What is the best longboard to start with? This beginner’s guide is intended as a manifesto for choosing the right longboard, cruiser or skate.
What is the best longboard to start with ? And what are the characteristics that distinguish a longboard suitable for beginners ?
Choosing the right longboard for beginners who want to start skating must be done through a series of evaluation steps:
- The composition of the longboard
- No to a cheap and second-hand table
- Test your longboard!
- Choosing the right discipline
- The stability and size of the board
- Trucks and wheels for the longboard
This guide for beginners was designed for all those kids who are approaching the world of longboarding and skateboarding by asking themselves the most basic questions in order to purchase the perfect board for their needs. The differences between a longboard for beginners and a longboard for expert riders are many, and in this article we will try to analyze them one by one to try to make it easier for you to choose the right board.
At the end of this guide, we are sure that you will have all the knowledge necessary to make the right choice, so what are you waiting for? Pop into our online longboard shop and discover Leafboards’ offer of longboards, cruisers and skates . You will find complete longboards but also individual boards and decks made entirely by hand.
The composition of the longboard
It might seem banal, and probably for most readers they will be able to skip this short introduction, but as it is a guide for those who want to buy a longboard to start with, it is right not to take anything for granted and try to be precise and punctual on any aspect.
What is a longboard and how is it made up? We are talking about a board generally made of wood and reinforced with glass or carbon fibers which allow it to be given the right flexibility and the right resistance. The wood used varies depending on the needs and requirements of the rider and the discipline undertaken: the board can be made of maple, birch, bamboo or other types of wood which will determine its structure and solidity. On each deck we find two trucks (or trolleys) attached, each of which has two wheels, inside each of which there are two bearings.
No to a cheap and second-hand table
Often, when you approach a sport or discipline such as longboarding or skateboarding , you think that the best solution would be to buy a cheap, used or second-hand board, thinking of buying a better one once you have improved. and after becoming familiar with the board.
This reasoning might seem sensible at first, but by analyzing the situation more deeply we can assure you that it is flawed on all sides, basically for two reasons:
- an old, cheap board is never the best way to start , as it will make everything more complex. Any movement will be more complex and less fluid, making it difficult for you to skate and putting you in difficulty in a discipline with which you still don’t have great confidence.
- By purchasing a second-hand board you will spend money that , when you decide to upgrade to a better board, you will hardly recover . Selling a used board for the second or third time can be a challenge and you risk having to keep the unused board.
There are new, good quality boards for beginners and novice riders too . A new board, in good condition can easily be resold, so our advice is to think twice before buying a cheap and second-hand board: the money spent may not get you back and the performance of the longboard could make it even more profitable. It’s more complex to start skating.
THE LEAFBOARDS ADVICE:
BUY A NEW AND GOOD CONDITION BOARD, EVEN IF IT’S YOUR FIRST. STARTING WITH THE RIGHT BOARD IS FUNDAMENTAL, AND IF YOU THEN IMPROVE AND WANT TO CHANGE IT… YOU CAN ALWAYS RESELL IT!
Test your longboard!
A further element that absolutely must be taken into consideration when preparing to buy a new board is the need to test it with any longboard to understand exactly the type of board you are looking for and what features it must have. .
This is something subjective and can only be assessed by trying a longboard. The features that each of us need vary from person to person: flexibility, degree of stability and dimensions are just some of the key elements when choosing a board to start with . If you want to understand exactly which type of board is right for you, you can’t help but do a test by asking relatives, siblings or friends for the longboard to understand the differences from one board to another.
LEAFBOARDS ADVICE: TRY AS MANY LONGBOARDS AS POSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AND TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU!
Choosing the right discipline
Probably, those approaching the world of longboarding for the first time do not yet have a clear understanding of all its facets and probably do not yet know all the different possible riding styles. The disciplines of longboarding are many and all different from each other in terms of the style adopted and the type of board used. Every single discipline requires a specific board, with precise characteristics, shapes and dimensions. Cruising, Freeride, Carving, Downhill, Sliding, Dancing and Freestyle are just some of the many disciplines you can enjoy with your new board, but first you will have to understand exactly what it is!
THE LEAFBOARDS ADVICE:
GET INFORMED ABOUT THE VARIOUS LONGBOARDING DISCIPLINES AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU. REMEMBER, YOU ARE STILL JOBS…
The stability and size of the board
When choosing a longboard to start with, any beginner must evaluate the size of the board , as this is a factor of enormous importance if you are preparing to get on a board for the first time. The size of the board is crucial for a second, equally important factor, which cannot influence the choice of the first longboard: stability .
Stability on the board is one of the main problems for all beginners who get on it for the first time. The risk of losing balance and falling is the order of the day for skateboard and longboard lovers, and for this very reason size and stability become two essential elements when evaluating the first board to buy, especially if we are not yet experts.
A larger board is a more stable board , and consequently learning to use it will be decidedly easier than a smaller and unstable board, which could put an inexperienced rider in difficulty.
To start, we recommend buying a longboard and not a cruiser,
given that the length and width of the board give greater stability to the novice skater.
Many beginners think that buying a Penny or a mini cruiser is the best way to start longboarding , having a smaller board and therefore apparently less heavy and bulky and therefore more manageable. This assessment is incorrect, since, although a longboard is larger and bulkier, it guarantees greater stability for the rider, allowing him to become familiar with the discipline. With a mini cruiser, the risk is that with every slightest curve and every slightest movement you will lose your balance, as there is little space to place your feet on the board.
For a beginner there is nothing more important than stability , which leads to greater balance and consequently greater safety to try day after day to push yourself a little further, trying new tricks, new movements and turns always more difficult to deal with.
If you are a novice rider , visit our longboard shop and discover the right board for you. We recommend some of them:
THE LEAFBOARDS ADVICE:
BUY A BOARD WITH DIMENSIONS BETWEEN 85 AND 110 CENTIMETERS IN LENGTH TO HAVE THE RIGHT STABILITY AND THE RIGHT BALANCE.
Trucks and wheels for the longboard
Another component of the longboard are the trucks and wheels . These elements are fundamental in the economy of your board, but if you are a novice rider we advise you not to lose sleep over them, because these are components that take on secondary importance for a beginner who is buying his first board.
Buying a deck first and then a set of trucks, wheels and bearings separately is something that we strongly advise against doing for an inexperienced rider who does not yet have all the knowledge needed to make an adequate choice. The risk is purchasing a setup that doesn’t integrate well with the board, making it difficult to start skating. As the years go by, you will gain more and more experience and therefore you will be able to decide on the setup suitable for your board based on your tastes and preferences.
For now, what we can advise you is to buy a complete and ready-to-use longboard (deck+truck+wheels) , without having to ask yourself the problem of which is the right setup to combine with the board.
For novice riders, a truck measuring over 150 millimeters is a good starting point, being wider than average and therefore guaranteeing greater stability and balance.
As for the wheels, for a beginner they are a fairly irrelevant component to which it is not necessary to give excessive importance. This doesn’t mean that any type of wheels is suitable for any board, but if you heed our advice to buy a complete longboard, you won’t have any problems!
The tip we can give you is to avoid buying a longboard with hard wheels , which have less road holding. On the contrary, soft wheels will ensure greater stability and better road holding.
THE LEAFBOARDS ADVICE:
– TRUCK WITH A WIDTH BETWEEN 150 AND 190 MM
– WHEELS WITH A DIAMETER > 60 MM and HARDNESS 78A
Our guide ends here, but the desire to learn about this fantastic world must not stop here: for riders who want to go into more detail into the universe of longboards and skateboards, we recommend reading this complete article to choose the best longboard !
For everyone else… now that you have all the knowledge you need to buy a new longboard, all you have to do is pop into our online longboard shop !
YOU WILL FIND COMPLETE LONGBOARDS, CRUISERS, MINI CRUISERS, SKATEBOARDS BUT ALSO SINGLE BOARDS AND DECKS THAT YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE.
All we have to do is say hello and wish you… enjoy your visit and see you in the next article!
How to choose a longboard: guide to choosing the best boards
The fascinating story of the origins of the birth of skateboarding
Complete guide to choosing longboard wheels and trucks
Best longboard to start with? Beginner’s guide to choosing a board
