Proto Orion 81.5 HTA, 4.5" x 20"
So to start this off i have been riding this deck everyday since i got it about 2-3 weeks ago, and here is my well thought out review on it.
Price: At $250 and not integrated, this deck is very expensive. Now, dont let that throw you off because not only is it worth every penny of that, it is now on sale for $199.95 and that is an amazing pice for this deck. It comes with the brake, headtube, deck, and hardware. I paid a total of $214.83, but like I said it is worth every single penny. Not only that but i also got a copy of catalyst which was awesome.
Grinds: My god, where to start? The bottom is extremely wide, and with a little wax you will be able to grind about 200% better on anything. Boardslides, smiths, feebles, anything. And not the mention the super-wide bottom locks into 50-50s better than pegs, thats why im not riding mine. The wide bottom makes it so that when your evenly straight on a rail, you basically dont even need balance.
Weight: I really like the weight of this deck. It felt a little heavy when i got it, but when you get used to it that heaviness just turns into solidness, and it feels super stable. Its not too heavy to the point where you can whip this thing arround like its nothing. I would say its between a flight and a phoenix which is just perfect.
Park Feel: This thing can flow park like its nothing. Since the deck has sooo much footroom, its really perfect for airs, flowing, hubbas, mannypads, really anything.
Street/Tech/Flat feel: If your really into small tech and flat, look into the 4 x 19 but i wouldnt recomend it because the 4.5 x 20 is not only the best deck i have ever ridden for giant street gaps, ledges, grinds, or anything street, but it also is really nice to ride for flat and tech. For example, I could double flat pretty easily on my TSI, and now I can get them caught, like on my rup. I would say overall the deck is best for street just because its so nice and solid and gives you so much more confidence to try things.
Variety of Geometry: One of the best things about this deck is that there is a size/headtube angle for almost any type of rider. The 83* hta vs. 81.5 is all personal preference, and the 4.5 x 20 deck is the best for everything, the 5.0 x 21 is for all you crazy flow riders, and the 4 x 19 is for really tech people, which has flat sides and is ligher.
Concave: Theres not too much to say about concave but I have to say it is perfect. The flight deck had 6* and a phoenix has 3*, this one has something in between which is just perfect. Its impossible to slip off the deck, yet its not too noticeable.
Looks: The looks of this deck is a love or hate thing, i personally love it and it looks completely normal to me now, especially when it is on the scooter, but many people also think its ugly which IMO is bullshit. You might hate the looks, but if you get one you will really like it.
Installation: The installation of griptape, headset, brake, headtube, and rear wheel was all so easy i got that all done within a few minutes not even using a vise for the headset. The brake even has the bolts welded onto the bottom so you just slide it in and tighten. It was actually very fun installing the deck and putting it together.
Footroom: This, in my opinion is the best part about the deck. There is so much more room to put your feet on this deck than any other 20" long deck like a flight 20 or a phoenix, yet it still doesnt feel too long. It really helps for a lot of tricks and gives me much more confidence when im riding and even improves style. Its just a lot more comfortable.
Strength: Ive had this deck for 3 weeks almost everyday and done some very big street gaps/sketchy stuff which even caused my fork to snap, and it hasnt shown any signs of wear and tear. It is super solid, and I dont see it breaking anytime soon.
Cons: I honestly cant find anything i dislike about the deck. In my opinion there is nothing i would change and if i were to design a deck, this is what it would be, except for the brake which is a bit ugly, really bad for 100mm whels which ill be replacing soon, and gets loose sometimes so I would reccomend you just make your own which i am doing today.
Overall: Seriously, this is the best deck i have ever ridden or owned. In fact i dont even see myself riding any other deck for a really long time. It is the absolute perfect deck, and I dont think is many people who disagree once they have legit ridden one/owned one.
So to start this off i have been riding this deck everyday since i got it about 2-3 weeks ago, and here is my well thought out review on it.
Price: At $250 and not integrated, this deck is very expensive. Now, dont let that throw you off because not only is it worth every penny of that, it is now on sale for $199.95 and that is an amazing pice for this deck. It comes with the brake, headtube, deck, and hardware. I paid a total of $214.83, but like I said it is worth every single penny. Not only that but i also got a copy of catalyst which was awesome.
Grinds: My god, where to start? The bottom is extremely wide, and with a little wax you will be able to grind about 200% better on anything. Boardslides, smiths, feebles, anything. And not the mention the super-wide bottom locks into 50-50s better than pegs, thats why im not riding mine. The wide bottom makes it so that when your evenly straight on a rail, you basically dont even need balance.
Weight: I really like the weight of this deck. It felt a little heavy when i got it, but when you get used to it that heaviness just turns into solidness, and it feels super stable. Its not too heavy to the point where you can whip this thing arround like its nothing. I would say its between a flight and a phoenix which is just perfect.
Park Feel: This thing can flow park like its nothing. Since the deck has sooo much footroom, its really perfect for airs, flowing, hubbas, mannypads, really anything.
Street/Tech/Flat feel: If your really into small tech and flat, look into the 4 x 19 but i wouldnt recomend it because the 4.5 x 20 is not only the best deck i have ever ridden for giant street gaps, ledges, grinds, or anything street, but it also is really nice to ride for flat and tech. For example, I could double flat pretty easily on my TSI, and now I can get them caught, like on my rup. I would say overall the deck is best for street just because its so nice and solid and gives you so much more confidence to try things.
Variety of Geometry: One of the best things about this deck is that there is a size/headtube angle for almost any type of rider. The 83* hta vs. 81.5 is all personal preference, and the 4.5 x 20 deck is the best for everything, the 5.0 x 21 is for all you crazy flow riders, and the 4 x 19 is for really tech people, which has flat sides and is ligher.
Concave: Theres not too much to say about concave but I have to say it is perfect. The flight deck had 6* and a phoenix has 3*, this one has something in between which is just perfect. Its impossible to slip off the deck, yet its not too noticeable.
Looks: The looks of this deck is a love or hate thing, i personally love it and it looks completely normal to me now, especially when it is on the scooter, but many people also think its ugly which IMO is bullshit. You might hate the looks, but if you get one you will really like it.
Installation: The installation of griptape, headset, brake, headtube, and rear wheel was all so easy i got that all done within a few minutes not even using a vise for the headset. The brake even has the bolts welded onto the bottom so you just slide it in and tighten. It was actually very fun installing the deck and putting it together.
Footroom: This, in my opinion is the best part about the deck. There is so much more room to put your feet on this deck than any other 20" long deck like a flight 20 or a phoenix, yet it still doesnt feel too long. It really helps for a lot of tricks and gives me much more confidence when im riding and even improves style. Its just a lot more comfortable.
Strength: Ive had this deck for 3 weeks almost everyday and done some very big street gaps/sketchy stuff which even caused my fork to snap, and it hasnt shown any signs of wear and tear. It is super solid, and I dont see it breaking anytime soon.
Cons: I honestly cant find anything i dislike about the deck. In my opinion there is nothing i would change and if i were to design a deck, this is what it would be, except for the brake which is a bit ugly, really bad for 100mm whels which ill be replacing soon, and gets loose sometimes so I would reccomend you just make your own which i am doing today.
Overall: Seriously, this is the best deck i have ever ridden or owned. In fact i dont even see myself riding any other deck for a really long time. It is the absolute perfect deck, and I dont think is many people who disagree once they have legit ridden one/owned one.
