I am not a big jumper or even good at tricks on an ATB but I can ride just fine. I have only ridden MBS boards and so can really only compare them.
(just wanted to get that out of the way)
I was able to try the Flexboardz ATB thanks to BigKid. Thanks!
Deck - The deck is a nice wide deck. The whole surface is covered with black grip tape. Less flex than other boards but still a little. The only
drawback I see is there is no place to put a suction cup mount for a camera on the deck. If it was my board it would be pretty easy to mount a camera
with a little modification.
Tires - I like the tires! They are 10 inch on plastic rims. The bearing size is different than either MBS or GI so you would want to know that
before hand. The tread is aggressive but is in a uniform pattern that seems to roll with less resistance on surfaces like pavement. The pattern
still grips well enough but was only tested on gravel, grass, and pavement. The bearings out of the box roll very smooth.
Trucks/suspension - These are much less trucks and more an independent suspension. I thought there might be more of a spring system but there is just
rubber to absorb impact. The casting looks good and seems strong enough for me at 200lbs. The whole system seems to have enough flex, not as much
when compared to my core 95 but that is without jumping with the kite, which would probably be a better test. One of the most interesting things was
the ability to adjust the camber(right word?) of the deck to at an angle while keeping the wheels straight, more like a kiteboard or snowboard would
be when riding. This might be more helpful to those who kiteboard/snowboard, if they are not as used to neutral foot position required for other
ATB's.
One other thing about the suspension, when I carve hard on other boards especially on hard surfaces, the friction really slows me down. The
Flexboardz didn't have the same problem. They seemed to roll fine no matter what.
Bindings - Nothing special about the bindings at all. They are functional. I did ride most of the time without the bindings which works fine but
seemed a little harder to go far upwind.
Ride - SMOOTH! It rides very smooth. The combination of the bigger tires with the suspension makes thick, bumpy grass feel a lot more like hard pack
sand. It was amazed at how much smoother the ride was compared to my Core 95 and how much easier it was to get rolling in thick grass. I wondered
with the design if I would be able to steer as sharp of turns as my other boards and was surprised that it did just fine
What I liked- very smooth easy riding and easy carving board, Loved the tires. Is there any way to get them for my MBS boards?
What I didn't like-heavy board, simple but effective bindings, it is a little out of my price range but the way it rides has me thinking.
US40
HQ 1.4m which my 8 and 10 year old fly
Pansh Flux 2m, Legend 3m,
HQ Hydra 300 PZ depower, Neo 8m, 11m
Flysurfer S3 Deluxe 19m, S2 15m
Flexboardz Haize
Radbuggy
SIMS snowboard
Crazy Fly 145
Thanks Gabe, sounds like a new addition in the future
Appex buggy, Libre hardcore buggies.
Flexboardz. Blokarts.
PKD Century Soulflys. NPW's. Nasa Stars.
A few other less flown oddballs,
Line sets from 10" to 328" or 2m to 100m.
worlds only AQR that works.
North American distributor for PKD.
"Kite Bugging is not an addiction until you try to quit".
Sorry guys, I didn't really had time to follow up the Flexboardz Testing Tour (btw, thanks for organizing it!!) nor to answer to some of the remarks
of the testers (Flexboardz being quite a different design, it needs to be understood and adapted to the ride needed)...
For instance, Bigkid noticed the height of the board : in fact, a Flexboardz does not have a specific height (nor roll/pitch angle). We deliver the
board set with an "all-round" height suitable for all places (incl. bumpy)...if needed (for flat area/beach), it just takes 4 rubber washers (and 10
mn) to lower the board (and/or adjust roll/pitch angles). I will put some explanation about it on our website
Turning radius : Flexboardz does not turn the same way than a mtb. It needs to be more "leaned" into the curve (more like a snowboard) so the feeling
is different from a regular mtb : it's less reactive at the beginning of the turn (also the reason why it is more stable vs wobble) but actually turns
more tightly...it needs to get used to it
Last, if you have some pics of the Testing Tour, I will greatly appreciate (sort of proxy trip )
Van, keep the board until someone signs up for the pass around.
Any one interested?
Appex buggy, Libre hardcore buggies.
Flexboardz. Blokarts.
PKD Century Soulflys. NPW's. Nasa Stars.
A few other less flown oddballs,
Line sets from 10" to 328" or 2m to 100m.
worlds only AQR that works.
North American distributor for PKD.
"Kite Bugging is not an addiction until you try to quit".
I did take some pics of the board when I first got it to compare against my Scrub Rush. My wife also snapped a couple pics of me on it at DBBB. I
can tell you it sure rides differently than the Rush. This was the first time I actually enjoy riding a board while flying a kite on handles. I
always felt awkward with the Rush so end up using a depower on a bar. It's a blast with the Flexboardz since you can lean on the board and ride with
the kite real low.
to Van : Wohhh ! I really didn't expect so many (and so nice) pics !! thanks a lot for it and for your feedback ! I am really glad that you
appreciated the ride ! May I use these pics for our website (including the one below)...
To Kamikuza : don't want to be tempting but there are Flexboardz in Japan (importer is in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture http://www.kiteboarding.jp ) ... so if you want to make a test, you are welcome (not necessarily a destruction test
Flexboardz, you can use the pics .. my son loves the board. It's very stable so he likes to jump on it and try to move it around the beach. I need
to teach him to fly my beamer!! I should be able to get more pics at the next session.
There's a couple others here in houston that would like to test out the board also. Dylan diddn't get to fully test the board out during DBBB. Dan
(heftyharness) from San Antonio ( coming down to houston) would like a chance to test the board also. As soon as the 3 of us gets a good feel of
the board, we should be able to pass it on. So far, it really fit my riding style. It's like the BigFoot version of a landboard.
Van,
Keep the board as long as you need, just remember that when it's time to send it on you may have to explain to Jr. his is coming at Christmas:D
Appex buggy, Libre hardcore buggies.
Flexboardz. Blokarts.
PKD Century Soulflys. NPW's. Nasa Stars.
A few other less flown oddballs,
Line sets from 10" to 328" or 2m to 100m.
worlds only AQR that works.
North American distributor for PKD.
"Kite Bugging is not an addiction until you try to quit".
lol I was thinking the same thing, how to explain that it had to go! Looks like you had fun with it van, the bigfoot of landboards! To me it looks
like a Cadillac, or maybe a Hummer!
Team MEAN GREEN
Bob Lussier
OUTLAW KITER 1.4M Beamer III, 2M Beamer IV,2M
Toxic HQ , 7.5MApex III, HQ, Quadrifoil XXXL (9.66M), NPW5 2.4,4.8m,
NPW9 3.4M(HQ),NPW9 7M (RASTA\'S FURY),
NPW9 7.6M (BIGSISTAH),NPW9 12MGREENMONSTER(km4), P L Comp ST buggy,PL Bigfoot+
buggy, Atomic Alibi Snowboard, Protec Knee/Elbow Pads & Helmet, Seirus wristguards, Demon crash shorts, LaCross chest/shoulder pads.
(tryin\' to be safe!)
Only 22 more shopping days left. You could have a new board under the tree in only a few days
Appex buggy, Libre hardcore buggies.
Flexboardz. Blokarts.
PKD Century Soulflys. NPW's. Nasa Stars.
A few other less flown oddballs,
Line sets from 10" to 328" or 2m to 100m.
worlds only AQR that works.
North American distributor for PKD.
"Kite Bugging is not an addiction until you try to quit".
So far it's been down at East Beach in Galveston , TX during the DBBB event. I will be down there again tomorrow with 2 others that want to see it.
If Dylan and I can find a nice park we might try it out on grass. More pics to come!!
I took it to the park yesterday but the wind gust was too strong. The grass wasn't smooth enough for the board either. I noticed that there is an
advantage and disadvantage to the board's heavier build. It's very stable but it also takes alot more power to get it going. I couldn't get it to
budge in thick grass and uneven terrain. It had no problem going over rough terrain once you are up to speed. It rolls right over the uneven sand
very smoothly due to the suspension setup but if you stop , it was harder to get going. I tried a couple jumps but my feet came right out and up.
The board was still on the sand.
Here's a few pic from the park with a Nasa Wing.
This is my friend Barry trying the board for the first time with a 5 meter NPW in about 3mph wind gusting to 3.5 mph
I couldn't resist the fun he was having so had to try it out myself
Ran into Darren at the beach so he gave the Flexboardz a go. He thought it had alot more stability than his MBS board.
He's a member of the forum so hope he will chime in with his thoughts.
What I love about this board is the ability to ride real low while you lean over. Look like I was taking a dump but you can go crazy fast
I am still processing the video. I will post as soon as I get a chance to cut out the part when I landed on my ass.
Thanks a lot Van !
It's really a great pleasure for me to see riders appropriating the Flexboardz and exploring others way to ride it !
I specially appreciate the Nasawing/short lines pics ! It remind me the test I made with short lines rigged in a Paraskiflex way to be able to
tack/jibe in order to ride small parking lot !
I wasn't really successful but I managed to make some acceptable jibe (at the end of the video)...I will have to test it with a Nasawing !
I wish I can jibe like that. My riding skillz aren't that good yet The
nasawing was fun to play with since you didn't have to mess with lines. We were riding on the jogging track at the park since there wasn't enough
wind to get going on grass. It was about 2mph - 3mph wind speed at ground level. I bet it would be good in a parking lot.
Jeff, who's next on the list? I am loving this board but feel bad about keeping it so long. I will definitely put it on my 'to get list' but it
might have to wait until after the holidays...hahaa... i just got me a TIG welder so my budget is depleted
Van, I have enjoyed the pics and the review of the board, almost as much as your son. I think the Karrika would fit him a little better. :D
U2U sent on next address.
Just a friendly reminder, the day after Christmas is the busiest shopping day of the year. You could have a new board by the new year.
Appex buggy, Libre hardcore buggies.
Flexboardz. Blokarts.
PKD Century Soulflys. NPW's. Nasa Stars.
A few other less flown oddballs,
Line sets from 10" to 328" or 2m to 100m.
worlds only AQR that works.
North American distributor for PKD.
"Kite Bugging is not an addiction until you try to quit".
![[*]](images/perspective/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
)
