Inspired by one of our newsletter members, here is some board knowledge that might help you, enjoy.

NEW BOARD

When you 1st get your board, make sure that the wheels are not overly tight. They should be able to spin at least 2 full rotations, if they don’t loosen them slightly. If there are bearing spacers in the wheels the wheels can be tightened down all the way with no side to side play and they still should be able to spin 2 rotations. You will know if there are bearing spacers in your wheel because they will be tightened down all the way and will still be able to spin. If there are no bearings spacers, then you want to have a tiny bit of play in the wheel. So loosen the nut until the wheel can move side to side a tiny weeeee bit. Think 1mm

TRUCKS

When getting a new board and for general use make sure your trucks are tighten to the desire looseness. Usually you will want both trucks the same looseness. If you have a designated front to your board you can have your front a little looser than your back. Most brand new boards come with the trucks super duper loose and that may be fine for an experience rider but for a beginner you might want to tighten them up a bit. For beginners I recommend riding your trucks medium-loose. Do not tighten down your trucks all the way. This will make it harder to turn and will hinder your learning process. Getting comfortable on loose trucks and developing that balance is key. If you feel your trucks are too loose try tightening your trucks a half rotation of the king pin nut and see how that feels. Repeat as necessary.

HARDWARE

Over time the hardware, bolts and nuts on your board will loosen up and you might hear a rattling noise. Make sure every 2 weeks or so to tighten them up, a nice snug tight. Make sure to use an allen key or screw driver that fits the bolt so you do not strip it.

BEARINGS

Your bearings will get dirty over time. They will get more dirty if you live in a dusty place or you ride through dirt or rain, etc. New bearings will get dirty real fast, or at least the outside of them, because when you break in new bearings the excess oil comes out and sticks to the bearing surface which attracts all kinds of dirt and grit. You can simply take off your wheel leaving the bearings in the wheels and wipe the shield of the bearing clean with a paper towel or rag.

There are a variety of products you can use to clean your bearings. I use 3-in-1 household oil and it does the job. WD-40 is not a good choice. Step by step instructions on how to Clean Bearings.

Don’t ride rusty bearings. Rusty bearings are dangerous and if you go fast they can seize up on you and that is never good.

WHEELS

Your wheels will get worn down over time. You can rotate them when they start coning if you desire by doing the diagonal theory. Coning is when the wheel actually starts looking like a cone. The inner part of the wheel gets smaller than the outer edge of the wheel. FRONT left wheel and BACK right wheels switch places. FRONT right wheel and BACK left wheel switch places.

If you get glass and other weird objects in your wheel do not worry this is pretty normal. If they are small chunks, size of grain of rice and they are embedded in the wheel just leave them be if they are hard to pull out. If you have a big chunky size of 3 grains of rice or bigger try to get that bad boy out with some pliers. If you are not successful, you can continue riding just keep an eye on it.

If you chunk your wheel, and it is chunked on the outer or inner edge, depending on the chunk it still can be rideable. I just would not recommend doing any speedboarding on it. Be sure to watch the chunk over time and see if it gets bigger. Have good judgment about it.

BOARD STORAGE

Store your board in a nice place; give it a blanket and water. Try not to store your board in a wet damp place. Moisture is never very good for your board—nor is too much direct sunlight (just like you). If your board does get super wet do not worry, dry it out and it will be golden. Storing your board in super hot places like the trunk of your car in 100 degree weather is not an ideal place and it may die. On the other end, if you’re storing your boarding in extreme cold make sure to give it a hat and mittens.

GRIP TAPE

Loaded grip tape especially gets dirty fast and shows the dirt. If this bothers you and you want your grip cleaned, take your mom’s toothbrush (or a soft hand brush) and dip it in some warm water and scrub away and wipe dry. You can do the same thing for black grip tape as well. Stay away from making actual puddles of water on your board, just a little bit of water.

RANDOM KNOWLEDGE

-If you want to teach someone how to longboard and you don’t want your board to die: Make sure you teach them in a place where there aren’t any curbs near by for your board to go ramming into. I think we have all had this happen to us, friend falling off board, board goes ramming into curb.

- Your board is going to get dirty and scratched up and you are just going to have to except that. This is the process of developing character.

-If you hear a rattling noise that is usually 1 of 2 things. Your hardware (bolts) are loose--tighten them. 2) Your bearings spacers in your wheels are screaming telling you to tighten up your wheel.

Hope some of this knowledge helps, have fun.

ADAM C.

Loaded