Guide to buying a longboard
New to buying a longboard? Or wanting to upgrade your existing setup? We’re here to help you through the process step by step and explain all the different parts and their functions on the way.
Building a custom longboard: What do I need?
Although it’s definitely more exciting than buying a generic complete board, if you’re new to the scene building a custom longboard online can seem like a daunting task, which is why we have put together this guide. If you’re looking to acquire a longboard or even a skateboard we suggest you build a custom board. This is because every component on a board fulfils a certain purpose and by choosing each part you can build the exact board you’re looking for.
Decks
A board or deck is what your feet will be standing on and this is largely what will determine what kind of setup you will be riding.
Downhill / Freeride
For downhill and fast freeriding you will need a rigid, stiff board with minimal flex because flexible boards will generate speed wobbles as you hit higher speeds. The amount of concave (or lack thereof) depends on personal preference. Kicktails are optional and can add a fun dimension to your board when you’re not going fast, but again, personal preference. Browse our inventory, there is plenty on offer.
Topmount boards
The board sits directly on top of the trucks (axles). This gives you more leverage over the board and deeper turns and responsiveness (a more lively feel). Topmount boards also provide more grip (i.e. a harsh line between grip and slide).
Drop-through boards
The board has cut-outs at either end allowing for the truck to be mounted through the board. This provides a lower centre of gravity (the board sits lower to the ground) making the board easier to push over long distances and more stable at speed. Drop-through boards also provide more lateral force than topmounts, meaning that it will drift into slides easier (i.e. a more vague line between grip and slide) but will also have less grip.
Drop-down boards
These are boards that are topmounted but with a lowered platform, aiming to combine the benefits of drop-through and topmount boards (however each to a lesser extent).
Drop-down + drop-through
These boards have a super low centre of gravity and thus accentuate the characteristics of the drop-through board. These are ideal for long-distance pushing and fast straight downhill runs. Very little responsiveness.
Hybrid decks
Hybrid decks are boards that blur the line between longboarding and trick skating. With enough length to allow for slower freeriding and with a nose and/or kicktail to allow for some basic trick skating manoeuvres, these boards are at home both on the streets/bowls and hills. These are ideal for the skater looking for a versatile board that can dabble (but not necessarily excel) in everything.
Cruising decks
For cruising, pretty much any of the previously mentioned decks will work. However, for comfort and smoothness of ride we suggest a deck with a bit of flexibility. Also have a look at our completes section, which consists mainly of cruising boards.
Decks & concave
There are many different shapes and forms of concave but essentially they all aim to do one thing – provide traction. By giving the deck added contours, pockets and ridges are created that provide traction to your feet. What concave is best? It all comes down to personal preference. Below we’ve covered the 4 most predominant types of concave:
Radial concave
The standard concave that you will find on most decks. This shape provides a mellow concave that gently tapers upwards from the centre of the deck, allowing your feet to stay locked in.
Tub concave
Similar to radial concave yet with a flat centre; this creates a concave-free zone down the centre of the deck which feels comfortable and allows for easy foot movement.
W-concave
The most aggressive concave out of those depicted, W-concave has a ridge down the centre of the board which provides an extra source of traction when sliding; suitable for fast freeriding and pre-drifts.
Convex concave
This type of mellow concave is mainly found on cruising decks and is normally accompanied by a significant amount of flex. This makes the board very comfortable when used as a commuting and carving option where little traction is needed.
PS: there are many other forms of concave and permutations of the above from aggressive to very mellow – it all depends on what type of riding you will be doing and what you enjoy.
Trucks
These are the axles (called trucks) that make up the turning apparatus of your board and play a very important role in the feel of your setup.
Traditional kingpin trucks
These are the standard trucks you find on regular skateboards, they are ideal for low speed applications on shortboards, be it for street, bowl or ramp skating. They sit lower than reverse kingpin trucks and provide a much more shallow turn.
Reverse kingpin trucks
These are the trucks you will find on most longboards. They provide a much deeper turn ideal for carving and are more stable at speeds. For further information on how to customise the ride of your trucks, see the “Upgrade your setup” tab.
Wheels
Choosing the right wheels for what you want to accomplish with your board is vital.
For downhill
You will want a wheel with plenty of traction. This means sharp lips, wide contact patch and a relatively soft durometer (hardness). Find suitable downhill wheels in our shop.
For sliding
You will want a wheel that slides well. This means narrow rounded lips, narrow contact patch and a harder durometer.
For cruising
Any soft wheel will do.
4 factors to consider when buying a wheel
Shape
The more width, the more grip. The sharper the edges (lips) the more grip. The opposite holds true as well: narrower = more slide, rounded lips = easier slide.
Size
A bigger wheel has a higher top speed, a smaller wheel has faster acceleration; smaller wheels are easier to slide (less urethane to lug around).
Hardness (durometer)
Rule of thumb: the harder a wheel, the easier it slides and the longer it will last (it sheds less urethane during a slide). The softer a wheel, the harder it will be to slide and the shorter it will last (it sheds more urethane during a slide). Urethane is the substance the wheel is made of.
Urethane
This characteristic is a bit more mystical and often throws a curveball at the aforementioned factors. Each company pours their wheels in different urethane formulas, and many companies have different formulas for different types of wheels (e.g. sliding, downhill, street etc.), hence each formula has a unique feel and application. Therefore you will find wheels that are soft, yet ideal for sliding and freeriding, or hard yet with surprising amounts of grip. What to do in this case? Read our wheel descriptions when browsing our wheels, or better yet CALL US! Or message, e-mail, WhatsApp etc. We will get back to you with expert advice.
Bearings
These are the things that sit inside your wheel and allow it to fit on your truck and make it spin. There are two main categories of bearings.
Bearings with spacers
The bearings come with a spacer between them, thus aligning the bearings to each other and allowing them to run in unison. This also provides load sharing among the bearings. There are bearings with loose spacers as well as bearings with spacers affixed to them. Advantages: the bearings will last longer and cannot be overtightened when fastening the axle nut. Disadvantages: more expensive.
Bearings without spacers
The bearings come as is, with no spacers attached or included. Advantages: cheaper. Disadvantages: shorter lifespan, and it is easy to overtighten the axle nut.
PS: A common misconception is that the higher the ABEC rating the better the bearing. This is false. ABEC ratings are applicable only to machine and industry environments where the bearing does not have multiple forces acting on it. In skating there are many different forces acting on the bearing through the constant back and forth of the rider, thus rendering the ABEC rating void. Rather focus on quality and stick with tried and trusted skating brand bearings.
Hardware
These are the nuts and bolts that affix your board to your trucks. The thicker your board (i.e. the chunkier/fatter downhill boards) the longer your bolts will have to be. Generally they are all the same price and we will select the correct length for your board.
Griptape
Griptape is the adhesive traction tape at the top of your deck which prevents you from slipping off. There are two main types.
Coarse grip
This is desirable for longboarding when you’re sliding or doing fast downhill skating. The more traction you have the more planted you are on your deck. When sliding, the body exerts a lot of force over the board, pushing it sideways over the asphalt, so the more grip you have the easier it is to exert this force without your feet slipping off.
Less-coarse grip
This is desirable for trick skating and any type of skating where there is plenty of movement of the feet and high levels of grip are not essential.
Still not sure? Ask us.
Every setup is personal. Call, message, e-mail or WhatsApp us and we’ll get back to you with expert advice.