Carver C5, YOW Legasee, & Solride Surfskate Trucks Compared

People often ask how the YOW Legasee surf cruisers and Solride surfskates compare to the Carver CX surfskate truck.

But they compare less to the Carver CX and more to the Carver C5. I put all three of these in the same category as transition or hybrid surfskates for traditional skateboarders.

In this review, I’ll review and compare each of them to help you decide which is the best for you.

If you’re trying to find the best surfskate for you, then check out my free Surfskate Selector app. It includes all models from the top 10 surfskate trucks. Just answer 8 quick questions and it reveals the best models for you.

Carver C5, YOW Legasee, Solride Review Quick Links

 

• How Do the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride Compare to Other Surfskate Trucks?
• Carver C5 Breakdown and Modifications
• YOW Legasee Breakdown and Modifications
• Solride Breakdown and Modifications
• Head-To-Head Comparisons of the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride
• Advanced Riders Review the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride

How Do the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride Compare to Other Surfskate Trucks?

 
I’ve tested more than 85 surfskates with 43 different surfskate trucks. I’ve boiled them down to what I believe are the best surfskates.

I organize them on a scale of what I call pure surf trainers to street cruisers:

The Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride don’t belong on this scale. Instead, I would put them to the right of all these, off the scale of surfskate trucks.

Put a skateboard on the far right with the best surfskates on the left. The Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride would go between them.

I categorize these three as hybrid or transition surfskates for traditional skateboarders.

If your only experience is with more traditional surfskate trucks, then you probably won’t enjoy these three as much.

However, if you come from a more traditional skateboarding background, then you may have a lot of fun on these three.

There’s one big difference between these three trucks and all of the other best surfskates. That is that the hangers are narrower than traditional surfskate trucks.

This makes pumping is a lot less efficient because you get a lot less forward momentum.

The Carver CX hanger is just under six-and-a-half inches wide.

The Carver C5 measures about 5.75” wide, so about a half inch narrower than the CX.

The YOW Legasee surf cruiser trucks actually come in three different widths: 149mm, 139mm, and 129mm. The widest one, 149mm, is also about a half inch narrower than the Carver CX.

Out of all of these three, the Solride has the narrowest hanger at just under 5.5” wide.

Carver C5 Breakdown and Modifications

 
In terms of basic mechanics and functionality, the Carver C5 is essentially identical to the Carver CX surfskate truck. It’s a reverse kingpin bushing-based design.

The differences are that the C5 hanger is narrower, it sits lower to the ground, it has a hollow kingpin and axels so it’s lighter, and it has less range of motion.

To take the Carver C5 apart, all you have to do is remove the kingpin nut. Then you can remove the truck hanger with the bushings.

You’ll see two bushing sizes on the Carver C5. The taller bushing goes on the boardside. The shorter bushing goes on the roadside.

There are two ways to modify the Carver C5.

The first is to replace your bushings. Carver C5 bushings are the same size as Carver CX bushings.

RipTide offers Carver CX/C5 bushings in five durometers: 85a, 87.5a, 90a, 92.5a, and 95a. The Carver C5 bushings come standard in 89a durometer, so the yellow 90a Riptide bushings are the closest match in feel to that.

If you want to make your Carver C5 feel softer, looser and flowier, you could go down to the 87.5a durometer. Or if you want it even sharper and tighter, you can go up to the 92.5a durometer.

But when it comes to modifying the Carver C5, I recommend that you stay within that range. For the type of skating you’ll do on the Carver C5, anything softer than 87.5a will be too soft, and 95a will make it too hard to even pump.

The Carver C5 pivot cups are also the same as the Carver CX pivot cups, so you can replace your pivot cups as well to eliminate any squeaking.

The final way to modify the Carver C5 is to reverse the kingpin so you can do coping grinds.

Here’s how to do this:

YOW Legasee Breakdown and Modifications

 
The YOW Legasee trucks are a traditional kingpin design. This means the kingpin is on the opposite side of the hanger from the pivot point.

On the YOW Legasee front truck, the kingpin is upside down from what you typically see. The kingpin screws into the truck baseplate and requires no nut.

To take apart the YOW Legasee front truck, simply unscrew the kingpin. Then remove the truck hanger and washers.

To take apart the rear truck, remove the kingpin nut, then the truck hanger and washers.

You can modify the YOW Legasee by replacing the bushings with high-quality aftermarket surfskate bushings.

All four bushings on the YOW Legasee are different sizes.

• The front truck boardside bushing is a .75” tall barrel in 90a durometer.
• The front truck roadside bushing is a .6” standard cone in 90a durometer.
• The rear truck boardside bushing is a .5” street barrel in 95a durometer.
• The rear truck roadside bushing a .4” short street cone in 90a durometer.

You can play with your durometers to find your preferred feel with the YOW Legasee.

You can also modify the Legasee by replacing your pivot cups to stop it from squeaking. These use the same pivot cups as YOW Meraki pivot cups.

Solride Breakdown and Modifications

 
The Solride has just one axis rotation on a kingpin. Here’s how to take it apart:

There are two ways to modify the Solride surfskate truck.

The first is to add or remove the pivot brake insert for more or less range of motion. If you remove the pivot brake insert, be sure that you have high enough risers to avoid wheelbite.

The second way to modify the Solride surfskate truck is to change out the bushing. Solride offers four different durometers of their custom bushing: 65a, 72a, 78a, and 86a. The stock bushing is 65a.

The Solride rear truck uses standard cone bushings, which makes them very easy to replace.

Head-To-Head Comparisons of the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride

 

Here’s how the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride surfskate trucks compare on a few variables.

 

Variable #1: Coping Grinds

Both the YOW Legasee and Solride are built to accommodate coping grinds without the kingpin getting in the way.

On the Carver C5, the kingpin protrudes above the truck hanger. This makes it get in the way of coping grinds.

However, you can modify the Carver C5 to eliminate this. You can flip the kingpin upside down and put the kingpin nut underneath the truck baseplate. This lowers the kingpin below the truck hanger to allow for coping grinds without any issues.

Variable #2: Height

Solride offers four different models. They all use the same truck, but two of them, the Tiger Shark and Hammerhead, have very low risers and the other two, the Ray and Eel, have high risers.

In this comparison, I’m using the Tiger Shark model, which is basically as low as a traditional skateboard with very small wheels.

The C5 is a little bit higher than the Solride Tiger Shark, and then the YOW Legasee is a little bit higher than the C5, so it’s the tallest of the three.

Variable #3: Weight

I weighed both the front and the rear trucks of all of these systems and all of them are fairly similar.

The lightest is the Carver C5, weighing 1 pound, 9.7 ounces.

The next lightest is the Solride weighing 1 pound, 11.6 ounces.

The YOW Legasee is the heaviest, at 1 pound 13 ounces.

Variable #4: Range of Motion

The Solride offers two settings for its range of motion. It has what they call a “pivot brake insert” inside the truck that limits the range of motion. If you take it off, the truck has a wider range of motion.

On the Tiger Shark and Hammerhead models with the low risers, the pivot brake insert comes standard to avoid wheelbite.

The two models with high risers, the Ray and Eel, come with the pivot brake insert removed. This gives the Solride truck a much wider range of motion.

In this comparison, since I’m comparing like models, I’m using the Tiger Shark model with the pivot brake insert.

So with the Solride pivot brake insert, the Solride and YOW Legasee have about equal range of motion, and the Carver C5 has less range of motion than either of them.

Variable #5: Rail-to-Rail Lean

The Solride with the pivot brake insert and the YOW Legasee have about the same rail-to-rail lean. The Carver C5 has the least rail-to-rail lean.

Variable #6: Pumpability

By this I mean how well they pump in comparison to the Carver CX and other traditional surfskate trucks.

Again, I have to clarify that in this comparison I’m using the Solride Tiger Shark with the pivot brake insert, which limits the range of motion.

So in this comparison, I would say the YOW Legasee is the most pumpable and feels the most like a traditional surfskate truck. Then followed by the Solride, then the Carver C5.

However, the Solride models with high risers and the pivot brake insert removed are more pumpable than any of the three above.

Variable #7: Price

The cheapest you can get is a YOW Legasee for between $185 and $195. You’ll pay $192 for a complete Carver C5 system, and for a complete Solride system you’ll pay between $195 and $205.
 

Variable #8: Models

For the Carver C5, you only have two options. They have a 32” model and a 32.25” model, both with decks like traditional skateboards with narrow wheelbases and high tails and noses. These are very much intended for traditional skateboarders.

Solride offers four different models. Two of them, the Tiger Shark and Hammerhead, compare most with the Carver C5 and YOW Legasee. They have low risers and the pivot brake insert to avoid wheelbite.

Their other two models, the Ray and Eel, have high risers and the pivot brake insert removed. This makes them compare more with the Carver CX and other traditional surfskate trucks. However, with the narrow hanger, the pumping isn’t nearly as efficient.

Out of all these three, the one that has the most models is the YOW Legasee. They have nine different models ranging from 26.5 inches long to 32 inches long. Three of those models have a hanger width of 129mm, three of them are 139mm, and three of them are 149mm.

Since the hanger width makes such a big difference in the feel, this is an important detail when it comes to choosing a YOW Legasee surf cruiser model.

Rider Reviews of the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride

 
The riders who helped me review these trucks are Laura McGorray, Gabe Frager, and Joey Daley.

Watch them ride the Carver C5, YOW Legasee, and Solride on YouTube:

Question: Which one of these three is your favorite and why?

 
Laura McGorray:

“My favorite is the Solride. I like that it sits low like a traditional skateboard. I like that the truck system has a kingpin that’s hidden for grinding and the wheels are very good for slides and a lot of that surfy motion as well. It’s lighter weight than some of the other boards, so I like that piece of it, and I like that there’s at least a little bit of a nose and a tail for dropping in and doing reverts.”

 
Gabe Frager:

“My favorite board is the Carver C5. This kind of takes me back to my old days here at the skate park. It feels something I can get comfortable with as well as when I’m going slow I can kind of surfskate around. And I could probably surf train on it, I’m not sure if it’s the ideal deck for surf training because I’m more likely to try to do something like a kickflip or Pop Shove-it or do an air on it or something. Going fakie is a little bit better than the C7 truck or CX truck. It just felt a little bit more smooth fakie, but I’m still not going to do anything crazy going back to fakie.”

 
Joey Daley

“The Carver with the C5 is also my favorite. I feel like it gives you the most durable and like wholesome feel. It feels like the most traditional deck. The setup gives you a lot of surfskate feel, but if you want to get into those trick sessions and skate park sessions, you just tighten up the trucks a little bit. There’s one issue, the kingpin is a little higher than the front truck so if you do want to do some grinds, you have to do a little bit of extra work by flipping the kingpin and reversing it upside down.”

Question: Which of these do you think is the most versatile?

 
Laura McGorray:

“I would choose either the Solride or the Carver because of the deck specifically having a nose. I feel like I can do surfskating fine on them because of the truck system, but having the deck system also accommodate tricks with a nose and a tail is the most helpful for me.”

 
Gabe Frager:

“Either or the Solride or the Carver, just for this deck, because having a smaller nose, I did a nose grab, I could still grab onto it but it’s almost like I’m grabbing onto the truck so I’m less likely, I’m more likely to bail that trick, when I have something like this I can grab right onto it and lock in.”

 
Joey Daley:

“I really think it depends on like what you want to do. If you’re looking for a traditional skate session, maybe a pool or skate park, I feel like the Carver with the C5s is the most versatile. But if you’re down at the beach or just cruising kind of some flat ground, I feel like the YOW Legasee is a little bit better. I feel like this one gives you kind of an open slate and a lot of creative freedom.”

Question: Which is your least favorite, and why?

 
Laura McGorray

“I would say the C5 on the Carver, specifically the truck system is my least favorite because it is heavier and the kingpin’s sticking out.”

 
Gabe Frager:

“My least favorite board I think is probably the YOW Legasee, just because going at high speeds I could still do it but I have to like control each truck. If I’m on the back truck too much if I’m going at high speed, I’m probably going to wobble out, if I’m on the front truck too much, the other thing I might lean into my turn too much. So, it’s kind of about proportion where other boards didn’t have that problem.”

 
Joey Daley:

“My least favorite is the Solride just because I feel like with the system it’s a little bit inadequate. I feel like it’s a very light system and kind of back foot heavy, whereas, if you kind of put too much into the front you kind of jackknife a little bit here and there. Another thing I don’t like about the Solride deck, when you’re thinking about a traditional skate, I love the concave, however, I do wish it had a longer nose as well just for various tricks.”

Question: Which of the trucks specifically is your favorite, and why?

 
Laura McGorray:

“I like the Solride truck system the best because it’s the lightest and it’s the best for grinds because there’s no kingpin in the way. The only problem I will say is there is a little bit of hitting of the kingpin in the back, so that’s maybe like one downside but overall, I like this system the best.”

 
Gabe Frager:

“I think my favorite truck is the YOW Legasee. The reason why is I can grind it. It seems like I have to get a lot of speed to grind it, but once I lock in it’s really nice.”

 
Joey Daley:

“My most preferred would be the YOW Legasee. I think it gives those looking for the traditional skate session the most adequate capabilities. You’re not going to damage the inner kingpin or the bolt. You’re going to be able to stall and get good 5-0 and both 50-50s. I think that the YOW Legasee truck itself is the most preferred for a traditional skater.”

Question: Even though you have your clear personal favorites, which one would you recommend to a traditional skater, and why?

 
Laura McGorray:

“I probably recommend the YOW because I feel that there will be more ability to adjust how tight it is, so you can move from your street deck to this hybrid board, as well as it being lightweight and it’s just very adjustable. It’s a very good truck system for all of your street and park tricks.”

 
Gabe Frager:

“I would definitely recommend the Carver C5 to them. There would be a few things that could hold them back that I have to point out. But other than that, this board’s going to be the most familiar to skating. Going fakie is gonna be a little different. And just the kingpin getting in the way of coping grinds might upset them. But besides that, you could do Kickflips, Trayflips, Pop Shove-its, take it down the stairs, as well as carve around the city with it.”

 
Joey Daley:

“In my opinion, it really depends on what the rider is going to be doing. If they want to skate some bowls and hit the coping, maybe not do huge grinds, then I think the Carver C5 would be the most comfortable. And if your traditional riding style is kind of like old school boneless and flip tricks, I think the YOW Legasee is the best bet. And if you’re an old school traditional skater maybe skating some stairs, want to do some grinds, I think the Solride gives some of the best options.”

Question: Which is the most stable for bowl riding?

 
Gabe Frager:

“I notice that riding the Solride or the YOW Legasee at high speed, if I’m not fully committed and have my weight right, then these trucks wants to jackknife or just spin out or just get kind of wobbly. I didn’t really that with the Carver C5. So I find the C5 to be more stable than the others at high speeds and for drop-ins.”