Hi,

First post

I am interested in making a set of doom skates
however i would really like to see some video of them in action - i have done all the bits suggested (apart from yr site won't allow a save as right click ) can you send by mail a URL where i can down load all the movies ( hope you dont mind a link for all its just it saves asking again) so i can get a good feel for them in use hope you can because its a pain not being to see them

the questions

are the wheels pics on the site really the ones you made all that time ago?

if so what maintenance - replacements parts have been needed - if none good choice of materials and i would want to replicate that

wheels - was it- you just you came across the plastic rim wheels and thats it - as i wondered about the spoked buggy type wheels if they have been used and how they have been rated?

and on a more serious note - injury whats the worst you had on the skates - have seen a few references that people say they safer than a buggy - would you hold that true

can the wheels be skated without power ?
I would want to try get used to them without power first b4 adding an engine

hope you can help


thanks

Paul

Hehe looks like i get to be the first one to answer with the little experience i have so far. I ended up going with a 14inch white wheel with a fiber spoke setup (actually look a lot like the wheels that you see in Bob's pics). I was in the market for 12inchers but a local bike shop gave me a deal on the 14 inch setup (25 bucks for the set of 4) and i couldn't pass it up. So far my wheels haven't warped at all and still track straight and true without any cracks or bearing issues. I wish i could say the same for the rest of my doomwheels.

In my experience breaking my doomwheels and making several changes i would have to say that i wouldn't be afraid of building a beefy pair of wheels from the get go. Granted i think i've pushed mine really hard but a couple of my breakages could've been avoided if i would've built my wheels at least as beefy as Bob tells you to build them instead of trying to save some weight and try to build them a little lighter. Also i found out the hard way that boots with good side support are your best friend...if i do a downhill pair i'm considering skii boots for the most support.

Injurys?....hehe well over the years i've gained a bit of a rep locally for pushing things hard and crashing and i'll admit that the first time i saw doomwheels i shook my head and thought to myself "no way... those things will kill yah".

My last doomwheel crash was the hardest one i've had so far and after i finally caught my breath and stopped seeing stars i was pretty amazed at how well the crash actually went considering how fast i was moving and how much air i was trying to land when i went down. No broken bones, sprains, etc. etc. and only minimal scarring (just kidding in all honesty i only had a couple decent scratches and that's because the field i was riding was a hayfield that had the nasty stubble growth).

I've gone down doomwheeling more than a few times and i'm always surprised at how well i come out of every crash. The last crash bent two rails and even ripped some rivets out of the bottom of one of my boots and i still walked away...a little dazed but walked away all the same.

I've done a little downhill doomwheeling with mine so far but so far it doesn't feel nearly as good as kiting with them does so i think i'll stick to my Mt. Board when the wind isn't blowing...then again knowing me i'll probably play around with another pair of wheels until i find a good setup for trail-riding as well hehe. Post away if you have more questions or about your experiences with your wheels!

Good Times! :D

Good Times

Thanks for reply

I did have a thought re the movies

if any of you guys who have managed to download them want to email them over to my hotmail account will take up to 10mb attachments it would help

have re-installed quicktime and on two diffrent servers no joy

Will be looking for some wheels at boot sales in uk

aditional questions re kite size and line lenghts etc.


dont want to go too fast want leant well and enjoy only have a radsail 2.4 but it does pull a lot

how big a kite do people use?

and do you use standard length lines or other ?

thanks for help

Paul

meinnorthants at hotmail dot com

sure you can work that out if you got any of the movies you can send - thanks

I had the same problem with the movies....hmmm...actually i still have the same problem on both of my computers at home. I checked the site on a friends computer and the movies popped right up and i checked at a int. cafe and sure enough they worked just fine there too. I'm stumped on it myself *LOL*.

As far as kites go i'm still researching before i do my next big purchases. I'm flying a 2m Beamer, 6m Wipika, and 8m Wipika freeze. I'm seriously looking at the Vio's and Flysurfers but we'll see what time and research brings.

Good Times!

Thanks again

its a cheek but may be you could get yr friend to mail over the sub 10 meg ones over

as i am at a loss too as to why it wont work

do line lengths matter think mine are 20 or 25 mtr

would a 15 be beter or stick as is


thanks

Paul

Well I guess one of my question has been party answered

saw the pic of a set of doomskates that had a degree of adjustment in the side bars this was only on the front wheel

my question is is there any merit in doing this have you tried it doom?

i guess as long as you don't go beyond half way between axle and front wheel or back that gives the adjustment possibly 1 or 2 steps

and worst case scenario they are a development set of rails

have you tried either an increased distance from front of boot to wheel or back of boot to wheel does this have any effect on turning performance and or stability


and a request when you do get a chance to read this - make yr movies easier to get

thanks for the help and a good inspiring site

Paul

Welcome merneo!

>are the wheels pics on the site really the ones you made all that time ago?

Yes, I still ride on the original nylon spoke wheels now 13+ years old with no problems. I replaced the original ball bearings right away with some high performance sealed packs that cost a bit but are still rolling. I've built other skates since, but use my original set most often. It is about time I replaced the boots however (I prefer ratchets over laces).

>as i wondered about the spoked buggy type wheels if they have been used and how they have been rated?

You mean metal spoked scooter wheels? I never tried them. I'm sure they will work but they may rust after a short time on the beach. I found the nylon wheels more readily available.

>whats the worst you had on the skates - have seen a few references that people say they safer than a buggy...

Whether they are safer than buggies or not depends entirely on the skater's experience and riding style. Personally, although I've had a few buggy accidents, I've never gotten hurt on skates. Nothing more than a raspberry on my hip from skipping out at high speed (not even when kiting but while downhill skating - the balance is different without the kite).

>can the wheels be skated without power ?

Yes, but it won't help prepare you for kiteskating. Your stance and balance is completely different when you are powered by the kite - more stable and comfortable. Skating without the kite is possible but awkward and a real workout for your gluts!

>how big a kite do people use?

Depends on the wind and kite model. Roughly speaking... 3m for windy days, 4-5 for moderate and 7+ for light winds.

>and do you use standard length lines or other ?

Standard works fine.

>a degree of adjustment in the side bars this was only on the front wheel. my question is is there any merit in doing this have you tried it doom?

Not sure just what type of adjustment you mean, but I prefer straight, hard, heavy rails. Some people bend the rails in front and back to lower the boot platform, but I have never done so with 12 inch wheeled skates. Problem is, although it's more comfortable while standing vertical, you lean at a serious angle while kiteskating and take the chance of hitting the lowered deck on the ground while under power or on uneven terrain. I have only lowered the boot deck on skates with wheels larger than 16 inch and even then only by 2 inches.

>have you tried either an increased distance from front of boot to wheel or back of boot to wheel does this have any effect on turning performance and or stability

Increasing the distance between skate and wheels offers more traction and stability for long runs and high speed but reduces your turning agility. Even step-turning is slightly compromised. I have a long pair with 16 inch wheels for high speed desert crossings. However, I use my short set most often (2ft rails/12in wheels).

>make yr movies easier to get

Sorry you're having trouble with the movies, but it's impossible to account for each platform, OS, browser configuration etc. that people are using around the world. These are very simple Quicktime movies and should be readable on most computers. I understand you have installed Quicktime, but did you install the Quicktime browser plug-in into your Web browser? Doing so should allow you to see the movies online - Installing Quicktime Player only allows you to see movies stored on your hard drive.

Also, check your browser settings. Make sure that it is set to allow active content and that your plug-ins are enabled.

If nothing else works, head to the library and use a puter there. Remember that many of the movies have huge file sizes and require some time to load.

Good luck building your kiteskates. There is a lot of good info here on the forum - perform a search to help answer questions or post new ones here. Also check doomwheels.com and kiteskating.com for instructions and resources.

Crash and Learn!

Thanks for all that doom

I am starting to get the bits together

will be looking for wheels first

Still have a problem with the movies though i have updated to the qt v7 player even done the test on yr page all shows good also even got local computer shop to have a look for me could not get a thing

are you sure the links are all good - i noticed a redirection page at one point are things all pointing in the same place ?

sorry its just a pain i would like to watch them

hey if you have a location i can either get them or i will send you by private a email to send all expect the 35 meg one it would be a big help

all the other qt sites i visted work its just this one on 3 seperate and diffrent computers 2 mine one some one else (the shop)


and what size kite and type do you fly in average conditions ? not sure i can remember if you said ?

thanks

again


Paul

>Still have a problem with the movies...

These are old movies (.mov & .mpg format) and have worked for years - no changes. Every puter's different though - can't please eveybody. Seriously, try the library. (1st check your email)

>and what size kite and type do you fly in average conditions ?

I get most use from my 4 & 5m foils. When kiteskating, I prefer foils for power and control.

Thanks for the samples

Now like a dog with a bone

I Have tried to download movies on another pc

very clean install no firewall or junk

and guess what still no Joy

Have you tried to download them yrself of lately ?

can you mail me the doomwheels in texas

Iam no computer new guy and am not sure why they are not loading - i suspect an incorrect link on the page etc

as clean install no firewall qt installed with browser plugin working it could be isp but i doubt it

let me know

thanks

Paul

thanks if can send the file

And in the ones sent did i see vertical flex in the skates?

if so will not weight Of the skater effect the boot tip to wheel distance with a slight increase in length needed if a heavy bod like me - lol ?

or just stiffen them more but do you need some flex ?

what you think ?

Paul

>Have you tried to download them yrself of lately ?

I have 8 puters in my office with everything from Windows 95 to 2000 and Mac OS 8.6 to OSX. The movies work in every one.

Here's my last word to anyone having problems viewing the movies... use a Mac!

>vertical flex in the skates?

No verticle flex.

>will not weight Of the skater effect the boot tip to wheel distance...

No. More or less space between boot and wheels effects turning radius, nothing more.

>or just stiffen them more but do you need some flex?

No flex. You can overcome any weight problems by using solid steel rails. Mine are 3/8 x 3/4 x 24 inch.

Ok No problem - dont have a mac so will have to wait till i made some - going shopping at boot sales this w/e lets hope i find all 4 wheels i need

anyway how will a rain coat help with the movies :moon:- I thought you needed a PC :singing:

Cheers will let you know how i get on

Paul

Another "last word" about viewing movies online... if you upgrade Qucktime to Quicktime Pro, you will notice an added tool on the movie player window tool bar that allows you to download movies to your hard drive as soon as they finish loading in your web browser. This way you can download movies without needing to right click (disallowed at doomwheels.com due to bandwidth piracy).

Quicktime pro here i come hehe.

Hi, again

Well the boot sales were pants this weekend

may have to go to a shop and buy wheels


And had a thought re tyres

as said by doom earlier in forum about dropping the psi in the tyres this helps with the grip (lowering the prfile of the tyre and putting more on the road)

but is there any merit to bmx or non bmx tyres ?

Paul

Bob,

I would really like to see your videos to learn from. I have 5 computers all with windows 2000 I have tried everything nothing will get them to download. What do you mean bandwidth piracy? do you mean people using site ripping programs? if there was a way to just rightclick and save would be so nice. first time ever seen pictures or movies as such locked like that what the heck! I got to see you in action!!!
:puzzled:Rich

ps i aint buying no quicktime pro im broke

>What do you mean bandwidth piracy?

This is when someone places images (etc) on thier site that are stored on your server, not theirs. They have linked to the image directly on your server and you are the one paying each time someone looks at the file on thier site. It is theft and has cost me a good chunk of money recently. Therefore, I've had to lock up my files.

>i aint buying no quicktime pro im broke

I think it costs $15 and would allow you to save movies without having to right-click. I spent 10 times this amount in stolen bandwidth this summer.

But disallowing right-clicking is not what's preventing you from watching the movies and if you were able to save them to your puter would not solve the problem. Although the majority of users can see the movies, some folks cannot. This is due to their personal web browser or op system preference settings, not the movies. I've addresses this issue as best I can in this thread.

Once again, make sure you've installed the Quicktime browser PLUG-IN into your Web browser. Also, check your browser settings. Make sure that they are set to allow active content and that your plug-ins are enabled. I'm afraid that's all I can do to help, good luck.

Hey, sorry to hear your desert trip was a wash (literally). It's been a wet year for dry lakes, however, it only takes a short while to dry completely. Check again in a week or so.

Well project now on hold till sping

as UK weather a bit unforgiving if wet and i guess doomwheels well except for an a beach may be a bit of a had full in the wet

as my first test will be in grass so dont want to take chances

Paul

i found the server script a pain - but understand dooms want to protect his bandwidth

Hi Bob,

No luck

I got quicktime pro 7.0, enabled active content, made sure quicktime is enabled in browser, also I can see a save movie option now on browser window but they still can't download. Can you password protect these files? Maybe you can email a PW to safe emails of people who want to see them and learn Kite sk8ting.

Thanks! Rich

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