Introduction
Longboarding is the act of riding a longboard. Longboards come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Longboards are more stable and have better traction and durability than skateboards due to their bigger wheel size. Many skateboard parts feature a “riser pad,” but many people are unsure whether it is essential for skating. Riders put their skateboards through a lot of wear and tear. They are easily damaged while riding on uneven pavement, being dropped from tremendous heights, having people hop on them, or being thrown at them. Riser pads, sometimes known as shock pads, can help to mitigate some of the damage produced by normal use and abuse. Skateboard riser pads are plastic inserts that go between your trucks’ baseplates and the deck of your skateboard. It is 5.5 cm ×7.8 cm in size. At its thickest point, the riser pad is 4 mm thick. A single 4-mm-thick sheet is placed between the skateboard deck (board) and the track. In other words, the bottom of a 4 mm thick plate can be increased.
The riser pad is designed to prevent wheel bite, which is when the deck makes contact with the wheel. If the wheels become too big, the space between them and the deck becomes too tiny for them to collide. This is referred to as “wheel bite,” and if it occurs, the brakes will apply quickly while sliding. If this happens, the chances of falling are high, which is rather terrifying. A riser pad is used to avoid this. The space between the deck and the wheel expands when you use a riser pad, reducing wheel bite. However, this only happens when the wheel size is large, like in cruisers. Wheel bites are less common with tricks wheels that are less than 54 mm in diameter, depending on whether the track is high or low. If you’re using a riser pad, you’ll also need to alter the length of the screws you’re currently using.
The existing screws are far too tiny to be useful. By installing it, the thickness of the riser pad is extended to the deck and truck. Standard screws will not reach in this case, and you will be unable to tighten it. As a result, the screw length must be changed when using a riser pad. The hardness of your bushings and your weight also have an impact. The wheels are more likely to come into contact with your deck if your bushings are extremely soft, or if you want it that way. From my perspective, riser pads are essential for longboarding and make skating considerably more difficult. If you prefer cruising and executing a few easy tricks, you might think about getting riser pads. Technical street skaters should avoid using riser pads. While a tiny shock pad has little effect on performance, risers make doing stunts more difficult.
Top 3 benefits of riser pads
Below are three detailed benefits of the use of riser pads in longboards.
1.Riser pads help prevent wheel bites.
A wheel bite occurs when your wheel makes contact with and bites the bottom of your deck, causing you to come to a standstill in some situations. From a conventional skating standpoint, it’s not a big deal because the tougher wheels are more forgiving. You might try rubbing a tiny bit of wax beneath your wheels to reduce friction if this happens. Because softer wheels grip more, wheel biting becomes a much bigger issue. This dramatically improves the likelihood of you eating it. The principal issue that risers are designed to address is wheel bites, also known as wheel rashes. Wheel bites occur when you execute a turn or perform a trick on your skateboard. When you turn or apply pressure to one side of the board, the wheels may come into contact with that side. This might not only make steering difficult, but it can also lead you to go off the board. Bites also wear away the board’s underside. Risers enhance the distance between the board and the wheel tops.
2.Riser pads help to reduces the amount of stress on the deck.
Each truck is held to the board by four sturdy screws that are connected to pre-drilled holes in the board. The screw is placed into the trucks via the board’s top. This suggests that the trucks’ strong metal is quickly pressed against the softer substance of the board. Over time, this can cause stress cracks in the board, weakening it, allowing moisture in, and eventually destroying it. Risers, which act as a soft cushion between the metal trucks and the hardwood boards, can slow or stop this process.
3.Riser pad play a major role in the handling of boards.
Skateboard trucks attach to the board’s underside and allow wheels to be fitted. Trucks have a central bolt that lets you adjust the amount of “turning” on the board. Loosen this bolt on each truck to make the board turn more readily; tighten the bolt to make the board turn less easily. While looser bolts allow for faster, more visible turning, they also increase the risk of wheel bite, which impedes turning. This problem is solved by using a riser.
Conclusion
Shock absorber pads or 1/8″ pads are appropriate for skateboards. While they prevent the wheels from clashing too close to the table’s edge, the elevated center of gravity makes the ride less stable. Rather than buying washers, buy smaller wheels. Cushioning cushions should be used by those who climb lengthy flights of stairs. They assist in the absorption of impacts and the prevention of pressure fractures. There’s a reason why you’ll never see a skater with 1/2″ pads; they’re made for longboarding, not skating. It is worth putting pads on your own cruiser if you want to be able to leap multiple curbs. As previously stated, it also depends on the size of the wheels. Bites will occur with large soft wheels, and adding shims will have a significant impact.
