man you're the only guy on youtube who measures all the aspects of the boards and goes in depth about how this or that works. No other skateboard channel gets as technical as you they just break boards and do giveaways. Really love your channel found it while trying to find info on how wheelbase effects your skating.
Did you know he has a popular drywall channel? That's how I first found him and then stumbled across one of his skating videos (RU-vid doesn't seem to know the difference between BMX and skate.)
I hate/love that part..coz im missin my 4yr old Daughter.. well anyway good review again Ben, on a very Light truck.. Never like Tensor.. Thunder or indy for life.. Cheers guys :)
I know I'm years late, but the 90a translucent red Thunder bushings in these trucks are damn near perfection for me as far as turning is concerned! They're still very light, but I'm old and feeble so that works for me too
I've ridden these everyday for about a year (same exact model, size, and color) and I love them because their weight offsets my clunky, giant, and heavy 57mm wheels - which I absolutely need for the crusty, tiled, and generally terrible eastern surfaces. I also love the way they turn, but that took me about 2-3 weeks to break in.
I'm getting some ricta clouds that are 86a 58mm cause my OJ super juice (78a 60mm) for cruising chipped on one wheel and I decided to get a new set and I was looking for days to find a middle of the road wheels that weren't too soft or too hard so I got some 86's and I'm excited for them to come in!
i cant go that big, even for bad surfaces. thats why i just go with 93-97a, 52-54mm. Decomposed sells em. freestyle skaters mainly skate em because they are offset, but i like em for street because they give you more grind clearance on 50-50s and of course the duro/size isn't too out there. + if you have trucks that are too small for your board they are meant for widening em out to make em fit.
OMG huge fuckin wheels i can't even imagine anything bigger than 53s. U prefer 52s but after breaking them in 53s will end up as 52s after riding them awhile. I had a buddy who lived in Mexico for awhie who had to ride 55s cuz of all the cobblestone streets n gravely concrete..when u moved back he had to relearn 50% of his flat ground ability with slighter thinner, softer 52s...he was used to big n hard wheels skating in Mexico for the 6 months he lived there. He also said the heat n huminity over there would warp his board over time if he didn't store his stuff if a dryer room. This is all shit I never had to deal with..i didn't even kno heat air quality could fuck the plys up so bad..
@@matthewkuhns7303 Try the Ricta clouds 92A. It is my middle of the road wheel for riding crusty streets in my area and for skating ledges, park, and vert.
He makes pretty damn good money I think. He’s an extremely successful carpenter that has another RU-vid channel focused purely on that. He literally has two youtube identities lol. Nobody watching his other channel knows that he’s a sick skater that makes tons of skateboarding videos, and nobody here knows that he makes tons of carpentry videos either. He must busy non stop between working, his kid(s?), making videos for the other channel, and making videos for this channel. He’s super admirable, imagine how hard it would be to be a grown adult nearing 40 (maybe past 40?) with a kid, an extremely taxing manual labor job, and STILL being able to rip and find time to make loads of videos.
* when i 1st got mine i swapped the bushings to the green stock suspension truck ones because they're the same size and i pretty much never skate those trucks. bones bushings gets a weird creeking noise and thats because the pivot cup has like an embossed lining of some sort to keep it snug and its meant to be for the angle of the stock bushings size. you could swap the cups though, which is what I've done and now i have the bones in. * as for the lightness, i immediately went for a freestyle trick because- tensors/rodney. i did a quad finger flip first try to test the air and it was absurdly easy. the weight makes me confident to commit bc something about them has zero intimidation factor. like im not scared of shinners. Idk, they just really suit my skating style because i'm kinda low impact. I do a lot of slappys and 80s foot plant/grab tricks and its easy to flip, especially for me because i never recovered from a basketball knee injury. you would think that I'm an OG skater because i talked about bad knee and my style but I'm actually 23, LOL. l equip deck rails and wide wheels and those are what balance the weight out for me. definitely a fav truck and perfect imo. LOVE the grind too. * but currently I skate Gull Wings i got at socalskateshop because i felt like bringing em back. I doubt there'll ever be a review on those bc who even skates those anymore? anyone? just me? figured. lol but a deck rail review would be cool too.
@@SanctionedHydra i've tried putting wax in them, oiling them, even putting deodorant. it doesn't work. i seriously think its just meant with bushings of the same size.
Huh, I kept waxing my pivot cups trying to get rid of the creek after swapping to bones medium. They turn a lot better. Same here on the shinners, especially since I just started to skate and my 8.5 deck with 149s destroys my shins after 20 minutes to the point where I gotta take a break. On the tensors I can go for longer. However, after 3 months my axle is fucked up and one of the wheel nuts always goes in crooked. I managed to pinch the wheel in there after stripping the lug, and I contacted tensor a month ago but I've gotten no response.
I'm riding these for about half a year now and since I weigh only 60kg and have really small feet (24,5cm insole) I find those very nice feeling. Two things I have to say are that the bushings wear in after 2 weeks to a month and the truck turns like a dream without ever getting wheelbite. The second thing is that they may feel confusing because they're so light that you can notice that the center of gravity is higher therefore it feels like the board flips more around the "deck axis" (I don't know how to explain it, the axis is somewhat a bit higher compared to a board with heavier trucks). Great job Ben, I love listening to you analyzing and talking about your impressions cuz I'm a guy that really tends to scientifically overthink skateboarding 😅
Ive been riding Tensors for years and love them. Had 3 consecutive pairs now and recently got the new mag lights which I cannot fault thus far. Their customer service is also great as my second pair, which by that point I had been riding for a good while, cracked on the baseplate around one of the bolts. Tensor sent me a brand new pair straight away no questions asked. I can also concur you are correct when you say that once you ride these you don't want to ride anything else. I love my Tensors! Thanks for another good and informative review Ben.
@KDawg9000 I can't say I have tbh. The only time I really feel any flex on my board like that is when I do backfoot impossibles due to the way I stand before popping. I literally have my right foot just on the back right edge of the tail and my left foot in pretty much the equal opposite on the nose, right on the edge of the nose. Then I feel little flex with the deck flexing up in the middle as I pop. But thats nothing to do with the trucks, thats more like me at almost 80kg standing the way I do to pop that trick. however the trucks have always felt pretty solid to me. Happy riding!
Tensor ATG finally work good with bones bushings. You have to wax the bushings, washer and kingpin nut where they touch each other. A standard candle will do fine. This stops the cracking noise when changing direction. The washer "jumps" between the nut and top bushing, which makes the cracking noise unless it's waxed or the nut is tightened very tough. Took me a while to figure out, i just can't stand noisy trucks. I never could, idk why. On topic: I (also) ride a powell flight 243 with tensor maglight 5.5 and 52mm wheels. Once you get used to the lightness and figure out that it needs way less power to be put into the pop (compared to normal setups), high ollies or pop-shoves are a piece of cake, because you put more power into the jump. Just lean back a little and let the board come up more in front of your body than under it, the board will pop as high as you can lift your feet when jumping. Way more fun when you're getting old and your muscle energy lowers slowly. I don't grind much but the magnesium goes more smoothly over metal coping/bars.
I switched to Tensor 5.25 ATG Mag Lights about 4 months ago after 25 years if riding on Independent trucks. The Independent 144 were my truck of choice (they stopped making them in the early 2000s but they brought them back a few years ago) and I found the 5.25 to be pretty much the same dimensions as the Indy forged titanium version. What took some getting used to at first was the turning. I ride 50mm wheels on an 8.25 deck and I found that I that I can wheel bite these pretty easily. However, I also found that I can turn significantly tighter with these before wheel biting than I could with the Indys. It is almost laughable to look at a still shot and see how tweaked they are on a tight turn. I found the stock top washer flexes and bends way too much so I replaced it with a the top washers that come with Independent bushings when you buy them separately (I always replace the stock orange barrel bushings with red conical independent bushings) and that took care of the overturning issues I was having. That said, I am glad you did this review since I have been looking forward to it and even suggested it in the comments. I had a feeling you would find these too light due to your preference for Independent trucks as I find the ATG to essentially be a super light Indy. What I really wanted to hear was your experience grinding with the Mag Light versions of the ATG and that look on your face after the backside 50-50 during that warmup sessions says it all. Grinding on magnesium trucks changed my outlook on what I can grind on any given day when out on the streets and it feels nice to, for once, not be too concerned about getting hung up on a raw or chunky section. If I was jumping down things, I would likely stick with Indys. I think these trucks thrive for people who skate curbs, ledges, and jump over/up things. Another group I think benefits with this is the older skater who was to take some weight off their session to ease the stress on the body. The 5.25 ATG Mag Lights have become my main setup. Looking to try some Thunder Titanium 148 once Deluxe can actually start shipping products. :) Really curious about the wider wheel base as I recently pulled out a set of Venture from before I switched to Indys and it made a board I had feel a lot better. Would be nice to open up some options for different shapes.
Checking for bent axle: stack two wheels with bearings in on table, remove axle nut and put truck in. Hold the wheels in stack with other hand and rotate truck with other. If upward sticking end of axle wobbles, axle has bent.
To check if the axle is bent, since it is hollow, just insert into it a spaghetti-like object. If this strut is stiff and come out on the other side it means that the axle is not bend. I'm riding my tensor mag light since 3 months and the axle is fine. In general I like the overall feeling of the truck. In my experience, once you get used, the mag light trucks makes most of your tricks a little easier to spin, to flip, to grind and to pop.
I had an Element Featherlight deck with Indy stage 11 hollows, & Spitfire FF Tablets together. It was way too light. It wouldn't even flip right on a windy day.
@@jacobpie4390 The same setup with a Darkstar or Primitive deck feels good, but the Element Featherlight Construction deck with that setup felt too light from the beginning. I didn't stay with it for very long though.
@@Juggatarian I currently have this setup (Element Featherlight + Tensor) and I can no longer skate with heavy boards now. I feel like I have to put a lot more force into my tricks.
Took a while to get used to. It's very hard to get slow flips consistent with a light set-up, they have to be flicked real fast and have to bring your back foot up super fast to catch. There's no going back once you get used to it.
I ride these (5.25") on a deep and steep 8" deck and love them. I gave the stock bushings a shot for a bit, but hated them, they were so soft and the hangers wouldn't snap back to center after leaning into a turn. I swapped the.stock bushings out for bones hardcore mediums,, but they made a terrible clicking noise any time I turned or leaned (it was the built in washer of the bottom bushing popping against the treads of the kingpin), so I tinkered a bit and ended up settling on a hard Indy conical bottom bushing and a bones hardcore medium top bushing. They turn super well now and snap back to the proper position quickly. Once I figured this out they became the best trucks I've ever ridden, in my 20 years of skating I've tried indy, thunder, venture and krux as well.
Have to try that thanks. I've been getting better turning swapping out the bottom bushing for Bones and the cracking goes away once you skate them a while but eventually they get busted too. Surprised you're able to use a Bones top bushing, they get really bent up and mangled in my experience.
@@CBDPiggy I have had issues with busting the bones top bushing. In a year and a half I've replaced it twice. I guess that is probably kind of a lot for that amount of time, but they feel right, so I don't mind continuing to buy them.
Glad to finally see you test out some Tensors! Something you didnt mention about who they could be good for is children/youth since light weight trucks and quicker sliding trucks could be vary beneficial for those just learning the basic grinds, flip tricks and manuals especially for those that are struggling to ollie or get great pop, a lighter setup might just manage to help get them popping higher. For those that grew up riding Tensor trucks I believe they"ll love the ATG's in many ways, Tensor has always been a dividing truck company, people either love or hate them but for those that choose to ride them and get use to there unique charaterisics they genuinely love them. Just imagine this, Rodney Mullen rides 7.5-8.25 almost uber light boards with tensor mag light "lows" (he may not be on low trucks the past few years but traditionally he was) and bones V3 wheels... ultimate flickability and control... Though many great skaters have rode for Tensor I believe 90% of Tensors popularity still comes form Mullen fans wanting to ride his same type of setup. I ride both a set of Tensors and Indy's on different board setups, I do believe Indy's feel much more durable and for that simple reason alone indy trucks are what I ride on my actual skate setup... but i'll note I do prefer a tighter feeling truck and dont really like the softness of indy stock bushings and im one of those odd folk that upgrades to the 94a hard indy bushings or hard bones bushings. So far my Tensor trucks bushings are still feeling nice and smooth turning after a couple months or so of use, but my Tenors are on a board I use for crusing and basic tricks here and there and its a beginning setup for my nieces and nephew to learn the basics on... just an 8" deck with 54mm 78a ricta clouds, with the softer and bigger/heavier wheels the lighter trucks counter balance vary well in keeping weight down. Always something odd and different with Tensor thats why I continue to support the brand because i like that they still try new and interesting innovations compared to other truck companies.
Mullen don’t skate 8.25 boards… He skates 7.5 and he also doesn’t skate magnesium trucks. He skates regular tensor low 5.0 with a magnesium baseplate and the hanger is a standard tensor hanger. He said this in an interview he likes it light but the magnesium’s are too light even for him. He doesn’t even skate this „Über light“ boards. They are all high concave and he doesn’t like that. He said he likes a mellow concave. Most of the stuff with the name of a pro skater on it, isn’t the stuff he really rides.
@@ayjay359 I disagree most signature gear of pros is in fact what they use... but that doesnt mean its strictly what they use, but there is most definitely a correlation between the gear pros use and put there name on... they might not always use there own board, signature trucks, shoes or wheels etc but the stuff they do use from there sponsors is typically those sizes/models that have there names on it. (some companies are better then others at catering directly to there pros, theres def some riders for some teams that have to basically fight to get the products they want) Look at Deathwish and baker pro model board sizes, there is definitely a correlation between sizes and riders names Reynolds typically rides 8.0 but will go up at times still (and he rarely actually rides his own pro model) but his signature decks relate to his preferred sizes, same for Kader hes riding 8.0s, 8.5s even up to 9.0 and his signature models relate to that, Figgy your gonna typically see on a 8.125, and Tyson P{eterson on 8.25... Foy Boy only rides 8s he might still exp[eriment with sizes from time to time but youll find a lot of 8.0 Foys Baker and Deathwish dont even sell any pro models under 8 nowadays... you can still find there logo boards in smaller sizes though. Same goes for Almost boards, Mullen is the only pro rider that puts his name on boards under 8... and yes its also put on other sizes he doesnt necessarily ride... but your not seeing youness name on 7.75 boards. But your right that Mullen does still seem to skates a 7.5 watching his last part and I do remember hearing or seeing something about his truck setup being like you described... Its a shame Hawk and Ellis, interviewed him and didnt once ask him what his current setup is like that he rides... or whether hes ever tried going up to a 7.75, 8, 8.25 etc... been a while since I watched it but dont recall there being any setup talk.
@@TysonHook-22- Reynolds skates the 8.25 OG Shape, he shown it on the Nine Club. For example, Mark Appleyard have his own Shape which isn’t sold to the public. Nyjah Hustons board was also a custom board, not available to customers before he started his own company. Luan Olivera skates his own shape, you can’t buy. Chris Cole even skates a board shape which is not the regular 8.5 Zero board. Jamie Foy said his board is shorter than the board which is sold. Big names, can do whatever they want. And then there are pros who skate boards from other companies and put stickers on to cover it up like Brian Anderson did when he was on Girl 😂
Man I really appreciate the in depth knowledge you casually are sharing to us. IT’s honestly a blessing to have you casually talking about skateboarding. You’re truly a bastion of knowledge and I learn a lot. You gave me really good advice just now on what great trucks should be like, what a great board should feel like as well. Please do more videos like this!
Thanks for another great video! I’ve been riding the 5.25 on 8,125 and 8,25 boards mostly Matt Berger symmetrical/ twintip for like 3 years now. I’m 41 years old and 217 pounds and I do mostly flatbar and ledge stuff. I gotta say that it’s the best truck for me at this stage. I can skate longer and pop higher without getting too tired every time. The grinding is really good and for being a bigger person I must say I have had no problems with breakage or bending. I modify my trucks a bit since I skate mostly ledge and flatbar. I pop out the kingpin and replace it with a Krux inverted kingpin which gives a lot more smooth smiths and feebles. No hang ups whatsoever. To be able to adjust the kingpin I weld a little tag weld on the, now hidden, nut to prevent it from turning when you use the Allen key. Try it out it’s pretty sweet! Anyways thanks again for the great vids! Greeting from Denmark 🇩🇰
As someone who swore by Thunders for around 10-15 years, switching to these felt like a straight upgrade in every respect. I never skated anything but the standard weight Thunders though, so it's possible that I'd prefer the Titanium Lights if I was a millionaire who could afford them. EDIT: The axles bent. Cone-shaped wheels and wheel bite every time. If it weren't for that, they'd be my forever trucks, but I'm pretty disappointed to have them both bend in exactly the same way despite not skating anything bigger than a 5 stair all year. They turn great, grind great, the kingpin clearance is great and they're light as a feather, but unfortunately the weak axle just lets the whole truck down. If having solid axles would help, then I think it'd be more than worth the weight increase.
I agree with the preference point you made. I went from indys to the maglights and the only difference to me was the weight. It’s just personal preference, but it didn’t matter much to me. It’s like riding your friend’s board, weird at first but then you forget about it.
Ive skated Indy lows for the whole time i 'used' to skate everyday. I love that low truck feel. But im trying to step back on a board and i went to the only CORE shop open in Fresno CA right now and they had Venture lows... and when i got my complete to get back in the game after 6-7 years give or take. Im 31. But my health shat on my skateboarding. But the love has always stayed. But my health is still shit. And now my board is warped! From just sitting in my room doing carpet and driveway flatgroud... i wasn't to bad in my heyday. I just want to get back to skatin ledges and creating beautiful DIY parks. CHF is a bitch... (Congestive Heart Failure) ive had 4 or 5 heart surgeries (i really do lose count bcuz of other surgeries and anesthesia ive been under) and have had my Liver Fail 4 years ago and it still hasent recovered fully... its like at 60% power. Oh yeah the most annoying injury is i have a hernia from laughing to hard at the Eric Andre Show. Thats what messes me up. The Hernia will pop right on out when i tense up to go and pop high for a trick or do any substancial tricks with pop! (Which is everything basically) its depressing at times.. idk why i just kept writing my life story when this vid was about trucks. I just need to get this stuff out sometimes... and when i actually commit to goin out to skate it was something that fucks it up. My warped board. Fatigued bcuz its summer now and in Central California is fuggin hawt! But im tryin. Depression is a bitch but i love skating. Just daydreaming about getting certain tricks back... hopefully soon. I just need a new board now. Ugh. Its always something haha. Like i always tell people when i tell my story... IT.COULD. ALWAYS. BE. WORSE. Love ur vids DeGros. I swear i remember u had sum ads in transworld in the early 2000s?? I dont think im confusing u with anyone else ur name just has always stuck out to me and ive been watching ur channel for a while cuz i seen ur name and something connected! when im feeling down these vids cheer me up. Thanx
Stay strong mate! I know it'll get better. Only have to wait n see. Enjoy every moment on the board and when comes the day where you can pop all your tricks back you'll be so hyped! Have a nice day/evening/night !
Hey man just glad to hear you are still alive and trying to skate ! I'm 24 haven't been serious about skating (like seshin everyday) since I was 16. I was young and skinny and short then Im grateful i'm still pretty young. I had some surgery couldn't do shit and finally have a board setup again. I am trying different wheel truck and board size combos. But glad to hear you survived your problems and surgery I had surgery in and around my heart but wasn't for the heart was for my sternum it was pressing against my heart.
Thanks for sharing. I've had my health issues affect my skating I'm 41 so it's a bitch, it adds to my depression, and bcuz of my accident my equilibrium is fucked up, and I find it hard to get out to skate, I usually find a schoolyard to do slappies noseslides just to get out, I barely skate parks due to my depression and hate feeling out of step, but just rolling down the street can help shit days, keep you're head up man
Sorry to hear about everything. I had an inguinal hernia my whole life until I got surgery for it years ago. It was a total game changer my quality of life was much better afterwards. Took awhile until it got worked on, but the surgery was quick (got out of the hospital after an hour or 2) with no pain afterwards. Try to skate early mornings & at night to avoid the heat. Keep your head up life's too short to be depressed. Greetings from SoCal.
I tried these and first impressions were that the bushings were a real problem. Way too soft and if you wanted it tighter the bushings would pop out of the bottom washer. I'm a fairly small guy btw so weight isn't the issue. You'd lean on one side and the truck would just stay tilted like that when you get off the board :/ I weighed my 5.25's and the weight was 293g when I was expecting 250g. Still lighter than my other trucks but something to bear in mind. In order to solve my bushing problem I frankinsteined the trucks a little and put independant bushings and washers on there and now it feels much better. These trucks grind very good and they're light so now I feel like I have all the good benefits now. The fact that these trucks were light wasn't a problem for me.
totally agree! same experience here whereby trucks get stuck on one side when you left the board. i ended up throwing the stock bushings and replaced them with bones bushings. i also feel that the base plate bushings are not good. by the way, im suprised yours weigh 293 grams and mine was 264 grams on tensor maglight low 5.25
agree lighter means easier to flick and less pain when it smacks your shins. Felt like this review was kinda biased from the start. Just a matter of getting used to it....
I'm riding a Franky Villani primitive, football shaped, 9.25 with some 46mm wheels and Daewon song Tensor mag lights and it is unbelievably light. Feels like I don't have trucks or wheels on it
Here's a mad idea: Could you put Tensor hangers on a truck that turns, without screwing up the turning ability? Thunders with magnesium alloy hangers would be incredible.
i love tensor lights. i used to skate the ones with the little plastic slider in them and that was all i used. they're so much better than all other trucks imo
I agree about the turning issue. I like my trucks loose and the Tensors always felt like they weren’t really turning on the bushings. I switched to Thunders recently and they turn so much better, loose but also controlled.
Finally someone did an in depth non-sponsored review of that tensors. If only someone did a review of tensor alloys (tensor's cheapest trucks) that would be amazing.
Got the mag lights so much im gonna hey the aluminums next cause I prefer a solid truck, it looks so worth it $40 for a pair of these is an absolute steal (I been skating since 4 years old I’m 21 now)
I'm new to the channel I'm loving the videos it's been a while since I was into skating. my first born and second one had my ass busy. Ready to get on my new deck this week.9 years since I get on a board from my pre teens and pre adult hood.. 31 and looking forward to see how much muscle memory I have
Right on. You may feel a little lost the first couple sessions but it will get better. Much more satisfying at this age! Also surprisingly easier to learn new tricks.
I was working out at the gym from 2017 until 2019 and my body is in good shape but after this quarantine my body is twitching to leave the house. (Not just cooking and grilling steaks at work.)..let's see
I quit when I was 16, started 3 months ago at age 34 and have my kickflips back clean. The first week was atrocious and discouraging, almost gave up. You can do it! Don't give up!
@@shaun8062 just tied of being a parenting.. it's all good because I got my loving family and we good.. I quit too at 17 to play more video games in the AC at home but I'm 31 now and it's the same thing.. it's time for a change. A good game of SKATE.
Nice flips and awesome review. I was going for the Tensor Mag light lows, now Im not so sure. I just love popping ollies all the time and I like manuals too.
Once again Ben, well done! Your videos (especially truck measurements/reviews) provide so much context/entertainment that is hard to find anywhere else. In fact, watching your videos has inspired me to start skating again!. FYI I stopped skating in 2004 (at the the end of high school), It's crazy 8.25's have become the norm
i didnt do the whole tiny board and trash bag pants thing. where i lived those guys just stood around in circles and tried to do kick flips. i was big into concrete and ramps.58mm 60mm 159s. i wasnt crazy about the popsickle decks either. i stayed the same most of my life. now its in style to look like me lol whatever
Magnesium actually dampens vibration , scientific analysis is out there on the subject and road bicycles are using it in frame construction. Personally, these are some of the best trucks I've ever had . Magnesium is the future of several other industrial applications in automotive and elsewhere. Specifically magnesium alloys that are proprietary to vehicle and aviation manufacturing. Good video.
Just an 'ad hoc' comment...I owned a pair of Orions (back in the nineties)! Aluminium made trucks boasted to be lighter. I found switching back to Thunders was no prob. Thanks for the video, Ben. I'm learning so much!
My neighbor made me some stainless steel 10gauge risers which come in around 111grams each. Hoping to offset the "too light" feeling of the mag light atg. Running the 8.5 with 58mm wheels on an 8.75. Basically the best curb set up. Good turning trucks too. I'm almost 49, so not jumping down anything, axles have remained straight.
I'm at the stage in starting up skating again where I am overthinking every component and whether it's hurting or helping me, so take this with a grain of salt, but I agree that these Tensor bushings are super weird and I can't even put my finger on it. Maybe it isn't all the bushings and it's also the lower profile kingpin and how it affects the point that the truck is turning from? In my case, I have the trucks tighter than normal, because I'm trying to figure out how to get them to feel right.
Dw broski most of us skaters end up sotting there in this bubble of thought trying to think if you have the right brands and if you have your equipment on the best possible way. Its totally normal ive been skating since i was 4 & im 22 now. I think A LOT about it 😂 but it pushes you to find new things and make your board something that nobody will ever be able to compare to as it is unique. Skate on bro dont ever lose the fire 💪🏼
Try a hard longboard bushing on bottom and bones hard on top of your tensors. You can get them rattle loose without wheel bite, still have more stability as if riding tight trucks
To me these are my holy grail of trucks! The bushings did feel really weird at first but after maybe like a week of riding them they broke in and had no problems afterwards. When it comes to how light they are it's all preference, I personally love them 👌
More of an "I don't like these because they're different than what I'm used to" verdict to me. He's right that once you get used to them nothing else really compares. I still ride ventures and indys just because I like them but if I were actually trying to film something difficult I'd most likely reach for my mag lights, especially if it involved grinding concrete.
Switching out the bottom bushing to a Bones Medium or Hard bushing will improve the turning a lot. Lately I've been using the Bones top bushing as the bottom bushing. I tighten the kingpin fairly tight and force myself to skate them until they break in after several hours of heavy skating. Then they turn great. The stock top bushing is the only bushing I've been able to use without quickly destroying the structural integrity of the bushing within a week of skating (I've shredded many bones top bushings with this truck). I used to skate old heavy grind kings on a 775 so I lost a lot of tricks but my goal is to pop tricks over stuff and these allow me to get some insane pop, it's just incredibly unpredictable but insanely satisfying when you land a knee high catch. You have to dial in your shoes and board before going crazy for sure. Edit: been committed to these trucks for 3 years, the larger size trucks will give you better turning. I use the 5.75 size tensors on 8.25 because the turning feels better than on the 5.5 size. It's nothing like a regular board, no flick feel. When I step on a 7.75 I can do double kick flip varials easily but with tensor trucks that trick is an hour long mission. But, when I get it, the pop is very satisfying. Edit: The hangers snap on these if you land primo directly on the axle. I use three washers per wheel and that problem went away.
15:32 im the opposite. i swap everything on my trucks for science, even if its not meant to be ridden that way. my krux sit at 16.75 (which is way shorter than stock) on a 14.25 WB & turn like a dream because i swapped the pivot cup/bushings. + i put the tensor pivot cups and bushings in my indys. idk, its all about balancing things out for me
Light setups give less or no control. Pop totally depends on weight pushing back at you. And since I pop crazy hard my board needs a bit more mass than normal. It acts as a buffer and counter balance that keeps me from throwing the board from me every time I flick or pop. You gotta have some mass pushing back on your slide and flick to function.
Very fair review I'd say! You're definitely right in how it sticks less to the feet through being more lightweight. But... I think it is stuff you can get used to. I ride an 8.0" with Tensor Mag Lights TENs and an 8.5" Santa Cruz Everslick with Venture V-light Highs. Obviously the Everslick is muuuuch heavier overall. But in some ways I can do pretty much the exact same stuff on both. And that with the weight difference being huuuge. I kind of like the way the 8.0" board flips easier a lot. The grinds on Tensor are crazy, like the material gives a lot of way for going through. Lol, I kind of agree it makes other trucks feel clunky on grinds. Nothing wrong with having a preference for heavier trucks though. As for turning, my Tensor Mag Light TENS didn't start turning until like after two weeks of daily skating or so. Not even kidding. And after that they turn pretty much on par with my Venture V-Lights. I do suspect one of my trucks has a broken pivot cup, which isn't too great. It makes 'click' noises when going from one extreme to the other leaning heel side to toe side or vice versa. As for bending the axles, actually mine look that way too. And I've got another pair of Tensors on my Andy Anderson 8.45" board and it has the same. Maybe it was due to getting bearings out of wheels, maybe they were always like that. I wouldn't know. It isn't noticeable when riding them. I will probably change the Tensor Mag Lights from the 8.45" board to the steep Santa Cruz 8.5" Everslick board. It might actually make it less intense to skate. And a bit more manageable in terms of weight for me. As for 'holy grail' truck after getting used to Tensors, nah not really, but perhaps it would if I was more skilled at flip tricks (or had them).
ive bin riding the 5.5 mag light lo for the passed couple months, grind well and wear down fast. my pop severly suffered though, its like the board floats around too much in the air instead of sticking directly under my feet. went back to some standard 139s and everything feels nice and poppy again
@@Bryan-kl5rr I’m on 139 titanium but was tempted to try a set of these just for extreme lightness. Possibly too light especially on a Powell flight with 50mm wheels
Me: Skating in shorty shorts and a tank top and still inches away from heatstroke. Ben: Skates in a sweater and jeans. 😂 that’s some real Florida vs BC stuff right there!
You should make a video with the lightest possible skateboard setup. Almost uber light deck, tensor mag light low's and 50mm skinny wheels. Even go with the smallest hardware you can get. Then try skating an 8.5 deck with standart indies and wide wheels.
Technically the Lo 5.0s are the lightest full stop! 236g lol. I skate them and it felt pretty weird at first but after a few weeks skating them on a 7.75 i've come to appreciate them a lot skating flatground in my mid 30s, i don't have the best knees and they deffo help. They grind really nicely, but the magnesium does wear down fairly fast. My whole setup weighs in at 1.94kg.
Just got these bad boys this week after skating your basic trucks forever. And Jesus was it a learning curve. These things give you soooo much pop if you been rocking a big board (I ride 8) and normal trucks. But once you get used to them, holy shit is it fun. Not only can you just slap your trucks on ANYTHING. Without wax! But your flip tricks just float like a cloud.
Hey Ben, could do a test for insoles in the future? I just recently ordered a pair of Footprint Gamechangers and could not find a decent, non sponsered review of them. I think we older skateboardes could benefit al lot from good insoles and this might be a topic for you to look into.
I know for a fact you fell in love with those insoles 😂❤️ when i tried them i literally could not believe how amazing they are. And i shoot myself down sets and rails and sometimes landing very awkward. Theyre the only insoles i ever had in my entire 18 years of skating that actually did something, and did it so over exceptionally well that that they are being used for many other purposed. Ive seen US soldiers putting them in their boots! Hope you enjoyed them as much as i do 💪🏼
Definitely one of the more interesting products on the market. I'd be curious to see your opinion/review on deck rails. That's the biggest trend I've seen at the park lately other than shaped decks
Just try em out on your own setup, nothing any RU-vidr will say will affect how you personally skate, so just try the stuff out that you’re wondering about and you’ll figure out if you like them or not, plus deck rails are a pretty cheap experiment compared to stuff like trying out new trucks or a twin tail deck
As someone who grew up in the 80s and thus had a couple boards w rails - they're not as goofy looking as they used to be but I don't see much point unless you're a board art collector, or if you do grab tricks that rails can help with. They're mostly more work, in installation, and weight.
A C they keep the graphic looking nice and you can do combos on coping and stuff by tilting forwards or backwards while doing board slides so that part of it’s cool and worth it if you have the skill
I work at zumiez and tensor mag lights are our most popular truck and thats because im a good salesman and i convince everyone to buy them because I’m biased since thats what i skate. Pitch: they’re the lightest on the market, smoothest grind ever, quick break in period, fastest to flip, easy manuals, and they come in cool colors.
Got those tensors on a sale shop, tried, but I also skate indys standards so ended up hating them. Gave it to a friend, first session he jumped down a 6 stair and broke both baseplates and bend one axle :D
I have the wider version of these and my experiences have been similar. Its the first time in a long while I felt like I lost kick flips and fakie flips for part of a session. I didn't mind the pop for normal ollies and manuals felt good with that combo of super light weight and tight wheelbase. But the lack of feel on flip tricks was a real problem. I did however find them perfect for transition, like long mini ramp sessions. They grind fast and the light weight seems less fatiguing. Just be careful if your board shoots out because it will take off like a bottle rocket.
Hey Ben, thanks for the great and honest review. I haven't rode a set of Tensor's since around 2002. I was actually considering a set of these a little while ago, but opted for my usual Thunders because I was afraid to spend $100 on something I might not like. If you aren't going to use them and feel like "paying it forward", I'd happily pay shipping to Alberta and take them off your hands! Haha Really enjoying your videos man, keep it up. P.S. your mudding/tapping videos on your other channel have been a life saver for me!
Great video. The regular Indys are too heavy for me. I’ve kinda settled on the Indy Titaniums because they’re a tad lighter and a tad lower than the originals. But I can definitely see how the extreme lightness of these tensors can be an issue. Also, I feel ya on the 4 y/o. Many times I’ve been recording music with my 4 y/o daughter literally climbing on my back. 😂 It’s all good though. Gotta love em!
Your manual pop-out heft theory is on point. I've always felt that Indys have had that crucial heft. Perfect geometry with perfect weight. It's like trying to throw 2 different sizes rocks. One is the size of a tiny pebble, the other: the size of a fist. The one that's fist size is easier to throw far due to heft. The pebble is too small and light to throw any significant distance. This is the comparison in my brain to explain the importance of heft in skateboard trucks to people. This is one of the reasons why I feel Independent Trucks feel so good, and are so successful.
So i got back into skating 2 years ago and made it my absolute goal to learn everything I could not do as a kid. I've been a tensor junky since my first hand me down and everything that you stated in this whole video is 95% accurate. After experementing to find a more stable board thats comfortable for me *a short dude* to flip on without running into the overflip/ghost pop issues I've had in the past. I picked up a set of indy forged titaniums which are only slightly heavier on an 8.25 axle. You not only "feel" your Blackfoot catch the board after any flip trick, but you actually have a sense of security with slightly heavier trucks. Not to mention the only area I disagree with you on this vid is tensor mags only grind/scrape well on extremely improved (or well skated concrete ledges) Crusty/chunky ledges will have you stuck and flying wondering where your whole life went wrong imo.
Now that is a review - not just another skater wanting to post some footage of themselves in their driveway hoping to get sponsored. Great information presenteded in a way that kept me watching, and I actually learned sometinhg about the product. Big thnaks, keep up the awesome work - I will order a pair just to try out myself, even though I will probably stick with my Indy titaniums for my main board.
I broke my knee really bad snowboarding 7 years ago(torn ACL, partially torn MCL, partially torn meniscus and a segeon(sp?) fracture. I bought a set a year and a half after surgery. Christmas complete. Was shocked on how light it was. I was skating with a knee brace and blamed all my lost tricks on my wrecked knee. Lost my tre flip. Lost my switch flip. Heel flips depended on shoes and board. After watching this I bought Thunder Hollow Light polished Aluminum. Wanted the Lights, but covid times Its been four years of struggles but, Heel flips back. Switch flips back. Tre flips are flipping better and I see getting them back. Grind is slower and smoother which is nice, more controllable. Tensor's were almost like ice. Harder to lock in. Tended to float around on longer much faster grinds. On a side note. I heard a rumor that Tensor ripped off Indy's geometry. But I haven't riding Indy's in years .
If youre looking to buy these all i have to say is make sure you get the right size for your board. Out of my top 5 skate trucks these are easily without a doubt #2. I was surprised by the turning tbh (my most picky point) they turn better than thunder but not as good as indy so right in middle. When ppl picked up my board they always were shocked by how light my board was. All wish for was a "sharper" turn. All in all they are my most highly recommended truck without a doubt. I choose Ace as my #1 for modern/future skateboarding (best turn ever + they grind the best and look dope as F) not a beginner truck tho. Tensor ATG are the greatest all around truck i have ever used
Sounds like they are good for technical and varials , rather for slides and grinds. I would purchase them for certain applications. Could be wrong though...really depends on your ride style.
I've been riding these for a while and I've broken two of them. They bend very easily, and they make your flick feel strange but you get used to it. As you said, they grind so smooth. Theres a lot of drawbacks but if you like the feel they're very good
This was your funniest video. "I can hear the Tensor fans groaning and the Indy fans chanting all their Indy slogans because they're not thinking for themselves." Hahahaha!
I’ve been skating a set of the 8.5” mag light tags for a year. I hit the axle on both trucks, and I love em. They took a bit to get used to, and they really are light! I’m skating 58mm v6 fat wheels on them, in a 9.25” girl couch shape, and it’s still light.
Always liked that you're not a biased reviewer, everything you said about Tensor does ring true. I do love them but they're expensive and not so great for the skater on a budget as they seem to wear faster than most other brands. Not much more I can say about them except that as an older skater, yes they are nicer on old legs. Thanks again for always being an impartial reviewer :D Also yes, they have garbage turning. I wouldn't use them for vert or bowl setups cause of this.
hate to burst your bubble but its the mag material that makes it grind well, not the company. aluminum won't be as buttery as magnesium but the aluminums should be more "normal" lol
@@_Maxten Yeah, I anticipated as much when ordering them. I know magnesium is softer so it makes sense that they'd grind smoother. Hoping the hanger shape and kingpin clearance will still yield nice results.
I had these Trucks. Very light, smooth grinds, steering system works very good, too... Actually really nice trucks! BUT- After about 7 months they are broken on the hanger. (i'm not heavy, and i don't jump big things) Now i got thunder hi-lights titanium... ⚡ Just 20 grams heavier at the same size- (tensor 257grams, thunders 277grams) hope they last longer... Cheers to everyone out there! 🍻
They are a really good looking truck. Control deck eh? Are you guys going to get a run of those at Canada skate shop? I love the generator blanks so far. I too had tensors when they first came out with the plastic slide plate or whatever. Brainwashed by Rodney vs Daewon 2. Currently have krux with the downlow kingpin, these are light and the bushings are incredibly soft. On my other setup I have royal Raws and while the kingpin clearance is borderline I love how they’ve broke in. Looking forward to reviews of the other generator sizes and I guess some control wood? Cheers
I just wanted to try something different. I'm getting the Alloy Tensor truck something for flat ground flip tricks. I appreciate the review and I think my Hockey board gonna be happy too. Thanks for the video
I had a pair of ultra light titanium trucks a long time ago. Probably like 2000,2001ish. Loved them at the time but they were expensive. One day a fat friend of mine did literally one Ollie on my board and broke one of them in half.
You just got a new subscriber. I’m a skater myself but I needed to know more about tensors cause I figured I’d like the for being lighter. The overall video and review was spot on 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
The best part about these trucks is that they grind through anything. It’s seriously crazy how good they grind on crusty concrete, or chunked out marble. I can’t find any of the 8.5”s for sale anywhere. The drought is real
I love my mag lites, but you do have some points. I bent my axles skating nothing higher than 6 stairs. They grind down faster than most trucks. Now about preference and what we are used to: I think these trucks are worth getting used to. Granted, I skate 8.25 and like my kicks and concave more on the steep side of medium and wear thin vulc shoes, that probably help me feel where my boards at, keeps my feet connected, and still have good pop. I think the big difference is how we are used to throwing our tricks. A heavy setup needs you to power through the flick with the leg, while a lite setup needs a more nuanced flick at the ankle. But you're right, there is a trade off there, because when i do a flip trick down a gap, i want to make sure i feel that board slap up into my feet. Another preference thing, I found tensor bushings to be the first stock bushing I found to be rideable. I like hard bushings though, i still get a lot of wheel bite with bones hards on any truck, even cranked down. With tensors, I feel like i get more pop, or at least better hangtime. I've been switching out my trucks a lot lately, and it usually only takes me a day to get used to it. I geeked out and got those theeve titaniums and i really love that truck and the way it turns. I honestly hate indys, they just don't work for me, and i keep trying them out about once a month. I can understand why people like them though, strength factor alone.
This (heft) makes total sense. I wish I had thought it through when buying hollows after my 18yr break from skating. Great video as always, thanks man.
Ben companies should hire you to do skateboard conventions where kids can come try out different setups of size decks, trucks,wheels, from different companies. That would have been a dream as a kid if we had that
So I just copped a pair of these: here’s my 2 cents if anyone cares: Threw them on an 8.5 Darkroom board which is relatively heavy with steep kicks. I hated them. The stock bushings were awful, skated them for a few days and it felt like they just wouldn’t break in, the trucks kept getting stuck in all kinds of weird positions. Couldn’t land any flip tricks to save my life. I’d just spend close to $100 on these so tried them with bones medium bushings on an 8.5 Powell flight deck, the difference is night and day. The Powell deck has nice mellow kicks, and is super snappy, the bones bushings make a world of difference and honestly this feels like a perfect setup. After about 2 hours after getting used to the timing on a much lighter setup, I can snap my flip tricks super high, it takes almost 0 effort and my tricks are higher, and just feel incredibly dialed. Definitely going to be skating these for a while.
Cool channel man. I’m usually super anti-skate RU-vid but you’re a chill dude and you actually rip too. I love nerding out on gear and setups so I’ve been bingeing all these product reviews. Your style and trick selection reminds me a lot of Ted Barrow, you guys even look alike. Haha
