One of Mellow’s greatest advantages is its ability to mount on almost any board. Freedom of choice is an exciting thing: each of us has a different idea of what the perfect look, feel and ride is, and getting the deck right can be everything.
What decks can best be powered up to become a Mellow Board? Read on to find out what is ideal, what needs to be modded, and what is a definite no-go.
Cut and Paste to Fit
A Mellow Drive was designed to be compact enough for the smallest Penny decks but powerful enough to be planted onto a wooden plank as big as your front door, if the desire strikes you.
Installation doesn’t require any additional screws or fastening points other than four standard truck bolts, but the deck you use should still have enough space under it to fit the drive. As long as your deck is wide enough so you won’t step on it, and long enough so the front truck’s baseplate won’t overlap, you’re good. The easiest way to check is to print the cut-out Mellow Drive stencil below and see for yourself. US Letter paper size stencil
Width and Wheelbase
The Drive needs a minimum wheelbase of 29 cm for one drive - or 56 cm to mount two drives for the 4WD version. Wheelbase is the distance between the inner truck holes of front and back truck.
Just to show how short your shorty can be, here’s some photos from one of our backers who mounted it on a pocket Globe with no problem at all. Well - no problems when posing for still life photos; if you intend to take a setup like this to 40 km/h, we recommend not only a helmet, but full body armor on a closed track.
Back to deck compatibility: remember, it’s not a question of deck length, but wheelbase. If in doubt, use the stencil or get out your handy tape measure.
MOUNT UP: FLAT, CAMBER, CONCAVE
Any deck with a flat area extending 28 cm before the rear truck can easily take a Mellow.
Almost all cambered decks (raised in the middle) can accommodate as well, either alone or with the addition of an angled or wedged riser.
A concave deck, with the rails higher than the center of the board, is completely compatible. Mellow’s frame curves back in on the topside, so that a concave mount still looks great.
Look Closer: Rocker, Flex & Convex
Decks with these kinds of shaping should be checked out before mounting. If not compatible at first glance, high or angled risers can help.
The battery part of the Drive tapers like a wedge so that rockered decks (where the deck is curved gently like a bow, with the middle lower than the ends) can work. If the rocker effect is extreme, try using angled risers with the thick edge towards the tail to flatten out the Drive. The same goes for decks with enough flex to bring them to a rocker shape under your weight.
Convex decks can go both ways - depending on their degree of curvature, you might just need a high riser. Not having the battery end of the Mellow Drive flat against your deck might offend your sense of aesthetics, but won’t prevent operation.
Nope: Drop-down & Drop-Through Mount
Drop-down decks generally plunge to the ground right next to the trucks, leaving no space for a Mellow. Don’t try to get clever and mount a Mellow backwards - the hanger will turn the wrong way, making you zig when you want to zag.
The Mellow baseplate can’t be mounted as a drop-through truck, but you can ignore the drop-through hole and do a standard top-mount. If you normally use this kind of setup to spare your joints, we’re pretty sure that they won’t be complaining once you hit the Endless Ride. Here's another photo from our African backer who has put the Mellow on his whole quiver already; this one's a Loaded Tan Tien. It works, but you might have to throw in an extra tweak to call it beautiful.
Screw It (On)!
Boards come with several screw hole variations to mount trucks. Both New School (2.125 in x 1.625 in) or Old School (2.5 in x 1.625 in) will work fine with Mellow Drive, since our baseplate is a standard 6 hole version. Some boards even let you decide on wheelbase, with multiple holes for some variation in your truck placement to allow for more nose and/or tail.
Although you can buy different length and thickness for skate screws, Mellow Drive comes with just the right length bolts with standard nuts. These fit into the inner two specially designed mounting wells so you don’t even need a skate tool to hold it when installing.
Wood, Glass or Carbon
Keep in mind that although the Mellow Drive is waterproof, your board usually isn’t. Wood decks hate water since it can seep in through dings or truck holes, destroying your board from the inside out. Fibreglass, carbon or aluminum decks don’t care about water so choose wisely if you aim to be singing in the rain. Still, don’t forget that the bearings on the Mellow Drive - or any other skate - are NOT waterproof.
Along with the right-length bolts and nuts, riders who have ordered Mellow Boards complete with decks will receive either flat or angled shock pads so you can assemble a perfect setup.
See you on the Endless Ride!
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