Picking Your First Cruiser Board
What you should know about boards:
When it comes to skateboarding, there are multiple different types of boards and each of them do different things. There are also different types of trucks and different types of wheels which also do different things. A cruiser is great for learning how to skate, and enjoying the core of just skating around!
When buying a board, you can either purchase complete, meaning it comes with every component that you need, already built.
This is generally a gaurenteed OK option but it is not catered to your exact wants, if you have the time to build something yourself, I recomend that. If you do go with buying a complete, most people opt to buy bushings specific to themselves.
Or you can purchase all the separate components.
This takes a little more work and can cost a little more. But your enjoyment will likley be greatly increased.
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Ok, here’s how to pick out some gear for cruising.
Components and things to understand:
- Deck: The piece of wood under your feet. It comes in different shapes and sizes for a different feel.
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- If you are not worried about carrying it around for long distances, getting a board with a 17-24 inch wheelbase will be a priority.
- Kicktails– If you want to maneuver your board around more or do tricks, get something with a kicktail (an upturned tail), as it allows you to navigate tight areas.
- Trucks: These are the T-Shaped metal things under your board that control your turn and stability.
- Truck width should match the deck width, after you choose a deck- trucks that match that deck are the main thing you should be looking for, on a cruiser that means finding a truck that is about 2-3 inches narrower than the deck. Going more in depth;
- There are two types:
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- Reverse kingpin trucks (RKP) are ideal for cruising but may not work well on smaller wheelbase boards.
- Traditional kingpin trucks (TKP) are ideal for smaller boards with smaller wheels, if you have a smaller cruiser you can use these.
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- Wheels: Wheels come in various shapes, sizes and hardnesses (durometer).
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- 55mm to 65mm is the size you should be looking for.
- Pick any durometer (hardness) between 74a - 86a will give you a cushy ride and roll over rough pavement, cracks, and small curbs, like it’s nothing.
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- Bearings: These are the metal things inside your wheels that allow them to turn.
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- Make sure they are from a reputable brand, and you’ll be good to go, if you want a better ride, concider buying bearings with built in spacers.
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- Griptape: This is the sandpaper-like material on top of your deck that keeps your feet from slipping off. The underside has an adhesive to make it stick to the board.
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- Buy any griptape with "40 grit" or higher grit. The higher the grit the less grip it has and longer it will last.
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- Hardware: These are the metal screws that hold your trucks to your board.
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- The average size screws for a basic cruiser are 1 1/4". If you think your deck might be thicker go with 1 1/2".
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Please note that most boards can do most things ok.
Don’t get too concerned with your first board if you still need to learn to push around and get the absolute basics down, but the stuff above will make progressing easier.
With love,
The Wrongboarding team
