Hello World! I've got some lovely new products up for review today, first being the new Blackriver-ramps trucks.
First things first, I am a very big supporter of Blackriver, but I am in no way bias, that being said, all of the people reading this who have a bug up their ass about Blackriver might want to pay attention, as you could learn something.
I would like to start off with packaging.
As you can see, the packaging is very nice, Blackriver has even gone so far as to give the trucks the "red carpet treatment".
The trucks are housed in a nice cardboard box, with a red felt covered plastic insert, so your trucks are not bouncing around all over the place, it also prevents them from getting damaged during shipping.
When you open the package, taped to the back of the plastic insert you will find one of these.
The Blackriver tool. It is by far the best tool I have used. It has a nice deep socket to keep the nuts from falling out, it's big enough so you can have a nice grip on it, unlike the tiny Tech Deck tools. It also has a hole drilled so you can attach it to any type of keychain or necklace. Most are engraved with the Blackriver logo, I have come across a couple that are not, but you are not buying it for the logo are you!
Onto the trucks.
I have had the opportunity to use these trucks in three different stages. The first time when the Blackriver team was in the USA for Rendezvous 6. The trucks at that point were only prototypes, but still very very good. There were a few problems such as the pivot area on the hangar being very brittle and would sometimes snap off, the other problem I found was with the bases, as they were also very brittle and the screw holes would break. The second stage of prototype I used was from after Fast Fingers 12, when Mike brought back a new set. This time the brittle trucks were very strong, it seemed all of the problems from the first batch of prototypes had been worked out, no more broken hangars, no more broken bases. The only thing they seemed to be lacking was a coat of polish, but who cares, raw trucks are sick!
The final product of the trucks has everything, from looks to performance.
The shape of the trucks is very unique and original for fingerboard trucks. I have seen alot of people re-shape stock Tech Deck trucks, in order to create a more realistic truck, with these, that is not needed. The trucks have a very realistic shape, to that of a real skateboard truck.
The bases for the trucks I feel is where the magic is. The pivot system on them is wonderful, no more super tight or super loose trucks. The hanger sits nicely inside the tiny pivot cup, allowing for a nice feel and easy turns. The bushings again are amazing, the traditional one large, one small black bushings between two metal washers has been thrown out of the door, and has been replaced with two tiny white bushings, that look identical to real skateboard bushings, and two very very small washers. The material of the white bushings is very different from that of the black ones found in rip kits, or bought from various other sites in various colors. The bushings retain their shape very well when used with the Brr trucks and optimize the feel of your trucks, whether you like loose or tight. They also work well on normal TD trucks, although the shape will be lost, the performance is still very noticeable. And to top it off the bases are engraved with the Brr logo.
Onto the hangars.
First thing I have heard people complain about is the axels. "Oh they're too short, oh they fall out" and to that I have to say, shut up and read the packaging. It clearly states why the above is the way it is.
Now take a few minutes and read the directions, they are in the package for a reason!
The reason being the axels are so short, is because they are designed for use with a special wheel, which is being made by THREE different companies. There is a Brr edition of the Winkler D-Rex wheel, a Flatface Brr edition of the classic G-6 wheel, and a Substance Brr edition wheel. These wheels are designed so the bearing does not move on the axel. "Why does the bearing move on the axel?" you say. The axels are slightly thicker than TD axels, reason for this, is so you are actually rolling on the bearing, eliminating the need for backless wheels and washers. You can secure the nut onto the axel tightly and not fear it being too tight where the wheel won't roll, and not loose enough so the nut falls off.
The reason for the axel coming out of the hangar is because Brr plans to release a different sized axel so that you CAN use the trucks with any wheel in the future. If your axel does come out, do not worry, simply place it back in the hangar and put your wheels on, then the hangar won't move around, again read the instructions.
The actual shape of the hangar is very nice, it's a nice change from shaped TD hangars or stock ones. It houses the bushings very nicely so they don't loose their shape due to adjusting the tightness of your trucks. One thing I noticed right away, was I had to break in the bushings and pivot area, just like a real skateboard truck, which I think is a pretty cool idea. After you find your peference of tightness, make sure to put a tiny bit of superglue on the kingpin nut so that it doesn't come off(again read the instructions).The metal grinds perfect, making the most rough unwaxed stuff feel smooth.
The trucks are very very nice overall. Granted they are not perfect as with any new item, but there is very little wrong with them, the price might be alittle steep, but they are definitely worth it, like real skateboarding, quality equipment is an investment.
Next up we have Berlinwood 09 graphic decks.
Keep in mind I am only really reviewing the actual graphic and quality of, not the entire deck.
I have had the opportunity to use a few different graphic Berlinwood 09 decks, I have noticed on them that every graphic wears differently, and at a different pace. This particular one I have found is actually quite hard to make the graphic come off. Now I obviously cannot speak for every board with the same graphic, but I can tell you about mine. I used the deck for about 2 weeks just doing normal indoor stuff, on boxes, flatbars, concrete blocks, and to my surprise there was not a single sign of wear. Those who have seen my boards in person know that I am pretty rough on things, but I couldn't make a scratch on good ole Lenny. The marks you see on the board I had to actually go out and rub the graphic off on some rough granite for about two minutes, pressing really hard, and still as you can see, not much damage occurred. Other boards I have seen, the graphic has worn off rather quickly, i.e. the Blackriver-ramps white logo deck. I think the difference has to do with the amount of color on each board. The more colors, the more ink used, making more layers you have to go through to get to the actual wood. I am not sure I am actually a fan of this, because I like the fact the graphic can come off, it is even better when there is a colored ply beneath the graphic, like on some boards I have seen. The graphics are cool, I am not sure the price, but I would definitely pick one up.
I would also like to take a quick moment to go over the packaging for the new Berlinwoods as well. Same deal as with the trucks. The board is housed in a nice cardboard box with a window in the front and plastic sleeve inside so no damage occurs during shipping.
Last, I have the new Brr edition Flatface wheels.
There will be two versions of this wheel in the near future, the ones shaped like these, and ones with the G7.1 shape.
The wheels are made from the D material so they have the nice white color and hardness. The wheels were designed so the bearing doesn't move around while on the truck. They are actually some of the smoother Flatface wheels I have used, I would highly reccomend them even if you weren't using them with the Brr trucks.
This concludes my review, hope it was informative and could clear up any confusion about Blackriver trucks and graphic Berlinwoods.
For the people who just refuse to accept the fact Brr and Bw make quality products, well...you can keep hating, no one really cares what you think anyway!
