Electric skateboards, just like regular skateboards, are subject to vibrations and shocks when ridden on rough or uneven roads. Constant vibration will cause numb feet and component screws will come loose, which greatly affect your riding safety and experience. If you live in an area where cracks and bumps on the roads are common, then vibration issue may be bothering you for a long time. Hence this blog is here to offer some insight on how to reduce vibration on the electric skateboard. Find the trick that works better for you.
Shock pads
Shock pads are designed to absorb shock to make for a smoother rider. They are usually made from rubber or dense foam to absorb some of the bumps and vibrations from rough roads. The softer material will have better shock absorption effect than hard plastic materials. Put the shock pads between the truck and board. The reduction in vibration is very noticeable. You will feel like the road noise and vibrations are cut in half, and your feet and ankles fell far less fatigue. But losing a bit of speed is a natural consequence of shock absorption. You’ve got to sacrifice something to gain another thing.
Deck
Some experienced riders may notice that switching from a soft flexy deck to a stiff deck poses a difference on how your feet feel the vibration. Stiff deck works well for high speed, but on bad roads your feet can really feel numb. When pressing decks, adding in a layer of shock absorbing material like different varieties of foam core would be beneficial to reducing vibrations. Therefore, if the place where you are living is packed with gravel tracks or rough pavements, choose an electric skateboard with a relatively soft deck. A softer deck provides the flex to dampen vibration and shock. Lycaon GR deck has been made out of 8 ply Canadian maple and Lycaon G deck of 10 ply Canadian maple and 1 ply fiber glass, which provides adequate flex to absorb vibration and impact.
Wheels
Riders who prefer urethane over pneumatics wheels may experience more foot numbing. You definitely can’t beat pneumatics for smoothness & vibration dampening! If the roads where you live are really not good, bigger and softer wheels will help a lot. AT tires also help to soak up the bumps, cracks, and course pavement that regular wheels will vibrate over. AT wheels or pneumatic wheels do provide better cushioning. But bigger wheels would be higher from the ground and heavier. So if do don’t like being too far away form the floor, turn to some other ways to lessen vibration. Both Lycaon GR and Lycaon G have 90*54mm wheels with the hardness of SHR83A, enabling you to conquer uneven pavements during your commuting process.
Shoes
Comfy shoes would be another key to reduce vibration. We all know that when you keep riding for a while on rough roads, your feet will definitely go numb and the root cause is the vibration. Besides avoiding riding for a long period, the type of sneakers makes a difference. First, do not wear shoes with too much heels. Sports shoes would be better choice. Meanwhile, some nice and thicker insoles also help decrease vibration to the point of no fatigue or numbness at the end of the ride. No matter what shoe brand you are going to choose, just make sure the shoes are cushy enough to survive the riding on rough roads.
Foam grip tape
Another idea for you to lessen vibrations on electric skateboard is foam padded grip tape. There are some self adhering foam grip tape that are easy to use on the market. Every type of foam reacts differently. But foam grip tape map peel easily and it can be a pain to remove it completely because of the adhesive. What’s more, foam padding will make the board less responsive. In a word, it’s a trade off between comfort and responsiveness. Foam grip tape can reduce vibration but you are going to lose a bit of response of your board. The vibration reduction effect has something to do with the thickness and density of the foam.
The vibration on electric skateboards is not easy to get over. When you skate in streets after a while, the vibration starts to make your foot feel award and you are forced to jump off the board, which is not an pleasant riding experience. You can never eliminate the vibration but those methods mentioned above can reduce it a fair bit. And you’ll finally get used to it. A lot people having issues with their electric boards caused by vibration. A simple modification can improve durability and ride comfort on an electric skateboard. How do you reduce the vibrations? Share your experiences in the comments below.