Suspension Frames to come from Create Originals?

Remember Fiziks frames? What about Kizer suspension frames? These were concepts that were heralded as a new solution to rough surfaces and many other claims. Neither of these products lasted long but now the guys from Create Originals are stepping up to the plate. In this Kickstarter project they are looking for backers to help them progress their ideas from prototype into production.

Create CRS Continue reading Suspension Frames to come from Create Originals?

One City One Shot Episode #4

A weekend in Manchester and people are out. This is in no small part down to the efforts of new boy to the area (though long time friend and supporter of UrbanLines) Kyle Murray. It seems only fitting then that of all the spots that have been wrecked recently, this is the pick of the last couple of days. First spot of the day and Kyle’s back royale on this ridiculous metal drop ledge.

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Rampworx Scooter Nursery?

Rampworx LogoChanges are afoot. One of the last bastions of scooter-free skating in the UK is to go. Rampworx, the UK’s biggest and possibly busiest indoor skate park has buckled under the pressure of the scooter-moms. One of the top skate parks in Europe, they have until now had a bar on scooter use in general sessions, opting instead for bi-weekly Scooter only nights but this is to change.

Is this the end of a great institution?
Continue reading Rampworx Scooter Nursery?

One City One Shot Episode #3

Today’s update to the (slow) series is Mark Lee skating in Manchester. As the light was fading, our guide JP brought us to this gem with enough time to grab a clip, and maybe a decent photo. I wasn’t expecting to get much of this as the rail is ridiculously long, and it turned out to be demonically fast. A few test tries later and Mark nails this slick farv all the way down. Not that he was bothered as you can tell from his face.

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Winterclash 2013 – first edits and clips

Winterclash LogoAs I missed the fun and frolics of this year’s Winterclash I’ve been limited to catching my updates through the clips and edits that others have been posting online. Seeing them pop up on my Facebook feed has kept me up to speed on what was going down in Eindhoven and who was killing the park.

However, it dawned on me that Facebook feeds don’t last so I have been back through and have put together a list of the footage that I have seen so far. I’ll be watching these until an official edit comes through, so would appreciate any contributions to the list that I may have missed.

First the edits:

Continue reading Winterclash 2013 – first edits and clips

Why To Use Bearing Spacers

Having just received my new Bake Frames setup, I put them onto my Xsjados for a quick test. They weren’t as fast as I’d hoped to see on a 72mm flat setup. I worked out the problem though; I was missing the bearing spacers.

Bearing SpacerFar too many people misunderstand what contributes to a good skate setup. They will pay through the nose for ABEC 9 bearings (which will reduce friction by less than 1% over cheap unrated bearings) but then don’t use bearing spacers.

Bearing spacers are the small (typically aluminium or steel) tubes that go inside the wheels between the bearings. Without these, tightening the wheel bolts puts lateral forces on the bearings, causing a huge increase in friction and wear damage. With the spacers in, these forces are removed and only radial forces are applied, which the bearings are designed to take. Your rolling resistance will drop dramatically when using spacers.

In this video you will see the very clear difference between the skate with the bearing spacers and that without. Seriously, make sure you have them. They are cheap and improve your setup immeasurably. That and having the right bolts (6mm vs 8mm) for your frames will not only make your skates faster, but they will last longer as well.

Seba CJ vs USD Carbon

USD Carbon vs Seba CJ

Rip off, or just similar? There seems to be some controversy around the new skate from Seba. Shown here in a shot by Kate Egan from the Lady Rollers Organisation at Winterclash 2013 this weekend is the new CJ Wellsmore model (left) alongside the Carbon IV model from USD (right) released last summer. There is no question that they are a very similar design, but is this copying? There are only so many ways to lay out a boot, especially given the constraints of using a fabric covered carbon boot, but have Seba gone too far?

Laced 2013 – Official Video Edit (and others)

Laced LogoIt looks like Jordan Maders has been hard at work again and smashed out another edit in super fast time. It’s the official video for Laced 2013, the latest in the line of events from the Laced Series. I can’t believe he’s managed to put out such an edit in less than 48 hours, especially considering the Red Bull afterparty at Aloha. Enough from me – watch:

If that’s not enough for you, then below are the other videos I’ve seen posted and will add more as they emerge. Continue reading Laced 2013 – Official Video Edit (and others)