Compression

I get a lot of emails, Facebook messages, YouTube comments, as well as kids and parents in person asking me about parts compatibility. Nearly every question revolves around the compatibility of forks, bars, headsets, and clamps/compression systems. This is by far the most difficult part of building a scooter for people who aren't already deep into the sport. Because freestyle scootering is still a very new sport, a lack of industry standards and definitive best practices has led to a wide range of parts and technology implementations. While innovation and variety are great for the progression of scooter parts, it has made the situation difficult for parents and kids who are trying to learn about building scooters.

It seems that Hidden Internal Compression (HIC) systems are becoming more and more popular among freestyle scooter riders. This is because they are simple, cheap, and light compared to SCS systems, which we covered in another tutorial found here: Proto SCS Installation.

The HIC system uses a shim to extend the reach of the fork into the bars and prevent the fork from pulling out of the headtube. The tutorial video in this article uses a Lucky HIC composite shim, Lucky HIC bars, and Lucky HIC oversized clamp, but other HIC systems should work similarly. In terms of true HIC, we've been extremely happy with the Lucky setup.

Installing a Standard Compression System (SCS) clamp can be tricky if no one has shown you how to do it right. Even after you get your SCS installed, it can be challenging to get it locked down just right. When dealing with an SCS, the first and most important precaution you should keep in mind is to not let anyone that you don't trust mess with it. Often times, someone might be trying to help when they think they know what they are doing and they might accidentally wreck your $80 clamp. I don't let anyone else work on my kid's scooters not because I don't trust them, but because if I screw it up, then I have to pay for it. If someone else breaks a part, I don't want to deal with that awkward interaction of who has to pay for it.