Tierney
Rides 41" Carve Board - Longboard Skateboard
Watch
the Video |
Buy
a T-Board from the LBD Store
Let's
get something straight right off the bat... the Tierney board
is NOT a skateboard - it's not even a longboard. The
T-board is quite literally a snowboard with wheels.
Nothing
comes close to delivering the same riding characteristics -
not to mention the unbelievable angles achievable while carving.
The T-board will go as far, and as hard as you're willing
to push it, with a seemingly unlimited turning ability.
It is not a gimmick, a fad or a passing trend. Whether acknowledged
or not, the T-board is a benchmark in the history of the longboarding
movement. A board that gains stability the faster it goes, that
can out-turn absolutely anything on the market, that can deliver
a near-perpendicular angle to the road surface while carving,
and that can hold its grip to the road during the most extreme
manouver... it sounds like a dream. But it's not. It's a Tierney
Rides carve board.
Technical
Info - Specifications
The Tierney
Board uses a sort of "torsion - swivel" truck system.
Their latest model of trucks is manufactured from lightweight,
high-strength aluminum alloy. The board is actually directional,
as only the front "truck" is configured to turn. This
creates a similar mechanical riding layout as a motorbike -
which gains stability as it increases speed, has an uncanny
turning ability, and delivers maximum control and response while
turning on a steep angle. The torsion trucks (on the front)
act in such a way that when the board is tilted in whichever
direction, this compresses the wheel away from the road, which,
due to the truck direction, causes the board to turn in the
direction leaned. Basically it sounds as basic as "you
lean it turns", and while this is true, the true beauty
of the technology behind this system is that the more you turn,
the faster you actually accelerate into a tighter turn. This
will catch you off-guard the first time you ride it, but it's
truly amazing how intense a deep carve can be on the T-board.
What blew us away was how many more things are possible on a
T-board than a regular longboard, due to turning angles, positive
traction and pure technology. The T-Board, just by its physics
alone, dominates the "deep-carve" hybrid market.
Our
Impressions / Other Stuff
Kurt Tierney
(hence the name "Tierney Rides") called us up before
sending out the board, just to go over some basics. The one
thing he stressed the most was that it was just like snowboarding;
we HAD to treat it like a snowboard, and not a longboard skateboard.
We soon found out why when we took it out for the first riding
session.
The T-board
is not stable unless both of your feet are on the board, in
motion. It's just like a bicycle, in this respect. As well,
when kicking, or starting off, your leading foot must be positioned
sideways to your direction of travel; it cannot be "in
line" with the centerline of the board, as on a regular
longboard, or it will tip as soon as you put your weight on
it.
The board
is definitely a downhill carving machine. Though flatland riding
is an option, the awkward foot positioning and slower speeds
on the flats (if riding on the Indy rubber wheels) make it slightly
impractical for regular, "around town" cruising. However,
this is hardly a downfall; if anything, it's a testament to
it's purpose: carving. (Would you rather brag about taking
your Ferrari to the coffee shop, or the track?)
As above,
our T-board was equipped with one large "Indy" rubber
wheel at the rear, and one Polyurethane wheel at the front.
This configuration sort of uses the "best of both worlds"
philosophy, as it implements the incredible traction and control
of the back wheel, the "Indy", while compensating
for it's slightly slower speed with a harder Polyurethane wheel
at the front - still posessing formidable traction to the road,
while being hard enough to accomodate accelleration and higher
speeds on more gradual, less extreme hills and inclines. We
found this configuration to be very effective, and it added
a unique dynamic to the ride, as the board actually tilted down
slightly, due to the difference in wheel sizes. Below is a picture
of the larger, "Indy" rubber wheel.
Personally,
the thing about the T-board that absolutely blew me away was
how much it felt like snowboarding! I could not believe how
accurate the feeling of "riding an edge" was simulated
by the T-Board. Just like a snowboard, it requires a full-body
movement to turn the board. You have to lean into your carves,
you cannot use your ankles, like a regular longboard. (If
you try to turn the deck just using your feet, all this does
is tilt the deck, resulting in less control and a very weak
turn). The feeling is such that, if I had been blind-folded,
I would have honestly been able to say that I could have been
snowboarding in decent powder, riding the edges, alternating
from heel to toe. I have never felt such a close similarity
to either snowboarding, or surfing for that matter. The
same muscles that ache after a day of snowboarding were aching
after my T-board session; this is NOT longboarding... It's unbelievable.
Who
is the T-Board for, anyway?
Well, our
little feline friend here might not have enjoyed this to the
same extent that we did, but in all seriousness, the Tierney
board is for anyone who wants to carve. Period.
Are
you a snowboarder, or a surfer looking for a cross trainer that
will actually improve your riding ability? Get a T-board,
nothing else comes close to carving an edge, or riding out a
line. Are you a longboarder looking for the ultimate turning
radius - or the ultimate DH board? Get a T-board. We took
this thing to 60+ km/h with absolutely no problems, and the
turning ability (and dynamic) is in a league of its own. (The
T-board has supposedly been to 70 mph with no signs of instability
or speed-wobble). Are you new to this whole thing, and wondering
what the heck all the fuss is about these crazy "longboards"?
Get a T-board, and find out for yourself why myself and two
others were out until 4 am the night we got it...
Light
bulb. Kitty hawk. Telephone. Automobile. Internet. Fuel cell...
Tierney Rides.
What do
these have in common? They all started out as a small, largely
unknown and hardly-supported dream or labour of love, from only
a handful of dedicated people. But they've changed the way we
live. And for us longboarders, skaters, surfers, snowboarders
- whoever, the T-board redefines the word "carve".
The thing
that surprises me the most, is how little recognition these
boards have received, and the fact that they sell for not even
half of what they're worth. You can easily spend twice what
the T-board costs on some other "carving machine"
longboard hybrid - and it won't even deliver half of what the
T-board is capable of doing.
If you've
been eyeing up the T-board for awhile, not sure of whether or
not it would be worth getting, listen to the words of a very
cultured team of reviewers - the T-board will blow you away.
If you're looking for your first longboard, or even if you're
not, understand that getting the T-board is like paying for
a Ford Tempo and driving off the lot in a Porsche.
You
don't get your money's worth. You get alot more. LongboardDirectory
is proud to give the T-board a full 10 out of 10 rating.
-Chris
Rempel, Editor, LongboardDirectory
WATCH
THE NEW T-BOARD VIDEO!!
_____________________________________________
Buy
the 41" T-Board From the LBD Store:
Tierney
Rides Carve Board 41" -
239.00 USD
_____________________________________________
Check
out these related websites for more information on the Tierney
Board:
www.tierneyrides.com
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Review
Wired
Magazine - Review
LinkPath
- Review
Snowboarding.com
- Review
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