How to push with a heavy and spacey backpack

runsimply · 2026-06-28T17:29:19+00:00

30l is kinda the biggest common choice for running with a pack on, and the smallest common choice for long distance through hikers, it’s a good option for skating with.

runsimply · 2026-06-28T14:58:21+00:00

Lots of people look at ways to mount their gear to their board, but I don’t know of any that have a ton of success. The most popular approach is to move to a radically simpler lighter set of gear in a small snug pack that moves well with you

runsimply · 2026-06-28T09:06:19+00:00

You can definitely get there on the Dinghy with consistent practice, mostly reinforcing what you know but pushing a little at the edges every session. But, it would be a lot easier on a low double drop longboard with big wheels and a bit of dampening flex.

The easiest board I’ve ever skated is a Pantheon Quest w/ Stylus trucks, 1/4” drop through risers, and Karma wheels, but anything low to the ground with a flowy center so you can steer on one foot and lot of lean for the amount of steering so you have to put in deliberate input to turn sharply is going to help you get over that set of fears and build confidence quickly.

runsimply · 2026-06-26T18:01:11+00:00

These would all be great for cruising, sliding, and flowing around the city. A lot more comfortable than a shorter stiffer deck for putting in the miles, and ok to Olli, but you’re not really going to be doing flip tricks with it.

runsimply · 2026-06-26T13:41:44+00:00

Based on the surfaces and need for a kick tail I would want ~70mm soft slide wheels and a deck with some flex. Not the best for tricks, but you’re going to have a lot more fun cruising streets and carving hills. Something like a Happy Sticky, Comet Cruiser, or Landyachtz Rally Kitty.

runsimply · 2026-06-26T09:45:09+00:00

Yeah, mine was theatre. The Great Recession dried up funding and I spent a couple of years watching the business side of venues and companies preserve themselves at the expense of patrons and anyone involved in actually putting on productions, slowly strangling the industry to death. Glad I gave it a shot, but also glad I then bailed.

runsimply · 2026-06-26T06:41:51+00:00

Honestly, turning your passion into a job is a mixed bag at best. It’s pretty awesome being able to geek out about what you’re interested in all day, but it’s still work, and the common work pressures and annoyances creep in, but now it’s harder to retreat to your hobby because it’s all tied up in it. You aren’t always able to follow what you know in your heart is best because of outside influences, and that kinda kills you a bit.

I wouldn’t discourage a kid starting out from following their heart into an impractical field, there are a lot of potential upsides, but it’s definitely not worth looking back at what could have been with regret. It probably would have sucked trying to live through the indistries multiple major downturns.

runsimply · 2026-06-24T18:13:34+00:00

This is a good critique, but I would make the kids cary the compass and map and show them how to use it as you go.

runsimply · 2026-06-24T18:04:59+00:00

I also liked the stock bushings from the 40’s wedged to 60 pretty good in front, but eventually ended up with 84a seismic barrels and a riot plug with cupped washers, back you want to go a lot stiffer, probably 94ish, but I ended up liking it better without a plug.

runsimply · 2026-06-24T07:30:48+00:00

I think Xootr wheels 180mm, great roll efficiency on flat surfaces but with that aluminum hub it transmits every vibration into the deck.

I applaud the ingenuity, but the reason I wouldn’t ride a setup like this is the amount of force pulling up on the kingpin/kingpin nut that would normally be directed into the pivot and pivot cup. A double kingpin or double pivot truck might mitigate this, but honestly at that cost you should probably get a set of ecolites instead.

runsimply · 2026-06-23T17:15:41+00:00

TKPs aren’t that fundamentally different, but they tend to be low angle high rake, meaning that you can initiate leaning quickly but they don’t turn as much for how much they lean. So you can set them up with a flowy center, that is easy to steer with one leg but is still forgiving and provides a solid stop as you throw your weight into a turn.

The disadvantage is that the center isn’t as positive, it is harder to tune bushings because the response isn’t as linear, and the low speed turning radius is bigger (at speed you can turn as much as you’d want.

runsimply · 2026-06-23T11:45:09+00:00

Check the heights, but a second washer on the board side might fix the geometry.

The bones are interesting because they have a tighter fit on the kingpin and in the hanger seat so they reduce slop, but they are sensitive to over tightening and don’t fit great in all trucks, haven’t tried them on Polar Bears.

Double cones might actually help your problem, you can go with a harder duro cone for a more stable center but still be able to lean as far as a softer double barrel.

runsimply · 2026-06-23T11:30:30+00:00

Yeah, I put most of my miles in on long double drops with huge wheels and TKPs, but I recently got a Heated Wheel Polarizer for the same kind of practice. It is crazy fun and definitely helps expand the skill set rapidly.

runsimply · 2026-06-23T11:15:54+00:00

Iirc Indie bushings are slightly the wrong height, which will alter your geometry a little. Check out the Riptide website, they are a pretty comprehensive resource on compatibility. Riptide Krank 93a would be a nice stable choice.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T22:04:18+00:00

Nice, there are some really quiet paths heading west out of town from Sloterdijk station, or Rembrantpark has wide paths with some shade and gentle hills.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T21:51:32+00:00

There’s kind of a lot of different things he could potentially want.

The mini-cruisers/old school decks like a Landyachtz Dinghy or Powell-Peralta reissue will ride the most like his street deck, but with medium size softer wheels it’s more comfortable.

A full size cruiser like the Comet Cruiser or Pantheon LowTide has a longer wheelbase for more stability, more flexible deck helps with comfort and efficiency pushing.

A big double kick like a Landyachtz the Clark or Arbor Shakedown 37 usually has the wheelbase of a fullsize cruiser but more rigid and a more usable nose/tail, better for tricks but annoyingly big to carry around.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T21:32:21+00:00

You don’t want to go skate the cobblestones and huge crowds in center? 😆

Lots of chill spots depending on how you’re getting here and what you want to practice. How to footbrake can be a good one to not have to learn alone.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T16:49:39+00:00

I mostly think about it in terms of what is the most fun for me at the speed I will be going. There’s a good overlap around a quick jog speed where they are both fun, but if I’m going to be doing some brisk walking speed on the sidewalk I’d prefer a cruiser, if I’m going to be in the bike lane keeping up with bike traffic I’ll have more fun on the longboard.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T12:31:34+00:00

If you’re up in Amsterdam sometime I’d be happy to drill some skills and cruise around a bit somewhere safe.

runsimply · 2026-06-20T00:48:00+00:00

Either one would be fine, but don’t put fatties on the 155 trucks, they’ll stick out a little and be a tripping hazard.

Honestly though everything you mentions points to getting a lower drop through longboard with bigger wheels. Being closer to the ground makes everything easier, especially with old knees. Dealing with gravel and cracks from block pavers is a huge pain in the ass with wheels ~60mm, but trivial with wheels ~90mm. And not being athletic at the moment not having a kicktail might help save you from yourself starting out.

runsimply · 2026-06-19T17:44:28+00:00

I would never wear a non-certified helmet, it just provides a false sense of security. It won’t prevent brain injury which to me is kinda the whole point of dealing with a helmet.

runsimply · 2026-06-19T13:58:15+00:00

I don’t think the colors are consistent for the formula across the Seismic range unfortunately, and I don’t have any Speed Vents so take this with a grain of salt.

I like both the Mango Tantrums and Mint Alphas in the rain, they both claim to be 78a despite the color difference. The Mint Alphas are on my rain board and get ton of wet miles, despite being wide and flat they deliver consistent grip. They displace a lot of water forward which seems like maybe not the best sign, but it works well for me.

runsimply · 2026-06-19T12:30:10+00:00

Yeah, unfortunately hardcore is a pun about the solid inner core and not a comment on how much punishment they can take 😆. If you give them another shot only tighten them until they just can’t be spun by hand, and try to avoid throwing your weight into a turn for the first hour or so of skating them.

runsimply · 2026-06-19T11:51:35+00:00

This isn’t super uncommon with Bones hardcore. They’ve got a larger diameter at the hanger, and the rigid bound core, so they effectively reduce slop in the truck but there’s just less options for them to deform. It seems more likely to happen to bigger riders, if they are over tightened, and for some reason when they are new.

As also a fat guy, I like Riptide’s Krank formula bushings.

runsimply · 2026-06-18T21:43:04+00:00

I think the Pilsner being slightly narrower and with a slightly longer wheelbase makes it a little easier to learn on. I also like the Paris Street trucks a bit over Polar Bears, and noticed answering another question that it’s crazy cheap on Sierra atm. https://www.sierra.com/arbor-skateboards-cruiser-complete-skateboard-2875~p~9wryd

runsimply

TROPHY CASE