How To Choose Longboard For Cruising

So you have got your first longboard and wish to do some cruising on it. Simple enough! It is if you are willing to follow our longboard guide for cruising. The first thing to do is to choose a suitable longboard because every board is more or less specific to a certain style of longboarding. While some are made for cruising, others are built to bomb hills. It is all in the type of deck and other configuration. So let’s dive into deciding how to be a great cruiser on longboards.

How To Choose Longboard For Cruising

How To Choose Longboard For Cruising

Deck Type

The type of deck goes a long way in deciding how a board behaves on the surface you are going to use it on.

  • Choose a deck that your feet fully fit on. Since cruising is what you do when you are a beginners longboard, you do not want to lose your footing. Do you?
  • The deck should be strong to withstand the occasional bump you are going to give it every now and then.
  • The deck should have flex for when you want to be a bit stylish and tricky.
  • Camber and curve are some other aspects to keep in mind. For simple cruising, you should keep it simple,

Trucks

  • The trucks are another important part of determining your cruise quality. If they are too tight, it would be a hell lot more difficult to turn on a dime as you’d want to do.
  • The trucks should have almost the same width as the deck through the axle attached so as to give the most stable platform to your feet.
  • The position where trucks are attached to the deck will decide the wheelbase of your longboard. It is important to have a long wheelbase for beginners to have a stable and reliable ride.

Wheels

  • The wheels decide how much grip you get. The softer the wheels, the more grip they yield. Keep in mind they burn just as fast,
  • The size of the wheels is also very important as they decide how bumpy or not your longboard ride is going to be. If you live somewhere with a lot of rough patches on the road, choose a large wheel and you will be happier for it.
  • The shape of wheels’ lip is important. For the purpose of cruising, you would ideally want square lips to get maximum grip and traction.

Grip Tape

  • Grip Tape is applied on the deck and can be of many types. It mostly serves the purpose of keeping your feet glued to the deck.
  • For showing off, you can choose to have spray on grip to give your grip tape a personalized touch.

Bearings

  • If you are just a beginner who is going longboarding for the first time, the stock bearings are good enough on most boards.
  • If you want to cruise at insane speeds, you should get something proper for the occasion. Reds are some of the best bearings available to put in your longboard.

Extras:

  • If you are picking up an old longboard from the garage, make sure you give it a proper maintenance service. You can do this at home by following our guide.
  • Don’t just go someplace and start cruising. Walk up and survey the path for anything that can cause you to fall and break something.
  • Wear proper safety gear and keep your speed in check. Never choose steep slopes for cruising unless you are an expert.
  • Falling on your face is part of the fun. That is how you become better at longboarding.
  • The best place to begin your longboard journey should be a safe skatepark.
Tom Chandler
 

"When your hands hit the floor, they get cut up. When mine hit the floor, they slide with ease"

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments