Power Kite Forum

chopping up my trampa!!

carltb - 6-1-2011 at 04:59 PM

http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af124/carltb/

i decided to make a board.....................

15 degree trampa deck
scrub bindings
scrub hollow skate trucks
slingshot grab handle
black rockstar hubs (in the post)
2 red and 2 blue primo alpha lite tyres (ill put them on when the hubs arrive)

WELDNGOD - 6-1-2011 at 05:19 PM

Are my eyes decieving me?....... :shocked2: What the.......... :puzzled: I just don't believe what I'm seeing.:o

carltb - 6-1-2011 at 05:30 PM

?????????

WELDNGOD - 6-1-2011 at 05:35 PM

I thought you rode MBS , I'm shocked you got a TRAMPA.

carltb - 6-1-2011 at 05:37 PM

WELDNGOD - 6-1-2011 at 05:38 PM

Is somebody gettin a TRAMPA sponsership?.............:puzzled:


nice board!

carltb - 6-1-2011 at 05:42 PM

no sponcership, i just thought id give another deck a try.

flyjump - 6-1-2011 at 05:51 PM

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

WELDNGOD - 6-1-2011 at 06:03 PM

I'm sure you will like it.

PHREERIDER - 6-1-2011 at 06:19 PM

stock hurts my body too, GOTTA GO CUSTOM ! NICE

carltb - 7-1-2011 at 05:11 AM

i just weighed it and its abit heavier then my mbs but i dont want to chop anymore of it yet until ive rode it a few times to check on its flex. ive seen them chopped to next to nothing but im gunna take it one chop at a time!!!

flyjump - 7-1-2011 at 08:04 AM

Carl, do you like your board flexible or stiff? I started riding them flexible and it has been saving my knees and ankles from harder impact. I feel much better about trying to stick big airs knowing that it's not going to jam my legs hard on the landing

Pulsar - 7-1-2011 at 08:16 AM

That's quite a conservative chop so far. How many ply's does the deck have?

cheezycheese - 7-1-2011 at 08:36 AM

Please explain to me( as if I were a two yr old) what is meant by "chopping" your board...

carltb - 7-1-2011 at 08:45 AM

@cheezy the board starts out looking like a snowboard shape and im shaping it into a more funky shape. ive started off by taking off all the extra board around the truck base plate and taken an inch off either side of the grab handle. ive also drilled 2, 1.5 inch diametre holes underneath the bindings.
@akb i like the board flexable but i dont want it to bottom out on me if i take tooooo much off. ill probably take abit off after each session until i get it right
@pulsar its a 15ply

carltb - 7-1-2011 at 08:50 AM

id love to get it down to something like this http://www.foilzone.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8144...
but no wind and too much xmas pud have put afew pounds on me!!!!

flyjump - 7-1-2011 at 08:52 AM

CTB, that sounds awesome. If you can scrape up the extra money, you should fly out here to either WWBB or JIBE. It'd be awesome to ride with you.

cheezycheese - 7-1-2011 at 09:07 AM

The board in that link is sick Carl. I had no idea such mods could made without compromising the integrity of the board.

WELDNGOD - 7-1-2011 at 09:20 AM

TRAMPAs are bada$$, Why do you think I just had to have one made just for me!

NJLandboarder - 18-1-2011 at 05:05 PM

this is exactly what i want to do to my GI deck .... i hate it it gets alot of wheel bite im gonna try doing this

erratic winds - 18-1-2011 at 05:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NJLandboarder
this is exactly what i want to do to my GI deck .... i hate it it gets alot of wheel bite im gonna try doing this


Haven't run into any wheelbite on my prodigy...strange...wheelbite should not be a problem on any mountain-board style deck

Seanny - 18-1-2011 at 05:49 PM

CJ, if you're having wheelbite, there's definitely something not right. I have like an inch and a half of clearance between the inside of my wheels and the edge of the deck. Don't go hacking at it yet... if you haven't already done so, call GI or talk to Dave (DirtDave1). I don't think GI boards will stay structurally intact if you saw into them. They're cut and molded a certain way when they're manufactured, and it's very specific to give the deck the best strength and performance. I've never seen a chopped board that isn't a Trampa. Trampas are almost designed to be chopped.

flyjump - 18-1-2011 at 06:16 PM

Trampas are 100% handmade by Ted in his little workshop in the UK. They are designed to be rider specific and modified to your own specs. If anybody ever has a question about them you can ask me. And If I don't know right away I can ask Ted himself. I'm pretty sure they are starting to look to have a distributor in North America, so if any of you shops out there want to carry some u2u me and I can get you into contact right away. I loved my MBS boards, and they treated me well, but trampas are just all around a little nicer than anything else i've seen. Really nice guys to work with too!

WELDNGOD - 19-1-2011 at 07:13 AM

Cj , are those skate trucks or channel trucks? I agree w/Seanny , I think cutting that board would be problamatic.
Check w/ dirt dave first, lil bro'.

@Seanny, D-EX can be chopped too I believe.

Seanny - 19-1-2011 at 08:46 AM

I hadn't even though of D-EX. But aren't those Trampa decks anyway?? :lol: I think it's the carbon fiber weave. Stays structurally sound no matter where you hack it.

WELDNGOD - 19-1-2011 at 10:26 AM

D - EXs are carbon fibre Trampas are space age fibreglass/ Thermoepoxy? I'm waiting for an answer about this now.

NJLandboarder - 19-1-2011 at 02:24 PM

My board has skate trucks that I tightened as much as possible and the mettle thing over the bushing under the bolt is cutting into it and I still have wheel bite and I called gi and they asked me to email then pictures and I went them a ton and they never replied

Seanny - 19-1-2011 at 03:15 PM

@Weldy
Oh, my bad, I got D-EX mised up with Kitedeck >.< I'm sorry. Kitedeck uses Trampa decks. D-EX does in fact use carbon fiber, as far as I know.

@CJ
Definitely talk to Dave on here. He's the most direct connection to GI. Super nice guy. :thumbup:

erratic winds - 19-1-2011 at 03:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NJLandboarder
I called gi and they asked me to email then pictures and I went them a ton and they never replied

Someone have a bad GI cust. svc exp? Impossible! :wee: (/sarcasm)



But I'm sure dave'll sort you out....eventually.

NJLandboarder - 19-1-2011 at 04:31 PM

whats his username so i can u2u him

WELDNGOD - 19-1-2011 at 04:59 PM

DirtDave1

Feyd - 19-1-2011 at 05:25 PM

At what point does it cease to be a board and just becomes a leaf spring with trucks on it? That custom is very cool looking by the way.

Excuse my ignorance but why all the cutting and hacking? Is it strictly a weight saving measure or are there other benefits as well.

Just curious.

carltb - 19-1-2011 at 05:47 PM

its to have a one off deck and also to keep the weight down as much as possible.

erratic winds - 19-1-2011 at 06:15 PM

I don't understand the obsession with "light". The kite's already yanking ~200lbs into the air, is the difference between yanking 200 lbs up and 199 lbs up really that much of a difference?

I understand having your gear bespoke(tha'd be 'custom' for us 'mericans), but I just don't get the "light"....

WELDNGOD - 19-1-2011 at 06:27 PM

Try to do a trick w/ 17 lbs strapped to your feet. Or grab it in mid air w/o getting thrown off balance by all the weight.
It's not for the kite, it's for the rider



edit( I got a 17 ply TRAMPA , and it is a beast. But I don't do aerials, and I'm subject to use it as a mountainboard when there is no wind. You could herniate a disc throwin mine around.

erratic winds - 19-1-2011 at 06:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WELDNGOD
Try to do a trick w/ 17 lbs strapped to your feet. Or grab it in mid air w/o getting thrown off balance by all the weight.



uh....done and done? :puzzled:

Guess we really just need one of the ATB people who do lots of fancy tricks to give us the skinny.

If weight is an issue, why buy a heavy board in the first place and chop it up? why not go straight to the d-EX and the carbon fiber?

flyjump - 19-1-2011 at 06:42 PM

If you're freestyling and tossing a 15 pound board around with one hand while you're 10 feet off the ground, your arm gets sore after a few minutes. Although you can only cut it down so much. My trampa isn't cut down at all and I don't plan on it. I think my board is about 10-12 pounds. Not quite sure

erratic winds - 19-1-2011 at 06:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by flyjump
If you're freestyling and tossing a 15 pound board around with one hand while you're 10 feet off the ground, your arm gets sore after a few minutes. Although you can only cut it down so much. My trampa isn't cut down at all and I don't plan on it. I think my board is about 10-12 pounds. Not quite sure


The way your post is worded implies you feel that your arm won't get tired after a few minutes by throwing around only 3 lbs less?(that is how I am reading it....)

I just don't get it..... kiting is a very, very physical sport. Freestyle even more so, to do well you must be in quite good physical shape. So, since you must be in pretty good shape to do these crazy tricks, does 3lbs make a revolutionary difference or a difference that warrants the price-spike from MBS to Trampa?

flyjump - 19-1-2011 at 06:51 PM

erratic, that is true 3 pounds doesn't make a huge difference, but the guys who modify their boards are real serious about their boards. And that's probably why they win competitions and we don't lol. I thought about modifying my board awhile back, but I like my board just the way it is. I tried a board off when I first got my old heavy mbs core 16 and my arm popped when i extended it all of the way. My arm was sore for sooo long lol.

Seanny - 19-1-2011 at 07:28 PM

My board is heavy. Short, but heavy. GI Flight 93. I don't mind. Not doing any varials and boardoffs anytime soon. The thing is indestructible. It's an older board. I think it weighs... like 14.5 lbs? Something close to that. A few extra pounds off couldn't hurt. But it also doesn't make a huge improvement in performance. I wouldn't trade my bionic torsions for skate trucks or anything. I'm not the one to sacrifice durability for a board that's a pound or two less, but has parts that will last half as long. Of course, the weight problem is as much in the construction as it is in the massive trucks... I'm pretty sure it's made of all wood. Yes, Trampa boards are extremely light while also being extremely durable. But those are like the Cadillac of ATBs. I got what I paid for, and I paid a freakin' awesome price for what I got. :)

NJLandboarder - 19-1-2011 at 08:18 PM

the reason i want to cut is because of serious uncureable wheel bite but i wouldbt mind buying a new deck like a flight lite

erratic winds - 19-1-2011 at 08:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NJLandboarder
the reason i want to cut is because of serious uncureable wheel bite but i wouldbt mind buying a new deck like a flight lite


Like other people have said, there's something seriously not right if you're having wheelbite. Hope the GI customer service dude sorts you out right quick.

Are the trucks mounted directly to the board or are the risers installed? Are the truck-risers installed facing the right directions? etc. etc....

carltb - 21-1-2011 at 07:16 AM

FINAL CUT!!!















mdntdncr - 21-1-2011 at 07:26 AM

Out of curiosity, aren't you also doing it to increase the board's flexibility?
hence an easier landing?
That's how I took it from some of the earlier posts.

I like the leafspring on wheels concept, though ;)

carltb - 21-1-2011 at 07:45 AM

your average board will weigh in at about 8-10 kgs depending on your set up. now, if you can get that down to sub 5 kgs then, id say, the advantages are obvious. have you ever tried jogging with leg weights on?
chopping your deck is only part of the process, as the deck only comprises 50% of the overall weight. a major chunk of the weight comes from the tyres and hubs you use. these four chunks of rubber can weigh in at 3-4kgs!!!
channel and vector trucks are both more durable the skate trucks but skates weigh 1/2 the weight. you might bend them more easily but thats the comprimise you take.
so in comclusion............ chop your board for style and to save some weight but you need to go all the way to have a light deck!!!

carltb - 21-1-2011 at 07:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mdntdncr
Out of curiosity, aren't you also doing it to increase the board's flexibility?
hence an easier landing?
That's how I took it from some of the earlier posts.

I like the leafspring on wheels concept, though ;)


you can increase the flexability of the deck by chopping a stiff deck down but choosing the right deck in the first place if a better option. if you are a lightweight then a 12ply deck would be good but you wouldnt want a 12ply if you were 15stone!!!

PHREERIDER - 21-1-2011 at 08:01 AM

very nice carl,

WELDNGOD - 21-1-2011 at 08:08 AM

Carl , what did you cut it with? And was it difficult or easy to go through?
Sweet lookin TRAMPA you got there now Bro'! Good job :thumbup:

carltb - 21-1-2011 at 08:14 AM

i used a jigsaw with fine tooth metal blades. get the best quality blades you can get as i initially used cheap blades that i had in the garage but went through 5 and only got about 10 inches!!! i went out and bought a set of quality blades and did the original cut and the final cut with one blade!!

carltb - 26-1-2011 at 02:20 PM

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1839316740010&set...

afew of my other toys!!!