Check your Nuts

There’s not a lot to a mountain board so there’s no excuses for not giving it a quick check over before each ride. If you don’t check that your nuts are all tight you may end up damaging yourself and your board.

Most nuts on most mountain boards are Nylock nuts, this means they have a nylon sleeve inside them, while this helps stopping them coming loose they still need to be checked.

A fast way to check that your nuts are all tight is to drop your board on to its wheels and listen for any vibrations that come from it. It should sound reasonably solid.

The main nuts and bolts that you should look out for are any around your bindings. As they are not always loaded up they are prone to vibrate loose. If you use F’3 bindings there is a bolt under buckle holding it to the binding, make sure you always tighten this because over time it does vibrate loose.

It’s also a good idea to check your truck and wheel nuts. Just go over them with an allen key and spanner and take up any slack. Some trucks have a grub screw that tightens the axel to the truck. It is well worth keeping this tight because as soon as it comes loose it will strip the spline on the axel and loose the screw.



Keeping all screws, nuts and bolts tight on your board is a must do to protect you and others around you from avoidable crashes. It also extends your boards life and gives a more comfortable ride.

Simo

MORE speed

Its easy to get speed on a mountain board but here's a few tips on getting that little bit more.

Firstly I would recommend using either orange or red MBS eggshox, and if your really plan on flying use some MUNRO hard springs. All these products help minimize speed wobbles. I'd also recommend all the standard safety gear eg; helmet, wrist pads, kneepads.

The easiest way to get a bit more speed is to decrease the rolling resistance. This can be done by pumping your tires up as hard as possible. Most tires can be pumped up to 50 psi. Don't go any harder than what's recommended on the tire as you risk stripping your hubs apart with a bad landing. Also make sure your bearings are running fast, keep them oiled and for extra pace use light oils (you will have to replace this more often than standard oil).

Try to keep low on the board to beat air resistance, this really helps at high speeds.



The next thing you can do to add more speed is to flow and be as smooth as possible. When you turn the board take the straightest line and try keep it as smooth as possible, every time the board slides, even the slightest bit, washes some of your speed off. If you have trouble stopping the rear tires from sliding try putting a bit more weight over the front of the board, or tighten your rear springs.

If there is any lumps or jumps in your path you can use them to your advantage. The key is pumping. Absorb the rise of the object and push you board in to the fall. This gives a quick boost and is the key when racing on border cross tracks.

Before going out and going as fast as you can, get comfortable with you board, you should be able to ollie/jump and slide with no problems just incase something gets in your way. Also be comfortable with your surrounding, ride the hill a few time to make sure there's no pot hole or obstacles you could hit. Now strap in and get ready to pull awesome speeds.

Simo

Wet'n'Muddy Rides

Riding in the rain can be awesome fun and a good time to practice slides, but you should take extra care with your board to make sure the water does not destroy it.

After a wet ride I find the best thing to do is to get any excess water off the board, Just use an old rag or towel, this stops the water from soaking in to the board over time.

Its also best to keep your board away from very warm and moist places when its wet, such as board bags, Try to find somewhere to hang your board to help it dry a little faster.

If the board is muddy its much easier to clean while it is wet, Just wipe it down with a rag. To clean the griptape use a brush and rinse the tape with a bit of water. Once the mud Dries onto the griptape you need to use a soft metal bristled brush to scrub it off, This may be too harsh on your grip tape so I recommend getting the mud off before it dries.

It may also be a good idea to try and get some oil in to your bearings after a few wet rides to stop them rusting and to keep them running fast.

Mountain Boards can withstand rain without a problem, but if you take a little bit more care of them they will last a lot longer.

Simo

Fitting MBS ROCKSTAR PRO's

If you want to pimp your ride and increase the strength of your hubs without adding kilos, then Rockstar Pro Aluminium Hubs are for you. Heres a few tips on how to install these new hubs.

Tools: 3mm Allen Key
7mm Socket
5/8" Spanner
Lubrication (eg WD-40)


The first thing you need to do is to pull the hub apart. You will notice that their a little bit different to the traditional Rockstar hubs. You should have the hub in two halves and 3 different sized spacers.

Put the tube inside the tire with just enough air to hold its shape.

Place the biggest spacer inside the tire with the tube valve through the hole. This can be tight so you may want to use some lubrication and make sure the tube or valve isn't been twisted or pulled.

Put one side of the hub on to the tire and place the middle spacer in to position.

Now put the other side of the hub on and bolt both sides of the hub together. While doing the bolts up be careful not to pinch the tire or tube between the hub/spacer, and make sure the valve is not fouling on any spokes.

Slide one bearing on to the axel then push the hub on to it, you might want to use some lubricant because this is tight.

Place the small spacer on the axel and slide it inside the hub followed by the second bearing. you may once again need lubricant. If the bearing is too tight you can use a soft mallet to tap it, or screw the wheel nut on to push it in.

Tighten the wheel on to the board, pump it up and repeat the steps for the next three wheels.

All that's left to do is to go get some massive air and ensure these babies because the moment you turn you head your board will be sitting on bricks.


Simo

Welcome to MUNRO Boards

Dedicated to the sport of mountainboarding, this blog is hosted and contributed to by key members of MUNRO Mountain Boards in Australia and beyond.

We aim to discuss the latest and greatest in mountain boards, the sport, tips and tricks and general advice to help you become a better boarder.

We welcome your comments.