When comparing MBS Colt 90 vs MBS Atom 95x, the Slant community recommends MBS Colt 90 for most people. In the question“What are the best mountainboards?” MBS Colt 90 is ranked 4th while MBS Atom 95x is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose MBS Colt 90 is:
It’s easy to learn tricks with this board because of its short length.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Easy to learn tricks with
It’s easy to learn tricks with this board because of its short length.
Pro Skateboard style trucks, good for beginners and pros
The Colt 90 uses a skateboarding style truck system with a 12 mm axle. Compared to other skateboard style trucks, these are beefier and stronger, so they are good not only for beginners, but also for advanced riders.
Pro Simple to use binding system
This board uses standard velcro bindings which, in most cases, are fine for beginners They’re simple to use, and you can add heel straps for a firmer hold. If the standard offering isn’t enough, you can upgrade them to better ones.
Pro Functional deck
The Colt 90's maple wood deck has a symmetrical concave shape that provides better locking when compared to conventionally-shaped boards. The board’s slightly curved middle section contributes to a stiffer deck and easier rail slides.
Pro Supports adding brakes
By default, the board comes without a braking system, but you can get a compatible braking kit for a fairly low price. It can be easily mounted on the board and uses many parts that are common to bicycle V-brakes, so it’s also cheap and easy to maintain it.
Pro Reliable, high-quality tires
Unlike other budget mountainboards, the Colt 90 uses very good tires. They’re very light, puncture-resistant and very fast. Also, you can easily upgrade to 9 inch tires, without changing the hubs, for better traction and durability.
Pro Shielded bearings
The included bearings are rubber shielded, preventing dust particles from degrading them.
Pro Trendy artwork
The Colt 90 features stylish artwork that’s sure to catch attention.
Pro Increased safety with included braking system
The Atom 95x is equipped with a hand brake, by default, that can be used on both axles, making it usable by left and right footed riders. For beginners, the hand brake adds peace of mind and can be important in injury prevention. Nevertheless, some users dislike using a hand brake, since it restricts back arm movement, which is important to keep balance.
Pro Vibration-absorbing and lightweight deck
The Atom 95x's deck is very light and made from laminated maple. While there are stronger decks out there, beginners will benefit from this deck's flexibility and lightness, as it’s easy to carry and is very good at absorbing vibrations.
Pro Beginner friendly trucks
The Atom 95x uses very simple skate-style trucks. The axles are only 9.5mm and very light, so they are perfect for young riders or lightweight adults. The bushings of the truck can be changed to different stiffness levels, effectively changing the riding feel of the board.
Pro Tires have nice traction
The included tires offer very nice traction, even on slippery surfaces.
Pro Brakes are easy to remove and repair
The brakes can be easily removed and repaired, as they use standard bicycle v-brake parts.
Pro Incredibly stable
Since this board's deck is wide and long, with wide skate trucks, it feels very stable when carving downhill, even at moderate speeds. Additionally, the included F1 velcro bindings will keep you firmly attached to the board at all times, even in rough terrain or when performing tricks.
Cons
Con Design will wear off from rail slides
There is no protective coating on this board, so the design will wear off when doing rail slides.
Con Included plastic hubs are not very durable
The plastic hubs on this board are very light, but don't have the best durability, so they are almost exclusively only suited for beginners that will not do crazy jumps or high speed carving. Experienced riders wanting to use high pressure tires should consider getting better hubs.
Con Grinding is more difficult than with regularly-shaped trucks
Since the truck used on this board doesn’t have a flat surface, grinding is a bit difficult.
Con Uses rubber bushing instead of a proper suspension system
There is no suspension system on this board, only a rubber bushing between the top truck and axle. Even though they are good enough for beginners, when compared to suspension systems, rubber bushings are less precise, more wobbly, and need to be bought in different stiffness variants for each riding situation.
Con Attaching heels straps is inconvenient
While it is possible to attach heels straps to this board, doing so isn’t convenient at all, as you need to remove the velcro straps to do it.
Con Troublesome to do binding adjustments
The Colt 90 uses simple F1 velcro straps with no ratchet for adjustment. If you find the bindings too loose or too tight and need to do adjustments, the only way to do this is to drill new holes on the deck or upgrade to better straps.
Con Hard (or impossible) to add channel trucks
With this board, it’s only possible to upgrade to better skateboard-type trucks, since the deck’s tips have a 20º angle. Because of this, channel trucks, which are better, would be difficult, if not impossible, to mount on this deck.
Con Not as durable as composite boards
This board's deck is made from maple wood, without added composite materials. While this makes the deck cheap and light, it isn’t as durable as decks made with composite materials. It's still durable enough for most beginners, but advanced riders are better off getting a composite board.
Con Not suitable for heavy people
This board is not suitable for the heavier users, since it uses skate trucks, which may break easily from excessive weight.
Con Less stable than long deck boards
Because of its short length, the Colt 90 is not as stable as boards with longer decks.
Con Vulnerable to superficial wear
Since there is no additional composite coating, the board will wear down quickly when doing rail slides.
Con New bindings will require drilling
If the original bindings don’t fit your feet, you will need to drill new holes to accommodate new bindings.