Some questions about evolve skateboards

Hey guys,

I've been looking into buying an electric skateboard fot a bit and i really like the Bamboo GT.
I would like to use it to to commute in London to work(around 5 miles) when the weather is nice and for fun whenever i can.
Im unsure about the kits, is the street kit comfortable to ride on roads? I seem to get from what i read/videos that most people prefer the AT kit for everything comfort wise as soon as they try it, is this a wrong assumption? The AT kit on the bamboo has kind of a low range i think, any feedback you guys got would be great

Thanks
Renato

 

I started out with AT for a good 100 miles. Then switched to evolve 83mm for another 100 miles. Now I'm using Abec 11 97mm.
Pro:
AT = really comfortable ride and feels safer especially if you plan to commute with it. when you turn and carve you won't be scared if your wheels might loose grip depending on the concrete your riding on (sandy/loose dirt) it jsut changes conditions too much when your riding through the street.
83mm = Can only be used in good concrete conditions. small cracks you will feel the bumps and even sounds like it rattles the motor area. But it's just so fun to use when you have smooth concrete. you can learn to slide with this.
97mm = you won't feel the cracks on the street as much as the 83mm but you will feel slight bumps but it doens't feel harsh at all compared to the 83mm. It doesn't rattle the motor area. I've used this around busy downtown areas and streets and they just work good and you still have the fun factor of a skateboard wheel. The fun factor being you feel the acceleration even at ECO mode compared to AT wheels you don't feel much acceleration unless you use GT mode. With 97mm though if you carve too hard you will feel less confidence and might be scared it will loose grip again depending on the concrete you are riding on. But with AT wheels no matter what the concrete condition is you can carve as hard as you want and you won't loose grip, in other words it feels safer to use(though not as fun)

 

Thanks for the reply! How do the 97mm affect the range in comparison to the AT and the 83mm?

 

I have a carbon GT and usually just ride on ECO mode 90% of the time and switch to FAST or GT if there are any inclines. That said I think the 97mm can give a solid 22-25 miles range, 83mm gives about the same as 97mm but a little more, and AT about 16-19 miles. AT just takes up more juice for starting, accelerating, and stopping because of the diameter of the wheel.

 

I have the Bamboo GT street kit with Abec 11 97mm wheels. I commute 8 miles on a combination of path, cycle path and quiet roads. The 97mm wheels certainly helped smooth out the ride, though it was actually not bad at all with the original wheels.

The ride is smooth and comfortable all the way. I haven't bought the AT kit so I can't compare to AT, but suffice to say I am very happy with the feel of the street wheels.

There is only one small section of road which feels uncomfortable, where the road surface is terrible. The board copes but I can feel real vibrations through it.

My board is usually on about 50% after an 8 mile commute, but it contains a few quite steep inclines needing fast mode.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi choronoz22,

Everything really hinges on range and the terrain you have to travel. Don't let the naysayers fool you - street wheels can handle all normal road, footpath and similar surfaces. You won't die. It's just not very comfortable, that's all. The bigger and softer the wheel (e.g. ABEC11 97mm) the more comfortable the ride, but the less range you're going to get from your board, and on a Bamboo GT range is precious when compared to the Carbon GT. With a smaller battery and a smaller range, voltage sag/ECO drop is not fun if you have a long commute! So if you have a long commute (8+ miles) and want to use AT on the Bamboo - forget it. Better off on the Carbon AT - you can go faster for longer and is much more enjoyable.

If you have a less than 6 mile commute the Bamboo on AT will probably be okay.

AT is generally much nicer for general commuting no matter what the surface. It's like riding on a cloud! But if your surfaces are generally pretty good and you still want to get a Bamboo over a Carbon (for maybe price reasons or flex/comfort reasons) but you want/need to milk the range further than what the AT set up provides, look no further than the ABEC11 97mm, but then again it depends on what angle you're coming from.

The AT vs street wheel debate, and peoples opinions on such, depends completely on where they're coming from. Remember: Bigger wheel = less range, less torque, slower acceleration, more weight, but a slightly higher short term top speed and more comfort and more clearance. Smaller wheels = more range, more torque, faster acceleration, less weight, and a slightly lower short term top speed, arguably less comfort and less clearance.

People going from AT to 97mm rave about them, because they are going DOWN in wheel size they're getting more of pretty much everything!

People going up from 80 or 83mm to 97mm actually lose quite a bit of spec sheet, but what they lose they more than make up for in terms of ride comfort over the smaller wheel (and in the case of the stock GT wheel, quality), so people going UP still rave about them too (until they realise its effecting their range/battery life).

If you're riding on roads, bike lanes, bitumised pathways and the odd footpath, street wheels will do fine. Which size depends on what you want. 97mm isn't for everyone, particularly on the Bamboo where range (read: voltage sag/ECO drop) is an issue. The 90mm is actually the better choice for an everyday, all-purpose wheel (for the Bamboo) - best of all worlds.

If you're riding on cobblestone, concrete slabs that have those joins that nearly kill you every meter and a half, or dodgy paved pathways and other hazardous crap. Get AT, but if you need to more than 6-8 miles, make sure it's a Carbon AT - trust me!

 

Thanks a lot for the help guys, i really appreciate it