New Year New Setup!

[@youalreadyknow5849]

You already know its a good day when Ben upload a vid

[@yungflexo]

Fr

[@Mcfishsandwhichandfries]

Facts

[@abelbugel3621]

exactly

[@zaboizach4847]

Straight up

[@jeremyellis409]

True story

[@grutfrut5817]

That board art is gorgeous.

[@jann470]

The man, the myth, the Canadian carpenter strike's againnnn

[@Firey50]

"May your next session be you best session yet" Iconic line.

[@Bolsty7]

Yeah I love that one

[@ronniecreager2585]

Ben getting back to his roots. I haven’t seen a tail slide kickflip out from you in a long time, that was tight! Thanks for all these videos lately, your getting me hyped to skate! Next session be your best session wish you steady progression!

[@himebaughchris4026]

Damn! Haven't heard That name in decades. Time to watch some old videos. Glad you found a match.

[@fordgalaxie3695]

Babe wake up new Ben Degros video

[@Andrew-kx1sq]

ah nvm, go back to bed babe, he didnt review slappy trucks

[@tomeksikora87]

I've watched a zillion board setup videos, and I never get enough of it.

[@bstallard]

This was the strangest drywall video! Found this channel on accident from your home depot in the USA video. Don't even skate but stayed until the end.

[@ericriggsbee]

Venture low for life! Riding them since the early nineties! ❤

[@robertbaker3620]

The madness never leaves us Ben. I knew you'd be changing your setup again when you said something about "becoming a Thunder guy" last summer. But I suppose that's what makes it interesting. Endless gear changes and endless trick combos. I love that aspect of skateboarding. Wishing you the best for this coming year✌️

[@LV_Bach]

I've been sayin that about shorty's forever! I always go for them if they're available. I also set them up in the same diagonal pattern as you lol. Have for ages! Cheers!

[@Shiba_Emu]

I literally set up an extremely similar complete. 8.0 with 14.25” wheelbase Blind TJ Rogers deck, venture 5.2 lows, 51mm Ricta core 99a. Every time I try and change to something else, I gotta go back to that early 2000s feel, just not a 7.63” deck, haha. You’re killing it out there Ben and inspiring us dads to get better!!

[@Adrian-rn1ym]

Lol I feel you there. Same with shoes. I can’t seem to skate any skinny shoes , I still have to skate 2000s style shoes. Don’t know why 😊

[@_barnac]

@@Adrian-rn1ym yepp I cant do any flip tricks unless im wearing bulky shoes

[@Shiba_Emu]

@adrian I used to exclusively skate the vans rowley in high school, so I recently scoured all vans outlets to buy up any rowley reissues that I could find. Perfect mix of puffy with board feel. If they made the Reynolds 1 or the kircharts again, I might be inclined to go emerica.

[@_barnac]

@@Shiba_Emu yess I had the kircharts, reynolds 2 and 3, the hermans gcode.. got a pair of maranas this year and the shorter toe helps alot.. wasnt a big fan of the accel slims reminded me of a floppy reynolds 3. I swear shoe brands in the last decade just deleted the bottom 2 laces holes for a longer look

[@davidvanvliet193]

Dad❤️ ,going 93 style with the venture low and 51mm Spitties. Luv it!! I'm setting up a FA Saint Mary, Gino 8.18 deck, some Spitties classics 52mm 99duro. Bones Swiss bearings with spacers. Just waiting on some Venture 5.25 Hi's to come in the local skateshop Ben G. Hardware Allen key 7/8 shake junt. Jessup grip tape, shoes last longer ,I think. Clyde and Gino used to be both on 101 🙂

[@bendegros]

Son!!!

[@slavicdrill3211]

@@bendegros in my opinion bones are best wheels. i have spitfire too but the spitfire i got they feel too fkn big, but its same size as the bones.

[@michaelk.5706]

I repeat myself but you should really make a Board shape with the Professor...

[@cyclopsfpv7969]

thats a great looking deck. I too am a carpenter and I too live in Canada.

[@lochieaxon]

the grip twisting you're talking about at 10:05 happens when you tighten from the bolt rather than the nut. since you were using a ratchet on the nut side it clamped the bolt head down onto the grip instead of twisting into it.

[@rmhfpv9225]

PLOT TWIST! ....I love ventures. That stable smooth carve is luxurious for tricks. I like Indies for just riding around, but my Venture Ti 5.6 on an 8.25" April is just effortless, smooth and has a quality feel.

[@Davee8488]

Venture lows for the win! As a 37 year old that just came back an over extended break. I’m so hyped hearing you talk about Venture trucks. As a kid my friends rode Indy and I stuck with ventures. Glad to know I was onto something back then. Great video!!

[@baldwinstephone]

Lol I did the same .. I was riding an 8.5 for a while and recently been having issues, watched some old clips from my child hood (early 2000s) and decided to switch back to an 8” )wearing a 12 shoe… to wrap up I love the 8 and don’t have to try as hard for tricks and I’m sticking with that moving forward … riding Indy 139s👍🏽👊🏾

[@seb9093]

Venture lows for life! I ride them because I ride a 7.9 DGK and their low, light, and snappy feel just compliments such a width and concave perfectly. I tried the highs but found them to be wayyyyy too tippy. Made my board feel like a balance beam. Also, along with vibing more with the Venture team (PJ Ladd swears by the lows) and art direction as a whole, I love how the baseplate sticks out more for either noseslides or tailslides.

[@henriqueskate]

Wow! I didn't know DGK made 7.9 decks, thanks for this information. I was riding a 7.9 Element deck with Crail His 139 and it was the best deck i've ever had: it felt light, snappy and easy to flip. Unfortunately i realized it's a difficult size to find so when i lost them, i had to buy a 8.0 deck that i'm still riding. I've recently got some Indys 139mm Hollows and i'm loving them, i can't wait to get them on a 7.9 board. Cheers!

[@seb9093]

@@henriqueskate Yeah i find the DGK 7.9 to be a perfect shape for me! I like a roundish nose, pointy tail, and shorter wheelbase (I believe the one i'm riding is currently 13.4). I tried DGK in an 8.0 but the nose and tail were too squared and everything just felt horrible. With the 7.9 they got everything spot on!

[@henriqueskate]

@@seb9093 Sounds interesting. My Element 7.9 was more like pointy tail so i guess that also made me feel better, with better pop and easier to flick. The currently 8.0 deck i'm riding right now is too mellow so i feel i cannot pop it properly, i have to put so much pressure on it to pop it (so i get too tired easily - i'm 35 now so for me the less effort i need to put to pop and flick, the better). Anyways i hope i can find a DGK 7.9 somewhere to give it a try soon. Thanks a lot for your tips!

[@henriqueskate]

I forgot to mention the 8.0 deck i'm using is from a random peruvian brand, i don't even know which woodshop supplies them. Of all the 8.0s i've tried the best so far was a Zero board made in México (i believe it's a BBS board)

[@Rustyfingaz]

A Clyde deck in 2023? youre a very fortunate person and its well deserved 🙏🏽

[@Jdmxrtinez]

Love the shape of that deck

[@lvt8studio]

Finally someone, Ben Degros most importantly, said what has been my opinion on the Shortys hardware ever since the late 90s. 7/8 Silverados are the best skate hardware, no contest. Keep going with the awesome videos Ben ☺️

[@h1r1]

im getting back into skating almost 20 years later, trying to learn transition and vert eventually and my madness has now got me to makin a mini mega board(9.5wide, 16wheelbase) to learn simple drop ins (up to over 5ft drop ins now) but now i really wanna know what a 17 wheelbase does and widths closer to my 10.5 shoe size. i might have to make a channel just to keep track of all this.

[@Crcmvnt]

And now my day is complete.

[@JonnyDIY]

PS- I think I might have to dig out some Venture lows from my 90s vintage stock now 😆

[@johndoug4794]

Riding a similar setup right now too, a primitive 8.125 with some 5.2 Lo’s. Loving the way this setup flicks. Venture 5.2 Lo’s aint dead! Lol

[@ronniecreager2585]

What the shit Ben, pumping out videos!!!!

[@delamiket]

Silverados sales bout to skyrocket

[@amarbold7281]

I love this dude he is super detail oriented and pays attention to the small stuff just like me. Gives me a wholesome feeling !!

[@dolphinitely_bro3944]

I am older and also a contractor and somehow i could tell you have been in the construction industry by how you explain SOP when setting up your boards. I started skating again also! Keep it up

[@ben_3256]

fs flip at the end of that line was sick. the 180 was so fast!

[@ben_3256]

17:17

[@micksterminator3]

You made me realize what I hate about my current street setup. I need to ditch the risers and drop from 55mm to 52 or 51. I always skated small ass wheels as a kid and got used to how the pop feels. I can barely clack the tail with this setup. My ollies and kickflips come out all pressure popped

[@gabriellaforce2041]

I understand you! When I try the setup of other people I always ghost pop, because the big wheels and standar trucks. The quick pop of the low trucks and little wheels is great!

[@volumaticstatic]

Dude, it’s so green around you. The grass, the plants, the shrubs. Didn’t realize Vancouver in Jan was so green

[@prestonbushman4790]

I love skating a 8.00 deck, I went through a year long bpsw phase and skated a lot of 9.00 inch board and half cabs, but something about smaller decks makes nostalgic. I can’t get down to a 7.75 yet but a 8.00 is so pleasant to skate!

[@DTC1138]

I got a NY setup too. I'm lucky the company I work for gives us some health allowance every year. :) Indy Trucks, Ishod Wair Twin Tail 8" Deck, Spitfire F4 54mm 97d, Bones Big Balls. So far I'm loving it. I still consider myself a beginner starting to land my first stationary Ollies but this board feels so good on parks and footpaths!

[@rulehardgarage9740]

I too am stepping down but not quite as much. I'm going 8.25". Even in the skinny board days I skated a wider than normal deck. I enjoy these videos right now because I have bought several boards in the past few months chasing a certain feeling. As of this week I received a special delivery from a local company that presses their own decks. They sent me an uncut blank so I can cut my own shape with a shorter tail and longer nose. I'm really excited about this project. And lastly, you should check out Static hardware. It's a local company out here that makes high quality stainless Allen head hardware.

[@NuTTyScuTTy]

I stepped back down to an 8 about a year ago and i have not regretted it. My flat-ground game has been better than ever. Great video, Mr. Degros!

[@quantumbearingscience6837]

Nice! We’re super stoked you love our bearings, Ben! 🙌⚛️

[@strugglinghustler]

I was surprised but hyped by your Venture low reveal. Those are all I ride. I've got a new set of 5.2 low V Hollows coming in the mail, as well as some 46mm Boardycakes I've been wanting to try. Also got a new 8" DGK. Looking forward to setting it all up.

[@gabriellaforce2041]

I was thinking about those same 46 mm Boardycakes wheels to put on my future spring setup. I still got the 44 mm on a old setup that I call the 94 Girl setup! So fun

[@khutchdrum]

"can't be too picky..." says the world's most relentlessly discerning skater!

[@neutrongarbage]

I skate Venture highs and lows, and I gotta' say stock bushings are solid, pivot cups are on point, and the trucks turn really well - even the lows. I also like Thunder lows and Indy mids.

[@PlayingOutsideSomewhere]

You’re a beast 🤙🏽

[@JamieHusain]

Awesome video. I grew up riding venture trucks, back in the day. Now im skating indy but have skated thunder in the past. Awesome to hear about your setup process. I am very picky about setting my board up too. Learned a few things watching this video. Captured that feeling of getting super excited about building a new style setup. Looks like you are really enjoying the lighter smaller setup!

[@iamupinacloud]

It's interesting how changing your wheel and truck size or brand for a certain deck can make such a huge impact on your comfort levels. Always value the info you provide in all of your videos, Ben. Thanks for being a good dude. Keep on shredding!

[@kenrocker7427]

Man 8.125 is the best! This whole setup looks like nostalgia and comfort. You make me want to go scoop up a clone.

[@jaybird634]

Skateboarding = Perseverance ! Thanks Ben with another honest opinion about changing your setup and what truck (Venture) had made it manageable . Charm City ! Vu'Skateshop Support your local ! God bless and peace be with you and your loved ones .

[@NewEnglandPatriotsfan]

Nice setup man

[@alejandropreciado1814]

You went off the deep end. Madness

[@scatpack1381]

I use Sil-Glyde for the pivot cups. You won't hear a single squeak out of them. Also they're safe for plastic. You can find them usually at Automotive parts stores.

[@bendegros]

I might have to give that a try. I just always use wax. Lasts for about a month.

[@fiore_adriano]

Ben is responsible for my board madness. Now I want to set up a smaller board.

[@jouhajohnny]

Small boards are the best

[@_smsb_]

just set up a new board last night. here i am watching you do it. love it.

[@steezyjefe]

16:12 I ride 50mm spitfire F4 wheels and 149 trucks but I wonder if 8.25 trucks would fit well on 8.38 decks?

[@adamhharbin]

I did a deep dive into your archives over the last month and came up with a very similar setup. Thanks for the tips.

[@tylerida273]

I actually love the aesthetic of grip tape after the edges are sanded down lol.

[@BigDog8162.0]

Clyde would be Proud! I just brought this deck ta hang on my wall because Clyde is one of my favorite Skaters! From back in the day! Beautiful Choice 👊🏿

[@SlainLamb]

😂 I totally KNEW you would switch to Ventures! I had a good year on them thangs👍

[@funkydankspliff]

Long time Venture guy here, had 2 setups (8.25 and 8.5) both with Ventures and ~53/54 F4 classics. That setup worked great for a looong time but eventually i felt the Ventures were too "steep" on my nose and tail so couldn't get the most responsive pop. I hated Thunders for the longest time cause they would make my board feel super soggy quick and also too low of pop, but I tried them out for the sake of it again with F4 conical fulls... and now I feel I can control my pop on kf, tre to be either low pop or high pop and the tail snaps quicker so I feel better approaching rails and ledges on Thunders to get that perfect ollie to lock in. For the time being I'm staying with these Thunders/F4 Conical Fulls on 8.25 and 8.5, but will always be Venture gang!

[@scab040]

Welcome home, Ben. I just went back to Ventures yesterday and legitimately had my best session yet. Fully awake and planning to keep it that way.

[@mattabaloz]

Them flips of yours are tight af Ben. Great and informative vids 👍

[@ioannissklavos4697]

1st here , nice one , keep up the good work!

[@joblob213]

Awesome video as always! Probably favorite thing to watch on KZbin. Love that you went with Venture Low. Was hoping they"d do a low in a wider truck like 8.75 or 9 for a long time. woke up the other day and saw that Ace had a low in 8.75. Guess i'll see how they are when they arrive. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@lopegallard7621]

Same here , I was in a mental madness because of the trucks that I should ride on my 8 deck , Indy’s to tall, thunders too weird to be honest with the lightness, once I put on the ventures lows on the board , I knew I made the right decision, so glad to be using ventures again

[@FirelordRob76]

I have the venture 5.2 lows and I’ve ridden them since September. They’re really stable and make the pop a lot heavier than the tensors I used to skate. I also like how shiny they are.

[@jonbonjovi_is_happy]

I gasped when you unveiled those Ventures! But I have to say your skating is fresh and crispy as hell on them :)

[@robolinoschmidt8676]

Deck looks so great ..wheels also..I would have preferred ventures but that’s just my taste …happy new year ✌🏻

[@bendegros]

Commented a little early. I may have preferred ventures too ;)

[@robolinoschmidt8676]

@@bendegros the early bird catches the worm 🪱

[@bakedbeings]

You can sand a little off the inside of the classics to reduce the width and improve lock-in. I use a bit of float glass, 80 grit paper and spray adhesive. I already had the glass for sharpening blades, flattening plane soles etc.

[@Dylandontplay]

Hey man just started watching your stuff. Stoked that another Vancity boy is making it pretty big on KZbin! I haven't actually skates for about 7 years but it'll always be a love of mine

[@dataghost2307]

Always good to have ventures lows in the arsenal. My first trucks. 👍😋

[@MostlyHarmless.]

Now I need a new setup, thanks ben.

[@memorysometimers3067]

🤩Oh goodness gracious my BD addiction is getting fulfilled more and more and more!🤤 Feeling the 1000% Buttery effects!!! 🙏👌

[@bendegros]

More coming!!!!!

[@Unogamingchannel]

hell yeah, nice job going to Venture Lows, my old set up I used to ride religiously would be a Girl Deck, 7.75, Mellow almost flat concave, tail slightly smaller and bigger nose, either Venture or Silver lows, somewhere between 49-51mm bones STF's and Silverados hardware, the first half of the video I thought those high trucks are gonna feel weird with the smaller board.

[@mateoxmaza2169]

Haven’t skated since high school but I bought a Xmas setup as a gift to myself, only ever skated thunder and Indy but something felt off about the thunders I bought. Switched to venture lows and now I land heelflips cleaner than when I was in high school. Sticking to venture lows for a minute.

[@Markcurb]

What a coincidence I got myself ventures for the new year. I been liking them my hip flexors don’t hurt as much as when I skated aces.

[@eliaskhan8910]

Always love the videos, Ben. Hope to see you around thompson soon!

[@_barnac]

Sould film when you go to the shop/warehouse for new gear. Great vid!

[@kryptichands968]

Totally a great tech setup, basically what I rode my mid teens through my early 20s, stoked for you Ben, venture lows are sorely missed, thanks for sharing, you killed that session btw.

[@sidioussithlord]

I like listening to you nerd out. I dont have the money or inclination to do all these experiments so i just skate other friends boards when i can and mostly they feel urgh but occasionally i find something i like

[@maxochavez5854]

So glad to see you on a smaller board! Stoked your happy with it and everything you grabbed to piece it together! I’m a venture 5.2 highs kinda guy with my 7.75 palace board but I’m a huge fan of Tom Asta and Kelly hart so I think I’m going to try out some thunder 147 hollow lights. Much love Ben! Such a #RADDAD

[@aidenli1123]

For me personally, if I wanna go down to the 8”setup I miss my last pair of Venture low because I feel like they look proportionally cool, with smaller wheels in between 50-52mm. That setup would be my best compact setup for learning flip tricks etc rather than riding Indy or Ace when it comes to smaller size decks

[@TheBeando]

After watching your videos I have found my perfectly balanced street setup. 5 Boro 8.125, silver m class 8.25 trucks, ricta 54 92a clouds and some good old g2 Bronsons. For my 6'3 lanky self it's got all the pop I need to get high tricks on demand or give half the effort and it still come out landing tricks. All the friends noticed a major improvement in consistency and I skated confidently like never before, thank you.

[@birdieerdie2349]

Damn that was some squeaky bushings 😁

[@Slim_Pickens]

Loved the video man! Your attention to detail is very interesting. My current setup is an 8.25 Vincent Alvarez chocolate on 144 forged hollow Indy’s, Bronson G2 bearings(not sure how I feel about them yet), and 54mm spitfire classics. I wanted smaller wheels but the shop didn’t have them. So far it feels good but as I progress maybe I’ll start tweaking things too.

[@gabriellaforce2041]

That’s hard to find wheels under 52 mm this day, but whit little search on the net you can find some 50 or 51 mm F4

[@jcondition]

I've also been gradually sizing down and starting to settle on 5.2 Venture lows on an 8. Finding the right shoes for the setup has been an ongoing journey.

[@bendegros]

Yup. I’m still in the shoe hunt.

[@sean92smith]

The DC Manteca 4’s might be up your ally. Similar to dunks in their shape, but the toe feels less boxy and it almost leans more toward a vulf feel even though it’s cupsole - not stiff and really no break in time.

[@RollingRodent]

maybe try kalis vulc, great response, not so much proction (like blazer), I've skate them for the sixth pairs in the past 3 years so far. 30min break in time

[@driftlessskater5475]

Hell Yeah! That Strange Love Clyde Singleton is amazing. One of the few times I’ve thought about buying a board just to keep it. Also, just bought a set of 51’s. I’m always looking for 50’s, but they’re nearly impossible to find.

[@JonnyDIY]

I've got Shorty's hardware that's 20+ years old! 🤣 I knew it was gonna be Venture Lows as soon as u said guess. All us 90s guys all skated them things to death. Ventures, Grind Kings, and Independents are all I skated with Ventures the most. My set up pretty same, but usually ride 55mm-57mm wheels. You've got the madness now for sure!!! 🤣👍

[@bendegros]

Had the madness. It’s settled for now.

[@JonnyDIY]

@@bendegros 🙏 it's like herpes, always there just waiting to flare up 🤣🤦‍♂️

[@ejlopez6637]

As a fellow hardware nerd, I also hate the little grip volcano that happens when tightening down the hardware. Especially because I usually spend hours doing griptape cutouts of some sort. The hollow ace hardware is cool because it has little ridges under the bolt (kind of like the old randoms hardware). Idk if the hollow is any lighter haha, but it does look cool when you see light like through it when you’re about to drop in. I used to be a shortys lights guy as well, but I think I’m going to keep going with the ace hardware from now on.

[@ryanmccoy602]

That’s nearly my exact setup you’re riding in the end, venture low, 8 inch deck with a 14 inch wheelbase. 51mm ricta speedrings, bones big balls bearings. I’ve also been searching for this exact feel, it’s perfect. Venture lows for life!

[@ClippitOfficeAssistant]

I love you Ben. Your videos feel just like chilling with an old buddy

[@deadskinmask91]

Try an extra specer behind the wheel. You will get a better pinch and use more of that hidden in the wheel truck section, it also will have your wheels looking more flush with the nut.

[@KevinHenkelMusic]

Skating looking strong on this setup. 👏

[@sydneysimon7112]

That pro model deck is so sick, I haven’t seen that graphic in forever!

[@subieracer005]

The madness is real! And that's a sick setup! And good to see the old skatepark back in the vids.

[@mfgrouch]

Every time I watch your vids I just want to skate, always enjoyable and relaxing man

[@soulviet]

Full circle moment with that setup 👌. You're skating looks more effortless with it. Now lets see the Slappy trucks review Ben! Lol.

[@robbowen2618]

The ledge session was smooth. Killing it!

[@jamesmaleno8540]

Hey Ben, I just got the same deck with indy forged hollow 139 mids , 52 mm spitfire classic. So much damn rain in Philly the past week all I could do is look at it lol pretty hype to skate it. I also am coming from a 8.5 to this 8🤙

[@yesmaybe630]

Funny after watching Zack from Powell, I bought a pair of venture lows. Your previous videos confirmed it's worth trying!

[@50PlusSk8r]

Hi Ben great content Subbed.