Recently, I got a chance to play around with some Riptide Bushings so I decided to write up my experience with them in a full review. I’ve heard of Riptide Bushings before but I have never really gotten a chance to experience them so I was definitely excited.
I’ll first describe the different formulas that Riptide offers and then I’ll go into how they feel on my 2 setups: one for cruising and carving and one for downhill.
The Formulas
Riptide has 3 main formulas that they make bushings out of, namely APS, WFB(stands for Worlds Fastest Bushing), and Krank.
APS – I’ll start with APS because it is the most similar to other bushing manufacturers’ formula compared to other bushings. Riptide describes APS as high rebound with lots of control and lean. It makes a good all around bushing especially for higher speeds.
WFB – Standing for Worlds Fastest Bushing, this bushing has a unique lubrication formula on it leading to less friction. When compared to APS, the WFB compound rebounds less, and provides less friction for faster transitions.
This formula will also turn 15-20% more than the other bushings with the same durometer. Riptide recommends them for the more experienced rider.
Krank – This formula is somewhat unique in that the properties change depending on how much you tighten this bushing. If you tighten the kingpin nut a maximum 2 full turns it will create a bushing with higher rebound. It’s also worthwhile to note that while APS and WFB feel softer than comparable bushings of the same durometer, Krank feels the same or harder.
For my testing, I wanted to test the more unique bushings that Riptide had. To that end, I got a pair of Krank Magnum Barrel Bushings, WFB Canon Barrel Bushings, and 2 sets of APS Cone bushings.
Downhill Setup
For Downhill I first ran a Krank 93A Magnum boardside with a generic 90A barrel bushing roadside just to get a feel for the Magnum bushing.
This double barrel setup is a great setup for pure board stability making it easy to go at higher speeds. For me(weighing around 200lbs) it took a little harder lean to get the board to turn. For downhill, this is exactly what I wanted and it showed in the subsequent results.
In one downhill test, I was used to getting around 30 mph and was actually able to increase it to upwards of 35 mph simply by replacing my previous boardside bushings with these Magnums.
Before I was running a similar double barrel setup but the added size of the magnum gave me the necessary stability to really attempt to reach my speed limits at downhill.
It’s important to note that because of their size, these Magnum bushings only fit inside certain trucks so you should always check on their website to make sure they’ll fit before you buy.
After riding the mixture of Magnum and generic barrel bushings for an afternoon, I decided to switch to Magnum boardside with a WFB canon roadside.
In comparison to the generic barrel, the WFB canon simply blew me away. I was able to turn so much faster and I could feel the bushing compressing and providing me with rebound energy to help return to the center. After riding for only an hour after switching, I don’t think I could go back.
Cruising/Carving Setup
For cruising, I ran a 95.5A WFB canon barrel boardside with an 90A APS cone roadside. Typically this isn’t generally recommended as these bushings are different turning characteristics. WFB bushings are typically used for faster and squishier turns while APS is used if you want a more gradual/more resistance to turns.
Honestly, if the bushings are different shapes(such as a barrel vs a cone), you have nothing to worry about in combining these two formulas. The difference in shapes is the primary factor in determining the carving characteristics.
The difference over my previous barrel cone setup were astounding. I could feel the APS cone the second I got on my board, it was such an improvement. It provided such smooth transitions during S-curves that I was astounded.
My longboard simply felt lively under my feet, turning easily and coming back to the center quickly.As an another experiment, I ran double APS cones on my cruising and carving board. Now that was an experience. If you want to be able to snake in and out of traffic cones placed 2 feet apart, that’s the combo for you.
I wouldn’t recommend it as a daily riding bushing combination simply because it gives your board almost too much lean. If you are looking into a cone-cone bushing combo, make sure to get a couple duro’s up from what you think you need. The extra hardness will help to prevent wheelbite.
Final Thoughts
I really liked the stability the magnum gave me because of it’s added size. After only a couple of days, it’s almost to the point where I probably won’t go back to normal sized barrel bushings when going downhill.
I also liked the unique lubrication feel that the world’s fastest bushing’s had. You can simply feel it when you pick them up. They feel slippier than other bushings. I think my favorite setup was when I combined them with the magnum bushings for my downhill board.
Overall, I was impressed with the quality of Riptide Bushings across the board. I found a great setup for every bushing I that I tried and I only had a small sample size. When I start buying parts for another setup, I’ll keep them in mind for high quality bushings.
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