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The
Nomad
No
doubt you've all seen the new board from Dimension
- The "Nomad", but do you know what
it's all about? We get quite a few questions
regarding this board so we figured we'd answer
them here.
There
seems to be quite a lot of confusion surrounding
this board, what is it's purpose? Since it's
cheaper is there a reduction in quality? Are
the parts compatible with other boards?
If
you've been in the Streetboarding scene long
enough you will see the Nomad inherited it's
shape from the AS1, Dimension's first board
and the best selling board ever at the time.
The Nomad is far better in the looks department,
it is the first Dimension board to include full
graphics on the top and the bottom of the entire
board, not just the crossbar. It's had a slight
mis-classification in that it's been labelled
a "beginner" board, which conjures
up images of the board not being able to take
the beatings dished out by a more advanced rider.
This is simply not the case. The board is smaller
in size, so therefore it is cheaper - hence
the marketability towards people wanting to
get into the sport but not lay down the money
for the most expensive board.
The
boards quality is right up there in lastability,
the footplates and crossbar are 9ply Canadian
Maple and the trucks it uses are Viking2's -
the upgrade to the original Viking's that now
have dual support in the blunt plates. The curved
blunt plates make way for smooth and fast nose
and tail slides, plus they allow for a greater
angle of balance on blunts. The actual axle
itself has been angled so you get a much more
comfortable lock on nose grinds and 5-0's and
there is no blunt plate coming up over the top
of the axle as seen in previous trucks, this
provides a wider axle - giving you a greater
spectrum for hitting up grinds (this is especially
helpful in smiths and feebles). You may be thinking
that as soon as your wheels hit the rail you're
grinding you will hang up faster than if you
pick up the phone to a window salesman. While
there is a certain degree of resistance when
compared to the "Demon" truck, it's
really not enough to even notice after you've
ridden them once. The main plus with these trucks
when compared to the "Demon" truck
is the fact they will fit all sizes of wheels.
Demons will fit all wheels except for Punks
and Shamrocks (due to them being so wide), whereas
the Viking2 does not have this problem.
The
footplates are angled specifically for optimum
balance on K grinds, again like the AS1 in this
respect. They also feature the WSA standard
binding hole pattern, so transferring your bindings
over from your current ride is a breeze (just
remember to note which holes you prefer your
bindings in!).
The
crossbar is almost identical again to the AS1
crossbar, except for some minor adjustments
around the neck areas to again reduce weight.
It has a shorter stance of 52cm, so it is good
for you shorter riders (especially if you're
5' 5' or under) who may find the 54cm of AS2
bar a bit uncomfortable. The Nomad bar also
has a greater pivot rotation to aid in gaining
speed and again in the weight department.
Overall,
the main thing to realize this board isn't a
weaker brother to the AS2, just a smaller one.
The parts are up to scratch, it looks the part
and weighs less. If you're looking to throw
yourself around on the street, do huge rails
and drops then I would recommend you grab an
AS2, but for everything else the Nomad is just
as good as the AS2. Even if you're worried about
the stance factor, all the parts are WSA standard,
so you can slap on other parts from other boards
to make up your own perfect complete set up
to suit your own specific needs.
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