Out on my skateboard the night is just humming

June 26, 2012 8:56 AM

How stable are longboards compared to regular skateboards? If a regular board is 4 on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being like simply standing on solid ground) then a longboard set up to be stable would be X? (I'm interested in cruising around, but I don't want to bust my butt more than I need to.)

I've never skateboarded before, but the few times I've tried on a regular board I've fallen pretty quickly and fairly hard. I'd like to just cruise around the neighborhood.

If I were to want to get a stable longboard, what should I look for to maximize stability?

posted by OmieWise to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

Best answer: My longboard is far more stable and comfortable than my regular skateboard, but the really important difference to me is the ability to run over small rocks and cracks in the sidewalk. (Errr...usually...which is why I always wear gloves.)

Muir Skate has a pretty good longboard buyer's guide. You'll see that there are a lot of tradeoffs, but for maximum stability I'd look for a longer deck with the trucks positioned at the far ends of the board. The longer deck will allow for larger wheels, which helps with sidewalk hazards.

Finally, you can adjust the tightness on the truck's kingpin to eliminate some of the wobble, but you sacrifice turning radius for the increased stability. Finding the right balance for your particular style will take some time and experience.

There is still going to be a learning curve as you get used to maintaing your balance on any type of board, but longboards are easier to ride, and a lot of fun. Good luck!
posted by malocchio at 10:22 AM on June 26, 2012

Best answer: Echoing above, they offer a exponentially smoother ride. I've run over rocks and sticks with my longboard with no problem that would of caused me some trouble on my regular board.

I ride a drop thru board which puts you just a little closer to the ground and makes pushing a bit easier. As for side to side stability, you will have total control over that by how loose you keep your trucks. I like mine real loose, which makes turning much easier, and lets you carve, but it can get a little hairy at real high speeds.

Buy one you (probably) won't regret it.
posted by Buckshot at 10:39 AM on June 26, 2012

Best answer: As far as rolling over pebbles and stuff with aplomb, it helps to have bigger wheels which I imagine longboards would normally come with, but you can also put them on other boards. Kids I see skating these days seem to be rocking little tiny wheels which I guess are good for doing tricks, but not so much for cruising around.
posted by exogenous at 1:06 PM on June 26, 2012

Best answer: Just an anecdote, but the one time I tried a longboard (on a long downhill slope) it was delightfully stable (compared to a skateboard) until I hit a certain speed, then it started a kind of resonant wobble that I was ill-equiped to deal with, to say the least :-). So watch out for that transition.
posted by primer_dimer at 3:16 AM on June 27, 2012