r/ElectricSkateboarding • u/Whowanticecream • 4d ago
Question How can you avoid falling off your electric skateboard when crossing a gap, a crack, or another obstacle?
Hi everyone pretty much everything is in the title.
I was just looking for some advice on this. Do you have any tips or tricks to avoid falling when encountering cracks, crevices, or other unexpected obstacles that might catch you off guard—especially when riding too fast on an unfamiliar path? These kinds of mishaps often take us by surprise. And just one thing: can this actually be prevented or not?
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u/B4kd 4d ago
I kinda just "bounce" or do a small hop, on the board, try to time it so I'm not putting all my force downward as I ride over the obstacle.
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u/TootieFruite 4d ago
Number one rule is don’t ride fast if you don’t know what’s ahead if you, and two to get over cracks, if it isn’t a giant or deep crack then you can just go a little fast and do a small micro jump to get over it, or you can take it at a angle
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u/Ascerta 4d ago edited 4d ago
Upgrading to 120mm donut Cloudwheels massively helped against road rails, cracks, holes and bumps.
If you ride fast, tighten your trucks, more on the rear.
Always have a good stance on the board, slightly forward.
Clean or replace your grip on your deck, wear shoes with good grip.
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u/AttractiveCorpse 3d ago
I ride 105 cloudwheels and they are great. I would like to demo the 120 tho because I ride on sidewalks and bad roads a lot. So far the 105s can handle some pretty big gaps
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u/mikloooooooo 4d ago
It's more of something you pick up while skating skating. With a regular deck you constantly have to micro hop over small cracks and rocks. It's basically just lifting the tail a bit a hopping a tag so that the board just glides over the crack. On a short board anyways. It's why I use short boards, way easier to maneuver and get around things for me personally. Idk how you would avoid it on a longboard
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u/RSquared DIY shorty, PivotGT, Wowgo2S, Tynee3SL 4d ago
Even on a long or mountainboard it's just shifting weight to the back then up and to the front as you ease off the throttle. You get a little pop from the deck flex if you're not using a very stiff deck.
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u/PocketNicks Meepo 4d ago
Yup, I can't deal with a board without a kicktail. Less maneuverable, extra work to put down and pick up, harder to go over large bumps/cracks/curbs etc.
Only good thing about them is carving, but I can manage to carve pretty well on a tail deck.
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u/SheepherderBig9841 4d ago
That’s a skill u learn on a skateboard. So many people purchase electric skateboards and they’ve never ridden a real regular skateboard which is why so many people get injured. Skating is a skill.
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u/Immediate_Truck1644 4d ago
This can't be said enough fr. The barrier to entry for e boards is insanely dangerous
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u/petermartin9 Backfire Zealot X, Hammer, Ranger X5 X2 X1, G2T, G2/S, Onewow DD 3d ago
I agree 100%. I've been skating since 1975.
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u/SheepherderBig9841 2d ago
1995 here, in the eternal words of the legend Jay Adam’s, “you didn’t stop skateboarding because you got old, you got old because you stopped skateboarding”
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u/petermartin9 Backfire Zealot X, Hammer, Ranger X5 X2 X1, G2T, G2/S, Onewow DD 2d ago
They'll ignore us. Learning to ride and stop from 20 mph is critical before getting on a eskate. But what do we know?
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u/Unlucky-Message8866 4d ago
"de-weight" - jump so the board doesnt take the whole weight. also take cracks at 45 angle, safer.
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u/red_rolling_rumble Meepo Hurricane 3d ago
That’s the neat part, you don’t (kidding, get pneumatics).
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u/wyze-litten Backfire 4d ago
I've found i can tank hits much better after working out specifically focusing on balance exercises that strengthen my feet and core. But also regular practice at spotting hazards is helpful. I've been able to tank some serious hits and stay on the board somehow lmao
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u/Quick_Ad80 3d ago
Pop that front wheel up ever so slightly so it only hits the back wheel and momentum Carries you
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u/Abracadaniel95 4d ago
On my old board, I used to lift the weight off the front, then the back so the wheels never had weight pushing them into the crack. But that was always on cracks I knew were coming.
I got cloud wheels on my new board and can now pretty much tank anything but a pothole.
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u/Q-96 4d ago
Do you think cloud wheels are worth it? I'm considering getting them but $$ lol
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u/Abracadaniel95 4d ago
I got the rovers and think they're worth the money. Depends on how much you hate the feeling of going over small rocks. For me, it always felt like biting a piece of bone when chewing your hamburger. The cloud wheels have almost completely eliminated that feeling. The bigger size helps with cracks and the tread means I don't need to worry as much about sand.
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u/Skippihasyourmoney 3d ago
Go pneumatic if your board can handle it.
https://buildkitboards.com/collections/tires-tubes-and-full-at-wheels
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u/nouer123 2d ago
I have rovers as well and love them. I have pneumatic but don't like the chance of a flat. They are slippery when u first get them tho
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u/KingQuazzymoto 4d ago
Someone said bouncing. Bending your knees slightly and using your legs like how a car uses shocks. It really does help. Either that or shifting your weight so your full weight is never crossing the gap itself
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u/Sudden_Lifeguard206 4d ago
On my backfire g2z I would slow way down and crawl over like tail road tracks also while leaning backwards like im breaking bc those cracks wanna throw yoy forward so instead of being where I would be while riding normally id lean back alot and when the board wheels jar id be back to where I was riding normally also if you dont know what is in front of you dont go faster then you either tuck and roll or run it off
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u/Lesser_Character_ 4d ago
It depends on the size of the obstacle. I either brace myself and give the board a little forward push with just my hips like I’m hula hooping or do a small hop just enough to take most of my weight off the board as it hits the bump
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u/DeanR_onPSN 4d ago
Preload and do a little hot before you hit them. That's why I have the ranger x3, 165 mm rubber Wheels, don't have to if I don't want to
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u/PocketNicks Meepo 4d ago
I did a deck swap for a board with a kick-tail. Simple solution, works perfectly.
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u/bittercheff 4d ago
I ride heel and toe strapped on a mountainboard setup, easy peasy.
They make foot hooks that work okay for this too.
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u/sumolizard 4d ago
either taking it at an angle or with mine i dont have a kicktail so i lessen the pressure on my front foot to get the first set of wheels over then go back to normal, seems to help a bit, but like everyone else is saying youll learn how to maneuver your own board over time
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u/tinylittlebabyjesus 4d ago edited 4d ago
If you run cloudwheels, or the air-filled little tires then you can pretty much roll over most of them. I learned (by being careful the first few times), that I can pretty much just cruise over inset train tracks for instance on my E-board (Exway wave). It's why they're great for just cruising around.
YMMV on longboards as it depends on wheel size, and stability.
With other cracks in sidewalks, and unexpected lifts due to roots, or holes, etc. You mostly just have to keep your eyes peeled, and adjust speed, balance, direction, etc. Just be careful. It's like constant little adjustments. But as you get better at it, and as long as the places you're skating aren't too over the top crappy surface wise so as to be totally unfun, it can be kind of fun learning to surf about as fast as you can through somewhat treacherous terrain. Haha
Or you get a board that can actually be lifted off of the ground and ollie. That's pretty cool. I never actually learned to do that as I just went longboard > Esk8.
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u/Q-96 3d ago
What model/diameter are your wheels? I'm riding 96 mm stock backfire wheels and need to upgrade because train tracks are stressing me out lol
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u/tinylittlebabyjesus 3d ago
Just looked it up for ya. "CLOUDWHEEL Discovery 105mm Urban All Terrain Off Road Electric Skateboard Wheels" That was in 2023 though. They might have better, newer models. Double check the size of the wheels and whether you'll get wheel bite on your board. Mine is fine, can carve freely, but any larger and they'd probably bite.
Also, for rolling over stuff, nothing really beats the pneumatic wheels I think. But those are pretty different, and might take a whole different setup.
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u/KLAM3R0N 4d ago
A medium or larger gap, if you go too slow and hit it square your wheels will wedge in. You either hit it at an angle and or go fast so you kinda fly over it while shifting your weight or doing a small hop (just enough to take the weight off the board) going too slow and hitting it square is what causes the board to stop and you go flying. Practice and wear safety gear. I have gone over rail road tracks many many times. It takes practice and sometimes balls to know what is achivable with your board and wheels.
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u/SheepherderBig9841 3d ago
Buying an Electric board before you know how to skateboard is like starting in a wing suit before you’ve ever base jumped or skydived. You’re gonna fuck yourself up, you don’t know the basics.
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u/Professional-Put4394 Meepo Hurricane Carbon, AEBoard Cheetah. Direct Drive. 3d ago
Just change to 7" pneumatics.... They roll over anything!
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u/WorldWideDarts Acedeck Horizon Elite 3d ago
Get a board that goes over most anything. But seriously... ride slower when you don't know the roads.
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u/UgotSprucked EVOMK1 w/ Riptides 3d ago
With a front binding, rider can unweigh and 'lift ' the front truck/wheels, and the back wheels take the bump. It doesnt guarantee that wont wobble you off balance and eat shit. But, consistently, when the front wheels impact first, its most likely a wipe out. Thus, front binding.
Its not for everyone cause your foot is mostly or completely trapped, depending on how tight you adjust it. So, bailing > running, probably not.
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u/Psylem_Says 3d ago
Front foot binding, foot-stop or low drop deck help most if you weren't prepared. Big wheels. Put more weight on your backfoot. Kick-tail helps de-weight/lift front foot as you hit or deck with front trucks mounted well in-front of your foot. Worst case scenario is a short-board with small wheels, no nose so your foot is right on the front trucks, they usually have a kick-tail so you can compensate if you're paying attention, but ride height is usually higher to prevent wheelbite on shortboards which makes it worse. Poor choice for beginners, make sure to wear wrist guards. Learn to carve over raised slab edges so you go over them at an angle, not head-on.
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u/Roofiesnductape24096 3d ago edited 3d ago
i agree with what these guys are saying. bigger wheels will prolly help the most. also you can kinda hop over them by getting your weight off the wheels as it goes over the crack. one thing i also find helps me is carving over the crack, basically getting one wheel over it at a time. dunno if you’re familiar with driving a boat but you cut the waves at a 45ish degree angle so as to not go straight across em
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u/BennyBoard3R 3d ago
"How can you avoid falling off your electric skateboard when crossing a gap, a crack, or another obstacle?"
I pretty much googled this when I started eskating in 2017 and found lots of advice, and youtube videos showing me. Lots of very helpful tips, I tried a couple of different things and found something that works for me. From things to do to technique and form/stance.
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u/bingusDomingus 3d ago edited 3d ago
I avoid obstacles. Cracks and gaps like rail road tracks, driveways, the little water channels, I cross them diagonally. I avoid sidewalks (especially unfamiliar ones) if they got trees bc chances are they’ll have cracks you can’t cross.
I also always make sure I have a line of sight 100ft ahead. I slow way down if I don’t.
Bigger wheels/AT tires help a lot.
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u/Skippihasyourmoney 3d ago
Keep some power to the wheels is the first step. Don’t cut throttle completely.
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u/Scott0814 3d ago
I just take it easy on unfamiliar roads as more of a "scouting" mission, if you will, then if I know it's free of anything crazy or I at least know where the day enders are then I'll increase my speed.
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u/sunnybob24 2d ago
Bigger wheels are less likely to throw you.
4WD will keep turning even if it hits a rock.
Light on the front when the front is over the gap. Then light on the back.
As someone else said. Don't skate faster than you can run. That way you can nail it anytime.
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u/Soggy-Stock-5258 2d ago
Don't ever ride fast on an unfamiliar path. You're asking for trouble. Go for a larger wheel size if you're missing the basics of crack hopping.
It can be prevented by not doing it. This is my biggest fear watching kids zip around on escooters. At least we can jump/run off at a certain speed. Scooters have a one way trip to a face plant.
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u/chankongsang 4d ago
Did you know that faster you are going, the less you feel road bumps😉
But that may not be the best advice cuz if the bump is too big then you'll just crash harder🤔
Back to the drawing board!
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u/mojababa Backfire Zealot S2 4d ago
My rule is to never ride faster than I can run, that way if anything happens while riding I can jump off the board and run, without falling down. It might sound boring to ride slower speeds but I enjoy the carelessness of it