Cruising is not different from carving and is supposed to be usually done on plane areas like even roads or little sloppy but smooth hills, however these days surfers can be seen doing cruising on rough roads and steep turns of risky sloppy hills.
The cruising longboards are quite different from normal skateboards due to the fact that they are meant for long journeys; people these days are mixing carving techniques in their cruising styles. Now days you can see surfers weave in and out of whatever obstacles they find in their path like people, lampposts, parked vehicles, etc.
One important rule of cruising is that to pick up speed you have to bend your knees and crouch down and to slow down you have to stand straight up, it is like giving your body an aerodynamic shape that cuts wind and gives you thrilling speed.
My suggestion to you is to practice in safer areas first until you are comfortable with any technique and always use precautions and safety wears like helmets, knee and elbow pads, good shoes, gloves, etc. Safety gear is the most important part of any sport because hazards don come knocking your door. Always try to practice in some guidance; it is better to be safer than sorry.
Below are my picks of three best longboards for cruising. I have sorted these among others because I have tested a lot of other boards and have come to a conclusion that these are one of the best available in the market today for cruising purposes. These are smaller in size and if your concern is speed and stability, you will find no other longboard brand equivalent to their features.
Top 3 Best Cruising Longboard
Wow Santa Cruz a company that can also be said to be a master longboard manufacturer. Their Sugar Pintail Cruzer is very popular in curising style boards. Pintail boards are also very good for stability and this board is also in affordable price range. If you want to improve your balance when you stand on a board, this longboard will really help you achieve your goal.
It picks up speed also due to its pin tail at the end of the board. You will definitely want to add it to your collection. You will also love its retro styled look of the deck and it will become your proud owned product.
I love Quest Collective longboards and the reason is they are just master longboard manufacturers. Their cruiser collection is also just awesome, I know a lot of people might disagree from my point as there are many good companies out there who make good longboards, yes there are many good manufacturers, but it is my personal love for this company.
They have engineered their boards with unprecedented art, Shakedown is an example of their expertise and must say its build quality and performance is incomparable. You will fall in love with this board. It is also priced just right and its high quality Maple and Wooden built will give you impression of the proud owner of premium longboard for cruising.
Atom is a very decent Australian manufacturing company of longboards and it is there since 1994. Atom paintail Cruiser collection is quite impressive, you will that all of their collection is in vibrant yet cool looking colors. They have made these to stand out in the market and their products are very well standing them out from the crowd.
If you are fond of designer looks then this company makes good longboard of your choice. Chromantic Cruiser is a very remarkable longboard, I like it due to the kick tail that looks like the tail of a fish and I love its colors too. Performance wise it is a very strong contender, also its size not very long not too short. You will indeed praise its features if you own it.
You will be doing a lot of cruising while you are doing longboarding. To get awesome longboarding resources you can go topouter.com while you do your skating.
There are mainly three types of cruising longboards, they are the Drop-Through, the Traditional and the Commuter Style.
The center of gravity of drop-through longboards are lower therefore giving it more stability and ease to be ridden on. As for longboards with a traditional design, it would be shorter in terms of length, and they are smaller so that riding around crowded areas and sidewalks would become easier. Commuter style boards however, have a top-mounted design and trucks that are easier to be controlled, the trucks are crafted in a way that makes it ideal for cruising, or making sharp turns would be easier.Choosing the Right Deck Length to Cruise
As a general rule of the thumb, going through crowds are a fairly difficult thing with long decks, so riding on shorter boards will give better convenience and options to ride around with ease. As for travelers or cruisers who hardly visit or go around crowded areas, longer decks would be a better option, since it will provide both stability and consistency while cruising. Longboards usually go around the length of 28”-46”, these are the optimum sizes for decks.
Short Decks
Short decks often fall around 28’’ – 32’’ in length, they are good for riders who are younger and smaller in body size. These decks are fit for daily life rides and travels, since they could be carried around quite easily compared to decks that are longer.
Medium-Sized Decks
These decks often go around 32’’ – 42’’ in length, they are fit for an average rider going about without many stunts whatsoever. In case anyone be clueless of what to choose, the medium-sized deck would be a perfect choice.
Long Decks
Long decks generally are longer than 42’’ in terms of their length. They would be slightly heavier when compared to other boards, but they are fairly stable when ridden on. Longer decks are basically ideal for downhill rides. Those who seek a relaxed ride could also hop on this one.
Choosing the Right Flex of Decks to Cruise
Flexes on the board generally help absorb impact when riding through rough terrains and difficult paths. They are shock absorbents that help reduce damage done by stress to knees and ankles. Flexes could be fun as well. The two types of flexes include boards with a little flex and boards that are stiff.
Slight Flex Decks
Decks with a little flex would help reduce damage done to the knees while riding atop rough and coarse surfaces. These decks also include a lower center of gravity, which makes it easier to balance while riding atop decks with a little flex. Most companies incorporate flexes into their boards nowadays, even so, after a long period of time having used any board, most boards would gain flexes on their own.
Stiff Decks
As for stiff decks, they are designed specifically for speed. They are suitable for downhill rides and would look more professional as compared to usual boards.
Choosing Deck Kicktails
Kicktails generally affect the boards’ aesthetic looks and they give riders opportunities to perform. However, boards that do not incorporate kicktails work just as fine.
Kicktail Boards
A kicktail could convenient the rider in making speedy turns, and performing tricks with kicks. Beginners could opt for boards that have kicktails or those that do not, it would be about preference for the most part.
Boards without Kicktails
Those who do not ride aggressively could opt for such boards. There are quite a number of choices to fit the many personal preferences people have. Boards that do not have kicktails would maximize the efficient wheelbase, providing a larger base from one end to the other, giving them more stability for those who may still be beginners.
Choosing Trucks
Trucks should be chosen according to the size of the board, smaller trucks for smaller boards, and bigger trucks for bigger boards. Trucks usually come in two sizes, 150mm or 180mm.
Choosing cruiser Wheels
Wheel Diameter
For a general rule, decks that have a greater length could fit bigger wheels and shorter longboard could go well with wheels that are smaller in size. A special rule however may include smaller wheels working for decks that have a greater length, although a bigger wheel would make the riding experience better. On the contrary, big wheels simply do not work with smaller boards because this would cause a wheel bite.
Wheel Durometer
Durometer simply dictates the hardness of the wheel. The wheel’s hardness or softness would depend on the weight of the rider that would be the general standard for choosing the durometer of wheels. The heavier the rider, the harder should the wheel be.
Choosing the Right cruiser Bearings
Generally, if the bearings are kept away from puddles and sand, they would have a fairly long lifespan. Also, in case of the adhering of stains on the bearings, they would not be hard to clean, and could be replaced for a new one very easily.
What to Do When You Lose Control During Cruising Rides
In case you seek to be running cruising that are steep atop your longboard, speed wobbles are very much something commonplace and is to be expected. For speeds going higher than the usual, the ability of the trucks of your longboard to turn would face some exaggeration and your personal placement of the center of gravity would be very vital.
A little action you do would be vastly different and would be greater as you go cruising as you go quicker, your longboard would respond in an unusual way as compared to when you ride on grounds that are plain and flat. Too many deliberate corrections would also be something that factors into speed wobbles.
Three reasons make up the occurring of this issue. Firstly, there is a lack of experience on the part of the rider for any kind of hill they are going. Next, there are bushings likely to be overly soft for the longboard on it. Finally, the back truck of your longboard lacks sufficient tightness. Any of these factors, including when they are combined, could easily become the reason for any speed wobbles to occur.
Know that it is important to familiarize yourself and be knowledgeable enough about the Cruising Longboard you have prior to actually go on riding on hills. Know your setup and find out about the way things work around your feet when varying bushings as well as trucks are paired.
Go also to work on grades by gradually adding on the toughness of hills before actually trying out greater speeds. Green circles, ratings for black diamond as well as blue squares are available in Ski resorts, you would however need to act as the judge to evaluate the hills you go for rides on. In case you doubt, you would have to be taking the issue on a slower pace and slowly work things out until you get to the point of arriving at where you intend to be.
