Exile Antidote LDP Longboard Complete Setup Review

LDP Exile/Antidote Complete Setup Review
By: Lucas Liew (Insta: @lucasliewhehe)

Introduction
LDP, or Long Distance Pushing/Pumping (LDP) is a discipline of longboarding that has been slowly gaining traction in Singapore and is steadily on the rise. The boards used in LDP are typically referred to as platform decks, bracket boards, or push/pump setups. 

Unlike conventional longboards which usually have the same angled trucks front and rear (e.g. 50 degree RKPs for front and rear), they use brackets that lower the ride for easy and efficient pushing, increase pumping performance and efficiency, and typically have a zero-degree bracket (e.g. Exile Insania/Don’t Trip Delirium) or a GBomb Torsion Tail in the rear.

While most skaters usually push as a means to move forward, in LDP there are two ways - pushing and pumping. Having two forms of movement allows you to skate more efficiently, and can take you further and faster when done right, as your legs utilise different muscle groups when pushing and pumping.

The Antidote Hurricane + Exile Components
When I picked up the Antidote Hurricane for review I first noticed that this deck was of good build quality. The carbon fibre bottom had a matte finish and looked incredibly smooth and properly done with no uneven surfacing. The Hurricane has quite a nice concave to it,  and I appreciate the contours of the deck which gives the deck a very pleasant and aesthetic shape to it. The deck is made of a vertical laminated core (beech and poplar) , fiberglass and carbon, with the latter two helping to improve durability and stiffness of the deck where it is needed, and also adds water resistance as well.

The Exile Hydra front truck that I tested is 45 degrees with a spherical bearing and a Riptide Pivot Tube, and was mounted on an Exile Front Bracket of 13 Degrees which makes for a total of 58 degrees in the front. Paired together with an Exile Insania rear bracket this makes for an efficient pumping machine. The Insania is a zero-degree truck which only leans and does not turn, unlike regular trucks which lean and turn at the same time. This “zero-steer” design is what makes the truck pump so much more efficient compared to a conventional longboard truck, channeling the energy forward instead of sideways, allowing for faster pumps.

The Exile Insania while similar to the Don’t Trip Delirium, is quite different in design as the bushings seat between two spherical bearings, while the Delirium has either one spherical bearing or a pivot tube. Having two sphericals makes for an even smoother ride, and also a more precise and efficient one, as the hanger pivots in a fixed position on these two points (the two sphericals).

Setting up the board is fairly straightforward once you get used to it, but may seem a little daunting to beginners with the addition of sphericals not typically found on entry level boards.

NB: For more information on bushing setups, check out our article on Riptide bushings here.

The good thing about the Hydra and Insania is that you can adjust the hanger width to your preference and you can set your Hydra from 120-140mm, and the Insania from 110-130mm with the precision spacers that come with the truck. Adjusting the hanger width can help you find your desired ride feel and quality. If you are into the nice and chill leisurely carving/pumping then you might set it at the wider option, while if you are into high speed pumping you might opt to set it narrower for a snappier and more responsive return-to-centre. Those are good starting points, but of course at the end of the day it all boils down to one’s riding style and personal preferences, so tweak according to what feels best for you.

At 73kg and as a fairly aggressive pumper, I like the Hydra set up with a hanger width of 128-132mm personally, and find that it pumps more responsively compared to the wider setting. 

After testing a few bushing combinations I find that a Riptide 87.5a fatcone boardside and a Riptide 85a barrel roadside works best for me for both the Hydra and Insania, and can comfortably pump at about 20-24kph on it, while at the same time manage to do slow and relaxed pumping with it as well. 

However, one should experiment with other bushing duros and shapes to find out what works best for your weight, pumping style and goals. Bushings are just one part of the equation and other aspects that one should consider are hanger width, wheelbase and wheel diameter to name a few. On wheelbase, the antidote allows for an adjustable wheelbase of either 51 or 54cm.

The Ride

When I took the board out on my first ride from Changi Beach via Coastal/ECP to Kallang Wave Mall, I noticed that the deck was a firmer ride compared to my GBomb which had a bit of a bounce in it. After a few kilometres I started to appreciate the firmer ride quality which made pushing really efficient. The concave of the deck also gave me a feeling of being planted and secured on the deck which helped me feel more confident on the board and made one foot steering noticeably easier.  Going over speed strips, bumps or imperfections at the park connectors I noticed that there was some vibration dampening going on with the deck, and it helped to smooth out the buzz and vibrations pretty well. I would call it a firm yet comfortable ride which I enjoy.

Having owned a GBomb C26 deck that is paired with a Glass Drop Bracket, Don’t Trip Poppy and the TTA Slim, I find that the Antidote Exile setup is a much more versatile and fun ride in comparison.  While my GBomb setup performed very well when pumping at higher speeds of about 18k-30ph, pumping at slower speeds around 10-15kph especially with the TTA was abit of a chore and I found myself wasting a noticeable amount of energy pumping it. While the TTA is a solid choice for racing applications especially where straight line speed is concerned and is a more stable ride, the Exile setup in comparison was able to handle a wider range of speeds when pumping, and was able to manage lower speed pumps with significantly more ease while being fun and surfy at the same time. 

I found the front Hydra truck compared to the Poppy’s noticeably more turny and reactive when pumping, and when paired together with the rear Insania bracket it made for an incredibly smooth and agile ride. What this means is that it felt easier and more natural to initiate a pump, and encouraged you to keep pumping even more the faster you go, and is able to handle tight turns noticeably better compared to the torsion tails (TTA/TTS).

Moving on to the Hurricane deck itself, it has noticeably more concave compared to my GBomb C26 deck, and tapers towards the rear while maintaining the concave. In my experience I find that the concave helps reduce numb feet better compared to flatter decks like the GBomb, and helps improve the pumping experience and performance as the concave helps you get better leverage over the deck during pumps, especially when one is going all out. 

As someone who does skogging, which is alternating between pushing on your right foot and your left foot (pushing regular and then mongo switch for me) on a frequent basis, the concave was really beneficial as previously on the C26 deck I found myself having to look down at the board at times to ensure that my foot was at the middle of the deck when pushing mongo, while on the Hurricane deck I found that I did not have to look down as much if at all, as the concave helped guide my foot to the center, which made skogging almost effortless. 

Moving on to the wheels, the Seismic Speed Vents 85mm are the renowned and go-to wheel of choice in the LDP community, especially the Mint and Mango Defcon Thane versions which have broken speed records and are just all-around fast and grippy wheels. They are some of the fastest wheels available on the market and the ones that I tested were the 78.5a Mango Speed Vents. 

These wheels are fast, and yet offer really good grip and a good level of comfort for the speed you are getting. I was able to handle tight turns with no problems during dry conditions. When I rode the Antidote/Exile setup in the rain with the Mango Speed Vents on, I was surprised at how well the Mangos managed to grip the wet ground at Pasir Ris Park while Pumping at speeds of 19-22kph and felt no slippage at any point of time. 

In summary the Antidote-Exile board is a very capable and dynamic setup. Whether you are taking it out for a cruise for some light pushing and low speed carving, a short ride to the neighbourhood coffeeshop for lunch, or for race day where you are gunning for a podium finish, The Antidote-Exile board is a truly versatile ride that is fun, dynamic and surfy, and will keep you wanting to ride more and more.

The complete Setup:

Antidote Hurricane  (Antidote - Exile Setup) 2020 Review
Deck : Antidote Hurricane 2020 Carbon (Flex 2)
Front Bracket and Truck : Exile Front Bracket 13 Deg, Exile Hydra 45 Deg
Rear Truck : Exile Insania Bracket
Wheels : Seismic Speed Vents 85mm, Mango 78.5a