ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

[Michael Stride]

Virage 'Vite'...(pronounced 'veet') The button has been pressed...Quick turning Bennett hanger compatible baseplate, sold singly, also mating to two new hanger width with the unique Virage axle system. Baseplate incorporates angle and height meaning that risers will be minimised, just like the Virage Slalom and Virage LDPs. Incorporates a spherical bearing in the hanger, and a machined conventional pivot fitting a small Khiro cup. This is designed to be a front tight slalom truck and also a front LDP truck in a wider width.

Available soon.....along with a totally unique doobery that we wont reveal until its for sale!


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[Michael Stride]

Update...now in the machine,

top two pics are pretty much the final stage of hangers (minus the spherical) and a sneak at one of the prototype composite baseplate I'm testing.Very lightweight.





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[Jonathan Harms]

Wow, more cutting-edge stuff from Michael.

I realize it's just a drawing, but how close will the kingpin be to the ground? That first drawing with the pink bushing makes it looks like it would protrude pretty far beyond the hanger and axles.

[Michael Stride]

Thanks for your interest, the 3d renderings don't quite show how gullwing the hangers are, nor the bushing seat.

These might help a little? not finals, but not far off.




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[Michael Stride]

More pics , we have a few little tweaks and fettling to do (mainly cosmetic to thge baseplate to help is visually match the hanger better, and a small mod to the hanger)...hopefully ready to take orders next week.

The little 'trough' or channel for the mounting nuts works really well. And allows for a good tight setup. In practice the nut is easily held in place by a finger and doing up the bolt with just a hex key or a phillips head was super easy.






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[Jonathan Harms]

Love the "trough" idea, Michael--brilliantly simple. But the word "trough" is just screaming for a bit of Bennett-style or Chaput-style trademarking, branding or sexing up. Love groove? Boss Trough? Oooh, I've got it--the English Channel!

[Michael Stride]

Le Manche? (the 'sleeve') what the French call the Channel.

How about the 'Rad Pitt'???

Its amazing how well that channel really allows for a tight and secure fit. I know its a small improvement but like in Formula 1 every little bit helps....

We had to have a thicker baseplate there to utilise a simpler form of machining involving less processes.
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[Julien RICHARD]

do you have an idea of the retail price?

[Rob Ashby]

Looking good Michael - I look forward to seeing them up close and personal!

Digging the groove man!

[Miguel Marco]

[Michael Stride]

Correct, sorry very fatigay!

(joke)

Thanks!
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[Michael Stride]

[Pat Chewning]

Wow! A truck with a built in nut sack!

Holds the nuts in place -- very nice.

[Michael Stride]

Mr Harms, new day, fresh ideas!
I'm loving your idea of calling the nut feature 'an English Channel'. Id like to use that if I may.

And if and when someone copies it we can all refer to it as an English Channel. Cool!

I had a few requests for close ups of the hanger, remember its being fettled, but close:



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[Jonathan Harms]

[Wesley Tucker]

[Donald Campbell]

how about mentioning the zip code you cornhead?
hahahahahaha

[Pelle Gustafsson]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!! can I f#@k it? lol

[Steve Pederson]

[Sam Gordon]

Of course you can, Pelle.

Here it is looking a li'l bit saucy:




Tighten your bolts in its deep Englissch Channels.
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http://pavel-skates.com/cms/ http://viragetrucks.com/

[Pelle Gustafsson]

looks wow!!! nice piece of metal!

[Michael Stride]

Thanks Pelle...dont worry as a Team Member you will get a set as soon as we make the production version.

Talking of which Sams photo clearly shows the baseplate, the production version has more curves there to match the hanger and Bennett too. Also the hanger will look a little 'softer' with Vite branding. Sam is adding riser (and playing with wedging) so we can decide how much height to add to suit most slalomers to reduce riser use.

We also have a new footblock, the Virage 'Vice' (named by Rob Ashbury in moment of genius 'pointing percy at the prorcelain' )last night at the pub, to complement the trucks. Being tested and developed as I type.
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[Pelle Gustafsson]

or schuld i say santa? nice that the truck making going forward,the world need it,and i love it...

[Sam Gordon]

Pelle's alive!!!

A few things need developing, but that is all part of the testing process. For example, the baseplate has a super wedge on it that is comparable to a 12/15 degree angled riser. Whilst this might suit the LDP crowd, it might be too fast turning for a slalom truck where progression and rebound are at least as important as is a rapid change of direction. Too steep and the truck turns very quickly, but feels a little bit 'all or nothing;' 'on or off' if you will.

This pitching can, in extreme cases, lead to the skater stalling the truck and being hurled over the front of the board. It is far better to reduce the wedge angle a little, have a slower yet more progressive turn, with fine tuning coming from the rider's preference.

Don't forget that Virage offers fine tune risers in 3 and 5 degrees for this to be possible.

Given that the truck uses angles comparable to that of a Bennett or similar, the slalom truck might end by having a base plate angle closer to 8 or 9 degrees. We also have to check the ride height of the baseplate so that is is both as low as posssible whilst allowing wheel clearance at full turn angle.

And styling.

Winter fun!




Sam
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[Pelle Gustafsson]

yes i am back after a segery,and i going to be better then before so watch your back i coming upp and going to kick your tiny ass... hope to race whith you and all other virage gang

[Sam Gordon]

Good to hear that you are glued back together and have come out fighting!

Here's a picture of your bony metallic tail:




SamG
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[Pelle Gustafsson]

cant wait to buy you a beer or 2-3-4-5 before a race... lol

[Sam Gordon]

THAT sort of knobbling I can accept!

Michael and I have been testing the Vite on the flat in Hyde Park today. It's turning action is buttery smooth with quick turn initiation when run flat to the deck (zero riser angle). Despite my initial concerns that the front end might be too twitchy, the board whistled through 5 1/2 ft straight with ease and with a progressive, yet snappy feel. Lovely!

At the current angle, little riser is needed. The wheel travel path is fast turning, but moves in a comparatively horizontal plane, so that vertical travel in the turning action is not so great. No need of huge amounts of riser, then.

We then tested the truck dewedged to see how it would operate. First 5 degrees of steering was taken out, then 8 degrees.

Both angles felt smooth and progressive when freeriding, the 8 degree lending itself towards a hybrid course turn. Whilst the freeriding option shoud not be dismissed, the Vite is designed to be a fast turning truck first and foremost. With the exaggeratedly reduced turn angle (-8*) the progressive turn feel was improved a little, however this marginal benefit was outweighed y a greater comparative reduction in tun initiation. Vertical wheel travel at this angle as also greatly increased so demanding a higher flat riser to prevent wheelbite.

The 5 degree reverse wedge helped to return much of the snap that had been reduced by the -8 riser. Progression in turn rate seemed similar. Excellent for freeride, however when run through cones the turn initiation was not quite as rapid as preferred.

We then returned to running the truck flat again. Turn initiation was great, as was the progressive feel, however the shoulders of the bushing seat served to work as turn limiters, so preventing the fullest arc of turn to be tested. Whilst this made the truck operate very well on the tight straight course, final turn point and tipping/pitching point could not be determined. In other words, how would the truck behave at the steepest part of its turn?

All of this will be addressed through new machining in prototype version 2. Given that many of today's slalom decks have a sight upturn at the nose (Pavl Pirnack for example), a couple of steering degrees are incidentally added to the baseplate, so steepening the angle. Version 2 will therefore be reduced in angle by 3 degrees as both security measure (to prevent the possibility of pitching on step nosed decks) and to maintain turn initiation snap with progressive action. 3mm with be added to the truck height in order to accommodate the increased vertical wheel travel.

In such a way, the new version can be easily tuned using a 3 degree angled riser either to give the truck a super whippy turn initiation, or to make it the perfect choice for tight hybrid courses.

However you run the Virage Vite, you are really going to enjoy the precision feel of the smooth turning action offered up by its supertight tolerances and free-flowing bearing. Yum!!!


Sam
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[Marcus Seyffarth]

[GARY GLASSER]

Is it going to be sold as a set? (hanger/plate) Or can you chose to purchase just the hanger?
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I am the slowest COSS slalom racer..Lucky for you!

[Michael Stride]

You can buy either the baseplate, or the hanger.

Or both.

There are distinct advantages to using the complete trucks as the benefits of not have a massive riser tower are big.

The prices of the hanger and baseplate will differ, its looking like the baseplate will be cheaper than the hanger.
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[Michael Stride]

Picking up the new, hopefully final pre-prods later;
sneak preview:



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[Michael Stride]

More views, there will be Virage branding on some of the faces,:




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[Sam Gordon]

In the flesh:






Vite for Vendetta.
and Victory.
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[Marcus Seyffarth]

NICE!!!

[Julien RICHARD]

witch deck did you use for this set up?

is the front riser flat or angled?

[Philip Bond]

Looks good Mike, will have to wait 'til the new year to buy, too much to hide from wifey at present.

Ran into an old friend/rival of yours a couple of months ago, Nick 'Boomerdog" Sable. Glad you too get on so well............
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"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

[Sam Gordon]

Thanks Marcus; we're still very impressed by the 161 design ethic!

Julien, the board used here is a Pavel Pirnack. This deck has an upturned nose in order to both hold in the front foot and to steepen a regular truck steering angle. I have reverse wedged the Vite by five degrees so that the truck runs flat, emulating how it will operate on most slalom decks.

Here is a small bit of footage of the truck in testing on the flat at Hyde Park. Tight slalomers and long distance pumpers will be interested in this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1rwzHWJoJ0

Image taken before the truck was reverse wedged on the Pirnack:



Sam
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[Pelle Gustafsson]

looks like a oldschool lazer truck.. fett nice!!!

[Michael Stride]

Pelle. They look even nicer on podiums.

Yours should be with you around Christmas.

And the Lazer influence is there, we have taken Bennett angles and Lazer style, with Virage quality and axles. The Vite will be a nice ride!

Marcus, thanks for the compliment! Means a lot. You'll love the gold versions! (joke!)

Also Sam Gordon and I hope to come to an indoor sesh in Sweden soon.
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[Pelle Gustafsson]

Big smile!!

[Sam Gordon]

Pelle, surely you are not suggesting that this has all been done before??!!?






Crikey! It's like skateboarding's Greatest Hits re-mastered!!!
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[Ramón Königshausen]

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.


or just

rmn
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Feel the flow – Airflow Skateboards

Real skateboard wheels come in green – ABEC11

Enjoy the ride – GOG Slalom & DH Trucks

[Michael Stride]

Dont forget the spherical in the hanger!


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[Sam Gordon]

Please sir, can I have some Moore?

...with sphericals !
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[Michael Stride]

I thought Id show a little of the process of making the Virages and Vites, if your interested....

Here is the jig that holds the billet in place for the hangers, simply put we drill the axle holes into the billet then mount it firmly into this gig clamp to place into the milling machine:


This is the baseplate in its jig part made:


To put the kingpins in firmly we use a very old bit of kit...its basically a big lever...each angle baseplate has a corresponding wedge to hold the baseplate in at the right angle:


The workshop has a seperate section for 'skate stuff'!


Each truck is washed cleaned and assembled....


packed and ready to take home to organise shipping:


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[Wesley Tucker]

Do you ever wanna just get naked and roll around in it all?
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[Sj Kalliokoski]

I would not recommend that due those kingpins can hurt you !!
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-pokkis

[Pelle Gustafsson]

its depend on were the kingpin take place

[Wesley Tucker]

Hey, that press can be made to work both ways.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!
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