Stable Sports

Knowing the skateboard components and upgrades will help any skater enjoy every ride, do some tricks and stunts, and keep the skateboard in top condition at all times. Here are the major parts of a skateboard and the upgrades that you can easily do to make the equipment perform better.

The Deck

The deck of the skateboard is the flat board where the rider stands or crouches when skateboarding. A skateboard deck comes in several sizes. These are the 7.5-8.0 inches for adults; 7.3 inches deck while those aged 6 to 8 years old will find the 7.0 inches for teenagers; 7.0 inches while 6.5-6.75 inches for small children.

Grip tape

The grip tape is a tape with gritty surface and helps your shoes stay firmly on the board. Without the grip tape, you will slide and fall from the skateboard. Some people who skateboard buy grip tape with colorful and lovely designs. It can also help riders identify the nose and the tail of the skateboard.

Trucks

A skateboard has metal trucks to keep the wheels and the bearings attached to the deck. This is responsible for the movement of the skateboard. The trucks keep the rider stable and are important in doing the tricks and stunts in the skateboard. It is important to have stable and strong trucks to prevent accidents while riding the board.

Wheels

The wheels of the skateboard keep it running. The quality of ride and speed is affected by the size of the wheels. Big wheels can make the board run fast and ride over surfaces with cracks or debris smoothly. Although small-wheeled skateboards are quick to respond, they are slower than those with big wheels.

Bearings

The bearings attach the wheels to the axle and are responsible for the way the wheels turn, Bearings must be lubricated properly so that the wheels can turn smoothly. If they are corroded or sticky, you will have difficulty making the skateboard move. There are cleaning kits for the bearing that can be purchased in the market.

Skateboard Upgrades

Some skateboard owners prefer to customize their equipment and update them. Here are the most common updates that you can easily do by yourself.

Changing the Wheels

For a smooth and safe ride on the skateboard at all times, changing wheels when the old ones show signs of wear and tear is important. You can choose wheels in your favorite color and apply some designs for a unique wheel. You can also change wheel sizes if you prefer to reach higher speeds.

Update the grip tape

Grip tape may lose its adhesion as time passes by. When the grits are not as rough anymore as when you bought your skateboard, you can easily lose your balance and slip or slide. Replace the grip tape as soon as its surface is becoming smooth.

Change the trucks

Too old trucks can result in accidents as they might separate from the board. Replace them once you notice signs of wear and tear. Using colorful trucks will enhance the attractiveness of your skateboard and you will enjoy it more.

By knowing the skateboard components and updates of your equipment, you will continue enjoying each ride. The skateboard will be safer to ride and will last longer if they are updated when signs of wear and tear become visible.

Taking good care of the different mechanical components of your skateboard is the key to ensuring its longevity and optimum functionality and performance. You should not really spend hundreds of dollars on its upkeep. As long as you are able to follow these simple steps to easy skateboard care and maintenance, you can help ensure the continued optimum performance of your ride.

Maintain the trucks in optimum functionality.

You can look at the trucks of your skateboard as that component that attaches the deck to the wheels. Trucks are like the metal axle assembly in your car. On a skateboard, the tightness of the trucks can spell the degree to which your board will turn. Absolute beginners will benefit the most from really tight trucks as these help eliminate unnecessary turns. However, if you require greater control of your board, you may want the trucks to be a bit loose; but not to the point that the nut actually falls off the boards kingpin. You may need to adjust the tightness of the nut on each of the kingpin bolt by about a quarter turn and try the skateboard for responsiveness. You can make quarter turns of adjustment each time until you get the desired responsiveness of the trucks.

Adjust the nuts on the axles.

Just like adjusting the trucks, you will also need to adjust the nuts on the axles or wheels themselves. You need to tighten these nuts without necessarily affecting the ability of the wheel to spin. Too tight and the wheels might not spin at all.

Adjust the mounting bolts of the trucks.

The trucks of your skateboard are mounted onto the deck by bolts and nuts. In many models, the nuts come fully integrated with a nylon locking mechanism. However, this could potentially loosen over the course of repeated use. You may need to check this mechanism to see if the nuts have loosened quite a bit so you can tighten them back up. Do not over tighten the nuts, though as these can get embedded too deep into your skateboard deck.

Clean the wheel bearings.

The wheel bearings are what keep your skateboard rolling. As such these must be cleaned, removed of debris, and adequately lubricated to ensure optimum functioning while helping to provide adequate protection for the metal surfaces. Cleaning the wheel bearings can be a significant undertaking, however. As such, if your wheels are spinning just fine, there really is no need for a whole take-down cleaning of the bearing assembly. You may need to apply lubrication, nonetheless to help minimize friction and keep the metallic surfaces of the assembly from heating up.

Clean and replace the grip tape as needed.

If you see the grip already dirty, maybe its time to give it a good cleaning. Some shops provide you with instant solutions to remove stains and other stubborn marks. However, using an old toothbrush to remove some of the stains can be a more practical approach. There are also instances when its best to replace the grip tape altogether.

Taking care of your skateboard is not that difficult. Its like taking care of your car. The important thing to keep in mind is to observe periodic checks to establish the optimum functionality of the different components of your skateboard.

Arsenal are one of England's biggest and most successful clubs, and have won the FA Cup for the last two seasons. Founded in 1886, Arsenal were known as Royal Arsenal then Woolwich Arsenal in their early days. They moved from South London to their home at Highbury in North London in 1913, and moved again to the Emirates Stadium in 2006.

The turning point for the Gunners came in 1925 with the appointment of Herbert Chapman as manager. Under Chapman, Arsenal won their first FA Cup in 1930 and their first League title the following year. In all, Arsenal were League champions five times in the 1930s, including three seasons in a row from 1933 to 1935. Arsenal also won the FA Cup again in 1936.

In 1947-48 and 1952-53 the Gunners were League champions again, and were FA Cup winners in 1950. But Arsenal would not win a major trophy again until they won the Fairs Cup in 1970 - Arsenal's first European trophy.

In 1970-71, Arsenal, captained by Frank McLintock, completed their first Double in their history. With Charlie George's memorable strike against Liverpool winning the FA Cup for the Gunners. Later in the 1970s Arsenal won one of the great FA Cup finals to beat Manchester United 3-2 in 1979, thanks to an Alan Sunderland goal. Arsenal's next trophy came in 1987, with their first League Cup.

Two years later Arsenal won the League in remarkable fashion. They needed to win 2-0 at Liverpool to do so - and thus deny the Reds the title. A Michael Thomas goal in injury time ensured the title ended up in the hands of impressive Gunners captain Tony Adams.

The next two decades would be highly successful for Arsenal, vastly increasing their fan base and making Arsenal Tickets a highly sought after prize, and they were League champions again in 1991 - and lost only one game all season in the process. In 1992-93 Arsenal won both the FA Cup and League Cup, and then the Cup Winners' Cup the following season. During this time Ian Wright was becoming one of the best strikers in the club's history.

In 1996 Arsene Wenger became manager, and his appointment saw a period of notable achievements, including going a whole League season unbeaten in 2003-04. It was to prove to be Wenger's third League title win with the Gunners, as they had won the Premier League also in 1997-98 and 2001-02. In both those two seasons the Gunners achieved the Double too. Arsenal also reached the Champions League final in 2006. Key players of this era included Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.

Arsenal have won the FA Cup a record 12 times. While their 13 League titles is only bettered by Manchester United and Liverpool.