Just landed my first ollie yesterday. After that day, I am absolutely addicted. And after a year of trying, it was amazing. Thanks for uplifting me during those stressful days when I lost motivation.
psychoboitrip dude when I first learned ollies I instantly started learning nollies and it couldn’t be better being the only one out of your friends to do good nollie tricks 😂
That mini ramp run gave me 90's flashbacks... included nearly every trick I would see on the regular on my backyard mini ramp by our crew of locals back in that decade.
Lifelong Indy rider.. switched to the Thunder Titanium Lights last year... turning is way different... never really felt like my snaps were right with the Thunders, like maybe they were too light. Just got a set of the Venture 5.6 and I feel like I can skate again. Pop, flick, catch. Thanks for the videos, Ben! Great Channel!
The fact that u came from indy's You went too far going to thunder titanium lights shit the hollow thunders way toolight You should've just got regular thunders there already hella light
It’s maybe worth mentioning that Venture Lows and Highs should be considered almost totally different trucks. The turning is completely different and the height difference completely changes the pop.
I'm actually getting back into skating, because my son is really into skating and I want to share that with him and I haven't been staying up to date with the latest innovations in trucks so this helped me out a lot.
Wax the bushings on thunders, they will become waaaaay looser. I believe it's because the hanger turns way more than it dips, so it grabs on the bushing making them feel way tighter. Little secret I save skaters I meet at parks with.
Wow, thanks for the hack! I like to melt a little bit of wax in the pivot cup and it also saves that hard squeking sound and makes breaking in way faster 👌
It’s an Ishod Wair and Tom Asta thing. Oddly they’re both north east legends and when you skate stock thunders in the winter, they don’t turn well. But, putting another top bushing with a top washer on the bottom for a more snug fit, or in Tom’s case a stock ace tall top bushing with a bones small flat washer, gives you more spare threading available to loosen the trucks during the cold months.
@@bendegros Hey! last board I owned 14 years ago, I rode venture low 5.0 and for a long time before stopping. I saw your vids about the spacing, and tail flat length and kick. How do you recommend pairing thunder titanium lite 148 trucks with a 8.25 deck? Im not sure what deck characteristics better match the thunders, I was probably going to look for thunder riders and just grab their 8.25 pro model. Not even sure that's a safe play. Maybe I'm overthinking it, certainly want to get it right the first time. 7.75, 52mm, venture low 5.0 to 8.25, 148 thunder and 52-53mm. I also saw you like the Skinner wheels on your narrower thunders in a video, would you prefer a wider wheel on the 148, or still roll narrow to offset the lack of baseplate? Used to ride 51-53mm probably going to stay with that range. Any words are helpful. Cheers. I'm 6,1 185 pounds.
I went through the same thing with thunders, switched from venture a year back .. although I do kinda miss the awkward tightening of the front bolts on a venture
Every set of Ventures should come with a Silver tool and 7/8" allen hardware, it makes life so much easier. When I started skating them I had one of those cheap plastic T tools and for the longest time and I'd have to take the hangers off to unscrew the baseplate any time I moved them to a different deck or wanted to use a riser or something and then I'd always feel like I couldn't get them back to the right tightness. It was so annoying, but then someone told me about silver tools and I bought one right away, even if you don't ride ventures its the best skate tool I've ever used.
Perfect timing for this vid Ben, I have been mulling over what to get next, this coming Friday . Think I'll go with the Ventures, though I may change my mind . I certainly won't be getting indys again. Keep up the great work mate.
I'm riding ace at the moment ,chose those after watching one of your reviews on them. For my smaller set up I have thunders. Haven't had a pair of ventures in probably 20 years lol. I'll probably get some next time I go truck shopping
I've skated a lot of different brands and iterations of trucks over the years. I skated Venture before Thunder. I always felt a bit off whenever switching brands. When I got my first set of modern Thunders, they instantly felt good. Very responsive, light, and not too squirrely. Other than Indy, I would consider them a go-to brand. All around a great truck. It was good to hear you come to the same conclusion. It seemed like it always used to be people either rode Indy or Venture, like those were the only choices. I'm glad Thunder is a modern contender in the truck market. I never really liked any of the "high" trucks.
I feel it dude I'm riding venture lows on a 8.38 hockey board and the super steep kicks with the low trucks makes the board really fun and manageable for me to skate
Dude, you just keep getting better. I enjoy your reviews and they're definitely very insightful, but watching you rip and progress is definitely the icing on the cake.
Dear Ben, This video in particular was errily spot on to my skating history. As a kid in LA, I always bought Val Surf 7.625 decks and had Venture 5.0 lows. I think I just thought that the orange bottom veneer looked nice with the blue and white trucks. Now as an adult, I ride Thunder 147’s or 145’s with four speed rings stacked on every axle. To do this, I’ve had to flip the axle nuts so the lock-tite plastic bites the axle first thing. The 145’s move out to about 7.84” axles from 7.6”. And with wide conical fulls, they feel as stable as the 147’s with classics. Anywho, I’ve been really into Ishod Wair’s bushing trick where he uses four top thunder bushings. I think he does this so that his thunder 147’s will be loose enough in the cold due to additional room on the kingpin. What I realized from this video, was that by doing this, the Thunder axle lowers a bit to the realm of the Venture low. And the wheelbase on the Thunders is brought slightly in also to the realm of the Venture low. I like to use a 90A on top and either a 94A or 95A on bottom. The turn you get is somewhere in between a Thunder and Indy due to the new turn angle. But the height and wheelbase is right where a Venture low is explaining why I am in love with this set up. Still looking for the right deck to pair it with.
Thank you Ben for this great review and nice to see you back:) Congrats because keeping motivated sk8ing in winter (and issuing videos) with family and life to carry on sounds like the hugest challenge!! So, congrats again. Thank you for what you do and for the motivation you share with us. Be blessed with your family (and your board) in every thing for 2020!!!
This video really got me into your channel. Bro you totally shred!! Lol I'm 33yo so it's good to know that someday I can be just as good as you. Also, convinced me to get some Ventures and I'm totally in love with them. Thank you!
I rode thunders exclusively when I was in my second “phase” of skating, around 2007-2009 and that was when I was at my best. So when I started skating again in 2014, I bought some thunders and I never really questioned it, I knew that getting my tricks back would be a challenge, as I had put on the pounds and got a job that wrecked my body enough. It wasn’t until I was getting comfortable on a board again that I started feeling like Thunders were not responding the way I wanted, so I switched to Indys, and basically never looked back. Kind of been on the outs with skateboarding over the past year, have skated maybe 5 times since last March. Trying to motivate myself to keep at it, to keep from going overboard I’m weight again, and I’m doing a lot more flat ground and ledge stuff than anything else these days. I might have to at least try some ventures to see if I like them.
Hey Ben, I just want to start off by saying thank you again for your product reviews. It helps a lot having your input because I can't really afford to buy everything and figure it out for myself; not until I get back to my normal job in the spring anyway. I could use some of your help with something with products you've reviewed before. I'm much larger now than when I was a young man, but I still love to skate. But because I've put on some weight I'm kinda forced to use the carbon fiber/power ply decks. No big deal, but ive been having some trouble with ghost pop. I'm riding a Santa Cruz vx right now, and I like it but the kicks are too steep for my liking. Thinking of getting a Flight deck next. I've only ever skated on Indy, Venture and Grind Kings with preference leaning toward Ventures. I have 8" Indy hollows but I don't know how they'll be with the new deck. I would really appreciate your help/input. Keeping in mind the ghost pop issue and that I like my trucks tight. Sorry for the length of this message I know your time is valuable.
@@bendegros Yeah, I saw in your review of the flight and vx decks that the nose and tail were more mellow on the flight deck; and the 247 option looks nice too for all of the scoopy tricks. I just hope it fixes my ghost pop and manual pinch problems, it feels like I'm trying to ollie 4 boards just to get my tail to tap and get on a 10" ledge for a 50/50. 😂😒😭 Almost has a similar deck out that looks promising too. Anyway, I appreciate ya brother I'll let you know how it goes.
@@Terriblegolfer16 long baseplate, good for slides with bigger wheels. the ATG tensors are much like thunders. The regular tens are not as good. bushings wear quickly. but overall, a good thought out truck.
makrospex ya but they turn so bad they don’t even have a bottom washer it’s just a hole in the plastic baseplate that fits the bottom bushing my gf had some and I’ve never been on trucks so hard to ride I would literally almost fall from pushing it’s not like bad where it’ll get better they’re just so terrible wal mart board trucks are better
How are you still liking your trucks after they moved to entirely Chinese production? Indy and Ace, made in China. Thunder and Venture are made in the U.S and are better quality.
@@ianturnbow7011 They're still fantastic trucks! I believe the current ones I'm riding are full Chinese production but I'm not positive. I've done same baseplate swapping with other Indys (hollow/standard combo type of mixes) I bought during mid 2020. They grind well, turn well, and the stock bushings are better now than they ever have been. I've had no issues with mine and have been Indy for the last 11 years. The only gripe is that maybe the metal might grind down slightly quicker than I'm used to, but even that is hard to tell. On paper, Thunder and Venture may be "higher quality" if you are making the argument based on US vs China production, but Indys are a better all around truck than Thunder/Venture, imo. Even in their current China production. I personally feel that Indys are still higher quality than Thunder, but only slightly above Venture. Ventures and Thunders just don't last either. As for Ace, they've been far too inconsistent with their QC. I've seen good and bad trucks all over the place, so they seem good and I have a couple friends who swear by them after riding Indys. So there's that
Thunder all day. To be fair I haven’t rode Indy’s in years and never tried Venture, but Thunder’s always felt the most well rounded of any truck I’ve ridden. I loved Indy grinds but they were a little heavy and the hangers always slid.
I have sets of all 3 and if I had to only stick with 1, I'd pick Thunders. Not hating on Indy or Venture since they're both solid trucks, but Thunders just feel the most comfortable to me
Hey Ben I just want to say thanks and congratulations for all your reviews and videos you are a nice guy and I enjoy learning more about skateboards with you…greetings from Perú 🇵🇪
Recently got my first set of Ventures since the 90s because they started making bigger trucks. Owned a pIr of Thunders around 2003-2004. Rode them for a month and gave them away to ride my Indys again. I actually feel like I can totally live with these 6.1 Ventures. The grind is actually the only part about Ventures that's not that good. The turn is adequate enough to be ok with even though not as good as Indy, totally doable. Kingpin clearance on the the highs with stock kingpins is better than my Indys with Grindking kingpins on them. The weight is lighter than Indy but heavy enough to not make the board feel like a toy. One 1/8 riser and they feel the same height as an Indy to me. So long story short Venture is winning me over pretty hard right now.
Your videos are so inspiring. I wish I could just go out there after work and skate like you do. Unfortunately, I do not live in a surf/skate community, which I think is the main reason why. Some trick tutorials would be awesome. Do you ever hit any rails? Your flat ground game is sick..
Recently switched from indys to thunders (staying with American made) and it also took me a few weeks to get use to. Also, I appreciate the switch front nose. Courthouse is 27”
Bro I did the same and honestly once I put my bones bushings instead of thunder stocks (which people gave good reviews so I wantted to give them a shot) and now im much more happy with them. To be fair ive been using the same bushings in my indies so they are worn in
The LA Court House stage is 27 inches high, according to Kelly Hart in the recent 9 Club interview with Prof. Paul Schmitt. That ledge yr skating looks higher to me.
I'm 31. I started skating when I was 6 until my early 20s. My first set of trucks were independents. Ground those down to nothing. Actually still have them. Switched to venture lows hollow lights. They were my favorite trucks. Also only skated mellow boards. Little tail big nose. My first real board was a toy machine. So I have this mind set on what I want. I haven't skated in years and want to start again. But I'm stuck in this rut of what I should go for. Don't wanna waste the money on something I'm going to hate. Thought I was just going to go for another toy machine and ventures again. Idk. I do enjoy watching your videos. It's definitely gave me alot to think about and also letting me know I'm probably over thinking it at the same time.
Just go buy what catches your eye, bud. Don't over think it and let yourself fall back into the flow of skating. You'll find what's perfect for you again!
I just got into skate boarding, started on my daughter’s super cheap 7” enuff board and it was pretty sketchy to be honest. I got some crazy big wheels as the roads are rough here and borrowed some old venture trucks and it felt great. But I was told venture were cheap and rubbish. But I don’t know, just got some New hollow high thunders and they don’t feel as stable as the ventures, I’m just cruising, I felt safe on the ventures - temped to sent the thunders back. It’s driving me crazy - thanks for the video, my kind of over thinking!
I hord trucks like no other, always stayed away from Venture but couldn't resist once a pair real cheap (5.8's) crossed my path. Hate at first (because of those hor-ri-ble bushings that have no bounce whatsoever, but put some Supercush bushings in them and they're actually a real nice truck. Love the pop-feel. Just picked up a set of 5.2's too.
Those supercush bushings just changed my life! I can't believe how much they've change my ride. Bouncy like you say, but stable as anything and so quick and responsive when I turn. definitely going to change my pivot cups too if the right bushes make that much difference. I did get knew venture bushes but like you say they were horrible in comparison - can't believe the difference! Thanks so much for the tip - best £5 quid I ever spent! So... any recommendations for pivot cups?
@@gordonlangley No I havent changed pivot cups myself. But sometimes I clean trucks (take them apart) and then my tip for you would be to buy a small tube of "silicone grease". Silicone grease is lubrication for rubber. I smear a tiny amount on both the flat parts of the bushings (4 sides per truck) and onto the metal part of the hanger that goes into the pivot cup (or just squeeze a tiny amount in the pivot cup itself). Just use a little bit because they can (temporarily) make your bushings feel like a softer durometer. So be aware of that. But that will become normal again after the excess is squeezed out. You will have completely silent bushings and pivot cups. It's like the cherry on top. Realy nice to hear the supercush made a positive difference for you too. What duro did you get?
Just recently got back on the board and had some chunky thunders I didn’t like. Actually got some royals simply because I wanted some when I was younger. Nostalgia. Gotta say other than kingpin clearance I love em.
I switched from some heavy ass Thrasher trucks, which which were not bad, but once I felt the lightness of my current Thunders, they feel so much nicer. Had the same process mostly. Took about 3 weeks to break em in properly. I did change out the bushings but I love the way these feel. Good review.
The new ledge session was rad. Awesome to see you pushing it hard like that. Thought you were going to sell me on Venture but in the end it just confirmed my support for Thunders.
I found my old set of Independent trucks from around the 2000s when they were still made in the USA. Gonna stick 'em on my 7.5 deck one of these days and see how different it is compared to the newer Indys and wider boards.
Ventures are built for heavy duty. I’d put them more for high impact skating, or anything where an extreme amount of force is applied to the board. As someone going for vert skating where my board could take a lot of impact coming back down on a bail, I really like having something I know is as sturdy as they come.
Knowing this video is 2 years old but at 2:48 is that the spot where Colin McKay switch back heel the second set in plan b questionable? Looks like the spot then again it changed so much throughout the years
I recently setup an 8 with venture lo 5.25 and so far I love them. I have some 147 Titaniums I like them but they are too light, I overflip and land primo really easily. The heaviness of the venture is what I like most about them I think. I think I'm going to be on low trucks for a while until I get the urge to skate a bigger board. Maybe I'll try the regular Thunder 147s and see how they do. Thanks Ben for always encouraging the truck madness!
Go to the shop, look at the concave, measure wheelbase. Wood is pretty much the same, depends on the bih manufacturing factory. Jart is bang for ur buck at least in Europe, with quite childish graphics.
@@skankwave Crap graphics, yes, but certainly bang for your buck. And only Jart make Jart boards. They are based in Spain and they make decks for other European brands and some US brands selling in Europe.
Been skating some 6.1 ventures lately after coming off of some thunder 151s. Both trucks are excellent in their own way. Lots of stability on both, turn nice(thunder slightly sharper) and durable. I like venture a little more for slides(extended baseplate) and thunders more for grinds(less drag thanks to more meat on the hanger) but in general both a pretty equally enjoyable to me
Hi Ben, I've been watching a lot of your videos. Thanks! I'm curious if the Thunder and Venture trucks were the same price. The Venture Titanium (axle) is around 15% lighter but not so expensive. I wonder what you would think of them. On the subject of weight. It seems the lighter the board the easier the tricks, once you get used to a board. Why not go for the extreme and create a super light weight board?? 7" board, small trucks and wheels. To remove weight drill extra holes in the trucks, deck and maybe even the wheels. I just wonder if the holes will create extra wind resistance or not. The unbreakable new decks might be fun the drill holes in!
I love thunders skated them for about 10 years can't see myself changing, maybe some royals for shits n gigs, Love light trucks feels like I can get my board too do what I want when I want it.
The more I try out other trucks, the more I realize Thunders are the truck for me... specifically the Thunder 148. Idk why I just skate the best on those
Venture fever is real. I finally have become honest with myself and came to terms that I will never be skating a handrail ever again so I picked up the 5.6 venture down sizing from 8.6 deck and 151 thunders and it’s a good feeling having these trucks on my set up
do you know how to differentiate between thunder truck styles? I have two pairs that I bought from Kijiji that I love but dont know what they are. I think the one is hollow light because the king pin is hollow but the axle isn't. I'm pretty sure the one pair is 143 and the other 147 but not sure which style each is. Anyone??
Pierre148 I went from Indy 159 stage 11 standards to thunder 151 and like how they are lighter but feel my ollies were better on the heavy indys . Now I’m curious about some ventures
I always put my old kingpin nuts on new trucks. Then angle grinder to the rest of the kingpin. While I'm at it I put on the old bushings too. My current setup I actually only changed the hanger..haha
Colin mckay switch back heel and nollie late flip at that spot @ 2:50 back in the day. Questionable was my first video and is still my favorite to watch.
I skate the 5.2 low with 52mm wheels and also slightly harder aftermarket bushings and I haven’t experienced any wheelbite and it turns just fine (turn almost like Thunders). Love Venture lows! 🔥
I’ve been skating Indy forged hollows since I was a kid. I honestly never even thought of trying new trucks but seeing as how you said the thunders helped a lot with mannys maybe I’ll try them. I’ve never been good at them.
very interested in seeing that video about truck tightness 🤙 u should try taking the top washer off ur ventures & swap the bottom bushing for an indy extra soft(i would switch the top too but i like those cool clear bushings) 👌 pinch heaven 👌
I skated ventures for 5 years then thunders for 5 years and I switched back to venture a few months ago. I feel like the main difference is that they grind through real ledges way better and are better for manuals but I ride a mellow shape from a shop so it’s the same every time
a review of the new tensor all terrain maglights would be nice , it is supposed to be the lightest truck on the market and made of magnesium . . also , there's different versions , but , the one i'm talking about are the high's called the all terrain's 😇 there's no good reviews on these trucks , thanks ✌️💜
Thanks for another great truck review. Only problem with your truck reviews is that they keep making me get more trucks...and wishing I skated a tenth as good as you. Yeah, a tenth as good would be nice. Any chance Mini Logos next?
I hope someone can help me out with this, but im trying to decide between this two, is there something in between or some way that I can modify one to feel more like the other?
I've just gone from the venture 5.8 v-lights to thunder 149 titanium lights, can't wait till the thunders are worn in, they feel good but seem foreign at the moment
@@svnbit8408 they certainly are light, I like them but I'll probably go back to venture, I've been skating them on a primitive 8.25 and a anti hero 8.25, they definitely felt better on the primitive deck.
Just got some Thunder 145s for my new 7,5" setup ... BTW: Anyone know how old wheels still work ? Do they loose their quality after time ? I have some small ones here, but they are many years old now (10-15years at least i can guess).. Anything you want to cover @Ben Degros ?(Is grinding it down a few millimeters of the wheel) ... Really appreciate all your knowledge and in depth videos and skating skillz ;) !! Greetings from Norway
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Just landed my first ollie yesterday. After that day, I am absolutely addicted. And after a year of trying, it was amazing. Thanks for uplifting me during those stressful days when I lost motivation.
byron belf hell yeah bro that’s what it’s all about
Congrats
byron belf sick now learn switch ollies right away become comfy riding in all directions
psychoboitrip dude when I first learned ollies I instantly started learning nollies and it couldn’t be better being the only one out of your friends to do good nollie tricks 😂
@@psychoboitrip3125 I've been wondering if that's the best way to learn switch.
The main thing this video cleared up is that you rip at skating.
😊
Paul Hindt Best skate youtuber right now no doubt
I was actually pretty blown away by how much jumping up and down stuff Ben is doing in this one. I think the courthouse stage is 100% doable, Ben!
@@PaulHindt Yeah, I think he's ready to switch flip manny the courthouse stage!!
Yes. The skating is ripping.
That mini ramp run gave me 90's flashbacks... included nearly every trick I would see on the regular on my backyard mini ramp by our crew of locals back in that decade.
Lifelong Indy rider.. switched to the Thunder Titanium Lights last year... turning is way different... never really felt like my snaps were right with the Thunders, like maybe they were too light. Just got a set of the Venture 5.6 and I feel like I can skate again. Pop, flick, catch. Thanks for the videos, Ben! Great Channel!
Same loooove mine :)
The fact that u came from indy's You went too far going to thunder titanium lights shit the hollow thunders way toolight
You should've just got regular thunders there already hella light
Grew up skating Ventures. But Currently I skate Indy and Ventures. Indy for the Park. Ventures for Street
Standard thunders weigh similar to hollow standard indys
It’s maybe worth mentioning that Venture Lows and Highs should be considered almost totally different trucks. The turning is completely different and the height difference completely changes the pop.
I'm actually getting back into skating, because my son is really into skating and I want to share that with him and I haven't been staying up to date with the latest innovations in trucks so this helped me out a lot.
Wow thats awesome dude!
I'm in the same boat brother, just got a board again so i can learn with my son. Good stuff, keep at it and have fun🤙🏼
@@_gw33do_ You to Bro! Stay Safe!
Wax the bushings on thunders, they will become waaaaay looser. I believe it's because the hanger turns way more than it dips, so it grabs on the bushing making them feel way tighter. Little secret I save skaters I meet at parks with.
Wow, thanks for the hack! I like to melt a little bit of wax in the pivot cup and it also saves that hard squeking sound and makes breaking in way faster 👌
Try changing the bottom bushing for another top bushing, you won't have to worry about the wax going out.
@@kingsud0659wait, really? I’ve never heard this.
It’s an Ishod Wair and Tom Asta thing. Oddly they’re both north east legends and when you skate stock thunders in the winter, they don’t turn well. But, putting another top bushing with a top washer on the bottom for a more snug fit, or in Tom’s case a stock ace tall top bushing with a bones small flat washer, gives you more spare threading available to loosen the trucks during the cold months.
Damn ben, the skating you did in this video was so good! Im not saying your skating isnt good but I definitely see an improvement in this video!
😊
@@bendegros Hey! last board I owned 14 years ago, I rode venture low 5.0 and for a long time before stopping. I saw your vids about the spacing, and tail flat length and kick.
How do you recommend pairing thunder titanium lite 148 trucks with a 8.25 deck?
Im not sure what deck characteristics better match the thunders, I was probably going to look for thunder riders and just grab their 8.25 pro model.
Not even sure that's a safe play. Maybe I'm overthinking it, certainly want to get it right the first time. 7.75, 52mm, venture low 5.0 to 8.25, 148 thunder and 52-53mm.
I also saw you like the Skinner wheels on your narrower thunders in a video, would you prefer a wider wheel on the 148, or still roll narrow to offset the lack of baseplate? Used to ride 51-53mm probably going to stay with that range.
Any words are helpful.
Cheers.
I'm 6,1 185 pounds.
On the last life of my Primitive 8.38 on Thunders 149. By far my favorite set up
Thunder 149 fit an 8.25 better than a 148 in my opinion
@@Torn-rz8tm 1000% agree
I went through the same thing with thunders, switched from venture a year back .. although I do kinda miss the awkward tightening of the front bolts on a venture
😂🙌
Every set of Ventures should come with a Silver tool and 7/8" allen hardware, it makes life so much easier. When I started skating them I had one of those cheap plastic T tools and for the longest time and I'd have to take the hangers off to unscrew the baseplate any time I moved them to a different deck or wanted to use a riser or something and then I'd always feel like I couldn't get them back to the right tightness. It was so annoying, but then someone told me about silver tools and I bought one right away, even if you don't ride ventures its the best skate tool I've ever used.
I just keep a 3/8" wrench in my bag for that.🔧
Perfect timing for this vid Ben,
I have been mulling over what to get next,
this coming Friday .
Think I'll go with the Ventures, though I may change my mind .
I certainly won't be getting indys again.
Keep up the great work mate.
Why no indys
@@FuzzyDancingBear yeah, i'm wondering too why not?
Go with thunders
:)
@@FuzzyDancingBear Indys are now made in china ..
Thx Ben Im riding Venture for 7 years now. I was waiting for this video....and think I'll stuck with my Ventures ;)
Venture foe life!! Always on the grind!
I'm riding ace at the moment ,chose those after watching one of your reviews on them. For my smaller set up I have thunders. Haven't had a pair of ventures in probably 20 years lol. I'll probably get some next time I go truck shopping
I've skated a lot of different brands and iterations of trucks over the years. I skated Venture before Thunder. I always felt a bit off whenever switching brands. When I got my first set of modern Thunders, they instantly felt good. Very responsive, light, and not too squirrely. Other than Indy, I would consider them a go-to brand. All around a great truck. It was good to hear you come to the same conclusion. It seemed like it always used to be people either rode Indy or Venture, like those were the only choices. I'm glad Thunder is a modern contender in the truck market. I never really liked any of the "high" trucks.
I have those venture lows on an 8.38 krooked. I cant explain it but it just feels good even though the sizing is way off
I feel it dude I'm riding venture lows on a 8.38 hockey board and the super steep kicks with the low trucks makes the board really fun and manageable for me to skate
if its the cromer lil snuff shape then the sizing isnt off. Its 8.38 on its widest point but 8 above the trucks
Damn deluxe 8.38’s are like 8.5
Dude, you just keep getting better. I enjoy your reviews and they're definitely very insightful, but watching you rip and progress is definitely the icing on the cake.
Watch old videos of yours daily, they just keep the stoke going. Thanks for taking the time to make new content!
:)
Dear Ben,
This video in particular was errily spot on to my skating history. As a kid in LA, I always bought Val Surf 7.625 decks and had Venture 5.0 lows. I think I just thought that the orange bottom veneer looked nice with the blue and white trucks. Now as an adult, I ride Thunder 147’s or 145’s with four speed rings stacked on every axle. To do this, I’ve had to flip the axle nuts so the lock-tite plastic bites the axle first thing. The 145’s move out to about 7.84” axles from 7.6”. And with wide conical fulls, they feel as stable as the 147’s with classics. Anywho, I’ve been really into Ishod Wair’s bushing trick where he uses four top thunder bushings. I think he does this so that his thunder 147’s will be loose enough in the cold due to additional room on the kingpin. What I realized from this video, was that by doing this, the Thunder axle lowers a bit to the realm of the Venture low. And the wheelbase on the Thunders is brought slightly in also to the realm of the Venture low. I like to use a 90A on top and either a 94A or 95A on bottom. The turn you get is somewhere in between a Thunder and Indy due to the new turn angle. But the height and wheelbase is right where a Venture low is explaining why I am in love with this set up. Still looking for the right deck to pair it with.
Thank you Ben for this great review and nice to see you back:) Congrats because keeping motivated sk8ing in winter (and issuing videos) with family and life to carry on sounds like the hugest challenge!! So, congrats again. Thank you for what you do and for the motivation you share with us. Be blessed with your family (and your board) in every thing for 2020!!!
This video really got me into your channel. Bro you totally shred!! Lol I'm 33yo so it's good to know that someday I can be just as good as you. Also, convinced me to get some Ventures and I'm totally in love with them. Thank you!
Loving my Ventures too
Man I love this channel and the nerdy-ness about trucks. I’m hyped for the new ace trucks when they come to town thanks to your ace review.
Thank you!🙂
Haha love the fact that you asked in this video for the courthouse ledge height and I randomly watch this video after the one you actually measured it
Venture lo crew checkin in!
🙂
Can I join? Got Venture 5.0 Lo yesterday , skated them today for the first time
Lo all day for the pinchiest of grinds
Gang gang
Ventures w/ bones bushings slay
I rode thunders exclusively when I was in my second “phase” of skating, around 2007-2009 and that was when I was at my best. So when I started skating again in 2014, I bought some thunders and I never really questioned it, I knew that getting my tricks back would be a challenge, as I had put on the pounds and got a job that wrecked my body enough. It wasn’t until I was getting comfortable on a board again that I started feeling like Thunders were not responding the way I wanted, so I switched to Indys, and basically never looked back. Kind of been on the outs with skateboarding over the past year, have skated maybe 5 times since last March. Trying to motivate myself to keep at it, to keep from going overboard I’m weight again, and I’m doing a lot more flat ground and ledge stuff than anything else these days. I might have to at least try some ventures to see if I like them.
thanks for the video Ben, I was missing your content
😊
Hey Ben, I just want to start off by saying thank you again for your product reviews. It helps a lot having your input because I can't really afford to buy everything and figure it out for myself; not until I get back to my normal job in the spring anyway. I could use some of your help with something with products you've reviewed before. I'm much larger now than when I was a young man, but I still love to skate. But because I've put on some weight I'm kinda forced to use the carbon fiber/power ply decks. No big deal, but ive been having some trouble with ghost pop. I'm riding a Santa Cruz vx right now, and I like it but the kicks are too steep for my liking. Thinking of getting a Flight deck next. I've only ever skated on Indy, Venture and Grind Kings with preference leaning toward Ventures. I have 8" Indy hollows but I don't know how they'll be with the new deck. I would really appreciate your help/input. Keeping in mind the ghost pop issue and that I like my trucks tight. Sorry for the length of this message I know your time is valuable.
You might just love them on a flight deck. Powell has way mellower kicks than NHS decks. I have to ride low trucks on NHS.
@@bendegros Yeah, I saw in your review of the flight and vx decks that the nose and tail were more mellow on the flight deck; and the 247 option looks nice too for all of the scoopy tricks. I just hope it fixes my ghost pop and manual pinch problems, it feels like I'm trying to ollie 4 boards just to get my tail to tap and get on a 10" ledge for a 50/50. 😂😒😭
Almost has a similar deck out that looks promising too. Anyway, I appreciate ya brother I'll let you know how it goes.
Frank Bomba, I ride venture lo’s on a flight deck. Personally love the combo.
@@wallydupes5401 thanks bruh bruh
Get some Thunder High Lights :)
Still wanting to see you skate some Tensors!
MimeInSilentFilms they’re so terrible lol
@@Terriblegolfer16 long baseplate, good for slides with bigger wheels. the ATG tensors are much like thunders. The regular tens are not as good. bushings wear quickly. but overall, a good thought out truck.
makrospex ya but they turn so bad they don’t even have a bottom washer it’s just a hole in the plastic baseplate that fits the bottom bushing my gf had some and I’ve never been on trucks so hard to ride I would literally almost fall from pushing it’s not like bad where it’ll get better they’re just so terrible wal mart board trucks are better
@@Terriblegolfer16 - does she have the base model or does she have the mag lights?
MimeInSilentFilms mag light bs
Damn Ben that pop is getting crazy lol 🔥🔥🔥
😊
Those ollies were ridiculous
I'm still stuck on my Indys (for good reason) but I enjoy your insight on how different truck brands' dimensions affect the overall feel of a board!
How are you still liking your trucks after they moved to entirely Chinese production? Indy and Ace, made in China. Thunder and Venture are made in the U.S and are better quality.
@@ianturnbow7011 They're still fantastic trucks! I believe the current ones I'm riding are full Chinese production but I'm not positive. I've done same baseplate swapping with other Indys (hollow/standard combo type of mixes) I bought during mid 2020. They grind well, turn well, and the stock bushings are better now than they ever have been. I've had no issues with mine and have been Indy for the last 11 years. The only gripe is that maybe the metal might grind down slightly quicker than I'm used to, but even that is hard to tell.
On paper, Thunder and Venture may be "higher quality" if you are making the argument based on US vs China production, but Indys are a better all around truck than Thunder/Venture, imo. Even in their current China production. I personally feel that Indys are still higher quality than Thunder, but only slightly above Venture. Ventures and Thunders just don't last either.
As for Ace, they've been far too inconsistent with their QC. I've seen good and bad trucks all over the place, so they seem good and I have a couple friends who swear by them after riding Indys. So there's that
@@ianturnbow7011 TL; DR - Yes. I still like them and feel that they are still better quality than Thunder and Venture
Washed up pro on the ledge. 😭 that was funny Ben
Thunder all day. To be fair I haven’t rode Indy’s in years and never tried Venture, but Thunder’s always felt the most well rounded of any truck I’ve ridden. I loved Indy grinds but they were a little heavy and the hangers always slid.
I have sets of all 3 and if I had to only stick with 1, I'd pick Thunders. Not hating on Indy or Venture since they're both solid trucks, but Thunders just feel the most comfortable to me
so dont post then. you no nadda
I remember when venture trucks first came out in the 80's. Nobody ever rode them. Gullwing, Tracker and Indy's we're all everyone rode.
Ben , i am from Russia and I am watching you , keeping filming ,you are the best
That switch front nose on the tall ledge was super dope!
Hey Ben I just want to say thanks and congratulations for all your reviews and videos you are a nice guy and I enjoy learning more about skateboards with you…greetings from Perú 🇵🇪
Very clean. I've seen Indy lows for sale on the NHS site and would be interested to see your take on them.
way to go Ben. Ive followed your channel for a while now and its awesome to see how you are grabbing life by the horns and making it work.
I have crazy setup madness right now and I am loving these videos Ben!
:)🙌
Recently got my first set of Ventures since the 90s because they started making bigger trucks. Owned a pIr of Thunders around 2003-2004. Rode them for a month and gave them away to ride my Indys again. I actually feel like I can totally live with these 6.1 Ventures. The grind is actually the only part about Ventures that's not that good. The turn is adequate enough to be ok with even though not as good as Indy, totally doable. Kingpin clearance on the the highs with stock kingpins is better than my Indys with Grindking kingpins on them. The weight is lighter than Indy but heavy enough to not make the board feel like a toy. One 1/8 riser and they feel the same height as an Indy to me. So long story short Venture is winning me over pretty hard right now.
Your videos are so inspiring. I wish I could just go out there after work and skate like you do. Unfortunately, I do not live in a surf/skate community, which I think is the main reason why. Some trick tutorials would be awesome. Do you ever hit any rails? Your flat ground game is sick..
Recently switched from indys to thunders (staying with American made) and it also took me a few weeks to get use to. Also, I appreciate the switch front nose.
Courthouse is 27”
Thank you!
Can you reply to me with the height of that ledge once you measure it ?
@@kharyan2 he'll probably mention it in a video
Bro I did the same and honestly once I put my bones bushings instead of thunder stocks (which people gave good reviews so I wantted to give them a shot) and now im much more happy with them. To be fair ive been using the same bushings in my indies so they are worn in
The LA Court House stage is 27 inches high, according to Kelly Hart in the recent 9 Club interview with Prof. Paul Schmitt. That ledge yr skating looks higher to me.
faunaflage LA FOR THE LOSE LETS GO
I know this is an old comment, but there is no way in hell that ledge is only 27 inches high
I'm 31. I started skating when I was 6 until my early 20s. My first set of trucks were independents. Ground those down to nothing. Actually still have them. Switched to venture lows hollow lights. They were my favorite trucks. Also only skated mellow boards. Little tail big nose. My first real board was a toy machine. So I have this mind set on what I want. I haven't skated in years and want to start again. But I'm stuck in this rut of what I should go for. Don't wanna waste the money on something I'm going to hate. Thought I was just going to go for another toy machine and ventures again. Idk. I do enjoy watching your videos. It's definitely gave me alot to think about and also letting me know I'm probably over thinking it at the same time.
Just go buy what catches your eye, bud. Don't over think it and let yourself fall back into the flow of skating. You'll find what's perfect for you again!
I wish the thunders had the same baseplate as ventures or krux. They just slide so much better
That pop sounds beautiful
Ive been waiting for your new video! Love em keep up the great great work!
:) Thank you!!
I just got into skate boarding, started on my daughter’s super cheap 7” enuff board and it was pretty sketchy to be honest. I got some crazy big wheels as the roads are rough here and borrowed some old venture trucks and it felt great. But I was told venture were cheap and rubbish. But I don’t know, just got some New hollow high thunders and they don’t feel as stable as the ventures, I’m just cruising, I felt safe on the ventures - temped to sent the thunders back. It’s driving me crazy - thanks for the video, my kind of over thinking!
I hord trucks like no other, always stayed away from Venture but couldn't resist once a pair real cheap (5.8's) crossed my path. Hate at first (because of those hor-ri-ble bushings that have no bounce whatsoever, but put some Supercush bushings in them and they're actually a real nice truck. Love the pop-feel. Just picked up a set of 5.2's too.
@@boepiesnoep7867 - supercrush bushings - interesting. I might get some - I did send the thunders back and pretty happy with old the Venture trucks!
Those supercush bushings just changed my life! I can't believe how much they've change my ride. Bouncy like you say, but stable as anything and so quick and responsive when I turn. definitely going to change my pivot cups too if the right bushes make that much difference. I did get knew venture bushes but like you say they were horrible in comparison - can't believe the difference! Thanks so much for the tip - best £5 quid I ever spent! So... any recommendations for pivot cups?
@@gordonlangley No I havent changed pivot cups myself. But sometimes I clean trucks (take them apart) and then my tip for you would be to buy a small tube of "silicone grease". Silicone grease is lubrication for rubber. I smear a tiny amount on both the flat parts of the bushings (4 sides per truck) and onto the metal part of the hanger that goes into the pivot cup (or just squeeze a tiny amount in the pivot cup itself). Just use a little bit because they can (temporarily) make your bushings feel like a softer durometer. So be aware of that. But that will become normal again after the excess is squeezed out. You will have completely silent bushings and pivot cups. It's like the cherry on top. Realy nice to hear the supercush made a positive difference for you too. What duro did you get?
I guess independent pivot cups would work in ventures too but i don't know for sure
I'm very happy with the turning response on my Venture Worrest 5.8 trucks. I guess I'll have to find a set of Thunder 149s to compare too.
Just recently got back on the board and had some chunky thunders I didn’t like. Actually got some royals simply because I wanted some when I was younger. Nostalgia. Gotta say other than kingpin clearance I love em.
Venture lows with orange Indy bushings is my favorite combo
Oh oh oh... I'm sending that heel Manny to Manny busters hahaha
joann defauw
Hahaha
It wouldn't be in there if I touched. It just wasn't clean.
@@bendegros I'm just playing man
I’m skating the exact 147s right now and love them
I enjoy how honest your opinions are
I switched from some heavy ass Thrasher trucks, which which were not bad, but once I felt the lightness of my current Thunders, they feel so much nicer.
Had the same process mostly. Took about 3 weeks to break em in properly. I did change out the bushings but I love the way these feel. Good review.
The new ledge session was rad. Awesome to see you pushing it hard like that.
Thought you were going to sell me on Venture but in the end it just confirmed my support for Thunders.
No such thing as a long Ben Degros video. This one was stacked with new footy and quality commentary. You rip dude
🙂
I found my old set of Independent trucks from around the 2000s when they were still made in the USA. Gonna stick 'em on my 7.5 deck one of these days and see how different it is compared to the newer Indys and wider boards.
Thanks for making a comeback to the channel with that switch front nose 😂😂😂
Ventures are built for heavy duty. I’d put them more for high impact skating, or anything where an extreme amount of force is applied to the board. As someone going for vert skating where my board could take a lot of impact coming back down on a bail, I really like having something I know is as sturdy as they come.
Thunders + Bones Bushings = God Tier
Bones bushings are ass and break after a month, the stock bushings are just fine.
Neee stock bushings on thunder are easy better
Oh my god this is so true my friends always make fun of me for replacing the thunder bushings
Thunder bushings also break.
but idk im a bones hard dude
Exactly what I’ve got I’ve got the hard ones
Knowing this video is 2 years old but at 2:48 is that the spot where Colin McKay switch back heel the second set in plan b questionable? Looks like the spot then again it changed so much throughout the years
I'll keep tuning in this channel for many unexpected references here👍
Damn Ben your ripping! Extra stoked to see new videos when they do come out.. take care man✌🏼
I recently setup an 8 with venture lo 5.25 and so far I love them. I have some 147 Titaniums I like them but they are too light, I overflip and land primo really easily. The heaviness of the venture is what I like most about them I think. I think I'm going to be on low trucks for a while until I get the urge to skate a bigger board. Maybe I'll try the regular Thunder 147s and see how they do. Thanks Ben for always encouraging the truck madness!
:) I way prefer the regular thunders over the titaniums.
I'd appreciate a review of Jart decks. Thanks in advance......
Why
Go to the shop, look at the concave, measure wheelbase. Wood is pretty much the same, depends on the bih manufacturing factory. Jart is bang for ur buck at least in Europe, with quite childish graphics.
@@skankwave Why? Cos my son rides them and rates them and I'd like Bens opinion on them.
@@skankwave Crap graphics, yes, but certainly bang for your buck. And only Jart make Jart boards. They are based in Spain and they make decks for other European brands and some US brands selling in Europe.
David White I’ve only skated Jart once and I loved it, great quality decks and great shape for my skating.
Been skating some 6.1 ventures lately after coming off of some thunder 151s. Both trucks are excellent in their own way. Lots of stability on both, turn nice(thunder slightly sharper) and durable. I like venture a little more for slides(extended baseplate) and thunders more for grinds(less drag thanks to more meat on the hanger) but in general both a pretty equally enjoyable to me
1/8th risers completely eliminate wheel bite on thunder highs with 52mm wheels fyi and it makes the pop heftier I like it
Hi Ben, I've been watching a lot of your videos. Thanks! I'm curious if the Thunder and Venture trucks were the same price. The Venture Titanium (axle) is around 15% lighter but not so expensive. I wonder what you would think of them. On the subject of weight. It seems the lighter the board the easier the tricks, once you get used to a board. Why not go for the extreme and create a super light weight board?? 7" board, small trucks and wheels. To remove weight drill extra holes in the trucks, deck and maybe even the wheels. I just wonder if the holes will create extra wind resistance or not. The unbreakable new decks might be fun the drill holes in!
I love thunders skated them for about 10 years can't see myself changing, maybe some royals for shits n gigs, Love light trucks feels like I can get my board too do what I want when I want it.
The more I try out other trucks, the more I realize Thunders are the truck for me... specifically the Thunder 148. Idk why I just skate the best on those
Love the Thunder Hollow Light 151s. Changed my skating for the better. Know Control!!
Independent Forged Hollow with bones hard bushings is the smoothest
Nah 6 months old thunders are sooo smooth 🥵
Venture rider for life-since '89
Venture fever is real. I finally have become honest with myself and came to terms that I will never be skating a handrail ever again so I picked up the 5.6 venture down sizing from 8.6 deck and 151 thunders and it’s a good feeling having these trucks on my set up
Thunder “Team” Hollow Lights are my favorite!
these are light but still pop well and no wheel bite
do you know how to differentiate between thunder truck styles? I have two pairs that I bought from Kijiji that I love but dont know what they are. I think the one is hollow light because the king pin is hollow but the axle isn't. I'm pretty sure the one pair is 143 and the other 147 but not sure which style each is. Anyone??
@@ProductionsGhetto the one you own is probably Lights. Hollow Lights has both hollow axles and hollow kingpins. Hope this was helpful.
Recently I switched from thunders 151 to ventures 6.1 and i love how they feel
Pierre148 I went from Indy 159 stage 11 standards to thunder 151 and like how they are lighter but feel my ollies were better on the heavy indys . Now I’m curious about some ventures
Pierre148 but what about pop. Out of the 3 which ones did you feel had the most pop
J N Indy’s or venture hi I recommend the ventures now that Indy’s in China
I always put my old kingpin nuts on new trucks. Then angle grinder to the rest of the kingpin. While I'm at it I put on the old bushings too. My current setup I actually only changed the hanger..haha
Colin mckay switch back heel and nollie late flip at that spot @ 2:50 back in the day. Questionable was my first video and is still my favorite to watch.
At least I think it's that spot
I skate the 5.2 low with 52mm wheels and also slightly harder aftermarket bushings and I haven’t experienced any wheelbite and it turns just fine (turn almost like Thunders). Love Venture lows! 🔥
Somebody sponsor this man!!
holy shit that last ledge was really high props for that front nose
Holy cow it's so crazy to how far you've progressed.
27" inch Kelly Hart tell it in nine club!!
Awesome!! The ledge I ollie up at the beginning of the video is 30". That was hard!
Switch flip manny now😜
I’ve been skating Indy forged hollows since I was a kid. I honestly never even thought of trying new trucks but seeing as how you said the thunders helped a lot with mannys maybe I’ll try them. I’ve never been good at them.
They probably won't help for that. Indy's have a better manual point. Sorry:(
very interested in seeing that video about truck tightness 🤙 u should try taking the top washer off ur ventures & swap the bottom bushing for an indy extra soft(i would switch the top too but i like those cool clear bushings) 👌 pinch heaven 👌
oh btw the titaniums are 🔥💧🔥
I’d love to see you review the Welcome’s Orb wheels. I’m planning on buying some but can’t find any good info on them
I skated ventures for 5 years then thunders for 5 years and I switched back to venture a few months ago. I feel like the main difference is that they grind through real ledges way better and are better for manuals but I ride a mellow shape from a shop so it’s the same every time
You deserve a Nine club Ben! Thunder147s everyday!! that switch front nose slide was a ender lool
:) Thank you!
@@bendegrosimagine that
Good to have you back
Thank you so much for this video. Really helped. 😁
I skated venture for years all those broken kingpins
a review of the new tensor all terrain maglights would be nice , it is supposed to be the lightest truck on the market and made of magnesium . . also , there's different versions , but , the one i'm talking about are the high's called the all terrain's 😇 there's no good reviews on these trucks , thanks ✌️💜
Steve if you can read this I want my Thunders
Does Steve know how to read?
@@MrPDTaylor unfortunately, probably not
🤣🤣🤣
he's so canadian i love it
"cmon washed up pro" lol
Keith Wan
Hahaha Ben is so sick as a person and skater.
@@18JR78 i agree, im laughing at what he said to himself in the video
Keith Wan
Yeah I know, I wasn’t calling you out haha. Caught me off guard when he said it. Hilarious.
@@18JR78 its all love g (:
Keith Wan
😎🤜🏽🤛🏽
Thanks for another great truck review. Only problem with your truck reviews is that they keep making me get more trucks...and wishing I skated a tenth as good as you. Yeah, a tenth as good would be nice. Any chance Mini Logos next?
I hope someone can help me out with this, but im trying to decide between this two, is there something in between or some way that I can modify one to feel more like the other?
I'd still love to see you try a handrail you definitely have enough pop to do it.
I've just gone from the venture 5.8 v-lights to thunder 149 titanium lights, can't wait till the thunders are worn in, they feel good but seem foreign at the moment
You like the lightness? Is there a deck type you prefer with them?
@@svnbit8408 they certainly are light, I like them but I'll probably go back to venture, I've been skating them on a primitive 8.25 and a anti hero 8.25, they definitely felt better on the primitive deck.
Just got some Thunder 145s for my new 7,5" setup ... BTW: Anyone know how old wheels still work ? Do they loose their quality after time ? I have some small ones here, but they are many years old now (10-15years at least i can guess).. Anything you want to cover @Ben Degros ?(Is grinding it down a few millimeters of the wheel) ... Really appreciate all your knowledge and in depth videos and skating skillz ;) !! Greetings from Norway
@SIOUXICIDE * Allright thanks!
West L. A. Courthouse technically(Santa Monica is a few miles down the road), and I believe it’s about 27”.
We have three saying 27 now!