Non Universal Nuts – Innovative Accessories

When I first learnt about the products that Non Universal Nuts (or NUN for short) has to offer, I immediately knew that I had to feature them on Longboard Hub. RADnuts and ADcaps are two products that are offered by NUN and are designed by the main person behind NUN, Philippe. Similar to most of you who are passionate about skateboards and longboards, Philippe was extremely passionate about action sports. I quickly read more about NUN and contacted the people behind NUN to give you an exclusive insight!

What Are RADnuts and ADCaps?

In short, the RADnuts is a decorative and bearing protective wheel cap for longboards and cruisers. RADnuts have nuts welded inside the body and will directly replace the axle nuts of the trucks for a snug fit. This accessory is not only lightweight -weighing about 4 grams – and sleek, but also extremely fashionable.

Just check out at the photo below:

I know I certainly want to have these on my longboard!

Why Should Every Longboarder Get Them?

Ever wondered why almost every longboard and skateboard out there have some kind of unique and attractive deck art design? Well, that’s because many skateboarders want or need to ride in STYLE. In fact, for many of us, skateboarding or longboarding is more than just a hobby or a sport, it is a WAY of life. Picking out a deck design that suites my style is actually one of the top three things I look for when picking out a longboard. With RADnuts, you can customize your longboard to further suite your preference.

What I really like about the RADnuts’ design is that the graphics on the RADnuts are designed by artists from around the world. The current first generation line of products features the work of young European artists. The images/graphics on RADnuts are 1.4 inches of customizable space. If you’re in a skate team and would like to have the same RADnuts design for all your team members, NUN also offer RADnuts that are printed with a custom graphic or logo. Now, isn’t that just super cool?

RADnuts are made from a sturdy plastic material and is extremely scratch resistant if you’re wondering.

Other than style, another thing that RADnuts do is provide protection for your bearings. Skateboarding or longboarding outside means subjecting your wheels to dirt, water, mud, etc.

What happens when your bearings are “dirty”? They don’t perform quite as well. More specifically, bearings juts don’t spin as freely when you flick the wheels. In addition, you may also notice that they start getting noisy. Eventually, if you don’t clean your bearings long enough, dirt in your bearings can cause pitting which “freeze up” your bearings. If this happens, your skateboard or longboard can stop abruptly, which can result in you falling down and getting injured.

Having RADnuts attached to your wheels in other words keep your bearings dirt-free and moisture-free. This is a huge advantage for beginners since beginners are usually the ones who dislike cleaning their bearings. Myself included when I was a beginner!

Hence, having RADnuts has two benefits – style and to protect your bearings from external elements.

Are RADnuts Suitable for All Skateboards and Longboards?

If you’re wondering if RADnuts are suitable to be used on all skateboards and longboards, NUN has done a great job in testing out their product on more than 100 different sets of wheels; among which include Orangatang, Krypto, Cadillac, ABEC 11, Sector 9, Cult, Hawgs, Seismic as well as other brands.

They even have a compatibility table you can check out to make sure! Here’s the link to the compatibility table that NUN has up on their website. Be sure to check this link from time to time as NUN constantly tests out the compatibility of different sets of wheels and add that information to that table.

Interview With Philippe, the Founder of NUN

So now that you have an idea of what NUN and RADnuts are all about, don’t you just want to learn more about the story behind RADnuts?

Well, you’re in luck! I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Philippe Maigret, the brains behind NUN! Thank you Philippe for taking the time! I was curious about the “behind the scenes” at NUN and decided to ask Philippe a few questions!

Where did the inspiration for the RADnuts come from and at what point did you decide to start designing these products?

The story began a long time ago when I was still a student. I always wanted to customize my set up and ride with style so I began to think about a kind of wheel cap and then completely forgot the idea when I began to work. Two years ago, I began to re-work on it, drew the first sketches, received the first samples, and thought they were super cool! So when I got the opportunity to move to the U.S. and launch NUN, I quit my job and just did it.

It seems like the design of the RADnuts required some design iterations before it became what it is today. Can you elaborate some of the factors you took into account in the design of these products as well as what were some of the issues you encountered?

The RADnuts looks like a simple product but nobody can imagine how it evolved from the first sketches to the actual design in order to handle all factors. Indeed, it was very challenging to come up with a product that is: torque prevalent, fit most of the wheels, lightweight, easy to install, easily customizable, resistant to shocks, vibration, scratches and outdoor conditions. Now the RADnuts is nearly perfect with an incredible quality, but for example the choice of the right material was really an issue and the actual one has been chosen only in February this year after extensive tests in real conditions.

What are some of your favorite designs available in the NUN store at the moment? Or rather, which ones do you both have on your skateboards/longboards?

I love all of them and the next collection is gonna be awesome with more urban and trendy graphism. On my board you will find the triangles they are simple, beautiful and match perfectly the graphic of my deck. Then, the Comics Explosion and Eyes in Cloud designed by Brokovich are incredible and are the one I recommend to all my customers!

The RADnuts are definitely innovative products (good job!); are there any products that you guys are working on right now? What can we look forward to from NUN?

Yes we are but I cannot say much at the moment! It will be an accessory who will fit all type of skateboards with innovative technical and decorative features. Stay tuned !

The RADnuts definitely help in bearing protection. Based on your experiences, how important is this for longboards and is there an estimate on how much longer bearings last with RADnuts?

Few weeks ago, on a forest road I fell down on a slide and the board ran off the road directly into the mud, I was struck to see how the RADnuts kept my bearings clean while the wheels were full of mud.

But I don’t have precise data about the lifetime increase as the bearing protection feature vary a lot according to the wheel and the remaining gap between the wheel and the RADnuts.

If people want to find out more about NUN or have questions, where will be the best place for people to contact you guys?

We answer to all messages on our website or social medias, so do not hesitate to come, visit the website and write a message.

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Closing Words

That’s it guys! I hope you enjoyed hearing about NUN and Philippe as much as I enjoyed working with them in writing this article! Again, I think RADnuts are definitely an innovative solution to a problem many longboarders and skateboarders face.
Many thanks to Philippe and Gery from NUN; without them, this article/interview would not have been possible!