?
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The winterized skate shoes have additional water proof and windproof Layers.
The shoes I use regularly are fairly thin and breathable on the upper portion so they did not provide a very good barrier for the cold.
The construction between these two pairs is a bit different and the Accels seem more robust insulation wise.
It has a hole bootie thing inside.
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Tonight’s episode of on the bench is brought to you by the Flux.
Featuring Radium adapters and riptide bushings for the Matrix II trucks…
This should be pretty straightforward…
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Looking forward to your impressions. I’ve been thinking about buying some Riptide bushings and making my own adapters for them.
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Welp, I went and did a few miles around the neighborhood on the new bushings.
And I did not get the right set up. and I had not ordered the softer ones I need now… so annoying.
I have them on order now.
I went 90A Gray / 75A Red and it was not an amazing revelation and the best thing ever for me.
So I need to try softer upfront.
I will slap my green 80A in the back right now… but it was the front that felt really restrictive…
5 Likes
Which MBS bushings did you have in there originally? Looks like orange and orange? I have yellow front and orange out back in my Prototipo’s trucks currently.
I had tossed out the idea of you trying the white/green combo.
Which ones are you going to buy next?
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Did the riptide red//yellow combo end up working out for you? I really like the stability of that setup, but the board doesn’t feel stiff.
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The red/yellow combination is perfect! So happy with the new bushings. Thanks for the recommendation.
Carves very nice at slow speed, but still stable at high speed. Best of both worlds.
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Welp.
I did not hit a new record ride today…
But I did pretty much match my last record ride at 35 miles.
On a perfect sunny 75 degree fall day…
It was winter a couple days back…
I had a bit of a dance on my board accelerating on leaves on the board walk…
No fall thankfully.
But it was literally 50 feet away from where I fell on my ass a while back…
Besides that, there were no scary moments.
So the bushings behaved well.
Overall it was a really fun ride.
I just need to keep in mind that some places will just not have decent traction.
2 Likes