Hello Fellow Pavement Surfers!
Searching for the perfect deck can sometimes be the most arduous process of being a longboarder, especially when you're riding on a budget and can't afford to stock-pile decks. This review will break down the Omen Pike (drop-through) deck, including both the highs and the lows of the deck as well as compare it to a few decks on the market. I started riding the Pike way back in 2012, and it's still holding up its reputation of being my favorite deck (that I've owned) to date. The Pike is a bi-directional freeride board built of 9 plies of beautiful Canadian maple. At first, this deck seems like a very basic, take-no-risks kind of deck put out by Omen, but the sum is more than its parts. It really adds up to a beautiful ride. After listing the board's design specifications and my riding set up, I break the board's features down into design, pushing, freeride, downhill, durability, and the downsides categories.
Specs
Searching for the perfect deck can sometimes be the most arduous process of being a longboarder, especially when you're riding on a budget and can't afford to stock-pile decks. This review will break down the Omen Pike (drop-through) deck, including both the highs and the lows of the deck as well as compare it to a few decks on the market. I started riding the Pike way back in 2012, and it's still holding up its reputation of being my favorite deck (that I've owned) to date. The Pike is a bi-directional freeride board built of 9 plies of beautiful Canadian maple. At first, this deck seems like a very basic, take-no-risks kind of deck put out by Omen, but the sum is more than its parts. It really adds up to a beautiful ride. After listing the board's design specifications and my riding set up, I break the board's features down into design, pushing, freeride, downhill, durability, and the downsides categories.
Specs
My Setup
I currently ride the Pike decked out with Abec 11 offset
freeride wheels, Caliber 50 trucks, some Riptide WFB barrel bushings, and
inverted Venom Super Carve cone bushings on the street-side. While this set-up
certainly isn’t ideal for moving fast, it really shines in maneuverability and
busting some quick slides.
Board Design and Graphics
The board design itself is classic. It is more or less a
rectangle. Add your traditional drop-through mounting, a couple kick-tails and pull in the center a bit, and you’ve got
a very pleasing hourglass look. It’s simple and sweet, and it's even drilled for old school and new school trucks. The graphic on the
bottom is also very clean, not to mention pretty rad. You’ll notice a giant
fish teaming up with some bright blue octopus tentacles to wrap themselves
around what looks to be the Seattle Space needle. Omen threw in a couple
bubbles for good measure. It’s odd but definitely unique. I give this graphic +10 points on an arbitrary scale.
Pushing
The Pike is a fairly heavy board, which really is a thing of
beauty when cruising over choppy sidewalks. One of the biggest differences I
noticed when switching from a bamboo Sector 9 Lookout to the Omen Pike was
the noise level and vibrations felt in my feet. The pike offers just a little
bit of flex and 9 whole plies of Canadian maple that soaks up the jarring
sidewalk cracks and generally any inconsistencies in the road to make a smooth
ride. In addition to this, the Pike rides absurdly low. You definitely will not feel like
you’re climbing a never-ending staircase when pushing. Finally, the
exceptionally wide W-concave offers a comfortable pushing platform. With this
in mind, the board is still quite heavy and is ultimately designed as a
symmetrical freeride board, so purchasing the Pike for a long-distance commuter
might not be the best idea. The fact that it pushes great is more of a perk
rather a selling point. Plus 10 points for that, too.
Freeride
The Pike freerides like a champion. All the subtleties of
the rocker, the drop, and the concave synergize to form a trifecta of that
locked-in feeling that you’ll be looking for. Another added beauty of the Pike
is that it is bi-directional, which means you can spin and slide any which way
you please. I have personally learned to conquer toe-side slides with this board. One important thing to note, however, is the wheelbase, which measures in at 32 inches. A 32-inch wheelbase definitely isn't conducive to really fast, tight spins. So if you're looking for a tighter spin, you could check out the Omen Sugar for a top-mounted deck or the Bustin IBACH 37 for a shorter drop-through. The Pike still handles great in the freeride territory, though, and you should feel super confident and comfortable while laying down some record-breaking 'thane stainers. The wide wheelbase enables more comfortable slides at speed, but keep in mind that you might have to get used to the width if you haven't ridden a wheelbase this large before. The Pike would also work great for those taller folks out there. I'll give you the bottom line here: The Pike is a great freeride deck, especially if you're taller or if you're looking for something more drifty than can slide and spin at speed. Having said that, it's not for everyone. Make sure the measurements are something you really want.
Downhill
A real benefit to the Omen Pike is it's downhill capabilities, but if you're looking solely for a downhill board, the Pike should not be your first choice. The Pike is 9 plies thick (1 more than most wood-constructed boards) so it will be fairly stiff, but it unfortunately does still flex a little. The accepted level of board flex for downhill decks is zero because everything is amplified at speed. The Pike won't feel as comfortable as, say, the Rotule Speed Karrot will because it is a little flexible. Having said that, you can still feel very comfortable at speeds of at least 45 mph (the fastest I have gone) on the Pike, especially if it's outfitted with some beefier bushings. The bottom line here is that the Pike will certainly do the job on most runs, but if you really have the need for speed, go with something else.
Durability
With 9 plies of maple, you can treat the Pike like the object it is, a skateboard. This old faithful construction will hold up to any thrashing you can throw at it, aside from maybe comet-blasting it into a curb. After two years of consistent riding, my Pike is still handling the same as it did out of the box. I do have delamination problems on both of my kicktails because I have fallen off and sent it screaming into a curb too many times (I advised against this), but the deck still handles great. The destructive curb-shots haven't distorted the board or changed performance. I say bonus points for that!
Downsides
The positives of the Omen Pike certainly outweigh the negatives on this deck, but they must still be considered. I will complain about 2 different features on the Omen Pike. First, the kicktails are quite small. You won't be popping any ollies with the Pike. The short kicktails make the Pike a bad candidate for a freestyle deck. The second downside to the Pike is the foot pockets. I previously stated that the Pike really gives you a locked in feeling, and I still stand by that, but I did find myself occasionally monkey-toeing (hooking my toe around the edge of the board) on toe-side slides. Part of this problem is my technique but the other part is small foot pockets.
With 9 plies of maple, you can treat the Pike like the object it is, a skateboard. This old faithful construction will hold up to any thrashing you can throw at it, aside from maybe comet-blasting it into a curb. After two years of consistent riding, my Pike is still handling the same as it did out of the box. I do have delamination problems on both of my kicktails because I have fallen off and sent it screaming into a curb too many times (I advised against this), but the deck still handles great. The destructive curb-shots haven't distorted the board or changed performance. I say bonus points for that!
Downsides
The positives of the Omen Pike certainly outweigh the negatives on this deck, but they must still be considered. I will complain about 2 different features on the Omen Pike. First, the kicktails are quite small. You won't be popping any ollies with the Pike. The short kicktails make the Pike a bad candidate for a freestyle deck. The second downside to the Pike is the foot pockets. I previously stated that the Pike really gives you a locked in feeling, and I still stand by that, but I did find myself occasionally monkey-toeing (hooking my toe around the edge of the board) on toe-side slides. Part of this problem is my technique but the other part is small foot pockets.
Make the Final Decision
The Omen Pike is not a quiver-killer, but it is still a very balanced board. Omen went with a conservative design but still brought new features to the deck, like the huge W-concave. The Pike will push well, freeride like a superstar, and downhill as good as most decks. The little kicktails offer loads of fun and open up possibilities like manuals and shove-its. The aesthetics are great and the board offers a very comfortable ride in almost all situations. I can confidently say that I recommend this board.
Buy the Omen Pike if: You want an awesome symmetrical freeride board that can also push comfortably and handle most hills with ease.
Do not buy the Omen Pike if: You have a very small stance or if you specifically want a downhill board, marathon cruiser, or freestyle deck.
The Omen Pike is not a quiver-killer, but it is still a very balanced board. Omen went with a conservative design but still brought new features to the deck, like the huge W-concave. The Pike will push well, freeride like a superstar, and downhill as good as most decks. The little kicktails offer loads of fun and open up possibilities like manuals and shove-its. The aesthetics are great and the board offers a very comfortable ride in almost all situations. I can confidently say that I recommend this board.
Buy the Omen Pike if: You want an awesome symmetrical freeride board that can also push comfortably and handle most hills with ease.
Do not buy the Omen Pike if: You have a very small stance or if you specifically want a downhill board, marathon cruiser, or freestyle deck.
Comments: This fits the genre quite well. There is content missing in the Downhill and Durability category. I feel the organization is well done. The flow seemed natural and not jumbled. There were clear bold headings that aided in clear organization. The voice is great. I like how it seems like the reviewer and the reader are having a conversation. The voice is very positive and you can sense a motivational feel to it. I think it is appropriate to the genre. This voice seems to be first person and third person. The headings are bold and clear. They are also very short as to not overwhelm the reader. It would be nice to have a few graphics of the board that is mentioned in this review. I think including the bulleted list of technical specs is a great idea. This list also helps the reader comprehend the physical aspect of the board. It is very clear that this writer has used or owns this product.
ReplyDeleteGenre: This review fits with the genre well with its casual voice. There is a bit of jargon so explanations of certain terms or text links to explanations would help the readers that are just starting out.
ReplyDeleteOrganization: The review has good flow. The specs list takes up a lot of screen space while leaving a lot of white space, splitting it into 2 columns might make it look better.
Voice: The voice of this review is excellent, the tone fits well with the audience.
Headings: Headings are action verbs which is nice, but they are a little generic. This could be a good thing since they are easily identified or a bad thing since they don't capture the readers attention.
Visuals: Needs some.
First Hand Use: It is definitely apparent that the writer has experience with the product. Good job.
I feel like this could use an introduction -- is that part of the genre? Give it only one title (not the Jace title). Remove underlining and colons. Add pictures and links.
ReplyDeleteThis review definitely fits your genre very well! Even coming from someone who knows nothing about long boards, I got a good vibe from your review and felt that what you were talking about was legit and made it very easy to read and understand what you were talking about. The organization is very good and has a nice flow to it and doesn't feel forced. The voice you used fits perfect with what you are talking about because long boarders are most likely pretty chill people and your tone relates with them nicely, yet getting them good information. Your headings work really well and stand out nicely from the rest of the content which makes it super easy to follow. I noticed you didn't have any hyperlinks and maybe you'll add some maybe you won't but I am sure there was a reason for it! Also, add some visuals. It would be super rad if you did. Other than that, good job!
ReplyDeleteThe Omen Pike (drop-through) Longboard Review. Hello Fellow Pavement Surfers! Searching for the perfect deck can sometimes be the most ... longboardsdrop.blogspot.de
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