Review: ZilvanLongboards - Mark.
All Round companion..
Interchangeable Nose/Tail ( Also - None)
4’ - 5’ ride height on OJ III’s/Fake Randal’s (180)
‘A Real Kilometre Eater’
Super smooth on all surfaces… Barely feel a transition in surface…
Tactile, poised - free flowing response,
Open to ‘Park Abuse’ and ‘Distance Travelling’
Genuine - All Round Companion
Well… I Have had the pleasure of riding a 2011/12 Prototype deck for ZilvanLongboards.
Fresh out of the Design House around February.. Been withit ever since…
We’ve seen all the elements.. Night and day… and well.. It’s sailed through it all.
Wood/Composite deck consisting of 4ply wood, 2ply Comp sandwich Construction.
Super light.
Very ‘Handy’.
Poised, Responsive Handling.
Easy on The Body - ‘Flex‘, with refined ‘reflex’ and ‘pop’.
Custom Tail setup..
Has changed through-out the year… The ‘Nose’ (as you see it above) can be flipped to give a ‘dipped’ Option. Pictured in ‘Scoop’ mode, this dual piece tail adds alittle strength and rigidity to the deck. With-out this ‘clamp effect’, the ‘Front Third’ (Not Middle/Back) can take a Kurb, or Step up with ease. Dropping over 7’ to 9’ inches without ‘Clamp effect’ Nose can be a little hair raising… only for the board to ‘Bottom out’.. then roll away…
In ‘Dipped’ gives a chilled ride, more ‘relaxed’ stance. With your back foot tending to swivel on the ’Edge’, Continuously versatile in any situation.. Also with time, control, poise, comfort.
The ‘Tail’ (As Above) is bulky looking.. Almost ‘To extreme’ when you first walk up to it… but with in 30 miles it’s friend not foe to your style… enabling control beyond the ‘standard’ pop, shimmy.. A useful tool in ‘The Park’ and ‘Town Cursing’. This ‘Flipper’ tail goes beyond a dual purpose… Along with being a menace in the park (Pre-drilled) and rotated 90 degrees, the perfect luge ‘Head/Foot’ rest rolls with you.. Slightly wide stance/kick to accommodate.. All good fun with a lot of scope for customisation.. As we were under test, we ran it plain -(No Shape), Gripped.
I Very recently cruised The B2B Run (Bath - Bristol) on non other than a stonking summers day… Spot -on moisture content…ect… anywho.. Really kicked it into the first few Kilometres… very pleasant.. The cruised the middle stretch… had a pack on, plus another deck (5 - 8 Kilograms extra weight)… Rolled into Bristol, with-out a sweat, run-time circa 1 - 2hrs…
Gotta say for ‘First time Exploration’ Board… the ZilvanLongboards -Mark had ample range.. I never felt under prepared…
I’ve had this set-up on lengthy promanards along the south coast, Between Poole and Eastbourne over several days… it’s seems as much at home in the forest than by the sea.. Easy on the hips,
Also an urban menace
Low Ride rrrr…
With a Mid-Drop style of ride height (Resting)… it takes from the obvious advantages of ‘Drop Through’, with added flexibility, controllable rigidity. Then tames the ‘extremes’ of a fibreflex, harnessing the reflex (Fibreflex ‘Bounce’), coupled with a super light construction.
The deck flexes to ease you into your stride on lift-off, then stiffens to a placid ‘roll-along’. Positive for your hips, nd knees… Don the ’ Kilometre Eater’ shirt and give it your best…
The Board runs Bi-Directional, with either playing it’s strengths… coming together very sweetly for an all encompassing Distance set-up to rival the ‘Purpose built’. I’ve run over 300 miles in the last three months alone, (With Varying tail combo‘s).. all under test.. Upwards of 15 mils a day sometimes… shorter distance through-out the week.. And to be fair… it’s a proto… But what a proto…
- Contactable through -
- 2011-12 Prototype ’Mark’.
- Custom Design House -
New and Proto Rides out in the wild as we speak.
ZilvanLongboards@Ovi.Com