This is the most common question we get asked regarding Loaded Dervish longboards. The information listed here applied to the whole Loaded range of longboards. A disclaimer, we have copied this information off the Loaded blog and reproduced it here, big thanks to Adam and Louis for the original blog post.
If you weigh 70kg to 85kg you could skate either a Flex 1 or Flex 2. What flex do I choose?
Choosing your flex will depend on your riding style. Choose Flex 2 if you want a comfortable flowy ride. Choose Flex 1 if you are going to do more aggressive tricks and want a more responsive ride.
Flex 2
Flex 2 is a softer flex and will suit a more mellow style of riding and carving. It will feel playful and comfortable. While it will not bottom out while riding or carving, you still can bottom the board out with a forceful downward surge. If you use the board mainly for commuting, a softer flex will be an added comfort. You can still slide aggressively on a softer flex but a stiffer one is more suitable. You can use a softer flex to really carve into some dance moves. You can still perform big spins and old skool kickflips but you run the risk of bottoming out. You can take a soft flex up to speed but a stiffer flex will be more stable.
Flex1
Flex 1 is a stiffer flex and will suite a more aggressive carving, sliding, and pumping style when you are constantly slamming your weight down onto the board. It will be easier to perform shovits and flip tricks along with boneless airs and aggressive sliding. The added stiffness will add stability at speed and in the bowl when you are generating speed off a wall.
Hope that helps choose your flex type. If you know what you want, you can buy one now buy clicking on teh links below
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
yo. i have previously skated allot, not a longboard. but i can skate. i am fair keen to buy the dervish next week.
Question 1- is it a good bored for a 1st board? as i said i can skate and from what i have read the dervish seems like a good all-rounder.
Question 2- with the flex 1 and 2, i way around 75 and im not 100 % on what flex i need. at 1st i thort flex 1 but now im thiking more along the lines of flex 2. i will mostly be cruzing around and most likely bombing hills. but im keen to learn how to carve and slide which i think ill like allot more.
and thats about all.
later days and cheers for the help!
Dervish is an excellent first time longboard and probably one of the best all round longboards.
For your weight of 75kg, flex 2 would be a good match. It will be a bit flexy, which is nice for cruising around, carving and pumping on the flatland.
However if you are going to bomb hills, get into sliding then consider a flex 1. It will be stiff and a lot more stable at speed when bombing hills.
A stiffer board is also more predictable when sliding. A slide on a flexy board can pop you up or bounce you off.
As an all round board, you can go fast on the Dervish, but it is not a downhill board. Can be used for freeride but has it’s limitations.
Safety, safety. Helmet is a must if you are going fast.
What if you weigh under 75kg and you want to buy the loaded dervish complete.
Weight is only a guide it is not a rule. A lighter weight only means the board will not flex as much. Many skaters like a dervish that does not flex. You can compensate with the bushings, use softer bushings to get extra carve out of the trucks that the flexy deck would have produced.
The golden rule is you can never be too light for a Loaded longboard. Your weight making a deck is unsuitable really comes into force if you weight too much. The beauty of that problem is if you weight too much, and you skate it everyday, you going to lose weight and the board will be perfect!!!
thanks, and another question. which flex is the right one for me? i like to slide and carve.
If you are under 75kg then a flex 2 would be a good flex for a dervish.
If you were going to be doing hand tricks, like a claw grab, then it is best to go flex 1. It will wear better with the punishment.
For carving and sliding, go the flex 2.
Hi there,
I’m pretty set on a Dervish but am in the Flex 1-2 dilemma. Do you guys have both set-ups instore if I wanted to come in, hop on &try ‘em?
Cheers.
At the moment we have a flex 1 dervish set up in the shop. We can also put any board on blocks to raise off the ground for you to test the flex. We could even turn the fan on, get wind through your hair, so you think you are skating fast…all without leaving the hopshop!!!
Please come in to the hopshop, try out some boards. The decision becomes a lot easier when you in the skateshop and getting good feedback and advice.
I need help please I’m thinking of doing tricks and sliding but haven’t learnt but I’m very keen to learn in the future very soon but at the moment I love to carve and cruise around the streets which flex do you recommend and I weigh 60 kg
Hey guys,
Just a question re the Flex 1 or 2 Dervish (am keen to get one this week), I’ve been skating on a psycho bamboo pintail cruiser and found it reasonably nice and stable, but, much impressed by the Dervish, I’m unsure what ‘downhill’ really means. When people say the flex 2 isn’t a great downhill board, what kind of gradient are we talking about. I love to carve and cruise, and it’s almost always downhill to some degree, but I’m not going down any cliff faces. Will flex 2 wobble on an average sized Brisbane hill?
Thanks
Downhill in longboarding generally means bombing hills very fast in a straight line or racing down a hill. Freeriding is more sliding and technical aspects. The more flex in a board the less stable it is at speed. Dervish is built for going down hills, but in moderation. You want to get your stopping technique sorted: either footbraking or sliding. Dervish is not a downhill board, it is a freeride board. More suited to carving, cruising, commuting, and bombing moderate hills. Always wear safety gear like helmets and sliding gloves.
Hi there,
I too am having troubles with flex 1 or 2. I weigh 63kg and am still growing so I think I would get to about 75kg… Mostly thinking about carving and sliding, baisically freeriding, so I’m thinking flex 1, even though it is stiffer, because I heard it gets more flexy after riding alot? But if I got flex 2, you can just tighten the trucks for sliding or have I got it wrong?
I way 90kg, would it be possible, to ride a flex 2?
You can ride a flex 2. If you did some air/hand tricks and jump on it from high could bottom out. You are not going to break the board with normal use at 90kg. Although they flex they are not designed to flex if you jump on them like a trampoline. Carving around and pump is fun on a flex 2 with a bit of weight
ok i have been looking around for a reasonable (cheap) priced loaded dervish is there any chance this website can make a dervish complete ,also if anyone knows a good website that sells them for a cheap price?
please tell me
Reasonably price? We are talking a premium longboard. This aint no kmart toy. It is like asking if anyone sells a cheap BMW or Mercedes car.
If you are looking for a second hand one, not that easy to get becasue everyone loves them so much they keep them. Some skaters love their dervish to death, a perfect alround deck, and always go back to it to skate it even though they have other decks in their quiver.
We sell our Loaded dervish longboard here. That is a flex two. The price you see is deck only, you can then add the options you want. Choosing all the options means you get a complete, shipped to you ready to skate out of the box. We assemble using khiro panhead bolts, drop through truck riser, bearing spacers and we put small washers under the bolts to protect the deck. We assemble them like we own them. It is another Hopkin difference. Currently the price is $408 that includes 4president wheels, Paris trucks, modus bearings and shipped to your door complete. If you choose early sticky wheels instead it is $398. We are a legitimate business so we have to charge the 10% GST. However you are guaranteed to get your deck and you have an Australian company to chase if something goes wrong. Free return delivery if you have a problem. You are protected by Australian consumer laws. You could buy it cheaper overseas at someone like Daddies but what is the price? Including shipping $390. That price is shipping of US Postal Service, so daddies mail it out to you. Also you have to agree to their terms and conditions, basically you have to pay any extra shipping or duties, and (the bold I’m quoting from their website) If a delivery attempt has been made, this fulfills our obligation for delivery and you will not be refunded for any package that was not delivered because you were not present at the time.. How long does the mail take from USA? All that trouble to save $18. If you could pay $20 insurance and a guarantee to get it with 48 hours would you do it?? Then buy from us at HOPKIN. Not only do you get a better set up board – we include washers that protect and bearing spacers, we give you rad stickers and a free Australian longboard magazine Heelside!!! The magazine is worth $10 alone. Then you can skate around and proudly say you are part of the Australian longboarding family – you buy local and my shop The Hopshop (vote 3rd best independent skateshop in the world by Concrete Wave magazine in 2010) and they are mega supporters of the scene, send their team racing and freeriding all over the world representing Australia. The team this year have represented Australia in New Zealand, Philippines, Canada, USA, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and Brazil. We have four team members currently traveling to the South American series. An extra $18 goes a long way. Plus we pay taxes (such as the 10% GST) so our government has money to build better roads we all can skate on!
Sometimes, you just gotta pay the price for what you want. The Dervish will last a lifetime, thousands of hours of joy. It will put a smile on your face every day. A day without a longboard on a dervish, is a day wasted.
Hop