Street Luge Construction
Street Luge owes its origins to thrill seeking garage tech engineers who pushed the envelope of gravity powered speed, creating new designs, higher speeds and more excitement. Street Luge represents the ultimate in grass roots research and development. Yeah, blood was shed, bones were broken but these mishaps are all part of the knowledge and experience that was needed to define the Street Luge.
Street Luge got its biggest boost in development during the "X Games" years. Money and fame promised to these new athletes sent them back to the garage looking for an undiscovered technical edge that would bring them across the finish line first. Those gravity powered pioneers did all the research and development so YOU don't have to.
These are just guidelines for street luge construction. You won't find detailed plans or measurements. The guidelines I have outlined here are based on my own experience, observations and experimentation. Tim Novak and HAE are not responsible in any way for mishaps, damages or injuries incurred while operating any streetluge built using these guidelines. Remember, street luging is a dangerous activity, especially when it is done on a poorly designed craft or when used without proper safety considerations.
If you plan to actually ride your home built street luge, you better make sure its SAFE! You will be laying on this thing and going nearly 70 mph, 2 inches from the ground. The best advice I can give you would be to find someone who has one, study it, watch it in action and maybe ride it yourself. If you plan to race your streetluge, your designs must conform to guidelines set by the organization you're racing in. Technical inspectors at every race determine whether a 'luge can compete. You can view the construction guidelines for GSI competitions HERE! Here's some other construction sites:
First things first...Check out your material sources. You'll need a supplier of steel and/or aluminum; channel stock, bar stock, sheet stock.... A real good hardware store is nessesary. Make sure they have a vast selection of nuts and bolts. Then find yourself a skate shop that will special order stuff for you. Most skateboard shops have little use for the wheels and trucks you may use unless they sell a lot of longboards. Of course, the internet is the easiest way to get all your parts and materials together as long as you know what you're looking for.
If you're making a metal street luge and you aren't equipped with a machine shop, you'll probably need the services of a good machinist. If you find the right one, they'll be the best "design consultant" for your project. Rarely will a good machinist build something that won't work or is poorly designed! They may even help you find the right materials at a good price. Having a good machinist will probably mean having lots of cash to pay him as their services can be expensive.
If you are going to use fiberglass or graphite/carbon fiber technologies in your construction, seek out some expert advice. A quick search will reveal the many sources of information and materials for composite construction available on the internet. I built a fiberglass street luge to race 2006 and my results can be viewed HERE.
There is no rule against the use of wood in the construction of the competition Street Luge. In fact, there are race worthy designs showing up on the podium at many races. Darren Lott, author of the essential Streetluge Survival Guide, has been espousing the virtues of wood in Street Luge design for years, winning his share of races on unique wood crafted masterpieces. Most Street Luge pilots started riding on homemade "woodies".
NOW you can buy your own "woodie". Once you ride any of our NOREASTER Street Luges, you'll never look at wood luges the same again... WOOD RULES!
When building the streetluge, the most important design consideration is the weight distribution between the wheel base. Skateboard trucks (wheel mounts) are a center pivoting, lean activated turning mechanism. If you lean right, the wheels will turn right. If your body weight is not centered correctly between the trucks, it will be more difficult to control the "lean" and the turning radius applied to the wheels. Of course, you will change your position (and center of gravity) as you work the turns, putting more weight on the front wheels. It is very important to favor MORE weight on the front wheel set. Most buiders use a 60/40 weight distribution. One of the effects of improper weight distribution is pronounced "wobbling" (hysteria) increasing with speed. A 'luge that wobbles is a 'luge that crashes!
Be Stiff
Since most Streetluges utilize a wheelbase over 36 inches and ride close to the ground, it is important that the streetluge has very little flex over its length. At no time should any part of the 'luge touch the road surface other than the wheels! A streetluge with a bit of flex will not "bounce" as much over rough surfaces and can be easier to control. A streetluge with too much flex will steal some of the force applied to the trucks resulting in poor turning response. A good way to check the stiffness of a 'luge along its length is to stand on the seat and feel for any "give" (flex).
Aluminum channel stock, box beam or thick tubing will help to make your streetluge stiffer. Take a look the first streetluge I built in 1994: >>HERE<<. Remember not to make the 'luge too heavy. The heavier the craft, the harder it may be to control. (Inertia is a factor, folks..consult your physics teacher!)
The Seat
The seat of the luge can be made from aluminum sheet stock (I use 1/8th inch). There is no reason a quality wood laminate or fiberglass construction can't be used. You'll be lying on it and the ride can be bumpy, so you might want to think about some sort of padding. Also, make sure there is a place to rest your back and there is ample padding at the crotch area. You can locate hand holds along the side of the seat. Hand holds should not restrict movement in the seat and they should NOT be located
between the legs (OUCH!)
Head rest
The headrest should provide a comfortable place for your HELMETED head. The helmet you'll use will increase the size of your skull considerately. When you ride, you may find that you rarely use the head rest except for longer, speed gathering downhill straight sections. When riding corners, you'll tend to "sit-up" somewhat to negotiate the turn.
Foot pegs
The foot pegs I use are for BMX bicycles. These are the ones that screw on to the wheel axles for freestyle riding. They are about 3 inches long and are very tough! The foot pegs should not be too long so they don't drag on the turns or snag up on obstacles (or other riders). You should be able to get your feet on and off without trouble. Your knees should be slightly bent when you are comfortable on the seat and your feet are on the pegs. NOTE: I have discovered the benefits of Pegless Street Luge and have abandoned the foot peg design forever.
Pegless luge..? Wouldn't that be a Buttboard...? No, there are design limitations that keep the buttboard a more simple and uncomplicated craft. The pegless streetluge can still use more than 4 wheels, it can be "dropped" to lower the center of gravity and it has a longer wheelbase. I like the idea of a pegless streetluge mainly because it is a safer craft and it is easier to transport. No doubt we'll be seeing more and more pegless luges showing up at races but I don't expect the banning of the traditional streetluge with footpegs anytime soon.
These are the most critical components, you'll not want to skimp on the quality here... I suggest you do some research and look, or better yet, RIDE, every skateboard truck you can get your hands on. The wider trucks (9" or longer axle length) are better. The most popular skateboard truck brand is Randal, offering high end Pro street luging trucks as well as the best classic luge trucks. Again, get a skateboard magazine and contact advertisers for information about their trucks.
Urethane skateboard wheels come in many sizes and shapes. For streetluge, wheels under 70mm in diameter and over 90a durometer (softness) should not even be considered. Street luge (and Buttboard) wheels are not nearly as hard to find as they once were with companies offering a wide selection of big, soft wheels designed for longboards. You're looking for larger (83 mm seems to be the most popular all-around wheel) and softer (less than 80 durometer is best) urethane wheels able to withstand the rigors of the streetluge. At higher speeds the bearings get hot enough to melt the material surrounding them creating an unsafe street luge. There are a number of wheels available made specifically for the street luge with ABEC 11 being the favorite brand among 'lugers.
Safety features
There should be bumper pads on each end of the 'luge. They should be enough to cushion the impact if the streetluge gets away from you. Also, nerf bars on the nose and around the wheels can prevent snagging and wheel scraping. All sharp corners and edges should be rounded or padded.
Safety is the key issue with Streetluging. 'Lugers got a bad rap as renegades and law breakers for their highway antics. The problem is there are few places to ride without sharing the road with motor vehicles. This could be the major drawback of streetluging. All I can say is "ride smart"....Wear your protective gear when you ride, especially your helmet and gloves. I highly advise a full leather as well. Remember, you can die on one of these things!
Darren Lott's Streetluge Survival Guide is the definitive handbook every streetluge pilot should possess. It contains all the information you'll need to get involved in this exciting sport, including: history, safety, protective gear, streetluge design considerations, riding techniques and racing. You'll also want to pick up the Street Luge 101 DVD by Jeremy Kahn, chock full of Gravity Sport know-how. There will be a pop quiz at the top of the hill.
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