Power Kite Forum

advice on choosing a board please

neilsolaris - 15-2-2009 at 03:52 AM

Hi,

I would like to by a board to use with my Flexifoil Rage 3.5m kite. I would be looking to use it on flat grass, and maybe on a hard sand beach too.

After having a quick look online I have come across this one, which describes itself as a mountain board.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BLUEARTH-MOUNTAIN-BOARD/dp/B000SSF4B...

Would this kind of board be suitable for the purpose? If not, could someone please suggest a suitable board for me please, and the cheapest place to buy it?

Thanks for your advice.

dylanj423 - 15-2-2009 at 08:20 AM

I have a preference for Ground Industries boards... I live in the US, and that brand is pretty easy to get over here... I take it by the link that you are in the UK.

My first board, the one I use to learn, was an MBS Blade, and it was great for that. I would recommend you find a decent used board, a good sturdy one that you can punish a little.

You will learn preferences as you go. Personally I would stick with a better known brand than the link above. Welcome to the forum, BTW

neilsolaris - 15-2-2009 at 10:55 AM

Thanks for the advice Dylan. If I buy a used board I'll probably try to get one through ebay.co.uk. What kind of price do you think I should be looking to spend?

kiteNH - 15-2-2009 at 12:33 PM

I think that if you spend $150 to $200 used that should get you a nice board. I'd make sure it's in good condition because using a board at the beach can beat them up pretty hard. The UK brands that I've heard of are Scrub and Trampa.

dylanj423 - 15-2-2009 at 01:29 PM

that would be around 90 - 115 GBP... a good range. You have access to craigslist over there??

Some good names are

Ground Industries (my favorite)
MBS
Flexifoil Flexdeck

there are a couple more options that side of the Atlantic... these are the only ones I know here

neilsolaris - 17-2-2009 at 12:07 PM

Hi again.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'm quite tempted to spend a little more and buy a new board if possible. I have found a board called the flexifoil tracker that seems to be good value. Could somebody give their opinion on this one please? Here is a link.

http://www.atbshop.co.uk/productdetails.php?id=3945&cat=...

That site seems to be good value generally - if there are any other boards that people could recommend from that site I'd be very grateful if you could let me know about them.

Thanks.

dylanj423 - 17-2-2009 at 12:52 PM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MBS-COMP-26X-MOUNTAIN-BOARD_W0QQitemZ1...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MBS-Comp-90-Mountain-Board_W0QQitemZ25...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MBS-COMP-PRO-MOUNTAIN-BOARD_W0QQitemZ2...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mountain-Board-mbs-Comp-16_W0QQitemZ15...

Just a quick search on the UK ebay site... these all look to be pretty good, and it seems you can get them for about the same price. These boards are a;ll MBS, i think. Theres nothing wrong with the brand. Both the boards I bought, I got used... one for $150... another for $200... I got good boards both times. I might wish I bought new to have the newest technology. But I would rather have older high end tech, than newer low end tech, if that makes sense.

Buy used if you can, I think you will get a better board.

PS... nothing wrong with flexifoil stuff... I love their kites, and have my eye on their new buggy... great equipment. But for the price, you may find better, more durable gear.

carltb - 17-2-2009 at 12:57 PM

HI NEIL the tracker is the new board from flexifoil and as of yet i havnt had the chance to ride it. flexifoil have intrduced this board to try and compete with the mbs pro 90. so if this board is your cup of tea then id look at the pro 90, or scrub ejector or scrub vapour or a trampa (board can be built to your own spec) aswell.

carltb - 17-2-2009 at 01:05 PM

id pass on the first and last boards butg the other 2 are great. i have an 08 comp 90 and they are great boards

neilsolaris - 12-3-2009 at 03:12 AM

Hello again.

Thanks dylanj423 for recommending those boards on Ebay, and thanks for everyone else's input too.

I actually won the bid for the 1st Ebay listing that dylanj423 gave me (£104 incl postage).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MBS-COMP-26X-MOUNTAIN-BOARD_W0QQitemZ1...

You won't believe this but I never received the item. The seller has been completely hopeless in returning my messages, and has not kept me informed at all about what is going on (it was apparently send parcelforce). I have had to file a claim with Paypal to try to get my money back. Hopefully this will happen in the next few days.

However, in the meantime, if anyone has some time on their hands, could they possibly recommend some other boards from the UK ebay site please? Also, if you don't mind, could you also say what you would consider a good price for the boards so that I don't over-bid?

Many thanks for your help.

dylanj423 - 12-3-2009 at 05:15 AM

ah man... that sucks. I only had an issue once with paypal, and again with some other stuff a few years ago (online, not paypal)...

i like to use credit cards with paypal, too, that way if i have any issues with the claim and paypal, I can contest the issue with my credit card, also

hope you get your money back quickly

neilsolaris - 12-3-2009 at 05:31 AM

Hi Dylan. Well, hopefully Paypal will retrieve the money for me, it's the seller that's proved to be problematic so far. Lucky that I did use Paypal, because I understand they take the side of the buyer.

If you have any other recommendations on ebay I'd be very grateful.

indigo_wolf - 12-3-2009 at 06:05 AM

Have you check the Sales section of RaceKites.com? Most of the sellers there are on your side of the pond and they also have a list of good sellers the same as PKF. There is currently and MBS Core 8 (accepting offers) and Grounds Industries (60 quid ono) board up for sale there. No experience with either of these boards, but perhaps someone else here will chime in.

ATB,
Sam

neilsolaris - 12-3-2009 at 06:56 AM

Thanks indigo-wolf, I'll check out your suggestions.

neilsolaris - 21-3-2009 at 03:30 AM

Hi guys,

I'm still looking for a board, used or new, and my budget is about £100. If anyone has any links to boards around that price (ebay.co.uk for example) then I'm be very grateful.

Many thanks.

NHT Kitesurfer - 21-3-2009 at 12:48 PM

what do you guys think of this board/price as a first board?

Ground Industries AK 103 (New)

$196 shipped

awindofchange - 21-3-2009 at 02:19 PM

That's a fair price NHT. We sell the AK 103 for 189.99. Shipping would be appx. 15 bucks depending on where you are at. Add on a kite stake and you would qualify for our U.S. Free ground shipping (all orders over $200)

You may also want to get a hold of Eli (on this forum). He had some AK 103 boards a while back with the Bionic trucks rather than the normal skate style trucks (we are sold out of the AK 103 Bionics right now). If you can score the AK with the Bionics you will get a much better board. I believe the price was a little over the $200 price (can't remember right now) but it is an awesome deal. The Bionic trucks alone sell for $189 a pair!!! Also make sure that the trucks are the newer design with the GRP hangars and the new style cubes. Eli's boards (and ours) were the new design which is a huge bonus.

We have the AK 103 standard in stock.

Hope this helps.

NHT Kitesurfer - 21-3-2009 at 04:55 PM

Kent, thanks for the info., I will def. check you guys out as well!

lad - 21-3-2009 at 06:40 PM

Frankly, the UK kite, buggy and board scene seems second to none. I'm a little envious at some of the prices and selections you guys have over there! So, if you scan enough mboard reviews here, at racekites and mboard-specific sites, you should have an ideal of what you want. And with the big market over there, you should find a lot of decent, second-hand selections to chose from.

neilsolaris - 22-3-2009 at 01:38 PM

Thanks for all your suggestions. I think I'll go with the Ground Industries AK 103 as NHT Kitesurfer suggested. They are coming up as £139.95 on powerkiteshop.

http://www.powerkiteshop.com/boards/groundindustriesak103.ht...

Thanks again.

neilsolaris - 24-3-2009 at 09:37 AM

Hi guys, the AK 103 board arrived today. My next problem is assembling it. I'm sure for most of you this is very straight forward, but I can't work out for the life of me which way round to fit the feet brackets, and the instructions are no help at all!

I think I have worked out which end is the toe bracket and which end is the heel. Does the heel bracket point to the right from the point of view of standing on the board? Also, there are three holes on the board, and two holes/screws on the bracket - which two holes on the should I use?

Thanks very much for your help.

kitepool - 29-3-2009 at 05:14 PM

do you have to drill











Do you have to drill?








/

bigben91682 - 29-3-2009 at 05:36 PM

There's no drilling on GI boards, at least their shouldn't be.

There are 3 holes for each bracket mount in the deck to allow some adjustability of the feel of the bindings.

If you use the 2 holes closest to the center of the board, you get a better "locked in" feel. If you use the outer holes, closest to the edges, it's a looser feel allowing for easier and quicker entry and exit.

The brackets on the bindings also have multiple holes to allow a more specific fit to you foot size and shape.

You may need to do some trial and error, with some riding in between each trial, to find a comfortable fit and figure our for yourself how locked in you want your feet to be.

Hope that helps!

indigo_wolf - 29-3-2009 at 09:33 PM

The links are still in the process of being reattached because of the recent changes that the GI website has undergone.

However, the documentation for the various bindings available on the GI boards and how to attach/adjust them can be found here:
http://www.groundindustries.com/manuals/BINDINGS_2006-7.pdf

ATB,
Sam

neilsolaris - 30-3-2009 at 02:08 AM

Thanks very much for your help. I managed to get it to fit my feet eventually, after a bit of trial and error.

neilsolaris - 1-4-2009 at 06:04 AM

I'm not having much luck with boards! My board broke today, after only the 2nd time of using it (and I'm not that heavy before you ask!). The metal plate that attaches the wheels to the board snapped, so hopefully they'll send me another one, or refund me.

I suspect some of the screws may have came loose, but I'm not sure. Are you supposed to check all the screws are tight every time you use it? I know they were tight when I assembled it, and I think I assembled it correctly, even though the instructions are very sketchy.

Thanks for your help.

dylanj423 - 1-4-2009 at 06:06 AM

i would think that gi would replace it so longas the board was in ok shape. check the screws frequently... do you really want to risk a high speed failure?

neilsolaris - 1-4-2009 at 06:16 AM

But it is typical for screws to come loose after about 1 hour of use? I notice that two of the screws on the other wheel axle are loose, and I made sure they were tight when I assembled it. It seems likely to me that there's either something wrong with the way I assembled it, or the design.

indigo_wolf - 1-4-2009 at 07:27 AM

The nuts that come with GI boards should have nylon inserts to prevent them from rattling loose. And these should be replaced at regular intervals like other "wear" items.

Periodic inspections should still be "de rigueur."

Do you have pics of the failure?

Glad you're OK.

ATB,
Sam
(also new to landboarding... thanks, Kent ;-))

neilsolaris - 1-4-2009 at 07:45 AM

Hi indigo-wolf,

I don't think mine came with nylon inserts, maybe that's the problem then. It came with washers, and obviously also with nuts and bolts and a plastic deck. I assume the nylon inserts would be seperate and not already connected to the nut? There is no mention of them in the instructions.

The photo of the board is too large a file to upload. I'll try to reduce it, or else I could email it to you if you like.

Thanks for your help.

neilsolaris - 1-4-2009 at 07:47 AM

kiteNH - 1-4-2009 at 08:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by neilsolaris
Hi indigo-wolf,

I don't think mine came with nylon inserts, maybe that's the problem then. It came with washers, and obviously also with nuts and bolts and a plastic deck. I assume the nylon inserts would be seperate and not already connected to the nut? There is no mention of them in the instructions.

The photo of the board is too large a file to upload. I'll try to reduce it, or else I could email it to you if you like.

Thanks for your help.


Have you tried contacting the shop that you bought the board from? They should know how to assemble the board and be able to sort this out for you.

B-Roc - 1-4-2009 at 09:13 AM

The nylon inserts are not a separate piece. The wheel nut threads are infused with nylon. You can see it it you take the nut off and look into it. It should not be metal from top to bottom on the inside. X number of threads should be coated.

GI has an excellent warranty policy. You should contact the shop or GI directly to get it fixed up.

neilsolaris - 1-4-2009 at 09:43 AM

Thanks guys for your help. I've already contaced the shop I bought it from (www.powerkiteshop.o.uk) and emailed them the photos, which they are going to forward to GI, so I have no doubt that this will get resolved. I'm just keen that it doesn't happen again. I'll ask the shop to confirm if the wheel nut threads are infused with nylon, because to me it all looks to be metal only on the inside of the nut.

kitepool - 1-4-2009 at 09:19 PM

nylock nylon lock nuts
only lock up so many times, they wear out.
use teflon tape
and if you ride frozen grass,
check all nuts often

I broke a GI wooden red Patrol deck 2.5 yrs ago
and they sent me back a shorter yellow deck
immediately and only with the charge of my
outgoing shipping fee

neilsolaris - 2-4-2009 at 01:33 AM

Thanks Kitepool,

I'll definately use some teflon tape next time, great advice. Do you simply wrap the tape on the screw before screwing it onto the nut? If you need to unscrew it at any time, is this easily possible? Sorry, I don't know much about DIY!

B-Roc - 2-4-2009 at 11:45 AM

I use the teflon tape on my sons board. Its real cheap at any hardware store in the plumbing session. Wrap it around the bolt two or three times and screw the nut on over it. Next time you change your bearings or take your wheel off, the tape will likely come with it and you can replace it again. Its not sticky. It sticks as a result of the tension you put on it as you wrap it so it comes off real easy if you need to remove it.

Makes putting the nuts on easier in some cases because its slippery and it prevents them from seizing if they rust but it holds them on tight.

awindofchange - 2-4-2009 at 03:38 PM

A couple of things kind of bother me about your board. The AK 103 is not a plastic deck (as you mentioned in your earlier post), all GI decks are 9 ply Canadian Maple hardwood and are very strong. If you have a plastic deck then there is something wrong. The only other type of deck GI offers is the high end composite decks which are graphite / carbon fiber. The composite decks are found on the top of the line boards like the Prodigy, Flight Light 100, Conflict and the new Akoni Kama Pro.

All hardware that is included with the GI boards come with Nylock nuts which lock onto the bolts making it very difficult for them to work loose over time. Your nuts should have been these same type of nuts and no, they should not come lose in 1 hours time. Although you should regularly check your gear before riding, I have had several GI boards and have never had a problem with the nuts/bolts coming lose at all unless the nylocks were just completely warn out - in which they should be replaced. Nylocks should last a minimum of a year or longer before wearing, and that is usually only if they are put on or off several times.

GI stands behind their gear, I am sure that your supplier will be able to work with you and GI on getting your board repaired / replaced. If your supplier drops the ball on you, you can contact GI directly at http://www.groundindustries.com/ Talk to Matt, he would be more than happy to take care of you.

Hope this helps.

neilsolaris - 2-4-2009 at 03:53 PM

Hi awindofchange, thanks for your help. When I said "plastic deck", what I meant to refer to was the angled risers that the wheel plate attaches to. Thinking about it, it's probably made of rubber, not plastic. And the board itself is made of Canadian Maple hardwood, as you said. Sorry about the confusion there, I'm still coming to terms with what everything is called!

From what you said there does seem to be a problem with the screws that came with my board. My supplier is a bit slow responding to my email, so thanks for giving me the name of the contact for GI, in case I need to speak to them directly.

And thanks B-Roc too for explaining to me how to apply the teflon tape to the screw.

neilsolaris - 7-4-2009 at 06:33 AM

Hi,

I managed to speak to the supplier today. He said (rather than replace the part or the board), he can send me a GI Prodigy board instead. From what I understand I think I can keep my AK 103 too.

Does this sound like a good deal? Does anyone know anything about the Prodigy board? Is it a good board? Is it better than the AK 103? I found a link to a Prodigy board which I presume is the same one.

http://www.powerkiteshop.com/boards/groundindustriesprodigy....

Many thanks for your help.

kitepool - 11-4-2009 at 10:18 PM

do it!
get the progidy
it is not built outta carbon fiber glass composite bla bla
it is wood and lighter
and short 87cm
very carv-y
I have the bionic trucks on mine and am tempted
to get the skate style ones in order
to save more weight

I am beginning to think that
for mountain boards
simplicity is perfection
less is more
spend the $$$ on the kite
and ride often
practice new moves early in a given session
and always avoid ride conservative in gusty wind
if at all.

kitepool - 11-4-2009 at 10:30 PM

edit! remove the word 'avoid'

neilsolaris - 12-4-2009 at 03:14 AM

Actually, I received it through the post now, and it wasn't quite what I expected, but I'm happy nevertheless. What he sent was two Prodigy trucks, not the Prodigy board. As the trucks are the same size as the AK 103 then I can use them instead, even though they are blue in colour - I don't mind the appearance though.

I'm still waiting to receive the replacement screws from them though. Where do people go if they want to replace the screws? I went to 3 places that stock loads of screws, and none of them had the same kind as the ones for the board. Is there a shop online (ideally one based in the uk) that I can get some from?