Which of these decks should I get?

Hey guys,

So I’ve got all my parts and they’ll be arriving in the next week or so but my budget is tight and I’m looking for a 100cm x 25cm (roughly, based on guides) deck that is stiff and can hold my 95kg frame.

I’ve found these two ( first, and a shorter one) at a decent price point and I’d like to know if there are any objections or recommendations for alternatives that you may have stumbled upon.

FYI, I’m getting 3 Zippy 3s 8,000mah Lipos and a SK3 6374 motor + enertion motor mount. Looking to make my own enclosure once I know what deck I’ve got.

Thanks!

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The first one has 30" wheelbase and will give ample room for everything. Those batteries are a good choice but rather large so I would opt for the longer deck to make sure you don’t run out of room.

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Thanks, I’ll go with the longer one if there are no objections/it all looks good.

Just out of curiosity, since I have you here, are hub motors a non-budget option? I like the stealth of them and reckon one day I’ll build a board with the Carvon V3’s but I don’t want to make this current build obsolete.

No telling when or even if the Carvon V3’s will become available for diy. I believe that Jerry at Carvon is trying to get out of the diy business and focus on suppling complete boards. There are other hub motor options available though. Torqueboards sells hub motors category/electric-skateboard-parts/hub-motors/ Allien power systems sells hub motors http://alienpowersystem.com/product-category/brushless-motors/63mm/page/3/ And then there is this new player on the scene: https://esk8hubs.com/products/esk8hub-90mm-hub-motor

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Thanks again, I’m just looking at the parts and the whole lot for a single motor setup sets me back £270 so I’m wondering if I can pay yet a little more and get similar power with that cleaner look (and a little less work it seems).

I have built both with hubs and belt drive. Both where dual drives. My hub motor setup was lighter and faster than my belt drives. My belt drives climb hills better, run cooler and draw less amps so better range. If your gonna build a single drive and: Your gonna be climbing steep hills, build a belt drive with a 6374 3000+ watt motor Your gonna be riding mostly flat with maybe some mild grades then a hub motor is a good option.

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I like the drop down and design of this one much better if you’re okay with that brand of board it appears this is the same company.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peg-La-Vie-Clear-38-freeride-racing-9-Ply-Maple-Longboard-Deck-Get-It-FAST/331780545323?_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D43770%26meid%3D7b8d69dacda34f36969c74bf72d4e214%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D331780704439

Ah nice! I think I do prefer the cut outs.

Think I’ll sand her and see if she’ll need a light varnish.

There’s also really nice blank decks that are from reputable companies and considering you will be covering the virtually the whole bottom anyways, sometimes wood grain is the best look anyways. I can link some good ones for your build if you want. You’re in the UK? That may be a factor for shipping cost but the decks I’m thinking around around $50 USD usually.

I’m looking and really liking the idea of the 90mm hub motors. It’s 90KV though so not sure if my batteries will get much speed out of it.

I’m looking to use the board for commuting and leisure. its mostly flat/gradual hills so the hub options look more interesting.

I’ve ordered 3x 3S 30C 8Ah Lipo batteries, and initially would get one hub motor and then may look to add another with a second VESC down the line. Would that sound like a good idea? would the second VESC need to be the same model as the first one or just the same firmware?

None of my purchases have shipped yet so I can cancel and with the money saved from a hub motor can get a fourth battery (and still be saving a few £). Only issue is that I need to decide fast.

Living in the UK has proven to have some drawbacks with this project. I have access to a sander so I can take paint off and brush a light varnish to protect the wood. I’m mainly looking for something stiff and a shape that I like.

90kv hub motor with 90mm wheels should easily give you 25 mph at 9s voltage 35 mph at 12s voltage The higher voltage will also increase range and power.

Damn, I’ll stick to 9S then and put the saved money towards nicer wheels maybe.

I’m super tempted to cancel orders and dive in with those 90mm hubs since they’ll be cheaper, I won’t need to modify trucks and I get a stealthy look. Is the hanger cooling thing marketing or actually an advantage over other hubs?

Since you’re far more experienced, could I trouble you some more and ask what I should be wary of? A little voice in my head tells me I’m being too hasty.

You may still need to.modify the trucks. Many hub motors require more axle that regular wheels so you have to trim some hanger with those.

I just got a message from the makers of those 90kv hub motors, they said 1-2 weeks for delivery. Not bad at all. These hub are made to fit caliber II trucks without any modification.

The drawbacks with hubs are as follows.

  1. They don’t run as cool as belt drive motors so you’ll have to keep an eye on them. It might not be an issue since your riding mostly flat and light grades.
  2. If your riding on very rough roads or sidewalks with heavy cracks, the urethane will be thinner than normal wheels so it won’t cushion your ride as well and road shock will be taken up by the motor bearings and you may have to replace them periodically, so you will need to be able to service these motors yourself.

I’d say that’s an unnecessary step, if you’re going to sand it down anyways just get a blank. Cheaper and you can buy it from a really reputable shop and guarantee it is what they say it is.

If you’re going to go with hub motors I’d say Carvon’s are the best bet. Might be hard to find a set of 2.5s around though, and waiting for V3 may be a while and that’s if he ever sells them separately. I am not sure on his plan there. The urethane on his build is more sufficient than others and it’s a dream to ride on them. I have dual hub motors and everything Namasaki is saying is true to my experience, but I haven’t had any issues after a year of riding it. Buy a reputable set, install them properly with the right VESC values (go safe on the min/maxes and Voltage) and you should be find to ride for awhile without any concerns. If you do go the hub motor route keep in mind that they tend to perform better and seem to be made for high RPM. Whenever I run them at low speed for a consistent period they get much hotter than if I am going near full throttle for that same distance.

To answer the VESC question they can be different, but I would just get them from the same place if possible.

Thank you both, I think for the time being I’ll stick to a belt drive and explore quality hub motors later down the line. I’ll look for blanks on eBay to see if I can find the decks cheaper, do you know of any reputable UK outlets by any chance?

So, interestingly, after spending 10 mins on Google, blank boards I can find online in the UK are more expensive than the eBay choices I’ve put up earlier :sweat:

I’ll delve deeper

That’s a reputable UK brand blank deck. Amazon UK seems to have a lot of great options. I’d get something like this though if I were looking in that range. Just to guarantee the quality and claims about the board.

Edit: Ridge and TGM also have a nice blank deck or two in that range. I really like the TGM decks for how cheap they are and they’ve got a good rep from the looks of it. US based but ship to the UK and all over Amazon. Better selection directly from their site. Might even be able to get yourself a deck right from there.

Thanks for your pointers, I’ve kept them in mind and checked out Ridge and TGM. There is a ridge deck I like, little longer than the eBay one but I’m more concerned about flex since I’m a bit heavy and they claim is has a bit so I’ll check out reviews and such to see how much flex there is.

I saw the Amazon one but noticed its a flexy deck according to Lush themselves so I had to stay clear. I even liked the plain darker bamboo for £80 but it too was too flexible.