Are cheap longboards good or not let’s have a look at them if you want to choose inexpensive longboards from the major department stores, they might not ride smoothly or turn properly. Don’t worry; depending on the style of riding you want to perform, there are excellent affordable longboard skateboards available between $60 and $100 at specialty shops like ours.
These prices apply to whole longboards. If you already have trucks and wheels, all you need is a deck, and decks are less expensive. Shorter boards typically cost less since less material is required, and you can also save money by choosing a blank board rather than one with an ornate graphic.
Blank boards are offered in a variety of hues, including natural, sky blue, brilliant pink, scorching red, and bright black. The good thing about a blank longboard is that you can customize it to whatever you want.
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Are Cheap Longboards Good?
A long skateboard usually has wheels that are bigger than regular skateboard wheels. Large skateboards known as longboards were initially designed for downhill cruising or speed. They come in lengths between 35 and 60 inches.
Longboard surfboards are substantially bigger than conventional surfboards, hence the name.
What Elements Determine The Quality Of A Longboard?
Since a longboard is the total of its various components, its quality can be summed up as follows:
- The caliber of its components
- How its components are put together
- The way its components work
These are the criteria that are frequently used to assess a longboard’s quality, especially in the brief assessments that follow.
Components of Longboards
The principal components of a longboard are:
- The patio
- The vehicles (which themselves are made of many assembled parts)
- The tires
- The wheels
- Gripper tape
Without delving too far into each component, let’s take a quick look at what makes each one suitable for our budget longboard or not.
The Deck
Deck Construction And Materials
The majority of longboard decks are created by pressing together layers of bamboo, carbon fiber composite, or vertically laminated maple or birch wood. Most decks in the price range we’re considering (around $60) will be made of laminated maple wood, which is the most prevalent and long-lasting wood available.
However, some decks may acquire a bamboo outer covering for aesthetic purposes. The deck’s weight, elasticity, and longevity are all influenced by its materials.
The quality and feel of the board are influenced by the number of laminate layers (plies).
The Truck
The overall quality of a board is greatly influenced by the quality of the trucks. The stability and turn ability of the board is substantially determined by the trucks.
Truck Supplies
High-quality trucks are primarily composed of aluminum to reduce weight and, thus, the overall weight of the longboard. For durability, the majority also include alloy. Aging happens more quickly when there is little added metal.
Truck Height and Breadth
The size of the truck has an impact on the possibility of wheel bite during turns, in which the wheels make contact with the deck and abruptly stop the board. Wheel bite can seriously degrade the quality of your board, especially when riding quickly.
The truck of a longboard should be around the same width as the deck; this is something to check for in a cheap longboard. The average hanger width (reflecting truck width) for longboards with decks 9″ or bigger is 180 mm.
Another sign of quality is turning ability. It is influenced by a variety of variables, including the truck height, truck tightness, and the stiffness of the deck (higher the trucks often get less wheel bite). But, just because a cheap longboard doesn’t turn properly doesn’t indicate it’s of bad quality.
Bushings
The rubber bushings that serve as cushions are placed around the kingpin and in between the truck’s major components. While bushing quality affects the board’s ability to turn and handle speed, it contributes to the overall quality of longboards.
Bearings And Wheels
Wheel Substance
High-quality longboard wheels have as little plastic as possible and are constructed of polyurethane (which lessens performance). To save money, use a board with all-urethane wheels.
Dimensions of wheels
Bigger longboards often have wheels that are 70mm in diameter and 40 to 65mm in width. Larger wheels can create wheel bite in turns, which degrades the riding experience as a whole.
However, this can be resolved by moving to higher trucks or putting risers between the deck and the trucks. The perceived quality of a longboard may also be influenced by the wheel’s durometer and shape.
Sticky Tape
In addition to the deck’s concave and/or camber curve, the grip tape is the rough adhesive you apply to the top of your longboard to avoid slipping and give you more control when riding. Even if you ride hard, good grip tape will grip well and last a long time.
Buying Guide for Cheap Longboard Selection
Modest Beginnings
Our skating career began with a $50 longboard. Before upgrading to something better, we utilized it for six months. It skated fairly nicely for me as a novice. It rolled smoothly and turned great.
Yet certain areas of it were horrible; they were too narrow for me to stand on without getting sore feet after a while. As a novice, this is what I could discern and what struck me.
Updated Bearings
Most of the bearings that are included with inexpensive longboards turn out to be quite poor. They make it difficult for you to push your board because they don’t roll well. Your board will roll and ride better if they are upgraded.
Bearings are often irrelevant, despite this. You won’t run into any problems, and the majority of them will function fairly well. So it’s a good idea to replace them just to be cautious.
What qualities should I search for in an affordable longboard?
Hefty Wheels
Typically, longboard wheels range in size from 65mm to 70mm. Some longboards ship with somewhat smaller wheels as standard equipment. Tiny wheels give an uncomfortable riding experience because they don’t roll well and pick up a lot of road vibration.
Large wheels, particularly 70mm in diameter, will roll well and make riding more comfortable. They won’t abruptly halt and yank you off your board, and they will roll over cracks, rocks, and difficult terrain more easily.
A Reasonable Platform For Standing
A thin longboard or cruiser board will make skating on it challenging and uncomfortable. It won’t make for a pleasant riding experience and will feel like walking a tightrope. Because of this, I don’t think penny cruisers make decent cruising boards; after 5 minutes on one, your feet will start to hurt.
Choose a board that you can stand across comfortably without having your heels or toes dangling off. Usually 9 to 10 inches broad, these boards can be narrower if your feet are particularly small.
Not Overly Large Or Lengthy
Purchasing a board that is 40 inches or longer is another error. Yeah, it’s a longboard. When your board is that big, it won’t give you the ideal riding experience due to its poor turning speed and long wheelbase.
You need something that is 40 inches or smaller in size. This will ensure that it turns well, is simple to push, and is lightweight to carry.
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How Can I Determine That The Longboard Is Good In Quality?
The higher the ABEC rating, which is a standard used to assess them, the faster your wheels will spin. Generally speaking, longboard bearings with an ABEC of 3 are best for cruising, ABEC of 5 is best.
Should A Novice Use A Longboard, To Begin With?
A longboard is significantly more ideal for starting skateboarders due to its greater board surface area, wider stance, wider/larger wheels, and general stability. After developing your fundamental skills, longboarding is a fantastic transition to skateboarding
How Durable Are Longboards?
A longboard typically lasts between two and five months. The lifespan of the skateboard is also influenced by its material and usage patterns.
Are Longboards Difficult To Switch On?
You must practice pushing, leaning to turn, and foot braking in addition to improving your stance and balance.
Are Longer Longboards Faster To Ride?
A long border will eventually overtake a skateboarder in a race because of their taller, bigger wheels, which enable them to accelerate more quickly off the line and reach a higher top speed.
Conclusion – Are cheap longboards good?
If we talk about are cheap longboards good or cheaper longboards are safe. The materials used to build the boards are frequently the main distinction between boards at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
One of the least expensive longboards we have to offer in our skate shop is the Hudora Imperial Cruiser.
Constructed with a strong 8-ply Canadian maple deck, 65mm 78a wheels, and inverted trucks for more turn, as Bobby says! This longboard is an excellent place to start if you want to learn longboarding or just use it to move around.
