Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Help Me Pick Out A Longboard!

profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Okay so I am new to longboarding and I am going to get my first longboard. I rode am Arbor 46" and I really liked it.

I'm basicly looking for the surfboard shape, pintail design. I want something that I can do some nice turns on when Im skating down the flats, but something that I can also bomb hills with.

I heard Grizzly trucks were good, but aren't they for sharper turns?

What kind of wheels are better? softer? what brands?

thanks d00ds.
Jul 1 2007 1:17AM
0 0
profile picture
SirFryanator
Posts: 11149 - Karma: 1,415
I'm looking for one too...
so a bump for mr. tanaka.
Jul 1 2007 1:29AM
0 0
profile picture
potato_man
Posts: 2158 - Karma: 89
Sector 9. nothing but.
Jul 1 2007 2:04AM
0 0
profile picture
statuswhitegirl
Posts: 4058 - Karma: 883
longboarding, looks rediculously hard
Jul 1 2007 2:14AM
0 0
profile picture
CBROOKS
Posts: 4979 - Karma: 10,708
alright, so if your looking to bomb hills, and not do any sliding, your going to want a softer wheel

Im riding a 80a (pretty soft) and It grips the road like no other, (abec 11 grippings 70mm). GREAT set of wheels. the scale goes 70a (softest) to 100a (rock hard)

Looking at bearings - dont be tricked, there is virtually no difference between abec 3 and abec 7, and all in between, even though there marketed that way. You would never be able to feel the difference unless your bombing hills at 400mph. I rock black panther abec 5's and they ride well. Make sure to keep your bearings clean if you want to keep the smooth ride you get your first time out on a new set of bearings.

Trucks - I dont know a ton about different trucks, but for a good all around truck I reccomend the randal 180.

Board - Most of board choice is up to the rider, its all preference. I ride a gravity 32" buttons pro. Its a great board, I can carve like no other, but at high speeds its not the most stable (this is also contributed to by the trucks). Sector nine makes some sweet bamboo pintails, arbor makes some legit pintails aswell I have heard. You might also want to look into loaded boards ( http://www.loadedboards.com ) There sweet, and you can customize each board with the flex you want (hard, soft, and all in between) although they reccomend you match flex with your weight. Also look into landhatz (sp?) boards.
Jul 1 2007 1:16PM
0 0
profile picture
fourhundred
Posts: 2760 - Karma: 21
parking garages are the most fun to ride on,
Jul 1 2007 1:33PM
0 0
profile picture
(Jonesy)
Posts: 2594 - Karma: 20
for sure. elevator rides up, long rides down.
Jul 1 2007 2:06PM
0 0
profile picture
T-Wash
Posts: 1656 - Karma: 37
Get a Loaded. They are the most fun longboard I've ever ridden.
Jul 1 2007 2:34PM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
ok then
a landyachtz wege flex is a very nice all around board
http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=128&place=3

dont get bear trucks cause if you want ceramic berings then its harder to find them because you have to get them with a ten mm axel

so for trucks randals are nice allmost the same as bears just a littel better because of the 8 mm axel

http://www.landyachtz.com/D27.cfm?PID=55

and for wheels then some gumballs or hawgs wouls be nice

http://www.landyachtz.com/D26.cfm?PID=261

http://www.landyachtz.com/D26.cfm?PID=45

the gunballs if you dont want to slide that much ar the hawgs as a good all a round wheel
Jul 1 2007 2:56PM
0 0
profile picture
Hctiws_iks
Posts: 2077 - Karma: 25
yeah, same here they are stable and power the flex makes turns really fun.
Jul 1 2007 3:03PM
0 0
profile picture
Billiards.
Posts: 6853 - Karma: 816
landyachts is the ONLY way to go.
Jul 1 2007 3:35PM
0 0
profile picture
Reptar
Posts: 1629 - Karma: 10
http://stores.ebay.com/WSTWO-Cheap-Skateboards_Longboard-Completes_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ4749247QQftidZ2QQtZkm
this guy has some good ones for cheap.
thats where im buyin mine.
Jul 1 2007 3:50PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
oh word? Yeah I didnt know bearings didnt make a difference...I have been skateboarding for 9 years so I have a lot of knowledge about the parts in that catagory...but longboarding is different.

I kind of want something that can grip pretty well when I'm doing phat GS carves down a hill, but I also want to be able to do fs powerslides if I want also. So I guess Im looking for something inbetween. 80a perhaps?

as for decks...do stiffer mean faster an quicker turns? somebody explain flex pattern to me....


and yeah I heard Randall trucks were the way to go.
Jul 1 2007 4:01PM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
a stiffer board is beter at speed but is less comtorble to ride and you cant carve as well the opiset is true about flex boards so if you want to bomb then get a stiff drop through like a landyachtz drop speed

http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=83&place=3

that board is so fast and stable because it is drop throug and stiff if you want some thing to carve then get some thing super flex like a flexdex

http://www.flexdex.com/flexdex-longboard-skateboard.html

a good all a round board is the drop carve and the wedge flex

http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=38

http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=128
Jul 1 2007 4:16PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
yeah I was looking at this setup:

http://landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=235&place=1
Jul 1 2007 4:16PM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
i wouldint go for it its not great beacause there is to many compramirsis thats why i like the drop carve and the wedge flex just go to your shop and try them out
Jul 1 2007 4:23PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
well theres really no place around here to do that...

Zumiez has longboards, but they have them all hung up behind the window for display, it would be a bitch to try them out.


and what is drop carve and wedge flex?
Jul 1 2007 4:26PM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=38

http://www.landyachtz.com/D25.cfm?PID=128

get one of these
Jul 1 2007 4:30PM
0 0
profile picture
Joan
Posts: 2944 - Karma: 1,305
i have a sector 9 sunburst and its sick but the think thats niec about sector 9 is that there is so much variety of boards go to www.sector9.com and check there stuff out
Jul 1 2007 4:30PM
0 0
profile picture
T-Wash
Posts: 1656 - Karma: 37
Do Not buy a longboard from Zumiez. The way the hang their boards by the light warps the board. So it loosens the glue that hold the ply which makes the boards easier to break.
Jul 1 2007 4:45PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
whats the length on that wedgeflex? maybe...43 or so?
Jul 1 2007 4:55PM
0 0
profile picture
50CENTS
Posts: 5 - Karma: 10
i have a bunch, and my favortie board by far is my sectory 9 mini. its suuper fun
Jul 1 2007 4:59PM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
i think its 44 but its deff. a very nice board
Jul 1 2007 5:13PM
0 0
profile picture
jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
i have a sector 9 chopes and i love it
personally i like the softer flexing boards because they just feel amazing when your carving.
the wedge flex is probably like exactly what you are looking for and with some abec 11 ninjas or gumballs or something with some randall 180s that would be dope
Jul 1 2007 7:15PM
0 0
profile picture
nychka
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 61
thats a dope setup, landyachtz are sick decks & grizzly trucks are a big step above randals in overall quality and performance

the Chief Haiada is a good deck to look at as well
Jul 1 2007 7:54PM
0 0
profile picture
finnafuckyobitch
Posts: 1647 - Karma: 865
gfh mission 42 inch sick deck but get different wheels and trucks
Jul 1 2007 7:57PM
0 0
profile picture
FreshCoast
Posts: 5602 - Karma: 34
I've gone through a couple sector 9 classic pintails and have loved them. I really like the loaded vanguard too (comes in range of flexes for different sized people which is cool). If you prefer a softer flex, you can't go wrong with either.
Jul 1 2007 8:01PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
ok, what is the difference between Grizzly and Randall?
Jul 2 2007 1:33AM
0 0
profile picture
b-ladd
Posts: 2300 - Karma: 48
I was lookin at that second one, and the first thought that popped into my head was, thats where my next paycheck is going, but I still have one question- right now I ride a sector 9 goddess, and its got a pretty deep concave. I tried my friends board (which, given, is a $90 POS) which is pretty much completely flat, and I couldn't stay on the thing. This deck (the Drop Carve) doesn't look like it's got much concave either. Thoughts?
Jul 2 2007 1:50AM
0 0
profile picture
Casey
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 24,311
sector 9 makes at least 2 bamboo decks, i have the shorter one (like 39") and my roommate has the 46-47". Mine is super stiff and quick, really fun ride. His is way soft, feels like you're riding a surfboard, totally smooth. both are sick.
Jul 2 2007 4:08AM
0 0
profile picture
cannonskier
Posts: 381 - Karma: 14
i just got the arbor koa pintail, i really like it, but id recommened it only if u want to do shorter turns
Jul 2 2007 8:11AM
0 0
profile picture
josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
the grizzly has a ten mm axel so its harder to find better berrings so i would go with the randall
Jul 3 2007 6:14PM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
My bro has a bamboo Arbor (the one with the japanese ocean graphic)

It is pretty soft and I really like it. I rode a stiff Arbor the other day and I didn't like it at all.

so yeah does anybody know if that board I was looking at last is soft or stiff??
Jul 4 2007 1:01AM
0 0
profile picture
smuggsVT
Posts: 2145 - Karma: 19
just bought one yesterday and it is sick. i payed 160 for a complete.  mine is a carviong board and it is this 1

Click for larger image
Jul 4 2007 1:57AM
0 0
profile picture
(Jonesy)
Posts: 2594 - Karma: 20
word, short boards are fun.
Jul 4 2007 2:08AM
0 0
profile picture
chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
how do u pick out size?
like for someone whos like 5'6"
and mainly gunna be doing everything from cruising flats to bombing hills
Jul 4 2007 2:12AM
0 0
profile picture
mski
Posts: 4791 - Karma: 3,803
Its landyachtz, and deffinatly go with a loaded vangaurd. all around sweet!
Jul 4 2007 2:31AM
0 0
profile picture
rudager
Posts: 11335 - Karma: 4,624
im on a landyachtz conthug. its stable and has a kicktail to manual and such
i entered my first longbaord race on sunday and found my board really stable when going down hills. right now it is being painted and i won a set of sector 9 wheels(bigger than the stock wheels) and bought project bearings(abec 5)
go for landyachtz
Jul 4 2007 2:49AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)