For every diehard Indy fan there’s someone who doesn’t really care or worse yet, someone who thinks that the quality of the product has suffered during this last era of the industry expansion. Then there are those who simply don’t want to be associated with a product whose logo is sported by the largest population of little kids and assorted non-skaters this side of the Spitfire guy. As a fan of the underdog, I often look for the smaller companies when making a purchase. Do you remember how cool Thunder Trucks were when they first appeared on the scene? Never mind how bland they ended up. It is with all this in mind that I started nosing around the Invaders when I saw them.
Well these Madrid trucks aren’t new, or overly cool for that matter, but they are functional. I have to admit, I was wary of trying them. I remember them from the 80’s, and would not have been caught dead on them. One of the things you will have to put up with should you chose to ride Invaders in Indy country are the constant snide remarks like “What are those things…” and “Wait, are those actually NEW Invaders? ” which is often accompanied by a derisive snort or chuckle. Actually, I was surprised that they were recognized in the first place. In any case, if you are riding a wider truck you’re probably already thick-skinned or old enough to not care about your peers’ comments in the first place.
Out of the box they are the only truck I know that comes with a bushing that I could actually ride, well at least until they started to shred. I ride loose trucks and usually have to swap out for a medium pair of Bones bushings now that my stash of NOS “Clouds” is gone. The original bushing that comes with Invaders is an oily black rubbery thing that only lasted me about a week and a half. The bushings looked unrideable to begin with, so I guess it’s a bonus that I actually could use them for a short period. Why can’t any truck company sell a set of trucks with decent bushings? Does anyone ride stock bushings? ( This Just In: When ordering from Madrid and possibly your skate shop, the Invader 900’s and 950’s are available with a blue medium hardness bushing. ) Another initially off-putting feature was the sort of lightly polished finish that is reminiscent of some of the crappy toy skateboard trucks. I know there are other polished trucks, but for some reason the finish on the set that I got just looked bad. Invaders also have a slightly wonky and bulky looking and lower bushing seat. These factors can kind of make the trucks look like cheap crap when they are brand new, which is unfortunate since Invaders are actually a quality product.
In spite of the crappy bushings and general malaise, there were a couple of more esoteric features that I liked with these trucks. The baseplates had the new and oldschool mounting holes. I don’t know why I like that since I don’t have any more old boards that need trucks, but I do like that. In fact, I think all trucks should have both sets of holes considering there are no drawbacks and only positive side effects like extra compatibility and reduced weight. OK, that’s a stretch. The other thing I like about these trucks is that they actually have the model/size in raised letters on the underside (not the grinding surface) of the hanger. That doesn’t have much real world value, but again, it’s a nice feature and it doesn’t adversely affect the user.
The geometry is said to be close to the current set of Trackers. Yes, we all remember that Tracker Trucks of old did not turn. I am here to tell you that these Invaders do in fact turn. You may not like them because you find them different than your current setup, but the key word is different. These trucks may be different, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t work. I will admit to being highly skeptical at first, but after a short adjustment period, to my surprise, I basically forgot that they were there. That’s the ultimate compliment if you think about it. So, if you’re man enough to not give a damn what anyone says, Invaders might be the trucks for you. Especially since they are one of the few companies bothering to make a wider truck. The also come in other sizes. The numbers refer to axles in inches if you divide by 100. Current sizes arre 700, 800, 900, and 950. Finding them might be a challenge. If your shop doesn’t carry them you can always go to the Madrid web site if you aren’t put off by the “Water Sports” section. Insert Surf Punks reference here. My thanks to Frank at Strange-House.net, who was kind enough to, well… you know, flow me a set for review.
Oh yes, one last thing. Madrid is rumored to be working on adding an inverted kingpin to the Invaders line.
Online Action: madridskateboards.com
Recent Comments