conordavidson
Member
Razor nailed it in my opinion. They absolutely nailed it with the pro model deck. You guys take these things for granted sooo bad. These decks are NEARLY perfect. Well, not nearly perfect, but it's fuckin' awesome. I hear so many people complaining about how shity razor is and how awful the pro model is, however, in the long run, I doubt there will be a lot changed in the future of scootering.
The pro model deck is BY FAR the most versatile scooter deck (I realize that there is very few at all). They're REALLY easy to make solid with the correct tools, you can adjust a LOT about it, and it's light weight and decently strong. For example: You can adjust the headtube angle very easily, you can replace the deck within minutes by only changing 3 bolts, and you can replace the brake and wheels very simply. They could have put the brake and wheels on with those cheap pins and c-springs like the folding mech, but they came through with pretty strong, 5mm stainless axles. They could have cheaped out hard on the deck, but they included thick folding mech rails, steel reinforcement plate, and thick enough walls to last awhile.
Think of it like a skateboard. They're relatively cheap, each of them is very similar (with exceptions), and they can last from 1 month to years depending on skill level and what/where you ride. Do you see skateboarders complaining about how awful each company is because their decks break in 3-4 months? No, because they know it will eventually happen and they're very easy to replace. All skate trucks work with all skate decks so compatibility is not an issue.
The way I see it, is that Razor came out with this awesome deck. The rest of the scooter is pretty trashy, but the deck itself is spot on. I really don't think one-piece decks/headtubes are the future. I think the 3-bolt pattern that holds the folding mech rails to the deck will become a standard, or at least it should. This would mean that different companies could make different style headtubes. Steel, aluminum, integrated, standard, gusseted, different angles, etc. If companies made headtubes with 3 holes (instead of razor, who makes 1 hole, and 1 slot), the headtube wouldn't creek at all and would be very ridged. If everybody used the same 3 bolt pattern, then all headtubes would be compatible with all decks and everything would be real easy to replace.
The deck itself isn't bad at all. With people like Inward starting to sell JUST the decks, they're really cheap and decently strong. If you ride clean, they can last 3-4 months easy. And for $20-30 a pop, that's not bad AT ALL. I hope the design of scootering decks will stay very similar to that. They have really good wall ride clearance, are perfect height from the ground, and a really nice width/length. All that could be preference though since the folding mech pattern would stay the same.
Also, the way they make pro models is very simple, adjustable, and cost effective. A huge block of aluminum is extruded into long lengths of hollow "deck shapes", then the dropouts and chamfers are machined, then the folding mech is welded/bolted on. Honestly, if you could extrude that block of aluminum, you could make any wall thicknesses you want, allowing for a range of strength:weight ratios, and lengths and widths, with extreme ease. All that could be easily adjusted for different riding styles.
I don't know exactly why I wrote all that, but I just wanted to share what I think about the futures of scooters. I don't see one-piece decks being a huge rage, because they're not nearly as cost effective, aren't as easily replaced, and if you broke them, it would take a lot longer to set up a new one. With JUST decks, you can strap an extra to your back pack if it has straps for a skateboard, and they don't bother you at all. There's really no disadvantage, and I would love to see it happening.
Honestly, Proto/French ID/Inward forks, pretty much last forever at this point. You RARELY have to replace eagles or protos, and headtubes/SCS/handlebars are getting a lot better, so pretty much they're all nearly indestructible. Just like a skateboard, you have to regularly replace the deck, but the trucks/wheels/etc. will stay good for a long time.
So yea, discuss I guess haha.
The pro model deck is BY FAR the most versatile scooter deck (I realize that there is very few at all). They're REALLY easy to make solid with the correct tools, you can adjust a LOT about it, and it's light weight and decently strong. For example: You can adjust the headtube angle very easily, you can replace the deck within minutes by only changing 3 bolts, and you can replace the brake and wheels very simply. They could have put the brake and wheels on with those cheap pins and c-springs like the folding mech, but they came through with pretty strong, 5mm stainless axles. They could have cheaped out hard on the deck, but they included thick folding mech rails, steel reinforcement plate, and thick enough walls to last awhile.
Think of it like a skateboard. They're relatively cheap, each of them is very similar (with exceptions), and they can last from 1 month to years depending on skill level and what/where you ride. Do you see skateboarders complaining about how awful each company is because their decks break in 3-4 months? No, because they know it will eventually happen and they're very easy to replace. All skate trucks work with all skate decks so compatibility is not an issue.
The way I see it, is that Razor came out with this awesome deck. The rest of the scooter is pretty trashy, but the deck itself is spot on. I really don't think one-piece decks/headtubes are the future. I think the 3-bolt pattern that holds the folding mech rails to the deck will become a standard, or at least it should. This would mean that different companies could make different style headtubes. Steel, aluminum, integrated, standard, gusseted, different angles, etc. If companies made headtubes with 3 holes (instead of razor, who makes 1 hole, and 1 slot), the headtube wouldn't creek at all and would be very ridged. If everybody used the same 3 bolt pattern, then all headtubes would be compatible with all decks and everything would be real easy to replace.
The deck itself isn't bad at all. With people like Inward starting to sell JUST the decks, they're really cheap and decently strong. If you ride clean, they can last 3-4 months easy. And for $20-30 a pop, that's not bad AT ALL. I hope the design of scootering decks will stay very similar to that. They have really good wall ride clearance, are perfect height from the ground, and a really nice width/length. All that could be preference though since the folding mech pattern would stay the same.
Also, the way they make pro models is very simple, adjustable, and cost effective. A huge block of aluminum is extruded into long lengths of hollow "deck shapes", then the dropouts and chamfers are machined, then the folding mech is welded/bolted on. Honestly, if you could extrude that block of aluminum, you could make any wall thicknesses you want, allowing for a range of strength:weight ratios, and lengths and widths, with extreme ease. All that could be easily adjusted for different riding styles.
I don't know exactly why I wrote all that, but I just wanted to share what I think about the futures of scooters. I don't see one-piece decks being a huge rage, because they're not nearly as cost effective, aren't as easily replaced, and if you broke them, it would take a lot longer to set up a new one. With JUST decks, you can strap an extra to your back pack if it has straps for a skateboard, and they don't bother you at all. There's really no disadvantage, and I would love to see it happening.
Honestly, Proto/French ID/Inward forks, pretty much last forever at this point. You RARELY have to replace eagles or protos, and headtubes/SCS/handlebars are getting a lot better, so pretty much they're all nearly indestructible. Just like a skateboard, you have to regularly replace the deck, but the trucks/wheels/etc. will stay good for a long time.
So yea, discuss I guess haha.
