Avenue Trucks is the latest attempt to redesign the skateboard truck. It’s getting harder to come up with new ways to fix something that isn’t broken, but they managed to do it. They must have used up all their creativity by the time it came time to choose a name though. The combination leaf spring baseplate looks like it would bend all to hell if anybody other than a little kid was riding it. They have a video showing it in action, and it looks stable for the most part, although it does dip pretty low at points. If it’s the same rider that they show at the end, he’s not exactly taxing the board. Benefits? I imagine they’ll claim some sort of extra carving feel, maybe a shock absorber for high impact landings? Maybe they are cheaper to manufacture. It’s hard to know, as the web site is retry much just a place holder right now. You’ll find more info on their Facebook presence. Even as I can hear the choruses of naysayers, I’d like to ride a set of these just to see what it feels like. That’s going to be their biggest challenge. I can’t imagine a lot of people shelling out to to try these on the off chance that they would actually like them enough to replace a conventional skateboard truck. Avenue trucks might have missed their golden opportunity though. I’m thinking of two brief periods in the late 70’s and mid 80’s when anti-hangup devices and lappers were popular. Video and pics after the jump.
25 comments
Thomas
The photos of the Avenue trucks in this article have a modified king ping. I want to do this myself. Is there a tutorial of how you modified the Avenue baseplate to utilize the Krux K5 king pin?
Fat_Daddy
Genius is simple! This is what street skateboards have lacked all along… A single-part suspension system to absorb vibration from crappy pavement and uneven surfaces. A silicone insert would solve the rider body mass issue. Also, keep clearances low for center of gravity and consider marketing a “plate only” option that has some minor adjustment functionality for existing hanger dimensions (and of course, keep pricepoint realistic); then tell us where to buy!
Choco
I personally am really excited to try these out. I live in a small town with pavement that is basically made of large pebbles and cracks. It snows 5-6 months of the year and when spring finally rolls around it takes them all summer to clean up the gravel and crap they pour all over the place. Skating anywhere but our very small park isn’t always the most fun and i’m really hoping these make riding around here a lot more enjoyable!
paul
what size? when we get into full production we plan on all sizes. Right now we have 6 drawn up in CAD and plan to get all the way to 229MM. We love challenges.
Fat_Daddy
Paul… What’s the good word on buying a pair of these plates
Dick Lexic
If that is 229mm axle width, that’d work on one of my decks, and a hanger width of around 181 would work on others, so, if you pop out a prototype in one of those sizes any time soon, I’d most definitely be interested to try careening boingingly through the two bowls we’re building/repairing here. Got an email address I can leave an address at? I have, almost by accident, contributed some design changes to a U.S. made CNC machined fishing reel line, that the company “loved” and used… so, who knows, you might wind up getting some judicious feedback.
Bevilacqua
I like it when it gets funky …
Christiandeath@yahoo.com
Jeez u guys would drink the Kool aid…I’d stick to my motobilts and son of Sam should make a second album
Kilwag
Motobilts… the original 10 ton trucks…
Christiandeath@yahoo.com
Chrome Molly too!
scotto
I will say it one more time, You have three choices: Independent, Thunder and Venture. All others are copies (poor, at best). (to clarify, Tracker and Gullwing do not qualify)
I agree, if its not broken….. how about putting that creative problem solving to the truly broken: scooters, snakeboards, mullets, blades (Oakley and roller)……
ben
looks like a pretty sweet bottle opener on the front of the base plate.
Eric C.
There’s been some gimmicks in trucks in my lifetime, but this doesn’t seem the worst. I’d like to feel em someday. Anyone remember G&S trucks? Steel that would grind anything, terrible trucks, but made me think about em.
Kilwag
G&S Chromoly Trucks, Yes! We have a feature on that, recently brought back online. Read it here.
Eric C.
Just gave that a read, pretty much summed up my opinion of em. The nylon endcaps that held the axle stripped and then you couldn’t get your wheel off. Baseplates cracked and particularly remember hating the bushings.
Bozo Texino
I just broke the welds, endlessly. Went through several pairs and gave up. A buddy rode for San Diego Trucking and Supply (G & S trucks with a different name, in the early ‘nineties) and they too, broke endlessly.
Dick Lexic
I think you may indeed be looking at it wrong. Seems like it’d be heavier and perhaps even TOO turny, the more weight you drive towards your board. Unrelatedly, although my initial impression was that you would get energy/speed loss when pumping through corners, just like one does with mushy bushings, I’m thinking you’d actually get excellent energy return, cuz spring steel isn’t that mushy.
Dick Lexic
IF SSK is indeed looking at it wrong, and instead board-ward deflection gives it a steeper geometry that is more turny, it strikes me that it might want to buck you back over your lead shoulder in a turn… if the trucks’ turning radius, because of the changing geometry, tightens parabolically instead of linearly with lean. Could explain why they don’t show any footage of carving on it.
Dick Lexic
Then again, you would only get board-ward deflection of this truck’s geometry in a turn when you had centrifugal force adding a little extra g to your weight, such as when pumping corners. And pumps aren’t so much leaned into as they are given a little heel or toe, in which case, buckiness isn’t an issue. And, once centrifugal force had ALREADY caused the board-ward deflection and change of geometry, carrying the centrifugal force through a subsequent carve down would just see the usual linear instead of parabolic tightening of the turning radius (but with “turnier” geometry). I guess the only way to find out if they cut it for carving would be to ride a pair, or find some footage with bowlriding.
paul
Dick Lexic,
Love your thinking of our truck. Love for you to review if you wish for a pair.
Please let me know
Thanks
Paul
Dick Lexic
I’d definitely be interested to see how they respond in different situations, but, I’m a very tall skater who rides wide decks, and thus, wider trucks than I would think you make.
ssk
Does the radical music come with each set? Because it’s exciting enough to make me want to buy one each for me and my gnarly bros. : P
Side note: am I looking at it wrong or would the angle when it flexes actually reduce the turning radius? Heavier and less turny?
Bevilacqua
Why buy a whole truck ? A pair of base plates is enough for me.
Scuffz
Looks like they’re going to be at the Venice Beach skate park this weekend with some demo boards… Think I’ll go check them out.
talentlessquitter
Looks more solid than I thought.