Steve, I really hope your review inspires SpiceSkate to go back to the drawing board, and design a whole new truck. I admire the company for their progressive design, however your real-world experience has shown it to lack in performance. Your reviews are always invaluable with your depth of insight. Thank you
Great to see another of your top reviews on a relatively new surf skate truck. I also really appreciate your own opinion on the truck, very insightful. Sure hope you have more reviews in the pipeline (like the long island genesis truck). Cheers from Spain.
Oh yeah! I have a list a mile long to get to. I lost my videographrer when my oldest daughter moved out, so it's been very tough to piece things together without her. But I have a good system now so I should be able to move more quickly. Thanks so much!
Awesome review mate....you perfectly explain an cover evry little detail ...so glad I watched some of your reveiws before I went and got an expensive board impulsively..thank you Steve...keep em coming brotha
Great video, thank you! Your content is priceless when it comes to the comparison of different systems! Would love to hear your opinion about the _Hydroponic_ "CX-clone" - what's the best non-Carver CX-style truck in your opinion - and which of those does the worst job in contrast?
Haha. I laughed out loud when you compare breakage and issues to the CX 😂. In my experience, Carver CX is a piece of junk. I’ve purchased 3. 2 have had defective hanger/bushing issues and on one I gave as a gift, the kingpin nut comes loose. One I was able to return and the other two sit awaiting charge disputes. Also, you keep recommending the Triton series. That’s 2/3 I bought and IMO, those decks are super cheap and really flat with super thin tails. At least that’s the case with the Astral and Spectral that I bought. You can find Yow on sale if you look and IMO are way better than Carver CX. Maybe if I had one that actually performed the way it should, I could agree with you but hasn’t happened. Also, Solride and Long Island boards have completes under $200. I would wholeheartedly recommend Solride over the CX and it’s highly modifiable. Have yet to try the LI boards, but Shane Lai have been riding it a lot, although he may be sponsored by them. Seeing as they are fairly inexpensive, I’m curious why you haven’t tried those out. You could have bought both for the cost of the Spiceskate 😂
Haha. I laughed out loud reading your comment, for a few reasons: 1. I've purchased and tested 16 Carvers and I've never had any of those issues. Out of the 70+ surfskates I've tested, Carvers are the most durable in my experience. If you do have maintenance issues on the CX compared to any of the other more complicated ones (Okto, Meraki, Thruster, SwellTech), it's much easier and cheaper to fix a CX than them. 2. Carver is the only surfskate company to offer a lifetime warranty on defective truck parts. 3. You're right that the Triton decks aren't anything special. But I would choose a Triton deck over all the SpiceSkate decks I've tried except for one. And you can buy 3 Tritons for the cost of one Okto. 4. Meraki versus CX is just your personal preference. And I've had a lot more maintenance issues with my Merakis than my CXs. 5. I have three Solrides and to me they are competitors to the C5, not the CX, because of their narrow hanger. Working on a review of the C5, Solride and YOW surf cruiser together. 6. I just haven't been able to get to the Long Island one yet, but it's definitely on my list.
@@SurfskateLove glad you thought it was funny but you say many times your reviews are also your opinion, personal preference and based on your experience. I’m just sharing mine for whatever that matters. Carvers warranty is as good as their CX trucks: useless. That’s also my experience from contacting them and getting no response and no resolution. Sounds like you are batting a thousand with Carver. I’ve purchased 5: 3 CX, 1 C7 and 1 C5. Only the C5 and C7 are currently rideable. Hence my comment. 2/5 are not very good odds IMO. You yourself have said in previous video that the Meraki is the best all around truck 😂. So did the surfer you interviewed at the end says he’d rather have Yow or Smoothstar 🤔
I only have one major complaint with the Carvers. And it's that they're not particularly great, where they work best, which is acting really close to a standard skate truck. However, the center nut high forward bolt (even if reversed) stands quite tall, and will stall you on grinds, and even nose manuals, if you're running smaller wheels. They are hard to beat for feeling stable in fakie though. I keep mine for a transition/pool board. With regard to boards, I'm largely unimpressed with every companies completes. I honestly think you're better off, and this is certainly true with standard skateboards too, buying everything separately. I think all the companies are simply trying to, understandably, trying to cut cost where they can, and more often than not their boards just aren't as good as major manufactures who've been around much longer. Out of my boards, 2 Waterborne, 2 YOW, 1 Carver. I find that the Waterborne is still the best all around, if you want one setup to do it all. However the YOW excels in distance, and cruise. While the Carver excels at the park, transition, and flat ground freestyle when you take note of it's quirks. With their new FIN system, on a budget, or not, a waterborne just does it all proficiently, if not perfectly. I only wish there was a way to stiffen them up a little more than you can by simply replacing the bushing, or a way to vary it's somewhat sloppy feel up front. If they ever get that pinned down, it'll be the ultimate surf skate by a country mile, provided you as the customer have the ability to set it up for yourself. Most especially if you have a budget too though. Mine was put together for 130, and it's a beautiful setup with 6" Tensor trucks, SSL wheels, Dragon bearings, DKL rubber grip, and a Moose old school 10" board (caught most parts on sale). You can even get cheaper than that, if you already have longboard parts lying around. With respect to this system... I'd never dream of spending that much on anything other than an E-Skate. And when I've tried some expensive options, any gains they might have are just too marginal for me to consider worthwhile, unless I was getting into things more professionally, and in my experience, there really aren't many gains in any aspect. I think my most expensive complete board totaled out to 180 or so, and that is a regular skateboard. Anything that crosses 300 sounds insane to me.
@@ramshaka Totally agree with putting together your own. Especially if you’re comfortable drilling new holes for wheelbases. I have a couple decks that are great and one was only $50. My Yow complete deck isn’t half bad although a little wide for me. That’s my favorite complete deck and the only reason I bought it as a complete instead of just the trucks is that it was on sale and not much more that the trucks alone would have been. Although, I see they have dropped the price recently haha. Aside from that, after the first Carvers I bought, I started building my own. Haven’t tried the Waterborne. Probably would have been a better and much cheaper place to start 😂. I guess I got caught up in the hype of thinking I needed a Carver to surfskate. In reality, I could have done dang near the same things I have done thus far on my Enjoi skateboard that I bought before discovering surfskate. I think that mentality of thinking we need this or that board or setup is kind of rampant in the surfskate community. I think most people have multiple surfskates and yes maybe there are some differences but really any move could really be performed on any board with the right amount of practice and technical skill. I literally just yesterday saw someone doing the same things I see the big name surfskaters do on a Penny board 😂. I am definitely guilty of going overboard. One of my custom setups is above that $300 range haha. I think most people that are investing more than $300 are putting together “dream” builds rather than buying completes for that amount. At least in my communities and groups. Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone riding a Spiceskate Okto or otherwise unless they’re sponsored 😂
Great review. I agree with this not being worth the price hike. SpiceSkate needs to come down to earth and quit being so elitist in a sport/lifestyle that’s geared towards the lower cost price point.
Glad to see this video, as even looking at these prices makes my wallet hurt. Good to know I'm not missing much, without having to break the bank. It's a very interesting system, but ultimately seems over engineered to my eyes.
Anyone else thinks that some companies are trying (and failing) to reinvent the wheel with a nonsense gourmet product??? Damn it! get it a CX and be happy
Steve, I really hope your review inspires SpiceSkate to go back to the drawing board, and design a whole new truck. I admire the company for their progressive design, however your real-world experience has shown it to lack in performance. Your reviews are always invaluable with your depth of insight. Thank you
Great to see another of your top reviews on a relatively new surf skate truck. I also really appreciate your own opinion on the truck, very insightful. Sure hope you have more reviews in the pipeline (like the long island genesis truck). Cheers from Spain.
Oh yeah! I have a list a mile long to get to. I lost my videographrer when my oldest daughter moved out, so it's been very tough to piece things together without her. But I have a good system now so I should be able to move more quickly. Thanks so much!
Awesome review mate....you perfectly explain an cover evry little detail ...so glad I watched some of your reveiws before I went and got an expensive board impulsively..thank you Steve...keep em coming brotha
Great video, thank you! Your content is priceless when it comes to the comparison of different systems!
Would love to hear your opinion about the _Hydroponic_ "CX-clone" - what's the best non-Carver CX-style truck in your opinion - and which of those does the worst job in contrast?
The Spice Skate system looks really cool but I just can not justify the price. Like you said in the video you only bought it on sale.
Hi, have you tried using a foil wing on the surfskate?
Nope.
Haha. I laughed out loud when you compare breakage and issues to the CX 😂. In my experience, Carver CX is a piece of junk. I’ve purchased 3. 2 have had defective hanger/bushing issues and on one I gave as a gift, the kingpin nut comes loose. One I was able to return and the other two sit awaiting charge disputes. Also, you keep recommending the Triton series. That’s 2/3 I bought and IMO, those decks are super cheap and really flat with super thin tails. At least that’s the case with the Astral and Spectral that I bought. You can find Yow on sale if you look and IMO are way better than Carver CX. Maybe if I had one that actually performed the way it should, I could agree with you but hasn’t happened. Also, Solride and Long Island boards have completes under $200. I would wholeheartedly recommend Solride over the CX and it’s highly modifiable. Have yet to try the LI boards, but Shane Lai have been riding it a lot, although he may be sponsored by them. Seeing as they are fairly inexpensive, I’m curious why you haven’t tried those out. You could have bought both for the cost of the Spiceskate 😂
Haha. I laughed out loud reading your comment, for a few reasons:
1. I've purchased and tested 16 Carvers and I've never had any of those issues. Out of the 70+ surfskates I've tested, Carvers are the most durable in my experience. If you do have maintenance issues on the CX compared to any of the other more complicated ones (Okto, Meraki, Thruster, SwellTech), it's much easier and cheaper to fix a CX than them.
2. Carver is the only surfskate company to offer a lifetime warranty on defective truck parts.
3. You're right that the Triton decks aren't anything special. But I would choose a Triton deck over all the SpiceSkate decks I've tried except for one. And you can buy 3 Tritons for the cost of one Okto.
4. Meraki versus CX is just your personal preference. And I've had a lot more maintenance issues with my Merakis than my CXs.
5. I have three Solrides and to me they are competitors to the C5, not the CX, because of their narrow hanger. Working on a review of the C5, Solride and YOW surf cruiser together.
6. I just haven't been able to get to the Long Island one yet, but it's definitely on my list.
@@SurfskateLove glad you thought it was funny but you say many times your reviews are also your opinion, personal preference and based on your experience. I’m just sharing mine for whatever that matters. Carvers warranty is as good as their CX trucks: useless. That’s also my experience from contacting them and getting no response and no resolution. Sounds like you are batting a thousand with Carver. I’ve purchased 5: 3 CX, 1 C7 and 1 C5. Only the C5 and C7 are currently rideable. Hence my comment. 2/5 are not very good odds IMO. You yourself have said in previous video that the Meraki is the best all around truck 😂. So did the surfer you interviewed at the end says he’d rather have Yow or Smoothstar 🤔
Glad you thought it was funny too, bro. ;-)
I only have one major complaint with the Carvers. And it's that they're not particularly great, where they work best, which is acting really close to a standard skate truck. However, the center nut high forward bolt (even if reversed) stands quite tall, and will stall you on grinds, and even nose manuals, if you're running smaller wheels.
They are hard to beat for feeling stable in fakie though. I keep mine for a transition/pool board.
With regard to boards, I'm largely unimpressed with every companies completes. I honestly think you're better off, and this is certainly true with standard skateboards too, buying everything separately. I think all the companies are simply trying to, understandably, trying to cut cost where they can, and more often than not their boards just aren't as good as major manufactures who've been around much longer. Out of my boards, 2 Waterborne, 2 YOW, 1 Carver. I find that the Waterborne is still the best all around, if you want one setup to do it all. However the YOW excels in distance, and cruise. While the Carver excels at the park, transition, and flat ground freestyle when you take note of it's quirks.
With their new FIN system, on a budget, or not, a waterborne just does it all proficiently, if not perfectly. I only wish there was a way to stiffen them up a little more than you can by simply replacing the bushing, or a way to vary it's somewhat sloppy feel up front. If they ever get that pinned down, it'll be the ultimate surf skate by a country mile, provided you as the customer have the ability to set it up for yourself. Most especially if you have a budget too though. Mine was put together for 130, and it's a beautiful setup with 6" Tensor trucks, SSL wheels, Dragon bearings, DKL rubber grip, and a Moose old school 10" board (caught most parts on sale). You can even get cheaper than that, if you already have longboard parts lying around.
With respect to this system... I'd never dream of spending that much on anything other than an E-Skate. And when I've tried some expensive options, any gains they might have are just too marginal for me to consider worthwhile, unless I was getting into things more professionally, and in my experience, there really aren't many gains in any aspect. I think my most expensive complete board totaled out to 180 or so, and that is a regular skateboard. Anything that crosses 300 sounds insane to me.
@@ramshaka Totally agree with putting together your own. Especially if you’re comfortable drilling new holes for wheelbases. I have a couple decks that are great and one was only $50. My Yow complete deck isn’t half bad although a little wide for me. That’s my favorite complete deck and the only reason I bought it as a complete instead of just the trucks is that it was on sale and not much more that the trucks alone would have been. Although, I see they have dropped the price recently haha. Aside from that, after the first Carvers I bought, I started building my own. Haven’t tried the Waterborne. Probably would have been a better and much cheaper place to start 😂. I guess I got caught up in the hype of thinking I needed a Carver to surfskate. In reality, I could have done dang near the same things I have done thus far on my Enjoi skateboard that I bought before discovering surfskate. I think that mentality of thinking we need this or that board or setup is kind of rampant in the surfskate community. I think most people have multiple surfskates and yes maybe there are some differences but really any move could really be performed on any board with the right amount of practice and technical skill. I literally just yesterday saw someone doing the same things I see the big name surfskaters do on a Penny board 😂.
I am definitely guilty of going overboard. One of my custom setups is above that $300 range haha. I think most people that are investing more than $300 are putting together “dream” builds rather than buying completes for that amount. At least in my communities and groups. Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone riding a Spiceskate Okto or otherwise unless they’re sponsored 😂
Wow expensive but interesting deck designs.
Great review. I agree with this not being worth the price hike. SpiceSkate needs to come down to earth and quit being so elitist in a sport/lifestyle that’s geared towards the lower cost price point.
Glad to see this video, as even looking at these prices makes my wallet hurt. Good to know I'm not missing much, without having to break the bank.
It's a very interesting system, but ultimately seems over engineered to my eyes.
Exactly. I can't get a read on SpiceSkate. They're a nameless, faceless company. They seem more like engineers, not surfers or skaters. I dunno.
Clicks noise from the C7 axis
Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean.
One Spring one problem. 08 springs 08 problèms.
Anyone else thinks that some companies are trying (and failing) to reinvent the wheel with a nonsense gourmet product??? Damn it! get it a CX and be happy
Et la traduction svp?
Yes, I'll have subtitles soon. Thanks!