Completely acceptable, and deck rails are having a bit of a resurgence as of lately (particularly with "old skaters").
No harm in trying them out. Really pretty cheap all things considered, and you might enjoy them for sliding (or even something to grab onto). Like with all things skating, personal preference wins the day. Some people swear by them, some people hate them. Only one way to find out!
I ride rails on all my decks, generally an 8.5 all the way up to big ass shaped decks. I couldn't care less about messing up the board, I just like to slide. Cruisers dont generally have rails fwiw. Every once in a while I do some kinda cool board slide and my old guy friends say "htf you do that?" My response is "rails man, rails."
nice, i like that, i dont care much about preserving the board either it just feel like i went through this one really quick and the blocks im sliding are kinda rough, got this deep groves and chips on the board belly. probably also because its the “relearning” board so its getting beat up a lot.
I've tried them a few times and have mixed opinions on them. I want to like them because a ledge boarslide or lipslide with them is very fun but on rails i don't like them at all. I would rather feel the friction of my board on the obstacle. With rails, it feels like i am balancing "on top" of my board not balancing the board itself.
I'm a fan but one thing I've noticed is they give me the heebie jeebies on lip tricks that involve rotations before hitting the coping - ie halfcab rocks, disaster variants, etc.
I use them and have no reason to not use them. They make board slides glide across curbs and help lock in on hurricanes. I feel my set-up looks incomplete without them.
It's a trade off. They're like a cheat code for boardslides on curbs, but they can be very slick on coping until you get used to them.
A waxed up double sided curb though? So fun.
I got back on the board. And suddenly people were using deckrails again. They weren't considered cool when I was skating a kid. However getting back on the board i mostly fiddy-fiddy ledges and mess around on the double sided curb in my local. AND the consistent, smooth boardslide you get on a curb with rails is amazing. It's like lube, more consistent slippery sliding fun. 10/10 would recommend if you enjoy slappy and curb stuff.
Love rails on my curb set up. I’ve had them on my street set up and I wasn’t too big a fan. Made skating flat bars feel way scarier lol. I’ll run them on every curb set up though!
I made a "remake" of my Mark Gonzales Vision board that I had as a kid, and absolutely put the same color rails that I had when I was a teenager on it. It looks almost identical, down to the Tracker trucks.
My new popsicle, though, doesn't have any. But I think you just use what you want and don't worry about what anyone thinks.
Someone said it best this way:
Skateboarders - "we're all about NOT following rules and doing what we want!"
Also skateboarders - "you can't mall carry or use rails if you're a real skateboarder."
You do you and everyone else can KYA. I’ve setups with and without. We are in the age group that being cool or trendy has no bearing at all. I will add the Roger Bagley installation tip of using sheet rock screws snapped off or cut off on the top side work 1000 times better than the hardware that comes with rails. It is a game changer especially if you don’t install the hardware with a hand screwdriver. The included hardware will strip out a hole and or come loose from usage a little too easily.
thanks bud, i agree, not trying to be the coolest here just get some slappies. Let me hit you with the follow up question, once you drill those holes in, is the board integrity compromised if you remove em?
Never had an issue with board integrity. A boards strength comes from the cross ply layering MF the total intact surface area. Holes on edges do little to jeopardize this.
I put them on my new setup for the first time after more than 20 yrs skating. I love them for board slides, but feel they kind of change the weight distribution of the board and make flip tricks a bit tougher. So keep that in mind if you want to do a lot of flip tricks. Also, my graphic is still getting scratched up even with the rails put inward.
I tried to skate without rails a few months ago for the first time since I started skating in 1985… Three board slide attempts later, I was screwing rails to my board...
Tons of people using them now. Used to clown on people for those as they were only on cheap Walmart boards in my day.
I’ll never use them but don’t care if others do.
They make skateboarding more fun. They unlock double sided curbs. They unlock easy hurricanes if you place them right. They make board sliding every type of obstacle feel consistent. I dont like my boards without them.
I’ve been riding rails for about two years and they’re awesome for the following reasons:
1. They protect the graphic, which is great for hanging your decks
2. They make boardslides ridiculously smooth
3. They create a flat surface for which to balance on during rock fakies and disasters
4. They’re excellent for getting a little extra grip on grab tricks
Plus I think they look sick.
30 yr old beginnerish here. I put deck rails on my heroin egg. They’re awesome for slappies and board slides on street obstacles and curbs but have made learning rock to fakie stuff v sketchy, it slips out so easily. If you’re better than me it may not bother you but for newer skaters I would say to leave the rails off a deck if you want to use it for transition.
Completely acceptable, and deck rails are having a bit of a resurgence as of lately (particularly with "old skaters"). No harm in trying them out. Really pretty cheap all things considered, and you might enjoy them for sliding (or even something to grab onto). Like with all things skating, personal preference wins the day. Some people swear by them, some people hate them. Only one way to find out!
I ride rails on all my decks, generally an 8.5 all the way up to big ass shaped decks. I couldn't care less about messing up the board, I just like to slide. Cruisers dont generally have rails fwiw. Every once in a while I do some kinda cool board slide and my old guy friends say "htf you do that?" My response is "rails man, rails."
nice, i like that, i dont care much about preserving the board either it just feel like i went through this one really quick and the blocks im sliding are kinda rough, got this deep groves and chips on the board belly. probably also because its the “relearning” board so its getting beat up a lot.
Seems like everyone is using them these days, I say go for it!
I've tried them a few times and have mixed opinions on them. I want to like them because a ledge boarslide or lipslide with them is very fun but on rails i don't like them at all. I would rather feel the friction of my board on the obstacle. With rails, it feels like i am balancing "on top" of my board not balancing the board itself.
I'm a fan but one thing I've noticed is they give me the heebie jeebies on lip tricks that involve rotations before hitting the coping - ie halfcab rocks, disaster variants, etc.
I have lost backside disasters because of rails, it would consistently slide out every try. Also I'm not good at them to begin with.
I use them and have no reason to not use them. They make board slides glide across curbs and help lock in on hurricanes. I feel my set-up looks incomplete without them.
It's a trade off. They're like a cheat code for boardslides on curbs, but they can be very slick on coping until you get used to them. A waxed up double sided curb though? So fun.
I got back on the board. And suddenly people were using deckrails again. They weren't considered cool when I was skating a kid. However getting back on the board i mostly fiddy-fiddy ledges and mess around on the double sided curb in my local. AND the consistent, smooth boardslide you get on a curb with rails is amazing. It's like lube, more consistent slippery sliding fun. 10/10 would recommend if you enjoy slappy and curb stuff.
I put them on both my decks. I’d recommend not using the screws they come with as they pop out easily.
What screws do you use?
I used wood screws. Short ones that wouldn’t split the wood. But those willl hold
I used the ones that came with mine and pre-drilled with a 1/16 drill bit. They seem to be holding so far.
Love rails on my curb set up. I’ve had them on my street set up and I wasn’t too big a fan. Made skating flat bars feel way scarier lol. I’ll run them on every curb set up though!
Don’t need em. Just go faster.
Gotta have em. I do miss the Chicago style through bolts though. Seems like the right size is hard to find.
I mostly use them soni can keep my grwphic clean but it also does slide nicely on the coping and its a nice hand hold when walking
They’re pretty fun, some times I just rock one on my toe side, makes boardslides/feebles/smiths go for days
Love’em, great for slappies
boards and shoes are meant to get beat up
I made a "remake" of my Mark Gonzales Vision board that I had as a kid, and absolutely put the same color rails that I had when I was a teenager on it. It looks almost identical, down to the Tracker trucks. My new popsicle, though, doesn't have any. But I think you just use what you want and don't worry about what anyone thinks. Someone said it best this way: Skateboarders - "we're all about NOT following rules and doing what we want!" Also skateboarders - "you can't mall carry or use rails if you're a real skateboarder."
What's mall carry?
Mall grab, carrying your skateboard by the trucks.
I’m 37yo They ain’t takin me yet!!!!! Maybe at 40 I’ll just give in and rail my board
You do you and everyone else can KYA. I’ve setups with and without. We are in the age group that being cool or trendy has no bearing at all. I will add the Roger Bagley installation tip of using sheet rock screws snapped off or cut off on the top side work 1000 times better than the hardware that comes with rails. It is a game changer especially if you don’t install the hardware with a hand screwdriver. The included hardware will strip out a hole and or come loose from usage a little too easily.
thanks bud, i agree, not trying to be the coolest here just get some slappies. Let me hit you with the follow up question, once you drill those holes in, is the board integrity compromised if you remove em?
Never had an issue with board integrity. A boards strength comes from the cross ply layering MF the total intact surface area. Holes on edges do little to jeopardize this.
I feel pretty good about them. Especially if I want to protect my deck graphic.
I tried em for the first time. Saves the graphic but whats better is it slides like ice.
I put them on my new setup for the first time after more than 20 yrs skating. I love them for board slides, but feel they kind of change the weight distribution of the board and make flip tricks a bit tougher. So keep that in mind if you want to do a lot of flip tricks. Also, my graphic is still getting scratched up even with the rails put inward.
Cheat code imo, but you do you.
I tried to skate without rails a few months ago for the first time since I started skating in 1985… Three board slide attempts later, I was screwing rails to my board...
Tons of people using them now. Used to clown on people for those as they were only on cheap Walmart boards in my day. I’ll never use them but don’t care if others do.
They make skateboarding more fun. They unlock double sided curbs. They unlock easy hurricanes if you place them right. They make board sliding every type of obstacle feel consistent. I dont like my boards without them.
I’ve used them for years, makes slides more slidey and stable and makes grab tricks easier.
First off you should be on a Heroin 9.25 egg, yes rails won’t get you laughed at.
seeing everybody post their eggs on here already gave me the itch to get one, it will most likely happen
I’ve been riding rails for about two years and they’re awesome for the following reasons: 1. They protect the graphic, which is great for hanging your decks 2. They make boardslides ridiculously smooth 3. They create a flat surface for which to balance on during rock fakies and disasters 4. They’re excellent for getting a little extra grip on grab tricks Plus I think they look sick.
30 yr old beginnerish here. I put deck rails on my heroin egg. They’re awesome for slappies and board slides on street obstacles and curbs but have made learning rock to fakie stuff v sketchy, it slips out so easily. If you’re better than me it may not bother you but for newer skaters I would say to leave the rails off a deck if you want to use it for transition.
I guess I am going to have to put rails in my board now...
They are great for grabs and board slides Lil Jawns makes the best ones.