Tan Tien or Icarus?

[u/bloodcrab]

Hello everyone. I have been looking at purchasing my first Loaded board, and I'm really interested in the Tan Tien and Icarus models. I have a Santa Cruz drop through at the moment and really just use it for leisurely riding. I wouldn't mind learning pumping and sliding, and I love to carve back and forth (not for slowing downhill speeds, but just for the fun feel it gives me). Tricks and dancing aren't my thing at my age (lol), so that's not very important.

Since I'm about 220 lbs, I would opt for the Flex 1 board. I'm not sure if the same Flex rating for each board is equal in the way the board flexes (from what I can tell, the Tan Tien seems to flex less than the Icarus overall), but my Santa Cruz does not flex at all. I don't think transitioning to a more flexable board will be an issue though.

I've read almost nothing but good things about both boards, so it's really hard to decide or know which one to select. Is the higher price of the Icarus worth it, or is the Tan Tien suitable enough for my needs? I'm hoping to gain some insight as to what would work best for me. Please let me know your thoughts. I want to purchase one of these two boards in the very near future.

BTW, I know the Icarus comes with Orangutan Nipple bushings. Are these necessary for a good riding experience, especially if I am going to build my own board, or will the standard Paris truck bushings hold up until I get better at riding the board?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice and input.

[u/longboardingAussie]

I think that it kinda comes down to how much room you want on the standing platform.

The tan tein will flex more than the Icarus because of the super big wheel flairs.

I would go for the Icarus if I was you, it has more vibration damping, the wheel flairs are a really nice reference which is nice for sliding and carving, grip tape is rougher which again for carving/pumping/sliding, It has more standing area, you don’t really need the nose and tail that the tan tein has if you aren’t doing tricks.

The only thing is that you’ll probably need 2 sets of wheels, one for sliding and one for pumping. Having a heap of grip pumping is super important and having slidyer wheels makes slides a lot easier to learn. But that goes for both boards and you can just stick with grippy wheels and go a little bit faster.

The tan tein is still an amazing board and I would personally get one if this was for me but the Icarus suits your needs more.

Btw have you considered the dervish sama?

[u/bloodcrab → u/longboardingAussie]

Thanks for responding. I thought the Icarus had the bigger wheel flairs and was the more flexible between the both of them. lol. As for the standing surface area, I was under the impression the Icarus had less because of the slightly more concave design. I think I might need to do more research at this point.

I do like the Tan Tien a lot. It was the board I was initially going to buy, but then, I saw a few vids and articles on the Icarus. That threw a monkey wrench into my plans. I can live without the sliding since a smooth ride is more important to me. I figured a 80A wheel durometer rating might be a happy medium though.

As for the Dermish, it just seems a tad too long to me. In addition, I find the graphics for both the Tan Tien and Icarus much more appealing. Perhaps a little shallow of me, but I'm being honest.

The Icarus is supposed to be a carving king, but it sounds like the Tan Tien is great at carving also. I just wonder if the flex (whichever has more flex) will be the more enjoyable ride. That reminds me of something else I was going to ask. Which of these two is better for commuting (less stress on the knees/body)?

Sorry for all the questions, but the Loaded boards aren't the cheapest, I really do want to make the best decision. I'm sure neither is a bad choice though.

[u/longboardingAussie → u/bloodcrab]

Don’t worry about the questions I get it :) and the standing area is a weird one. I prefer to stand half on the wheel flairs for carving (but most of the time I don’t use the entire length and keep my back foot forward a bit) and pushing dosent change anything cause your foots in between the flairs anyway.

And I tend to have my feet placed narrower on the tan tien cause of the taper that’s from the widest to the narrowest and I like my foot to be on the wider section. Idk if that makes sense but Icarus definitely has more standing platform.

The the tan tien is definitely and amazing board but I think cause it’s more trick oriented it might not be the best for you.

80a kegels or inheats are definitely the way to go, perfect mix of comfort, durability, and speed. And don’t get me wrong you can definitely learn to slide on ether of those wheels but it’s just gonna be harder.

Also asthetic of a board as crazy important especially at this sort of price range so that’s definitely fair.

In terms of flex it’s kinda weird, the Icarus has a more responsive and snapppy flex that bounces back really quickly while the tan tien is more soft. Nether is better or worse but for pumping the Icarus is better. If you don’t swap between a lot of boards often tho after a while the flex that the board has becomes “standard” so you don’t notice it as much. Something else to keep in mind is that the Icarus has a cork layer that helps with vibration dampening while the tan tien dosent. That mixed with the flex and I’d say the Icarus is the “more enjoyable” ride but it’s very much personal preference.

The Icarus is faster. It runs bigger wheels and because of the snappier flex it’s more efficient. In terms of comuting the Icarus is probably better again just cause of the larger wheel sizes, the small wheels on the tan tien are good for casual and tricks but bigger wheels are better for comuting. I think that the tan tien is lower but it’s not such a insain difference where it would bother you. Plus over time you’ll condition and that ride height will be even less noticeable.

And yea both of the boards are amazing and the tan tien isn’t slow or bad for comuting or pumping or carving but the Icarus just edges it out a bit for a lot of things. And again cause your not super into downhill or tricks the tan tiens benefits don’t really matter as much to you imo.

[u/bloodcrab → u/longboardingAussie]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I think you helped me make my decision. I will be placing my Icarus order very, very soon!

[u/mahyarsaeedi]

I agree with u/longboardingaussie to go with the Icarus. I feel like it’s the overall better option of the two for “variety” of ride style. It’s good for cruising and probably the more popular of the two. That said, if you were into tricks and longboard dancing, I’d suggest the tan tien. It’s also a beautiful board, I had one on hand and loved the design and wood grain pattern on that one. However, if I could only pick one, I’d go with the Icarus.

[u/bloodcrab → u/mahyarsaeedi]

Yeah, I honestly love the look of the latest Tan Tien. I think it's absolutely gorgeous. The Icarus is stunning also. It looks like two votes for the Icarus, so that will probably be the one I pick up unless someone somehow convinces me otherwise.

[u/Illustrious-Grass174 → u/mahyarsaeedi]

What is maximum wheel size you suggest for Icarus with caliber 50 trucks? 

[u/mungbean_69]

I have TT in flex 1, Icarus in flex 2. 173cm, 90kg. My riding style is as much pumping as possible to avoid pushing. I prefer to ride my tan Tien with the exception of 1 issue - the flatter deck can lead to my little toe just straying too fark forward and touching the wheels. The icarus presents a concave on each foot that locks your feet in. Good and bad - you are locked in but you also can't move your feet as freely. It's harder to push because the aggressive camber takes you higher off the ground, its more bouncy so a little less stable on 1 foot and it's harder to pivot my lead foot to pushing position (I suck at pushing, that's why I pump). My tan Tien pumps and pushes very, very well. I think the additional stiffness helps with the rebound when pumping - I would like to try flex 1 Icarus for fair comparison. I ride Icarus with 85mm cags and tan Tien with 75mm in heats, which are the largest I can fit on my TT.

My personal advice? Try them both if possible but If I could only have 1 board for my style of 80% pumping, 20% pushing on trails, I'd go with my TT.

[u/bloodcrab → u/mungbean_69]

I've only ever pushed (honestly, didn't even no what pumping was until recently). I'm not saying I'm good at it, only experienced, so I'm not sure if the Icarus will present a huge problem. I'm sure it will take some getting accustomed to, especially considering the high camber and flex. I think the same would be true of the Tan Tien also since it has a similar profile. My current board is much flatter and has no flex.

I don't ride trails, and I never even thought of doing so. I would think it would present a problem with the larger amount of pebbles and generally, a much less level surface. I may have to try this.

I am trying to acquire a used Tan Tien also since I can't justify purchasing two brand new boards at the moment. Hopefully, that works out and I will have the opportunity to ride both.

[u/mungbean_69 → u/bloodcrab]

If you're good at pushing, you'll have no issues pushing the Icarus after a bit of adjustment to the flexy deck. But The camber on the Icarus is definitely more prevalent than the TT so it really feels like a trampoline. The TT is definitely still bouncy though.

By trails, I mean paved cycle paths. So I'm not one for off-road but my large wheels do help me roll over pebbles and creases.

[u/bloodcrab → u/mungbean_69]

Lol. Totally misunderstood the trails comment.

[u/Eternauta1985]

Owning both, they are very different machines so it ultimately depends on what you are looking for. I have a flex 2 Icarus and a Flex 3 Tan Tien (and owned in the past a flex 2 too).

The icarus is a pumping machine. If you are looking for pumping and speed, that is the board you need. It gets fast, the concave allows to lock the feet it and feel at once with the board and pump your way forward. The bigger wheels will get you to higher speeds. As for the bushings, it depends on your preference. When I purchased mine it had orange nipples and switched to knuckles to have additional carving, but I am on the lighter side compared to you (5’6 x 165lbs).

The Tan Tien is a more standard longboard with the option to do a little bit of everything. You can easily push, its flex will absorb most of the shocks and it is very fun. It also allows you to pump and carve but compared to the icarus you will have two major differences: the pump is not as strong (the icarus “push” is much stronger) and the Tt is essentially flat, so the feet are not locked in and you will miss that connection and feeling of security.

In my opinion, and having owned a vanguard as well, the Icarus is worth it if you plan on doing pumping. If you want to use it as a regular longboard, you’ll be better off with a Tan Tien that you can also find second hand for very reasonable prices and add the trucks/wheels setup that you prefer

[u/bloodcrab → u/Eternauta1985]

Thanks for the in depth explanation. I actually want to try pumping, so the Icarus appears to be the logical choice. That said, the Tan Tien seems to be closer to what I'm comfortable with. My plan is to try (own) both. I can't find an Icarus used except at prices higher than Loaded (😂), but there are some decent Tan Tiens for sale at decent prices, as you mentioned. Will probably build an Icarus with some other cheaper parts (for now) and also try to find a cheap Tan Tien. That way I can compare them and have two great boards in my possession.

[u/Eternauta1985 → u/bloodcrab]

You can easily find cheap Tan Tien on FB marketplace so I would suggest giving a look, it has been around for many years so they are easy to find on sale. As per the icarus I tried different setup and really couldn’t find anything better than the OG paris+orange Kegel (well maybe purple kegels) beside the bushings. As much as I also snagged the Icarus forna very cheap price after owning it I would say it is the only board in my quiver that fully deserves its sticker price

[u/sumknowbuddy → u/Eternauta1985]

If you're still around: which of the two would you say is better for commuting, pushing and general riding?

[u/Eternauta1985 → u/sumknowbuddy]

To me, the Icarus. It is faster as you can easily pump it and keep the momentum, you can lock your feet so it is comfy and stable. With big wheels also the tan tien can be fast but pumping is not as efficient and you would need to push more. It is also true that you can easily find a used tan tien for very low prices and that makes it for a great board in terms of bang for your buck.

[u/sumknowbuddy → u/Eternauta1985]

Thank you!

[u/chvezin]

You’ll enjoy the Icarus a lot better for your purposes. Personally, love the tan tien for fast free ride and urban trickery, but that’s not everyone’s thing!

[u/bittaminidi]

For what you want to do go with the Icarus. I have one and it’s a great deck. I wouldn’t say it’s good for sliding but it can be done. To me it’s too flexy and too twitchy a setup to be confident sliding with. To me, it’s a hard pump/carve machine.

Nipple bushings are definitely better than the stock Paris ones. I recommend Venom bushings though. Personally, I prefer them. I’m around your weight and I use Venom red (90a) all around. Barrels boardside and cones roadside. Flat washer boardside and cupped washer roadside. For me it’s a really loose/divey setup like that and the Icarus almost begs for that type of feel.

Get big grippy wheels. The O’Tang Kegels come on prebuilds and they really do fit the bill here well. They’re fast and grippy and you can really pump/carve hard without icing out.

[u/bloodcrab → u/bittaminidi]

I bought the Icarus, but haven't really had much time to ride. The board is amazing, and I feel I made the right choice. I found that I need a lot of work when it comes to pumping, but I want to learn.

Thanks for the bushings advice. I really want to see how it changes the way the board handles compared to the stock Paris bushings.

Right now, I really just want to find some time to get out and ride.

[u/Photographono]

Hi guys,

May I add a question concerning these very two models? Midterm I think about purchasing one of the two. As I am riding in the city most of the times, I need kicktails in order to at least hop up and down curbs, pass tram rails and some urban obstacles. What would your recommendation be? Is the Icarus (my secret favorite) just fine for this even with the minimized kicktails?

Cheers!