How To Choose A Cheap Longboard (But Good Enough To Start In Longboarding)

The Deck

Materials

As you may know, a deck should be made by wood, even hardwood, to endure the weight of the whole body. It must be sustainable when the player makes a jump or rides at the high speed. Therefore, the material of the deck is significant.

In common, manufacturer makes the deck by maple wood and sometimes by bamboo. They assemble two vertical pieces of wood and press them together with another material called “carbon fiber”. Maple wood is better than bamboo as it allows the deck to bear the heavier weight above.

The deck is firm, durable, and flexible at the same time thanks to its material. A longboard made by maple wood is also cheap (under $60). A longboard is not only made by two pieces of wood, but also three or four pieces depending on the purposes of users.

For flexibility, you should choose a board with few layers. For durability, the board with more layers is your best choice. Therefore, knowing your purpose and riding style will help you determine which one is better.

Shape and Size

Choosing the shape and size of a longboard is essential for the beginners. Why? If you don’t choose the right one, you will find some difficulties when riding.

If your board has too small width, you get trouble in balancing and standing on the deck. On the other hand, when you have too-big board, you will have to use your power more and more to make the push.

Which shape of the deck should you choose in longboarding?

When you ride a longboard, you tend to race downhill, which requires a firm deck with symmetrical shape. There are also cutouts and wheel wells that allow you to lower your body when riding at high speed.

In short, longboarding requires a deck with symmetrical shape, fit size, and cutouts to keep you safe when racing downhill or on the road.

The Trucks

What is a truck? It is a T-shaped piece of metal that is assembled under the deck to keep the wheels and bearings firmly. This part determines the stability and rotation ability of the board.

Trucks made by aluminum are excellent as it increases the durability and reduces the total weight above the board. Meanwhile, other trucks with less metal material are often easy to be abraded.

When it comes to the trucks, you have to consider the width and height of this part as it may cause the wheel bite. Wheel bite happens when you don’t have cutouts, your deck rubs against the wheels and leads to sudden stop, abrasion, or even accident.

To get rid of this problem in longboarding, make sure that the trucks have suitable size. The ideal truck goes with large wheels.

The distance between the hanger and the bottom of the board is high enough to fit with the 56mm wheels. The trucks should also have the same width as the deck for stability and balance.

The Wheels

If the deck is like a body of the longboard, then the wheels are arms and legs to make the board move. As they contact directly to the surface of the road, its material affects the quality of riding.

Wheels of longboards are made of polyurethane to increase the durability and flexibility. Often, the less plastic the wheels have, the better performance and quality the board has. A cheap longboard also has wheels made from good material.

Size of Wheels

The diameter of the wheel indicates how fast you can ride and how tightly you can rotate. The higher the number, the larger the wheel.

As small wheels are lower to the ground, it’s easy to control, turn, and rotate the board with these wheels. If you do tricks or show techniques, the 50mm wheels will fit you most. However, if you are a beginner, the longboard with large wheels is your best choice since it’s easy to keep balanced.

As mentioned in above parts, longboarding requires large wheels for safety and stability of the board. You need a couple of wheels with 70mm diameter and 40-65mm width. These wheels should also fit the trucks attached to the deck.

Can you use a cheap longboard with low truck and small wheels?

No, you cannot. You can see obviously that riding downhill, on the road, or highway, is like riding a motorcycle. You are at high speed, your wheels should be large and secure, your sitting position should be stable and safe. Finally, you should be comfortable to ride in a long way.

If you consider choosing a cheap longboard, check the wheel’s size carefully.

Bearing

Bearings are the round pieces made of metal to mount the wheels outside and connect them with the axle. Compared to the wheels, each bearing has the same size which fits every board in the market. The standard size for a bearing is 8mm for the core, 22mm outer diameter, and 7mm width.

So what makes the bearings different from each other? When it comes to the bearings, you should consider these things: material, ball precision, raceway, and the load handling capacity. There are five grades based on the performance of the bearings, which are marked as ABEC rating.

• ABEC 1: the quality is the lowest, the material is rough, and the price is also the cheapest.
• ABEC 3: The bearings perform at average quality with inexpensive price. They don’t roll quickly or flexibly.
• ABEC 5: Affordable cost, regular performance, and popular usage. These bearings at this rate will be suitable for most players
• ABEC 7: this board’s bearings require a little bit of higher cost but bring the excellent ability: fast turning, smooth, and flexible.
• ABEC 9: extremely fast bearings with expensive price. This should be for professionals.

In short, when you are going to choose a cheap longboard but still well qualified, consider the rate for bearings. For me, I would choose the ABEC 5 ones to get started in longboarding.

Grip Tape

A grip tape goes with the shape of the deck and is attached to the board as firmly as possible. This part is to prevent you from slipping or falling off the deck as there is a rough and grainy surface on it. The grip tape also helps you stand still on the board and easily make the turns, rotation, or twisting motion.

There is no such a costly grip tape. You can choose a cheap longboard with good tape attached above to maintain balanced easier. You can also apply another one when the old tape is worn out or getting slippery.

Now we have quickly checked some essential standards for choosing a cheap longboard. Below are some of the top inexpensive longboards for your reference.