If you want to learn something, you have to be first and foremost willing to practice today almost forgotten activity - reading.
Decks are designed for freestyle riding, not headless raving. Just like any human activity, riding a freestyle scooter requires the involvement of a gray cerebral cortex.
Freestyle scooter decks are durable but not indestructible. The decks are made of aluminum. Aluminum is a metal that is softer than many other metals or minerals that the deck comes into contact with during its use.
Keep in mind that continuous grinding from the same side of the deck will grind off the material on the bottom of the deck in just a few weeks and thereby weaken it. This is not a manufacturing defect though. Not only donuts can be consumed. Decks can be too.
Static and dynamic loads are two different variables. While the static load is usually 100 kg, the dynamic load is strongly influenced by the riding style. When landing tricks it is necessary to take *the impact energy* off the deck as much as possible by shrugging legs in your knees. Hard landings, when all the kinetic energy is transmitted to the deck, significantly shorten the lifespan of the deck and damage not only the deck but also the joints of the rider.
It should be remembered that freestyle scooters have only two small non-inflatable wheels (while the BMX bikes have two inflatable wheels and a sturdy frame, the skateboards have four wheels in turn) and therefore the distribution of the impact energy is very different.
There is no equal between the price of the deck and its strength. Expensive decks can be characterized, for example, by the materials used, the balance, the unique design and, in particular, the low weight (which can be up to 40% lower than with the low end decks).
There is no accounting for taste, everyone likes something else. And this also applies to the weight of the decks or scooters in general. Someone is determined to get the lightest deck outhere, someone other goes after heavier decks instead.
The decks are not designed for traveling around the city or day-to-day commuting to school on sidewalks of dubious quality (you need to use other types of scooters to perform this activity). It causes the bolts get loosened, destroys the headset, destroys the wheels ...
Decks can be divided along the following criteria:
a) Headset used
Decks with integrated or standard headtube. Decks with integrated headtube use integrated headsets. Decks with standard headtube use standard / non-integrated headsets.
The vast majority of decks today have an integrated headtube. Integrated headtubes are better for a number of reasons. For example, installing the headset is much easier and the headset bearings last longer.
The upgrade of your scooter from the non-integrated deck to the integrated one is complicated in terms of assembly but not impossible.
b) One-piece neck vs. two-piece / welded neck
Decks with a one-piece neck have the *headtube + neck* part made out of one piece (monobloc) of aluminium, there are no welds. Most of these necks are cold-forged, some others are CNCed from one billet of aluminium.
c) Deck length and width
Decks can be had at different lengths and widths. As a rule of thumb, for the so-called street riding, longer decks are used. On the other hand, shorter decks are mostly used for the park riding. Of course, the height of the rider is an important factor influencing both the length and width of the deck. The taller the rider the longer the deck.
It is quite individual so dont take our word for this but it can be said that the decks longer than 55 cm and wider than 12 cm can be considered the street decks. On the other hand, any decks shorter than 51 cm and narrower than 11 cm can be considered the park decks. Decks inbetween can be called universal decks if you like.
d) Wheel diameter compatibility
All decks today accommodate 100 mm and 110 mm wheels. Most decks would also accommodate 120 mm wheels.
28 / 30 mm wide wheels and 12 STD wheels (i.e. 12 mm axle): These wheels are compatible with a very limited number of decks (as of summer 2018)
How to extend the lifespan of the decks
1) I behave fairly to my scooter
2) I do not throw it or bash it when angry
3) Grinding on a rough surface (stone, concrete, etc.) significantly destroys the bottom of the deck. Search for places that have already been "discovered" and are sufficiently worn down by previous riders.
4) It's a good thing to use pegs. If something has to be worn out it´d better be the pegs as they are much cheaper to replace than the deck
5 Wax the bottom of the deck
6) Wax the obstacles too if the park / spot etiquette allows
7) Do not ride with the loosened brake and axle
8) Make sure that everything is properly tightened (headset, rear axle)
9) Loosened bolts destroy not only the bearings but also the deck
10) Do not ride in the rain
11) Land the tricks in a clean way. The more you soften the impact by bending in your knees the more you protect your deck from any unexpected damages
12) Try to avoid doing fly-outs. It is the worst thing you can do to your deck. The impact energy is enormous.
13) Do not lend your scooter to your friends. They can easily weigh 30 kg more than you do and have a completely different riding style
How to select the right deck
1) Are you tall? Get a long deck (and vice versa)
2) Are you into the street riding? Get a long deck
3) Are you into the park riding? Get a short deck
4) Do you like grinding but you dont want to use pegs? Get as wide the deck as possible with the flat bottom and square drop-outs.
5) Strength is a factor? Get a deck with one-piece neck (no welds, more strength)
