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Guide to Cruiser Skateboards - Selecting the Ideal Skateboard for Cruising
This guide is dedicated to cruiser skateboards, intended to provide all the essential knowledge needed to select the ideal cruiser board. Whether it's for yourself, your child, or a friend who wants to accompany you on cruiser adventures, this guide has you covered.
Feel free to skip directly to the section that piques your interest, or browse through our collection of cruiser skateboards if you've already decided what you're after.
Overview
Overview
Defining the Cruiser Skateboard
Cruiser boards offer a balance between a standard (trick) skateboard and a longboard. While cruising is possible on any skateboard, cruiser boards are crafted specifically for a smooth, convenient, and comfortable ride wherever you go. This sets them apart from others: they aren't intended for lengthy journeys, swooping down hills, or executing complex tricks in skateparks. Their primary purpose is leisurely cruising.
A cruiser board's structure includes a deck, trucks, and four wheels, just like all skateboards. Your feet stand on the deck, while trucks are crucial in defining turning dynamics. The wheels, with two bearings each, work together to ensure the smoothest experience possible. Although the components of a cruiser skateboard are similar to those on a longboard or conventional skateboard, their sizes and features are selected to maximise the cruising experience.
What Makes the Best Skateboards for Cruising?
The finest cruiser skateboards should offer smooth rides on diverse terrains and surfaces. They need to be agile and easy to manoeuvre, helping you navigate sharp turns and sidestep obstacles effortlessly.
For an optimal cruising experience, larger and softer wheels are generally favoured over what is found on a typical skateboard. While dual kicks aren't mandatory, a kick tail on your cruiser is recommended for quick actions like kick turns or ollies.
Carrying a good cruiser board is effortless, so you can easily take it on public transport or bring it to lectures without much hassle. Often used for commuting, the ideal cruiser board should naturally be a convenient travel partner for moving between locations, remaining practical once you reach your destination.
This practicality is where cruiser boards excel: they are compact, effective, and uncomplicated compared to other modes of transportation.
Explore our selection to find a great cruiser suitable for you, your child, or partner:
Mini Cruiser Skateboards – Handy for Every Occasion
In recent years, mini cruiser boards have surged in popularity. A smaller, more portable version within the wooden cruiser board family, mini cruisers offer increased convenience for travel. Although less enjoyable on extended rides, they shine for brief skates or just casual strolls in the driveway. Their shorter and narrower dimensions might not suit individuals with bigger feet or longer legs as much as regular cruisers.
Mini cruisers usually measure under 30 inches in length. Often featuring a flat nose design, they allow for trucks to be placed further apart for an increased wheelbase and enhanced stability.
If you're enthusiastic about the excitement and practicality of a small skateboard cruiser, explore our diverse range for kids or filter from our adult cruiser choices to find the most compact boards available.
Cruiser vs Longboard – Which to Choose: Longboard or Cruiser?
Here are some pointers when contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of choosing between a longboard cruiser and a dedicated cruiser board:
- Cruiser boards: Provides more agility and manoeuvrability than longboard cruisers, with a smaller turning circle due to the shorter wheelbase, and are more portable.
- Longboard cruisers: More stable and easier to manage than a standard cruiser setup. They promise a smoother ride than cruiser boards if you frequently traverse rough terrain during travels. Furthermore, for long-distance cruising, pushing becomes less frequent with a good longboard cruiser.
The table below allows you to easily compare the benefits and drawbacks of cruiser skateboards and longboards, helping you weigh them against your individual needs and desires:
| Aspect | Cruiser Skateboards | Longboards |
|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | More manoeuvrable due to shorter wheelbase | Less manoeuvrable due to longer wheelbase |
| Agility | Greater agility | Less agile |
| Stability | Less stable | More stable |
| Portability | Simple to carry on public transport | More cumbersome and needs more space |
| Terrain | Not ideal for rough surfaces | Handles rough surfaces better |
| Distance Riding | Not suitable for lengthy rides | Perfect for long-distance rides |
Explore our Longboard Buying Guide, if the appeal of longer skateboards has drawn your attention:
Plastic Penny Boards vs Wooden Cruiser Skateboards
Penny boards fall under the category of cruiser skateboards. Due to their compact size, they're incredibly easy to carry. Although not the quickest or simplest boards to ride, their portability is unmatched. With the absence of traditional grip tape, they won't damage items they come into contact with, unlike standard grip tape.
An upside to a plastic deck, such as those on Penny boards, lies in its resilience when wet. Unlike wooden decks that lose rigidity if soaked, a Penny skateboard retains its quality even in damp conditions. However, bolts, nuts, and bearings may rust, and the deck becomes slippery when wet. Therefore, Penny skateboards are not recommended for rain: Instead, you won’t have to fret over your deck turning mushy if you're cruising and it suddenly starts pouring.
Wooden cruiser skateboards, in general, offer larger decks compared to Penny skateboards, providing more surface area for your feet. This makes balancing simpler, allowing greater leg placement.
When evaluating Penny boards against wooden cruiser boards, ponder whether the superb portability of the Penny board outweighs the extensive cruising experience and balance of a classic wooden cruiser deck. The decision is all yours!
The table below highlights the main positives and negatives of wooden cruiser skateboards compared to plastic Penny boards:
| Aspect | Wooden Cruiser Skateboards | Plastic Penny Boards |
|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | Easy to handle | Theoretically more manoeuvrable due to the smaller size, but the minimal distance between your feet makes it challenging to control |
| Stability | More stable | Less stable |
| Portability | Somewhat larger than a Penny, yet transportable | Highly portable, lightweight and compact |
| Comfort and distance | Best for longer distances | Less suitable for lengthy journeys |
Our collection of plastic cruisers and Penny boards is extensive, featuring vivid colours, so peruse our selection:
Selecting Cruiser Skateboards for Beginners and Children
Cruiser boards are excellent for novices. Different from trick-driven skateboards, they offer a smoother and more controlled experience on various surfaces due to softer and larger wheels. Although not built for technical trick performance, for many newcomers, learning to steer and ride a skateboard yields plenty of fun challenges, rendering a trick-specific board unnecessary for numerous beginners.
Children's Cruiser Skateboards
Mini cruisers serve as excellent introductory skateboards for children. They provide an excellent framework for acquiring foundational pushing, turning, and comfort skills on wheels.
However, older children with lengthy legs might find a mini cruiser's short wheelbase harder to handle. In such cases, opt for a cruiser board measuring around 30 inches or longer.
Cruiser Skateboards for Adults
A versatile choice for adults, cruiser skateboards suit everyday commutes and leisurely rides. When selecting a cruiser board, assess whether your preference leans more towards smooth cruising or practicality to decide between a larger or smaller board. Also, consider if a trick-capable board interests you; choose a board with double kick if so.
Decks for Cruiser Skateboards
Though cruiser skateboard decks come in various shapes and sizes, they share certain traits. For instance, they are predominantly directional. Some lack a nose entirely, while others have noses resembling standard street skateboards. Being designed primarily for cruising, these decks are generally wider, offering a solid cruising platform, although not beneficial for flip tricks (but that shouldn't deter you from attempting tricks on your cruiser setup).
Old School Skateboard Decks?
```Cruiser skateboard decks, commonly known as old school skateboard decks, are distinguished by their iconic shape, with a kicktail that is considerably more pronounced than the nose. This design indeed pays tribute to the nostalgic old school decks that were popular in the skateboarding scene of the 1970s.
In contrast, today's cruiser skateboards offer significant enhancements, such as various levels of concave, ensuring a secure grip for your feet while skating. Many of today's cruiser boards also include wheel wells, which help in preventing wheel bites and facilitate a slightly lower setup than usually achievable.
An additional modern feature in cruiser skateboard decks is the integration of reinforcement materials between the traditional wooden plies. Some cruiser decks incorporate fibreglass or carbon layers, which increase the deck's strength and durability.
Wheels for Cruiser Skateboards
Top-quality cruiser wheels will enhance your cruising experience by providing smooth rides across various terrains. While they do not primarily focus on quick acceleration, these wheels aim to maintain momentum once speed is attained.
When selecting the ideal cruiser skateboard wheels, take into account the following essential considerations:
Size of Cruiser Wheels
When choosing cruiser wheels, larger wheels tend to provide a stabler and smoother ride on diverse surfaces, although smaller wheels offer greater manoeuvrability albeit with a risk of sudden halts.
- Larger wheels: Offer increased stability and smoother rides but decreased manoeuvrability.
- Smaller wheels: Enhance agility but are more susceptible to uneven surfaces.
Hardness of Cruiser Wheels
When selecting the hardness for cruiser wheels, opt for softer wheels for improved traction and better handling of surface imperfections, or choose harder wheels if you desire more speed on smooth surfaces with easier sliding capabilities. Wheel hardness is indicated by durometer measurements, and for cruising, it is advised to stay below 90A hardness.
- Softer wheels: Provide better grip and more effectively manage surface irregularities.
- Harder wheels: Offer increased speed on smooth surfaces and facilitate easier sliding.
Shape of Cruiser Wheels
The shape of the wheel impacts its lip, or the cut of its sides, directly affecting the contact patch, i.e., the area of the wheel that makes contact with the riding surface.
- Sharp edges: Feature a wider contact patch, promoting a smooth and stable ride.
- Rounded or bevelled edges: Present a smaller contact patch, delivering a more agile and dynamic wheel with enhanced sliding ability.
Cruiser skateboard wheels are available in a myriad of colours and designs, ranging from vintage old school wheels to modern, luminous wheels that feature integrated LEDs.
