What kind of longboard should I get for cruising? This is a common question asked by beginners since many longboard types are available on the market. It's pretty hard to find the one that works best for you. Different longboards are made for a specific purpose, and therefore it's critical to figure out the factors like your riding style and terrain requirements. Refer to this guide if you wonder which longboard will work best for cruising. I've discussed different types of cruising longboards and the essentials that make a longboard perfect for cruising.
What Kind Of Longboard Should I Get For Cruising?
What Is Longboard Cruising?
Cruising is the simplest longboard riding style in which riders move smoothly and steadily without performing any tricks. This style is adopted for inter-city commute, campus commute, long-distance riding on the beach, and smooth downhill riding. Cruising is close to carving, and you will find many hybrid longboards that are equally useful for cruising and carving. Mainly there are three types of longboard cruisers.
Mini Cruiser
Mini cruisers are small and portable that can be stashed easily in a backpack. These longboards are ideal for an everyday commute like campus commute and street riding. The length of the mini-cruiser ranges from 26" to 34," and their width falls somewhere between 7" -9".
The nimble setup of mini cruisers makes them pretty easy to turn to allow you to weave through people on busy streets. These longbeards use Carvey RKP or TKP trucks in top-mount style. This setup further enhances their turning ability making them ideal for the everyday commute.
Who Should Buy A Mini Cruiser?
Mini cruisers are ideal for short-distance rides. These longboards are a little less stable than ist longer-counterparts and, therefore, you should be experienced enough to handle the instability due to their short length. Such longboards are ideal for short rides, like for around 3 miles or 15 minutes.
Pintail Cruiser Longboards
Pintail cruisers featuring a longer wheelbase and flexy deck are designed for mellow rides along the beach or even bike trails. Also, these longboards with short decks, pointy noses, and kicktail offer impressive agility allowing you to take sharp turns with maximum ease. These trucks combine stability, flex, and speed, making them equally useful for everyday commute and outdoor adventures.
The length of pintail longboards range from 36" to 44," and they have a narrow wheelbase somewhere between 24" to 26". The narrow wheelbase coupled with soft grippy wheels allows you to take a sharp turn without any trouble. Also, the big soft wheels enhance the rolling ability and impact performance for impressive stability.
Who Should Buy Pintail Cruiser Longboards?
If you are a complete beginner, it is not recommended to buy a pintail cruiser longboard. A pintail cruiser has a narrow tail and a limited standing platform making it pretty hard for you to stand and balance yourself. Pintail cruiser longboards are ideal for people who are looking for hybrid longboards for cruising and carving.
Pintail longboards are pretty stable, but you need to be experienced enough to balance your body on a limited standing platform. If you want a cruise for everyday commute and untiring long-distance rides, consider a pintail cruiser longboard.
Drop-Through Cruiser Longboard
Drop-through longboards are famous for cruising and carving for their impressive flex and built-in agility. The longboard uses a nimble setup with RKP trucks and is close to the ground deck. The square and round tip nose further enhances its stability and comfort.
The drop-through trucks mounted on marrow tips help in sharp turning, while bigger wheels with short cutouts offer exceptional ground clearance for a safe and enjoyable experience. The length of the drop-through longboards ranges from 35-46 inches, and the width of the decks is between 9" -9.5". So it is evident these longboards are bulky and lack portability.
Who Should Buy Drop-Through Cruiser Longboard?
Drop-through cruiser longboards with close-to-ground decks and large standing platforms are ideal if you are a complete beginner. These longboards lack portability but offer impressive stability and comfort. Therefore these longboards are suitable for long-distance rides on bike trails or along the beach. Unlike mini cruisers, you have to push hard to get speed, but once it gains momentum, it offers excellent comfort and stability.
FAQs
To pick a longboard for cruising, it is advised to calculate your riding needs. If you are interested in short-distance cruising with the maximum speed, you should buy mini cruisers. However, you should look for larger boards like drop-through cruisers and pintail cruisers for long-distance rides.
Cruiser longboards are special types of longboards designed for cruising around the streets, beach, bike trails, or city roads. These longboards are designed with the rider's comfort and stability in mind and are perfect for leisure riding styles.
A good cruiser longboard is one that offers comfort and stability along with a nimble setup for excellent turning ability. With a cruiser longboard, you can weave through people on busy streets-thanks to its impressive turning ability. Also, these longboards have big and super-grippy wheels that absorb the shocks and enhance stability.
Since cruiser boards are designed with the rider's safety and comfort in mind, they are an excellent choice for beginners. You should look for sizeable drop-through cruiser longboards as a beginner since they have a large standing platform and impressive turning ability.
Conclusion
Finding a longboard that is in line with your cruising needs is crucial for a safe and untiring experience. If you are unable to find a suitable cruising longboard in the categories mentioned above, you should buy a custom cruiser longboard. Depending on the terrain on which you ride and your riding style requirements, buy parts like a deck, truck, and tires separately and assemble them. If you're a beginner, choosing a simple deck style with a square or round nose is recommended.