A first hand review of Skateboard Flat Bars by our team. Are they worth the price?
We ordered a “X Factor Driveway Skatepark Grind Rail” to check its performance.
First off this mini handrail came Fed Ex, shrink wrapped and all. You should have seen the “what is that thing” look the Fed Ex driver gave us as we gleefully yanked off the plastic and looked for a place to put it. At six foot long the yellow square rail is skateable almost anywhere.
Second you may ask aren’t all rails the same, in a word no. This rail actually has a few innovative features the first being holes for bolts (that’s right you don’t have to spend a day drilling you can just bolt it down) and rubber feet to help prevent the flat bar from sliding.
This grind rail has a fat 1.5″ round diameter rail that measures 54″ in length. It is Strong and Durable and is steel powder coated.
And don’t forget the fact it is a handrail, that means that one end is higher that the other causing the grinding/sliding surface to angle. The X Factor Driveaway is adjustable to 3 heights, without any tools.
The angling effect adds to this rails versatility making enjoyable in a parking lot, across a gap or starting at the end of a ramp or box.
Third, how does it slide. BUTTER smooth as silk, it handled noseslides, boardslides, k-grinds and 50-50 with ease and more importantly stability. The feet of the mini handrail, assisted by the rubber feet, extend enough to keep it stable while not sticking out so far as to be in the way (which is a common problem with stand alone flat rails).
Over all this rail was a blast long enough to slide but small enough to carry to a spot in the back of a truck. The only complaint is when I took it to the skatepark it was so popular I had to wait for a run.