Simplicity, effectiveness and a down-to-earth design is not something that today’s market is focusing on. Usually brands try to fill their products with lots of features (which isn’t a bad thing) together with making them look as best as they can, but maybe skimp on the actual ride feel of the product. Revolt is now introducing their first trucks, made to be simple, effective and cheap. Let’s take a look at what their trucks have to offer.
The Alchemist – Features
The Alchemist precision trucks by Revolt have a 175mm wide flippable hanger with a 1.8mm rake, all on a 42° baseplate, making them snappy and responsive, but still stable and controllable enough at high speeds. The board- and roadside bushings are sitting inside a non-restrictive bushing seat which allows for both regular, as well as fat/chubby style bushings.
Positively raked (axles further away from the deck) trucks give a more lively and direct feel, negatively raked (axles closer to the deck), they give a more solid and stable ride.
We didn’t over-do the rake so I see it more as a little tuning option to fine-tune your setup, depending on your own preferences and your riding style – from full-on downhill, to slower, “techy” hill-bombing. ~ Mathijs Baars, Revolt Innovations founder
The trucks come equipped with Riptide pivot cups and Riptide KranK bushings. KranK’s are known to have amazing riding behaviour, no matter how far you tighten your trucks. The trucks are sold in three different bushing setups; fat cones, chubby barrels or regular barrels, each with two durometer options.
You can also order the Revolt trucks with any combination of bushings, they will be put together according to your wishes and delivered on request. Also added in the mix are custom CNC cut speed rings, spacers and washers, made out of high-grade steel. However the trucks are set up, downhill or freeride orientated, they will offer amazing riding behaviour for all kinds of bushing/washer setups and riding types.
The trucks are available in 4 colour combinations. You can pick between a blue hanger on a silver baseplate, silver hanger on a blue baseplate, a funky purple hanger on a green baseplate and the traditional all-black version.
Video – Germany Trip
The idea behind Revolt
What started as a simple idea to make a pair of great, down to earth, simple, yet effective, downhill trucks later grew into a whole brand based around this concept.
The longer I spent designing the trucks, the more I learned. I started talking to riders about their preferences in trucks.” ~ Mathijs Baars
After two whole years of designing, a basic design of the trucks with promising downhill capabilities and versatile bushing seats was laid out.
I think weight reduction and looks are two useless concepts for downhill trucks, it only makes them more expensive and doesn’t add anything to the ride feel. Weight really is a matter of taste in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong though, these trucks are made for downhill.
The trucks are sold as a mid-priced precision truck, coming in at 320€ for a complete set. People often compare them to bigger brands but I find that really odd, since they offer a very different style of products. Often they sell bare metal trucks (with over engineered kingpins). Nothing against that but it is a different market. We sell a high-standard complete package with, what I see as, really cool bushings, cups, washers, speed rings and spacers. ~ Mathijs Baars
I asked Mathijs to tell us something more about Revolt, how it grew over time, what it’s vision for the future looks like, what they are all about… Here’s what he told us:
We got some young and talented riders, who were willing to grow as riders, as Revolt grew as a company. They helped us with the development of the prototypes. After that, large scale production started and we started to grow our Revolt brand, go to events, talk to people, get our stuff out there, into the world.
My amazing girlfriend does most of the artwork, which I am really fond of. Our first T-shirt is a great example. Another friend of mine helps me with designing the products. Us three make the core of Revolt.
We had some struggles getting the business stuff right, but it turned out our awesome camera man from the Germany trip could support us with that.
For the future? Glad you asked. I don’t like where longboarding is going (sue me). Revolt will be about innovations and a certain, unique style. I want a bit of the skate culture to be revitalized and most of all to lose the arrogance I find so many companies show in both their products and merch. ~ Mathijs Baars
Where to buy Revolt Alchemist trucks
At the moment of writing this article, the price for a set of Revolt Alchemist precision trucks is 320 Euros and you can purchase them via Revolt’s official website.
A team of longboard lovers that seek to bring the word of longboarding to the world.
“Just skate for fun, don’t pick up a skateboard because you want to be a pro one day. Don’t forget why you started skating in the first place.” Steve Caballero