| |  | |
|  | | | | | Longboard Skateboard Buyers Guide by Gear Guys
Longboard Skateboard Buyer’s Guide
As the popularity of longboard skateboarding increases, so to have the number of longboard skateboards available on the market. Many of our customers are overwhelmed by the number of choices available to them at Gear Guys, so to help simplify the buying process we have created this guide.
Many people are looking for their first Longboard and do not know where to start. Below are some commonly asked questions and answers to each.
What is the difference between a longboard skateboard and a regular skateboard?
This is often the first question people ask us. Most people are familiar with the standard size and shape of a street or trick board, usually measuring between 30-31 inches in length by about 7.5 inches in width. Shortboards are commonly used for street, skatepark, and trick riding. A typical shortboard will feature hard durometer wheels and short trucks. Although many people use shortboard skateboards for transportation, we do not feel that they are an efficient mode.
Longboard Skateboard Sizes
Longboard skateboards come in a wide range of sizes from a 24 inch “mini” to a 60 inch “Super Cruiser”. In general terms, Longboard skateboards are designed to move at faster rates of speed over greater distances than shortboards. Typical uses for longboard skateboards include flat land cruising, downhill racing, slalom, liquor store runs, campus cruisin’. Longboard skateboards generally have wider turnier trucks and softer, smoother riding wheels than shortboard skateboards.
Why is there such a wide range in prices?
Like any purchase you are considering, the old saying that you get what you pay for generally applies to Longboard skateboard purchases as well. That being said, you don’t have to pay $200 for you first Longboard skateboard unless you really want to. The rule of thumb at Gear Guys is that any board over $100 usually comes with high quality components. Many of the lower end models that we sell are manufactured in China and do not come equipped with what we consider to be high quality components. These boards are generally adequate for beginners and basic flat land cruising, but we do not recommend them to anyone that wants to get serious about the sport.
Industry leaders like Sector 9, Gravity, Fibreflex, Arbor, and Madrid are names that you can trust for quality and cutting edge technology. They are constantly pushing the envelope to create progressive new products.
Gear Guys has created it’s own in-house brand of longboards under the G2 name. We have our boards built by several of the industries leading manufacturers. By creating our own brand we are able to bring you high quality made in America products without paying for the name brand.
Decks
When buying a Longboard skateboard deck, there are many differences to consider. There are the obvious differences in size and shape, but a lot more can go into a Longboard deck than that! There are many other factors to consider that are before you buy your deck.
Standard maple decks
The most common Longboard decks are built with 8 or 9 ply hard Canadian maple. These are the standard longboard decks, and they are what we will be comparing the rest of the decks to in this article. Most companies will make a standard 7 ply (there's all kinds -- from Birdhouse to blank decks), though some will make other more specialized boards as well.
How do I know what size/ shape is right for me?
Because Gear Guys carries such a large selection of longboard skateboard sizes and styles it is often hard to pick the right size for your riding style. Below is a chart that outlines the various styles and sizes of longboard skateboard deck and uses for each.
|
Size/ Shape
|
Typical Uses
|
Gear Guys Links
|
|
Mini Longboard (24”-29”)
|
Cruising, slalom, travel, school more…
|
Click here for Mini Longboards
|
|
Cruiser Longboards
|
Transportation, sidewalk surfing, hills, more…
|
Click
Here for Cruiser Longboards
|
|
Composite Longboards
|
Carving, slalom, hills, more…
|
Click
Here for Composite Longboards
|
|
Cambered Longboards
|
Slalom, cruisin’, carving
|
Click here for Cambered Longboards
|
|
Pintail Longboards
|
Cruising, downhill, more..
|
Click
Here for Pintail Longboards
|
|
Downhill Longboards
|
Speed, sliding, carving
|
Click here for Downhill Longboards
|
|
Racing Longboards
|
speed,
racing, more..
|
Click here for Racing Longboards
|
|
|
|
