The Parts of a Skateboard Defined and Explained

By Nicole Roberts

1. Griptape 2. Nose 3. Riserad 4. Baseplate 5. Hanger 6. Nuts

7. Bushings 8. Bearing 9. Wheel 10. Spacer 11. Axle Nuts

12. Trucks 12.a Kingpin 13. Tail 14. Deck 15. Mounting

Any skateboarder should know and understand the different parts of a skateboard. Knowing the skateboard parts allows you to understand how the board works, which comes in handy when you are trying to figure out how to do tricks and can help you to ride more safely. Additionally, knowing the parts of a skateboard will come in handy if something needs repaired or replaced.

The Deck

The deck is one of the most recognizable parts of a skateboard. It is where you stand and where you get to show off your personal style with decoration and designs. The deck is made of wood and may also be referred to as the board. The deck is usually made from layered wood pieces. Maple and birch are commonly used, but almost any wood can be used if it has strength and durability. Boards are often an oblong shape, but creative manufacturers may make the deck any shape or size they desire.

The Trucks

The trucks are the axle on which the wheels are mounted. The trucks take on a lot of responsibility in balancing the board and providing strength. The trucks are on the underside of the board and are adjustable. Adjusting the trucks can allow you to customize the feel of your board.

The Wheels

The wheels are self explanatory as you should know where they are and what they do. As far as skateboard parts, the wheels are actually quite varied. You can get wheels with designs on them or in different colors. They come in various heights and widths, too. You should choose a wheel based on how you ride and where you ride. Wheel choice is also based on your experience level. You may need to try out different types to find what works best for you.

The Bearings

The bearings are in the wheels and what allow the wheels to spin. Without bearings you are not going anywhere. This is one of the parts of a skateboard that you should really get to know. Bearings wear out over time and need replaced. In fact, this is likely one of the most replaced parts of a skateboard. There are four bearings because each wheel needs one. It is a good idea to buy a high quality bearing so you can get the most from it and not have to replace it too often.

Knowing the main parts of a skateboard will come in handy. When something goes wrong you can easily identify what needs fixed or replaced. You can often do repairs on your own if you understand the different parts and how they function. Having this knowledge also is helpful when you are trying to improve your skills and make your board fit your style. Not to mention that you can add your own flair to your board through choosing custom decks and wheels since you now know what they are and where they are located on the board. As you can see, being knowledgeable about your board is something that will be a great benefit to you for many reasons.

Nicole Roberts

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The Art of Buying Skateboard Trucks

By Michael K John

To an amateur, skateboard trucks likely don't seem like a major part of their overall board. They're the axle that attach your wheels to the part that you stand on, that's also called the deck. However, they also pay a big role in the ease of steering your skateboard, or the way that you perform tricks. Read on to discover some things that you should keep in mind as you shop.

Bushings Give a Cushioned Ride

The size of your skateboard trucks should match up with the size of your skateboard's deck. If you need help getting the proper size, many truck manufacturers have a chart that you can refer to after measuring your deck. Generally, experts say that the size of your trucks should be equal to a quarter of the overall size of your board.

Beyond the size of the trucks themselves, there's a small interior part of the truck that influences the comfort of your ride. They're called bushings, and have a circular shape. Since they cushion the skateboard trucks during a turn, they're of particular concern to newer riders, who often might struggle to achieve smooth and balanced turns.

If you're new to the sport of skateboarding, try stiff trucks at first, because these offer the greatest stability. As you ride, they'll break in over time, so that before long, you'll feel confident when turning your board. Keep in mind that the softer the bushings are, the more control that's required to keep your board steady. For that reason, soft bushings are usually not the best choice if you plan to do a lot of tricks.

Select the Proper Height

The height of your skateboard trucks is also important, because this feature is related to the overall diameter of your wheels. If you have lower trucks, you'll enjoy improved stability, especially when you're doing tricks, but you'll also need to have smaller wheels. High trucks are a good choice if you'd prefer larger wheels. These are good for building up speed and maintaining it, such as if you're using your skateboard to travel smoothly over long distances.

Coloured Skateboard Trucks

Some trucks come in colours that bring an extra bit of style to your board. Don't become too concerned with this factor, since the trucks aren't visible as you ride. However, if you're the type of person who wants every area of their skateboard to reflect their personality, find trucks that blend with the overall colour scheme. You'll find hues of red, black, blue and many more.

Always inspect your skateboard trucks regularly so that you can quickly spot if something needs to be replaced. Once you replace a few, you'll feel confident about doing regular maintenance on your board as needed. Although trucks seem like a minor part of your skateboard as a whole, as you've now learned, they make a difference in the enjoyment of your ride, particularly if you focus on a particular riding style.

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Simple Safety Tips for Skaters

By Shayne Reuben

Along with bicycling, skating is another popular pastime among those who consider moving around as an art form. Today, skating is not just something that kids take up to spend their summer holidays, but is a kind of sport and recreational activity for grownups too, and there are some safety tips that are necessary for all skaters, whether they are newbie or conversant with skating. Here are some of the most basic safety tips for skaters.

Wearing the right skating accessories is as important as wearing the right accessories while trekking, biking, etc. If you do not wear these accessories, the chances of the injuries becoming grievous increase, and you even become more prone to these injuries. There are different types of accessories that are fit for various physical activities, like there are different helmets for bikes and different ones for skating. It is very important to get the right accessories, because they are built in such a way that they will decrease the impact of accidents that one can experience while using particular vehicles.

Using the accessories in the right way is as important as buying them. When you are buying the helmet, make sure that it does not impede your vision, and that it fits you properly. Depending on how much time you use the particular helmet for, if the helmet is not a comfortable fit, you might face problems like headaches, heaviness on the head, etc.

Whether you are skating on the road or in a private area, or even in other public areas, you should consider the rules and regulations of the area. Some places might not allow skaters, and they would have their reasons. Therefore, make sure that you check out the rules of a place before setting wheel to ground.

When you are skating or cycling, keep it mind it is a physically strenuous exercise, and your body requires extra resources. So, you need ensure that you are hydrated, and are strong enough to go through the activity.

When you are skating, ensuring that you have the right props is as important as checking the place that you will be skating in. The place for skating should be bald, and there should not be any kind of rocks, debris or anything that takes away from the smoothness of the road. A road that is not completely smooth will not only take away from your experience of good skating, but it is also a safety hazard. So, you should consider this while deciding on the venue for skating. There are several skating rinks in all regions, and newbie should stick to the rink until they are completely sure that they can go onto the roads with their skates.

The weather also plays an important role in deciding whether you should skate or not. If there is no visibility, or if it is raining and the roads are going to be slippery, you should avoid skating. Another safety tip is to try to skate only during the day, as the visibility on the roads is quite low during nighttime.

Skateboarding can be quite dangerous without the use of proper gear. So, it is important to use high quality skate decks & shoes and other safety equipment for total protection and safety. Visit this website to find out more.

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Choosing the Best Longboard

By Larry R Lu

Reading longboard reviews is the best place to start learning about longboarding in general and to understand what is available in the market today.
Primarily, there are three types of longboards - sliding, downhill, and freestyle. Choose the best style of longboarding for you personally that will meet your own needs. Then you can search online for a specific longboard once you find the best style. At the end of this article you will be able to choose a longboard that best suits you.

Sliding

A sliding longboard is the best longboard for a beginner. They are the most inexpensive, simple, and easy to operate. The best sliding longboard can generate sufficient speed and would be stable on different terrains. Using this type of longboard is normally the easiest and it is recommended that starters lay their hands on this one prior to delving into the more extensive ones. A sliding longboard however is not ideal to do tricks and other stunts that pros might wish to indulge in. It is also not ideal for downhill rides as they have limited speed and are not meant for sporty activities. Sliding longboards come in various sizes and shapes. They are best for freeride and having fun on hills.

Downhill

A downhill longboard is best for thrill seekers who love speed. Racing down the slopes at speeds of more than 40 miles per hour is easy with a downhill longboard. They are extremely stable since the wheels are attached to the board's base rather than being underneath it. The board is closer to the ground hence offering a lower center of gravity. That is essential for enhanced stability. Stability is required especially when long tracks of downhill slopes are the terrain and the kind of ride you wish to engage in.

Freestyle

Freestyle longboards are for the pros. They are the most flexible and one can do any stunt humanly possible with a freestyle longboard. Neither the downhill nor sliding longboard are ideal for tricks and such activities. The best freestyle longboard would not match up to the high speeds of a downhill longboard but can be fast enough to give you an adrenalin rush.

One of the most important factors to be considered while choosing the best longboard would be your personal skills and what you would be using them for. Be
sure to choose a longboard that fits your needs.

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5 Reasons to Get Up and Skateboard When It's Cold

By William K Hill

When it's freezing cold outside, finding the motivation to go outside and practice your skateboarding skills can seem like a near impossible task. It can be hard to resist the temptation of just slouching back on a comfy sofa, with a hot mug of coffee and hibernating until spring time arrives. It's a problem that every skateboarder experiences at some point or another. So, if you're suffering from a severe case of winter skateboarding apathy, just read on, and you're guaranteed to want to get up and out there, whatever the weather.

1. Awesome Winter Streetwear
There are so many awesome winter streetwear lines out at the moment, and the cold weather gives you the perfect excuse to indulge in a little retail therapy, which is always something to smile about. Penfield and Dunderdon are both renowned for the style, practicality and quality of their coats, so if you go for one of these brands you know that you're guaranteed to look bang on trend, and still be comfortable and warm. Many streetwear brands design their clothes with skateboarding in mind, so it shouldn't take you long to find something that suits your specific needs.

2. Help Cure the Winter Blues
Winter can be miserable enough without depriving yourself of something that you truly love. Plus, there's nothing better than a little physical exertion to get the endorphins flowing, and to ward away the winter blues. However cold it is, you'll warm up soon enough once you start skating.

3. Practice Makes Perfect
In skateboarding, only the hardcore will survive. If you were a guitar player, you wouldn't put your instrument down for 6 months out of every year. Well, not if you wanted to be any good at it. If you persevere during the cold months, by the time the warm weather comes, your skills will be so honed that you'll make everyone else look like amateurs. In skateboarding, if you want to be the best, you have to give your best.

4. Have Skateparks all to yourself
In the winter, many skateparks are frequently empty and free of the manic hustle and bustle of the warmer months. So, this gives you the perfect opportunity to try out all those complicated new tricks, without the fear of embarrassment if you end up falling flat on your face.

5. Commitment to the Cause
Skateboarding has evolved so much since its inception back in the 1950s. There are now more skate parks than ever before, and some schools are even offering it as an extra-curricular activity. Skateboarding not only has its foot in the door of mainstream culture, it has been invited in and offered refreshments. And it never would have gotten this far if the skating community had let such a minor thing as cold weather get in their way. Skateboarders have fought hard to be accepted - are you really going to let down the cause and leave the skate parks abandoned, all because of a little cold weather?

So, there we have it. If that lot didn't inspire you to get out on your board then nothing will - all that's left to say is what are you waiting for?

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