Posts Tagged ‘off-road’
Written by Peter Suciu on 14 March 2011
Sometimes you just have to say what the Fiik. Well, actually you never really need to say Fiik at all, but then again maybe you will – at least if you like to skateboard and ever considered taking it off road. We’ve seen a lot of supposedly “off road” skateboards – including a couple that have been designed with military needs in mind.
But now comes the Fiik Street Surfer, which was designed by two brothers from Queensland, Australia. It features a digital wireless throttle control system, ABS braking system big wheels that can handle most terrains. The Fiik (Future Is In Knowledge) also has a bit of retro appeal – it looks like a classic “sidewalk surf deck” with red strips. But unlike those retro boards, this one has a maximum speed of 23 mph/37 km/h. While the board comes with a sealed lead acid battery, users can also upgrade to the optional lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, which also offers a range of 22 miles or 1.5 hours of runtime. The board further includes three speed settings, including a setting to limit the top speed for newbies.
Given the rising price of gasoline, maybe decks like this could help you get to and from the office. At $1600, with the lithium iron phosphate battery upgrade, this deck could help you commute and even take you off the beaten path to get there.
Fiik Street Surfer Official Website
[Via Gizmag: FiiK electric skateboard - wireless control, ABS braking system, ton of attitude]
Tags: Fiik, Fiik Street Surfer, off-road, Skateboard
Posted in Equipment, Outdoors | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 27 August 2010
How long do you think this board will stay white?
Over the years there have been attempts to take skateboarding off road, with bigger tires, more tires but now Bryson Lovett has taken the board in a new direction. With his unique Vertrax Electric Skateboard he’s essentially ditched the traditional wheels, and in place utilizes a tread system – much like you find on a tank or tractor.
Thus instead of needing the typical flat and smooth skating surface, the Vertrax can tackle sand, snow, dirt, worn concrete or even grass quite well. There have been suggestions that it could be used in military operations, such as for transporting soldiers across rough terrain, and because the tracked skateboard is electric it runs quietly without the traditional exhaust of similarly small vehicles.
Given that a rider still has limited options for holding on the Vertrax is probably best on flat terrain as well, but it should be able to tackle conditions that would riders carrying their traditional skate deck.
Byrson Lovett Official Site
Tags: Bryson Lovett, deck, off-road, Skateboard, Vertrax Electric Skateboard
Posted in Equipment, Exercise, Outdoors | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 10 August 2010
Montrail Sabino Trail Shoes
Over hill, over dale, I hit the dusty trail and the Sabino carried me along. After years of primarily being one to pound the pavement, I laced up with a pair on Montrail Sabino shoes and got off road. Now truth be told, given the state of many roads and even sidewalks in much of the country these days, finding “off road” isn’t as hard as it seems. But these performance running shoes are really designed for stability in true trail conditions.
The Sabinos are heavier than many of today’s lightweight running training shoes, but that’s because these need to stand up to harsher terrain. In other words you wouldn’t use a sports car where a SUV needs to go – then again, many SUVs probably couldn’t go where these shoes will take you. Made of synthetic leather and lylon mesh upper materials and thermoplastic midfoot shank, the Sabinos fit like a glove and were just right for the rather humid and warm day when I hit the trail. Whether we’ll be able to say if these were neither too hot nor too cold will have to determined at another time, but it is safe to say that these will do the job in a variety of weather conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hands On, Montrail, off-road, Running, Sabino, Trail Shoes, trails, walking
Posted in Footwear, Hands On, Hiking, Running | No Comments »
