Hello Nation of Skate,
The wonderful crew at Sector 9 was awesome enough to send me over one of their newer decks the Sprocket! The Sprocket is a nice little drop through double kick freestyle board that can do most anything with tons of steeze. There are a whole bunch of similar boards on the market, however, while the Sprocket may look like any number of similar boards it handles very differently.
Let's get into what makes the Sprocket a Sprocket. The Sprocket is a 38.5in double kick board with a 9.8in width. It has a tight wheels base and mild concave. The deck has drop through truck mounting and is geared towards freestyle skateboarding.
Now we know the specs but let's get into how this smokin hot board handles on the roads.
Downhill
The Sprocket is a pretty small board with an even smaller wheelbase, making it pretty difficult to go super fast on. In addition, while this board is not necessarily flexy I wouldn't call it a speed-stiff board either so hitting super speeds can get a little perilous on this board and I wouldn't recommend it. However, if you only have one board it's definitely not the worst deck ever for getting some speed. The drop through keeps you nice and low to the ground which helps for stability and there is a tiny bit of concave to the deck which keeps your feet from flying off.
Freeride
The board would be a dope freeride board if I were a little bit shorter, haha. The tiny wheelbase on the Sprocket is a little narrow for someone with my height and stance for holding out slides. However, it is really insane for doing 180 slides and spinning your way down the hills. That small wheelbase keeps this board really nimble and light on its feet, well on its wheels, haha. I had my Sprocket setup with some 65mm Butterballs and it was oh-so-smooth and 180 slides were super fun. I recommend wheels with a small contact path for this board when freeriding because the small wheelbase loves a small contact path wheel to match it.
Commuting
If there is one thing that really characterizes this board... it is its weight. This is a super light longboard. Which is fantastic for traveling around town because it doesn't take a ton of energy to get moving. The drop through keeps it nice and low to the ground which is great for pushing and keeps your center of gravity nice and low too. Symmetry and kicktails make this board nice for commuting because you whip 180 slides to slow yourself down and still have your tail behind you no matter how many times you spin. I pretty much only commute on boards that have tails because I like being able to drop curbs and the Sprocket has more than enough tail for all the curb dropping action your heart could desire.
Freestyle
Here is where the Sprocket really shines! When it comes to freestyle you are going to have a hard time finding a better board than this. The 100% symmetrical shape is fantastic because you can hit shove its or 180 slides and your board will feel exactly the same. Those kicktails on either end are just the right amount of the tail. They are not way too long but you can still get some considerable pop off the tails, in fact you even ollie this board, which is always a little bit difficult on a longboard but is nice and manageable on the Sprocket. This board is actually the first board I got really good at bigspins on too. In addition there is enough real estate on this board to hit all of your fun cross steps and board dancing moves.
It Can't All Be Good...
I would say that the biggest downside to this board would be the wheelbase size with a drop though. The small wheelbase takes a little getting used to because if you are anywhere near my height (about 5'8") then you are going to have to shorten up your stance a little bit. Shortening my stance made holding out long slides a little more challenging, but popping 180 slides was super easy because the board is so nimble.
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend the Sector 9 Sprocket to a friend? I definitely would! I would recommend this board to anyone looking to commute via board or who is looking to get into some freestyle. If you are seriously into downhill and freeride you may want to consider a board with a slightly longer wheel base. Unlesssssss you aren't super tall, then this board would fit you for pretty much anything. I am still amazed by how much I enjoy this board and the quality is top notch. I generally thrash boards pretty quickly, but the Sprocket is definitely holding up to the beating.
Thanks for reading! Any questions, comments, concerns, stickers, loveletters?
Send them my way!
Stay Awesome,
Wayne
My Current Favorite Setup:
-SECTOR 9 SPROCKET
-Paris 180mm Trucks
-Sector 9 Butterballs
-Nipple Bushings
-Daddies Bearings
Awesome review man. I'm trying to decide between a Never Summer Heist and this. It's nice to come across a really good review!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you liked the review! The sproket is definitely a solid board, and I obviously highly recommend it!!! Neversummer makes some really nice stuff too, but I think if you're looking for something that is the most cost effective and awesome the sprocket is the way to go :)
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ReplyDeleteI've been looking for my first board to buy, I've been borrowing a friend's board for weeks and this was the board that seemed to have what I wanted the most.
ReplyDeleteSweet review, if you don't mind me asking, how fast is "fast" to you for the downhill riding? I'm about 5'4" - 5'5" and sort of a beginner, there any problem with using this board for going down hills?
Hey Kyler,
DeleteThere is no problem taking this board most hills, you just don't want to hit really really fast speeds (like in the 40mph range) with it because it is so little
Awesome review. I am about to buy my first board and I plan to do some cruising and freeriding. I'm not really tall. Would you recommend this board for a beginner?
ReplyDeleteI definitely would because it works so well in a variety of riding scenarios, and for a beginner you cannot really beat the price
DeleteGreat review, im about 5'9 would this be a good board for my height,and how good is it for control wile going downhill?
ReplyDeleteHey Cameron,
DeleteThe stance is a little narrow for someone about our height, and it isn't really meant as a downhill board, so I generally recommend this deck to someone looking for a good all around board. If you are looking to do lots of downhill then maybe look into the Sector 9 Daisy, it is a great board!!
http://www.longboard-life.com/2012/10/miss-daisy-sector-9-daisy-review.html
Thanks for the reply, ok sweet, would it be good for slight down hills even with upgraded trucks? Im mainly looking for a free style board,for tricks, free riding and cruising and down hill.
ReplyDeleteCameron,
DeleteIt would probably be good for what you are looking for. However, if you are serious about getting into freeride/any level of downhill i think that the Boombox, made by Bustin Boards, might be your best bet :)
I found your blog quite interesting and the concern in the blog is really impressive. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLongboard Decks || Longboards || Longboard Skateboards
I have a Barefoot long-board pin-tail and was wondering if i should get this as a sliding board. also, is the Sector 9 Sentinel as good as this?
ReplyDeleteHey Colt,
DeleteThat's a good question, how tall are you?? The wheelbase on the sprocket is not super long so you might need a longer board
about 5' 2". i will get taller though. still a good option?
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DeleteWayne,
DeleteIs there a difference between the year it was made, like the 2012, 2013 or 2014 models? Thanks for all your help.
Hey Colt,
DeleteI think it would be a pretty good option for your height, i would also probably consider the Bustin Boombox if I were too!
I don't think there are any major differences between the different years though
Wayne,
DeleteThanks for all your help! I will get this as a slider thanks to your review. Thanks you!
This is an unbelievably awesome board! Perfect for cruising the streets. You can find cheaper components on other boards but these ones will last you a long time. I’ve had this for about 2 years now and it has served me well.
ReplyDeleteOh one thing is I dont think you can upgrade the bearings on this board.
Hey, I'm 5' 5" and was wondering if this board is good for me? I also wanted to know how big the platform is, like where you put your feet. Thanks and nice review really helped!
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Sector 9 longboard brand is good for all style riding. Visit my site http://longboardaz.com
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