Does the thought of rolling down the mountain roads send a rush of excitement through your entire body? Does battling gravity create an empowering feeling within you? For longboard junkies, being able to make it down the hill fast and in one piece definitely brings about a holistic sense of achievement.
But how do you experience such an adrenaline rush? You need to have an outstanding board, an excellent hill to bomb and gravity to work against. Fortunately, looking for that perfect board isn’t a daunting task anymore. You just have to keep your eyes focused on Tesseract boards. It’s the only board you need for the best downhill and freeriding experience.
About Loaded Boards
What better way to start a board company than to have it as an outlet of one’s passion? Collecting new-fangled skateboard parts and retrofitting them into old snowboards – this is how it all began. Today, what was viewed as a pastime activity has turned into one of the most sought-after companies for all things board-related.
Loaded Boards currently has 12 different kinds of boards including the Tesseract series. What started as a process of scavenging old snowboard parts has now led to the production of boards with high quality hardware.
At present, the company produces their own Orangatang wheels and have built a strong partnership with Paris Trucks owner.
A Quick Overview of the Tesseract Boards
Loaded Board’s devotion to creating functionally driven designs has become a significant contribution to the growth of the board sports industry. The company has produced a popular lineup of longboards and among them are the Loaded Tesseract editions which come in three different versions namely, Basalt, Cantellated and Truncated.
Cantellated Tesseract
The Cantellated Tesseract is 91 cm in length and 24cm in width. Its wheelbase inner hole is measured at 62.2-66 cm. This thing has a wedging angle 3.5 inches and the board weight is 2.0 kilograms.
What’s the best thing about Cantellated Tesseract? It makes you capable of performing a full size ollie. With its large and wide tails, the user will have plenty of leverage to make the ride truly an exciting one.
Plus, as you factor in the lightweight board there is no doubt that you will become a downhill and free riding expert in no time. It is also good even for all-around shredding.
Truncated Tesseract
The Truncated Tesseract measures 84 cm in length and 24 cm in width. Its wheelbase is 62.2-66 cm and the wedging angle is 3.5”. Its overall weight is only 1.8 kg.
The top mount Truncated board is the smallest among the Loaded Tesseract series. Can this be used for downhill riding? Definitely. It has no kicktail but is designed to be one of the best downhill boards.
It also features the rocker profile and wheel flares w concave. These features allow the rider’s feet to be locked in for improved cornering and better performance when doing high speed drifts.
It has a pointier nose which tapers gently to give way to the front foot. Besides, its snubbed tail also makes this board possess greater agility. Railing even the tightest corners can be easily done with its gripped kicktail. This type of kicktail is also helpful for the rider in maintaining complete traction of the board.
Basalt Tesseract
Basalt Tesseract has a length of 39 inches, a width of 9.5 inches and a 24 cm wheelbase. Its symmetrical shape allows users to enjoy it in multiple disciplines and riding styles. It’s an excellent integration of wheel wells and dual kicktails. It’s the best board to bring when you’re looking to stay outdoors but are not certain about the road conditions.
These features were designed based on what the producers learned from their Tarab boards. What significant differences does this board have with Tarab? Part of its new construction is a lighter deck and it is also geared to become more suitable for freestyle riding.
Why is it named Basalt? The material construction of its deck consists of basalt fibers, which are obtained from volcanic rock. These fibers share many similarities with fiberglass. However, Basalt is more environment-friendly to produce.
The Common Features of the Tesseract Boards
For many longboard junkies, owning a single Loaded Tesseract board is likened to a dream-come-true experience. But, which of the three Tesseracts are the best? Or, rather, which one of them is more likely to help you achieve your dreams of having the best longboarding experience? Let’s start with knowing first the features that are common among the three in this Tesseract review.
Rocker Deck Profile
The Tesseract deck is known for its rocker profile as its standing platform. This means the deck bows downward in order to create an uphill surface thereby giving the rider something to leverage against.
Tesseract’s rocker profile deck leads to height reduction thus making it ideal as a downhill board. A rocker deck made from vertically laminated bamboo is also a favorite among longboarders who love freeriding.
Intuitive W Concave
The intuitive W concave of the Tesseract deck translates to improved rider control which is apparent in every toe side slides and other maneuvers being performed. The W concave is contoured in a way that the inside edges of the rider’s feet is well nestled up against the W contour. As a result, the outside edges of the foot are able to rest in a more radial dish behind the board’s rocker wheel well flares w.
Bamboo and Fiberglass Construction
The durability of the deck can be attributed to its vertically laminated bamboo cores, coupled with fiberglass skins. Is this type of construction helpful in reducing vibrations? Yes, it is.
In fact, these materials, and the way they are built guarantees vibration dampening feature in addition to durability. Besides, the board also boasts of a light but stiff deck that has just the right amount of flex.
Provides Wheelbase Options
Are you looking to customize your wheel clearance? Do you want to eliminate wheel bite? The good news is the Loaded Tesseract edition also offers several wheelbase options. This is beneficial to riders looking to customize the boards according to their preferred geometry for the trucks to suit their riding style and boost their slides.
They can choose to move their axles for improved agility and for a quicker pop. This variable wheelbase also enables riders to increase traction or lower swing weight. They can change the wheelbase setup should they opt to have more lean or to achieve better stability.
High Quality and Versatile
The Paris trucks, Orangatang wheels and SL ABEC 7 Bearings, along with its solid truck geometry make up for one high quality board. Its top-notch construction is also part of the reason why the Tesseract boards are versatile.
It works well for any riding style such as freestyle, downhill, and freeriding. It can also be used for dancing. This type of configuration makes the board more capable of achieving greater speed even when used on bumpy surfaces.
Eco-Friendly Construction
The manufacturing crew behind Loaded’s Basalt make use of light basalt weave and placed this in between the two bamboo cores. A cork bottom is also included to ensure extra dampening and enough flex. But can longboard enthusiasts really trust this kind of construction? The answer is a resounding yes.
In fact, the crew ensures that this manner of construction went through several testing to be able to guarantee durability in the final output. Luckily, after a year of undergoing testing, the Loaded’s crew was able to determine that the use of basalt weaves largely contribute to the versatility of the Basalt deck.
But, Loaded’s commitment to environmental sustainability does not end there. The company also uses bio-based materials such as tree saps, instead of relying solely on petroleum content for use as epoxy.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Possesses Better stability
Loaded Board’s Tesseract is designed to have a symmetrical standing platform. This allows the outer edges of your feet to be cupped and locked in nicely for a more stable ride. This stability is achieved even when going for fast rides.
Kicking out slides and railing corners isn’t a problem with this board. Besides, its lowered center of gravity greatly contributes to the stability of the board. The same is true not only with Cantellated Tesseract, but also for other boards in this series.
- Guarantees smooth performance
Its kick tails are created to have a fuller and wider shape which makes the board more capable performing a lot of things smoothly. So, if your riding style entails a lot of manual-balancing, multiple slides, tick tacking and ollie-popping this board will certainly work to your favor.
- Ensures rider safety
The stability of the bamboo cores, along with its rocker and W concave design are contributory factors to the overall safety of the board. Its sufficient flex, grip tape, paired with rocker profile largely improve the maneuverability of the Tesseract deck. The rider feels safe and is less likely to feel cramped all throughout the ride, no matter how many times he’ll be railing corners.
- Provides locked in assurance
The wheel well flares help the rider know where exactly his feet are on the board. This reduces the likelihood of having to look down just to be sure about one’s foot placement on deck. What does this mean to a longboard enthusiast? This contributes to greater foot awareness which brings about many disadvantages especially when going for downhill runs and in performing technical slides.
Cons
- Too tricky concave design
The double concave design may seem too tricky especially for a beginner who is still learning how to perform surface transitions.
- Poses difficulty when transitioning
There are also negative comments about the Truncated Tesseract ‘s W concave in front. They say it becomes difficult each time they try to transition between toeside slides to heel side or vice versa.
- Not ideal for racing
There are also comments from people who find the drop to be disadvantageous when used for racing. Making toe sides may feel awkward for people who first learned it on a top mount board.
How Does the Tesseract Compare with Other Boards in the Market?
The Basalt, Truncated and Cantellated Tesseract excel in certain aspects of longboarding. This brand has been receiving excellent reviews from the community as top-notch in terms of giving the best freeride and downhill riding experience.
Loaded Tesseract boards are designed to have lesser concave compared to its counterparts in the market. But the inclusion of Orangatang Wheels and Paris Trucks make Tesseract every rider’s dream board.
Its locked-in feel that makes the rider feel so secure when going downhill, along with its smooth and stable speed, make the Loaded Boards Tesseract series among the best downhill boards out there.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Tesseract Longboards
1. What makes the Tesseract deck unique?
The Tesseract is built to have a bottom layer of cork, which makes it not only unique but lightweight as well. The inclusion of bamboo cores and fiberglass skins also adds to the uniqueness of the Tesseract series.
Note that not all decks are made with a bottom layer of cork. But only the experts from Loaded are capable of producing a deck from this material with much precision and durability.
2. Which Tesseract board is good for racing?
The Truncated Tesseract would be the best option. It is built with a combination of W concave, wheel well flares and a rocker profile. It is compact and lightweight. All these make the Truncated board one great race-inspired equipment.
3. Are the Tesseracts ideal for beginners?
Sadly, these are not ideal for beginners. These beasts are designed more with the racer and advanced rider in mind.
Not all longboards are created equal. Some of them do excel in providing stability when shredding at higher speeds. Others give you peace of mind even when performing multiple slides. Luckily, all of these can be found in just one brand of board – Loaded Board’s Tesseract series.
