mixing brands front to rear

[Tim Robinson]

Why do people run say a Radikal front but then a indy offset in the rear? What is wrong with Radikals all around. Is a Tracker rear really better to most people than a Radikal? It looks like the only people that ride same brands front and rear are team riders. And another question , I know the whole geometry thing behind offsets but then the new Split or improved airflow available now is a rear but not offset??

[Eric Brammer]

Tim, it's a matter of personal choice, usually. In my case, it's money, or rather maybe seriousness of intent. I just don't see why you'd want to spend that much money on trucks, as they're rather simple devices (PVD's excluded; Simple in use, a bit complex in build). I think Radikals all-aroud is an excellent set-up, just maybe not as cost-effective as other choices. Then there's how the components (this is Deck,wheels,trucks,etc.) feel when put together. I'd chance it to say that Indy or RTX off-sets at the rear have a familiar feel for some racers. As for build quality, the RTX offset (with 8mm axles,hand built into an offset)made by Tracker is pretty damn good, and worth the $130. This is due in part because Tracker has paid close attention to the quality of the 'stock' versions of the RTX and RTS, even if they lack a trued 8mm axle. Truck modifiers like Geexer-X at Monkeywrenchworks, Chicken Deck at Pocket Pistols or the Trackers available at Asphalt Playground are also noteworthy for build quality, and bang-for-the-buck. An 8mm axle fitted into an RTX and fitted with well-thought-out bushing combo is very capable as a front truck, though not as precise or quick as a Radikal or PVD. With rear trucks, offsets are trying to be exactly what the Turner/3Dm TTC or Airflow/Asphalt Playground Splitfire trucks already are. The idea is better stability and a truer, more linear turning action by having the axle sit at the the insection of the pivot and kingpin fulcrum. So, in effect, the Splitfire is an offset, but not in need of a cranked or re-positioned axle. It's also noteworthy that PVD's and Seismics have built-in stops, so they cannot be cranked too deep into a turn. This eliminates two issues; If your height is set right, you'll never have wheel-rub; and you'll never crank a turn so hard as to tweak a kingpin. Since these two truck are considered 'single action' trucks, with purely aligned pivot action, they deliver exact steering. Radikal's front truck,btw, is very close to being 'single action', as it twists very little through it's lean, creating a precise turn. The Radikal rear can be adjusted quite a bit by repositioning the axles, so I believe (I may be wrong here) they can mimic single action trucks or can create skew in the lean, where the axle has more (or less) leverage on the pivoting fulcrum. In the end, you get what you pay for in turning accuracy, and usually in gains in traction. How much you want to fork over is another deal altogether. If you're serious enough, you'll likely be looking into upgrading to 8mm axles, and then likely into a rear-specific offset-style truck that uses a stable geometry.

[Rich Stephens]

One other reason you might see mixed brands of trucks is that certain offsets won't work with certain wheels. You can't really run Avilas on the regular tracker offset, for example. So guys who might like a simple tracker RTX front, might run an indy offset rear that I think you can run Avilas with. I don't know if there are any wheel issues with radikal, splitfire, etc.

[Jonathan Harms]

Tim, I can only speculate about why some people like the Radikal front but not the rear. But a couple of people have told me they think the rear Radikals turn a bit too quickly, and that other types of trucks (e.g., offsets or split-axle, in-line-with-the-kingpin trucks like the TTC or Splitfire) allow a "deader" rear end. A lot of people like a REALLY loose, turny front truck (and the Radikal is ideal in that regard, especially with soft bushings), coupled with a much tighter rear truck that just follows along.

I haven't tried a TTC or Splitfire, but as Eric mentioned, they are a very viable (and less expensive) alternative to the rear Radikal.

Does that mean the rear Radikal is no good? Not at all. It's light, very solid, very adjustable (ride height, axle width), and it looks cool too. I own two sets of Radikals, and I am very pleased with the rear trucks' performance. They offer TONS of grip. But they can feel a bit turny, as described above, so I de-wedge them a bit, especially on really fast courses.

Bottom line: As with many things in slalom, it comes down to personal preference. True precision trucks with 8mm axles are a godsend for people who really like their equipment to perform. If you lose traction very often on such equipment, the problem is likely with your technique, not with the trucks.