How To Choose The Right Longboard For You?
Choosing the right Longboard for you!
What separates a Skateboard from a Longboard is the length and the width of the board. A typical Longboard will be anywhere between 35" all the way up to 44" long; the board will have soft wheels and either traditional skateboard trucks or reverse kingpin trucks! When choosing a Longboard it's always best to try some out in person. A general rule of thumb is to choose a board that isn't too big or too small and picking longboard trucks and wheels that work well with that board size.
If you're thinking about buying your first longboard you will want to start with a ready built complete instead of choosing individual parts as the parts can add up quite quickly. A few really great companies make ready to skate longboard completes: Dusters, Santa Cruz and Omen Longboards that can all be found at Henrietta's online and in-store.
The Longboard deck
Longboard decks comes in all shapes and sizes. A few of the different types you'll find are: Pin Tail Longboard, Drop Through Longboard, Double Drop Longboard and Mini Cruisers! Choosing the correct board for you will be dependent on the terrain you'll be skating on. All the different shapes and sizes out there can be quite daunting. Its best to break it down to what style of riding will you be doing: For example if you're interested in commuting from A to B you would be suited to a cruiser with big soft wheels, a deck length of anywhere under 38' long for ease of portability and storage at your destination. If you're interested in going fast on a Longboard or learning how to do slides, you will want either a drop through (Trucks are mounted through the board) or a drop down deck (The foot platform is lowered). Having a low center of gravity will in turn allow the wheels to slide easier, be more stable at high speeds and comfortable for long rides.
Longboard Wheels
Longboard or Cruiser Wheels can be split into two categories: Grip (Grippy wheels will have square lips that dig into the road and hug corners) and Slide (Slide wheels have beveled edges that allow the wheel to slide consistently). Another thing to consider is the Durometer (Unit of measurement for how hard the wheels are). The duro of the wheel can change how it behaves dramatically. Grip wheels will generally be a softer wheel that grips to the road (75a-85a) and slide wheels will be generally a harder wheel that will slide with ease (85a-101a).
Longboard Trucks
Longboard trucks use reverse king pin trucks unlike regular Skateboards that use standard king pin trucks. A reverse king pin lowers the center of gravity allowing a more stable ride and a smooth turn. The width of longboard trucks range from 150mm to 180mm and the wider the truck; the more grip!
Why choose a Longboard over a Skateboard?
Longboards are an awesome environmentally friendly way to get around town, work or school whilst the big soft wheels make sure its a smooth and comfortable ride!.