What type of longboard for cruising

This is as low as it gets on a longboard, making it very pushable compared to a topmount board. The 70mm Arbor wheels are smooth and fast-rolling, great for cruising and pushing. They are soft 78A for shock absorption and grippy for fast carving. The Paris reverse kingpin trucks participate in the smooth and carvy feel of the board and offer fluid and responsive turning at some speed.

Being low also means you can easily break into slides, which further adds to your ability to go faster on this board. In short, the Dropcruiser is a bigger and lower riding board than the previous options.

See my complete review here. See full review. The Icarus is a symmetrical drop-through longboard similar in length However, the Icarus is significantly narrower at 8.

So while the Dropcruiser has a dropped platform lowered in the middle , the Icarus is cambered, i. This gives the board a springy feel that adds to the special flex to provide lots of energy return when carving and pumping — although at the cost of slightly more height and bounce for pushing. The Icarus has an advanced hybrid construction with a blend of bamboo, fiberglass, and cork that combine to achieve a mixture of energetic flex, high resistance despite the drop-through design , and light weight 6.

Another key feature of the Icarus is its variable concave and specially-engineered wheel flares. Orangatang wheels either 70mm Stimulus or 80mm Kegels provide a different mix of grip, roll speed, and cushioning when cruising and carving fast. In summary, the Icarus is a highly-engineered, high-quality but pricier longboard for distance cruising. It lets you blend some freeriding into your cruising experience.

See the complete review here. Deck size in the first question that comes to mind when choosing the most appropriate longboard for cruising. The bigger the deck, the more comfortable the ride, but the heavier for carrying around. Shape also depends on the type of cruising you do. For mid-size beach cruisers, a pintail shape is a good option offering ample foot space resulting from top-mounted trucks and a flat deck with no kicktail.

Larger wheelbases on pintails also provide good stability for comfortable cruising in spacy green urban areas. The tapered nose and tail reduce the risk of wheel rubs when using larger wheels. For longer-distance cruising and commuting, a classic symmetrical cutout shape will give you a lowered ride height and easy pushing. Those larger boards offer comfortable foot space between truck mounts and good stability at higher speed being lower to the ground.

The big cutouts and wheel wells also reduce the chance of wheelbite , including with big wheels. For cruising, both topmount and drop-through mount styles can work fine — which you choose is a matter of preference. Generally, topmounts give you more leverage over the front truck since your front foot sits close to it, resulting in more responsive and quicker turns.

Drop-throughs, however, ride lower to the ground so they are typically more pushable and more stable for going fast, as mentioned. Drop-throughs also tend to be larger and well-suited for longer distance cruising. Some drop-through boards are very turny and responsive — see the Icarus section above. Cruising generally involves relaxed riding and moving your feet freely on the deck, so mellow concave is generally best-suited.

However, cruising paths sometimes involve riding down some hills, in which case a more prominent concave can come in handy for foot lock-in at speed and for speed checking. City cruisers can also benefit from having a bit of concave to facilitate small jumps and quick carving.

Here again, the amount of concave on a cruising longboard is very much a matter of preference and cruising style. While durability is important, cruising activities typically does not put as much stress upon your deck as freestyle tricks or fast downhill for example.

City cruisers are probably the cruising boards that require the most strength for mixing in street tricks. With regards to flex, a somewhat flexy deck is typically helpful for cruising comfort and shock absorption. Too much flex, however, can get in the way of pushing and stability at speed, and can make sliding, kick turns and tricks more challenging.

Trucks on city cruisers should be fast and responsive — typically street trucks whose width match the small deck size. Trucks on a pintail should be flowy and carvy for smooth turns and responsive riding on the boardwalk or in park alleys.

Once you figure out how you want to USE the board, you can figure out which one will work best. There's no such thing as a perfect all-in-one longboard that fits every skater's style Grabbing the right tool for the job will make skating much more fun.

The selection of longboards is huge but this article will help you narrow down. Not only do longboard types exist for each style, many are built as a hybrid to work for different but complementary styles. Keep in mind that a specialty board is only really good at one discipline, and a hybrid is best if you want to skate a lot of different ways. If you come across an unfamiliar term as you read this, be sure to scroll down and check the glossary at the bottom.

Cruiser Longboards 2. Carver Longboards 3. Freeride Longboards 4. Freestyle Longboards 5. Push Longboards 6. Dance Longboards 7. Downhill Longboards 8. Which type should I buy? Longboard Glossary. The most basic starting point for just about every rider.

Cruising is just as it sounds, rolling along on the road or in the park with friends and enjoying the ride. Cruising boards are typically top-mounted, meaning the board sits on top of the trucks.

They typically have a pintail shape like a surfboard. The cruiser longboard is set up to be fun for carving and usually features very smooth BIG wheels to make it roll easy and not catch on the sidewalk cracks or bumps. The cruiser longboard shapes are likely the style of longboard you're most familiar with. This board type is our sweet spot with our own line at Concrete Coast. We make boards for cruising, carving, and learning to freeride.

We also carry several other top small brands that fit every category here and ride like a dream. In this realm is another board called the mini cruiser. A progression that fits in with the cruising category but a bit more fine-tuned. Carving is the same as it is on skis or snowboards. Really leaning into turns and laying them down with a consistent flow. Carving is a blast and even the most seasoned pros still love to really lay a turn out.

Boards for carving are typically set up similar to cruisers but with more concave. The concave is the curve on the top of the board that keeps your feet securely in place when you lean in either direction. Most cruiser boards will be very similar to carvers. The trucks are set loosely and there are often spacers between the trucks and boards to avoid wheel bite and gain height for a deeper carve.

Wheel bite occurs when you really lean into a turn and the deck and wheels collide. This can stop your motion and even cause you to fall off the board. Most boards have a wheel well cut into them similar to a car but on a very small scale to combat wheel bite and let you carve deeper. Carvers can feel a little more sketchy because they typically sit higher off the ground. Ultra-soft wheels help the board maintain traction at all times. The goal is not to slide but to grip and lean as far as possible into the turn.

Almost all cruising boards will let you have fun with carving and vice-versa. These boards are still very fun for cruising and carving, but are less responsive and forgiving. These longboards come in all shapes and sizes and feature somewhat smaller wheels that allow the skater to slide. So essentially, when it comes to speed, we are looking at stability and turning ability. You will be riding lower and hence with heightened stability. They offer comfortable foot space as well as secure placement for going faster.

Larger wheels are accommodated. Being heavier, they are difficult to turn. Advanced longboarders prefer smaller boards with topmount decks trucks mounted under the deck for easier turning at the expense of reduced stability as they are higher off the ground. Tucking is the body position adopted to minimize air resistance and plays a pivotal role in speed achievable.

Your frontal form can be reduced by tucking your back knee behind your front knee. With your arms tucked behind your back, lean into your fore thigh. The Drop-Through longboard comes highly recommended. It appears like any normal skateboard but has a cutout in the deck. The trucks fit affectively on the board because of the cutout. They are excellent for free-riding. Having become enormously popular as the longboard of choice , if there is a board suited for all-around longboarding, it would have to be a drop-through.

Carving is a technique that most longboarders would like to master. It is pretty tough though. Carving is about curves and speed. Carvers maintain speed naturally without having to push even on flat ground. What are we looking for in a good carving deck?

Good response from your moves and a decent energy return from the deck. Cruising places the least demands on a longboard. It is akin to sauntering on a longboard. It is a leisurely style well suited for pleasant surroundings where you take in the air, gaze around and generally be a dude. A pintail is the longboard of choice for relaxed cruising.

The deck style is a flat deck with moderate flex for easy cruising. Flex gives a comfortable ride as well as less joint stress. Choose big wheels for a balanced suspension feel. Long-distance cruising, commuter cruising, and boardwalk cruising are some other forms, which use longboards different from our cool boardwalk cruising.

Bamboo longboards without saying, are very flexible and featherweight. No wonder, the youngsters simply go gaga over bamboo longboards. And you get to make a statement; they are organic. Going on a picnic or a trek and want to lug your board, no problems since they are so light.

The great drawback is in changing the wheels but that is not so much of a problem given that bamboo longboards are very inexpensive. Pintail longboards have a teardrop shape that allows deep carving with a minimum risk of wheelbite. For cruising and carving on flat surfaces and hilltops, they are the numero ono choice. A pintail longboard is high because of top-mounted trucks. The height of the rider is another factor that plays a decisive, significant role in choosing the correct longboard.

The length of the board should match. Foot size is proportional to height. Your feet should sit well on the board and not be dangling out. Your weight is another consideration as it impacts the overall flexibility of the board and how well you can maneuver. Heavier riders should choose a larger board and vice versa. These are easily recognizable with the trademark cleft in the tail, hence the name fishtail. Fishtail longboards are actually Pintails with the difference that sharper turns are possible.

This is because of steeper radial concave, they outplay a kicktail. More heel and toe control because of its low flex and sharper concave. Intensive wide carving and easy speed checks are made possible. And you have to give it to them; they are snazzy, classic surf style. Durability and stability are the trademarks of Blunt longboards. The blunt design is simply a result of blunting the nose and tail parts of a Pintail. They are not suitable for sharp turns and so are unsafe for hill riding.

Larger wheels are generally used proving stability. One can safely go longboarding with these boards. It has little flex and is safe for beginners who can learn the basics of longboarding easily. People on the larger side also find it more comfortable to use. It may sound like an oxymoron, but these longboards are actually short skateboards. Although if you know their differences , this might not be so obvious.