I visited a small trail park and was riding the blue (easy) flow line. First of all it is much more dangerous than I thought, easy for bikers doesn’t mean easy for MTB so you need some balls. Bikes have better brakes and can turn much tighter. The main issue with bike trails is that they are downhill (obviously). I am used to bmx tracks or dirt parks or normal trails but downhill is a different level. Also the trails have many narrow turns (berms) up to 180°. On both sides are trees so failing (leaving the trail) is no option (it happened twice anyway).
I couldn’t ride the trail more than 3 times because it got a bit dark but I’ll be back.
Interesting was how the bikers reacted, I’ve expected some hate but it was the opposite. Almost everyone started to talk to me and asked many questions, took pics and even videos. One guy insisted to ride behind me to see me shredding.
I’m thinking about switching to a stiff deck for better control next time, I like the comfy and flexy Trampa deck but it’s hard to handle in difficult terrain. Also I had to loosen the trucks twice until they were very carvy. The setup/setting is different to normal offroad riding.
I need to tweak everything before I’m ready for the next bigger bike park where the flow line looks like this
My park is skinny and has very tight turns like you say. But also like you say, all the bikers were very nice to me as long as I was going the right direction. That flow looks so nice, I can’t wait to see you shred it. Wish I lived closer and could join you sometime.
Yeah I love how wide those paths are! Everything around where I live is super narrow, I have been wanting to build a purpose built offroad MTB set up. I think flexibility and lightweight is key here for sure. Also i have found that uphill is much more fun on these paths. Watching all the struggling bikers while zooming past them
Awesome! Didn’t know it’s that big.
Medical Center sounds like you don’t need to call 911 if something goes wrong…
For downhill a lightweight carvy and stable board would be great. But you have to ride uphill as well where you need power (heavy battery, bigger motors and so on)
Yeah that’s really epic but also pitful.
What I enjoy more is to zoom past kids on their cool balance boards. The face when they see me is always the same and priceless.
I had another session at the flow trail in the small bike park and this time I could empty the battery. I could ride the trail 6 times which is in total 12km (7.5m) uphill and 12km (7.5m) downhill with 12s6p VTC6, not really much. But the uphill part is quite steep and everytime I had to take a break on top, everything sizzling hot. But no wonder outside temp was 30°C (86°F).
This time I knew the trail and did ride a bit faster with carvy trucks, not the best idea. In a berm I was leaning to much and due too loose trucks the board bent over and at the same time I was falling down the hill. Well I overran my left thumb and then the whole hand with the front wheel which felt stupid but the pain was gone after some minutes.
Then I was really lucky when I fell, skatan saved me from this trees. I couldn’t believe nothing happened here.
This and more crashes happened on the first ride so I decided to tighten the trucks for better stability. It helped and felt better. The thing in general is that when you ride berms you need some speed and lean for the tight curves otherwise you lose balance and fall. Loose trucks make it worse, some light berms are easier to ride at slow speed but that’s no solution. It’s better to lift the front and correct the position if the curve is too tight. This works much better with stiffer decks (without pushing down). The Trampa deck is like a trampoline but often there was no time to push it down and so it felt like pudding and hard to control.
I recorded some footage and gonna post the video here once it’s finished. It was quite challenging riding the trail with a selfie stick and I lost the windshield.
Switching to MBS DWII deck and Trampa vertigo trucks with E-Toxx elastomere dampers. I think this setup could work well on trails I’m very curious. Still some work to do but should be finished within the next days.
Yeah collecting dust
Joking aside, I just want to try and compare different setups especially for bike park riding.
Matrix II trucks with DWII deck works fine but wanted to test it with vertigos. The advantage of the elastomere dampers is that there is stability plus tight cornering is possible.
The E-Toxx trucks are from another planet and feel different to any other truck I’ve had. It’s hard to explain they are very smooth, carving on concrete feels like deep snow. Due to the position of the bushings the resistance when turning feels very linear which is unique. With soft bushings and slightly tightened kingpin they are so carvy that the motors gonna shave the deck.
Funny is that I bought the DWII deck for jumping and the Bro for replacing the Trampa deck. I like the Bro more for jumping and the DWII felt good on narrow trails.
Finally a dream came true because I visited the bike park (wexl trails) which was on my to do list since 2 years. I’m so stoked!
After 1 hour driving I arrived there and was scared because hundreds of cars were parking, didn’t expect that. I just bought a day ticket without asking for permisssion and started to ride the uphill flow trail. It’s nice to ride but quite steep and with tight curves. Unfortunately the Vesc 6’s got so hot (above 80°C) that I had to take 2 breaks during hill climbing everytime.
However, the trail is so epic to ride, it’s almost too good to be true.
I guess I was the first person with 4 wheels in this awesome bike park in St. Corona (Austria). I could ride the flow trail 3 times and made progresssion, it is such an epic feeling shredding this line. Unfortunately the SD card was full after the first ride and I couldn’t film more. But at least I have some footage, enjoy!
The stiff deck feels much better and manageable on trails but it has disadvantages, too. The vibrations are really hardcore, my own view is shaky (like a rattling camera) which is weird and I got a bit headache the first time. It’s not comfortable at all but I have to live with it. The vibrations are so heavy that ALL bolts came loose during riding. Both Trucks, both enclosures, that’s sick. I had to tighten the bolts several times, removing the battery everytime was annoying.
There is one thing I don’t understand, the Trampa trucks with elastomere dampers on the flexy HolyPro deck felt stable at speed and were carvy as well (for tight curves). The same trucks on the stiff MBS deck feel very unstable like trucks for kidz, I get speed wobbles above about 25km/h (15mph) or on hard acceleration which is sick. With the Trampa deck I never had speed wobbles up to 50km/h (31mph).
I am trying to compress the dampers a bit for more stability. I started with 2mm washers and if it is not enough I’ll add another one.
Curious on the vesc 6 overheating. Mine never reach these temperatures but their case faces on the outside of my enclosure in contact with the air on the MTB. Temperatures rarely exceed 50C.
On the Evo I have them mounted on a huge 13mm thick aluminium block and temperatures rarely exceed 60C.
It is really well build and maintained, you can ride really fast on this track. I was just a bit cautious the first ride. There are almost no roots and stones and the trail is wide. It is like in heaven. Now I need to get the trucks more stable without losing the ability to ride tight curves.
Thanks, I’m not that satisfied but it’s not bad. It was the first time that I mounted the camera to my right wrist with a strap mount. I prefer footage from selfie stick but it’s more difficult to ride and I hold the remote in my right hand so no good rear view shots possible when holding the stick with the left hand. However you inspired me to try a technique and it seems to work
Attached with 2 velcro straps to my arm and with the little finger I hold it and avoid rotation, gonna try this the next time.
That’s for sure, feel free to send me one and please with the long selfie stick . Unfortunately they are out of my price range yet but hopefully next year.
It was also the first time it happened and I use them since about 2 years. Not long time ago I cut a hole in the bottom of the enclosure so about 50% of the surface of the V6’s is exposed to air.
I think I already asked u this once but have u ridden a board with NoSno trucks?
Havent really caught anyone in person to ask this…
Just curious how they ride as some ppl claim they are super stable.
I had such trucks but didnt pursue building anything using them, though for city use I might suspect they would be too tight.
At least that impression I gained while trying to lean on them to either side.
Makes the board somewhat longer and wider trucked as well, as their position outwards from board makes them positioned farther from foot stance.
This might be good for wheel clearance to foot or deck but otherwise makes the whole board more ‘boatish’ giving it a somewhat longer look compared to ‘standard’ truck’ed board
The camera [quote=“rich, post:16, topic:35972”]
Attached with 2 velcro straps to my arm and with the little finger I hold it and avoid rotation, gonna try this the next time.
I hope it is
I wanted to test it today on a trail but it was too muddy and shady.
I am sure it could be dangerous but I need a good angle to film
But now when I think about it maybe you are right, I could brake the little finger, wrist and forearm with a single fall . Maybe I find a better solution or just risk it.
Today I visited Weidlingbach trail park again and got dirty, it was quite wet and slippery. I had 2 dangerous moments during riding the flow trail, suddenly the brakes didn’t work anymore which was a nightmare. The first time I could leave the trail and slow down on leaves and loose dirt uphill. Then the brakes worked again but some curves later the same thing happened again but this time I couldn’t leave the trail and had to go down to brake with my body. Fortunately nothing happened but the board didn’t work anymore, just strange noises from the motors so I had to walk down the trail. Then I checked everything again and heard a pop from the loop key. I recognized the loop key was almost unplugged WTF! I plugged it in and tada the board was working again.
It is horrible that vibrations can unplug the loop key I had no idea this can happen and that a half plugged loop key causes losing brakes. Lesson learned.
).
sounds like you don’t need to call 911 if something goes wrong…
