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Cruiser Skateboard Guide - Choosing the Best Skateboard for Cruising
This is our guide to cruiser skateboards. We aim to provide you with all the necessary information to make the right choice of cruiser board - whether you are buying for yourself, for your child, or for a friend to join you on your cruiser adventures.
You're welcome to skip straight ahead to the section that interests you the most, or you can go ahead and explore our selection of cruiser skateboards if you already know what you want.
Overview
Overview
What Is a Cruiser Skateboard?
Cruiser boards occupy the middle ground between a regular (trick) skateboard and a longboard. While you can cruise on any skateboard, cruiser boards are specifically designed for comfortable, convenient and smooth cruising wherever you are. This is what distinguishes them: they are not made to cover super long distances, hill-bombing or performing technical tricks in the skatepark. First and foremost, they are made for cruising around.
The anatomy of a cruiser board, much like all skateboards, comprises a deck, a pair of trucks, and four wheels. The deck serves as the platform where your feet rest, while the trucks play a crucial role in determining your turning characteristics. Meanwhile, the wheels, along with the bearings (two per wheel), work together to provide you with the smoothest ride possible. While all the components of a cruiser skateboard are similar to those found on a longboard or regular skateboard, their dimensions and properties are specifically chosen to optimize cruising performance.
What Are the Best Skateboards for Cruising?
The best cruiser skateboards should be able to ride smoothly in varying terrain and on many different surfaces. Additionally, they should be maneuverable and agile, allowing you to navigate sharp corners and swiftly bypass any obstacles that get in your way.
For a good cruiser board, softer and larger wheels are generally preferred compared to what you would typically find on a regular skateboard. Additionally, while kicks in both ends are not necessary, having a kick tail on your cruiser is essential. This allows for quick maneuvers like kick turns or ollies.
A good cruiser board is easy to carry around, allowing you to comfortably take it on the train or bring it to class without encountering too many logistical problems. Since cruiser boards are often used for commuting, the ideal cruiser board should naturally serve as a convenient traveling companion when getting from point A to point B. Additionally, it should remain convenient to have by your side once you've reached your destination.
In fact, this is where cruiser boards truly shine: compared to other means of transportation, a cruiser board is compact, efficient, and relatively hassle-free.
You can find a great cruiser for yourself, your kid or spouse in our selection:
Mini Cruiser Skateboards – Take Them Anywhere Anytime
Mini cruiser boards have risen to fame in resent years. They are the smallest, most portable sibling in the family of wooden cruiser boards. Essentially a slightly smaller version of a regular cruiser skateboard, mini cruisers offer enhanced convenience for on-the-go use. While they may become less enjoyable for longer rides, they excel for quick skates or just fun times in the driveway. Keep in mind that their narrower and shorter dimensions may not be as enjoyable for individuals with larger feet and longer legs compared to a regular cruiser.
Mini cruisers are typically under 30” long. Sometimes they feature a flat nose design. This allows for positioning the trucks as far ahead as possible, resulting in a longer wheelbase that enhances stability.
If you're eager to experience the sheer fun and practicality of a small skateboard cruiser, mini cruisers, we have a vast range of cruiser skateboards for kids. You can also filter our selection of adult cruiser boards for size to find the smallest cruiser boards available.
Cruiser vs Longboard – Should I Get a Longboard or Cruiser Board?
When comparing the pros and cons of getting a longboard cruiser versus a designated cruiser board, here are a few points to consider:
- Cruiser boards: More maneuverable and agile than longboard cruisers. They offer a smaller turning radius due to the shorter wheelbase and are more portable.
- Longboard cruisers: More stable and easier to control than a regular cruiser setup. If you have a lot of rough ground to cover on your commutes, a longboard cruiser will provide a smoother ride than a cruiser board. Additionally, for cruising long distances, you will not have to push as much if you have a proper longboard cruiser.
In the table below, you can easily identify the pros and cons of cruiser skateboards versus longboards, allowing you to weigh them against your personal needs and preferences:
| Aspect | Cruiser Skateboards | Longboards |
|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | More maneuverable thanks to shorter wheelbase | Less maneuverable thanks to longer wheelbase |
| Agility | More agile | Less agile |
| Stability | Less stable | More stable |
| Portability | Very easy to carry around on buses and trains | Less portable and takes up more space when not in use |
| Terrain | Less suited for rough terrain | More suited for rough terrain |
| Distance Riding | Not as good for long distances | Ideal for long-distance riding |
Feel free to jump to our Longboard Buying Guide, if the longer skateboards have caught your interest:
Plastic Penny Board vs Wooden Cruiser Skateboard
Penny boards belong to the category of cruiser skateboards. Their small size makes them incredibly easy to bring along with you. While they may not be the easiest or fastest boards to ride, their portability is unmatched. Additionally, since they don’t have classic grip tape, they won't scratch up anything that comes into contact with them like regular grip tape does.
One advantage of a plastic deck, like those found on Penny boards, is that it's not a disaster if the deck gets soaked. Unlike wooden decks (that become soft and lose their snap if they get soaked) a Penny skateboard retains its characteristics even when exposed to moisture. However, it's worth noting that nuts, bolts, and bearings, will potentially suffer from rust and the decks become slippery when wet. Therefore, using a Penny skateboard in rainy conditions is not advised: The real advantage is that you don’t have to worry about your deck turning into a sloppy sponge if it suddenly starts to rain cats and dogs while you are out cruising.
Typically, wooden cruiser skateboards are larger than Penny skateboards, providing more space for your feet. This additional space makes balancing much easier, as you can place your feet further apart.
When weighing the pros and cons of Penny boards versus cruiser boards made from wood, you need to consider whether the advantages of maximum portability offered by a Penny board outweigh the benefits of balance, cruising, and enjoyment provided by the larger platform of a classic cruiser deck. It’s all up to you!
In the table below, you can identify the most important pros and cons of wooden cruiser skateboards versus plastic Penny boards:
| Aspect | Wooden Cruiser Skateboards | Plastic Penny Boards |
|---|---|---|
| Maneuverability | Easy to maneuver | Theoretically more maneuverable due to the smaller size, but consider that the very small distance between your feet will make it difficult to control |
| Stability | More stable | Less stable |
| Portability | Larger than a Penny, but still portable | Highly portable, lightweight and compact |
| Comfort and distance | More comfortable for longer rides | Less comfortable for longer distances |
We have a substantial selection of plastic cruisers and Penny boards in eye-catching colorways, so feel free to browse our selection:
Choosing Cruiser Skateboards for Beginners and Kids
Cruiser boards are an excellent option for beginners. Unlike trick-oriented skateboards, they provide a smoother and more controlled ride on varying surfaces, thanks to their softer and larger wheels. While they may not be designed for technical shredding in the skatepark, for many beginners, mastering the art of steering and riding a skateboard offers plenty of enjoyable challenges. In other words, a more trick-friendly skateboard may not even be necessary for a lot of beginners.
Cruiser Skateboards for Kids
Mini cruisers can be excellent beginner skateboards for kids. They offer a good platform for learning the basics of pushing, turning, and feeling comfortable on a board with wheels underneath.
However, for older kids with long legs a short mini cruiser may not be the best option as the shorter wheelbase can make it more of a challenge to control the board. In that case, just go for a cruiser board that is about 30" long or more.
Cruiser Skateboards for Adults
Cruiser skateboards are excellent options for adults due to the wide variety of boards available for everyday commutes and leisurely cruises. When choosing a cruiser board, consider how much you prioritize smooth cruising versus practicality to determine whether you prefer a larger or smaller cruiser board. Additionally, think about whether you want a cruiser board that is more or less suited for tricks. If you're interested in performing tricks, look for a board with double kick.
Cruiser Skateboard Decks
Cruiser skateboard decks come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but they share a few common characteristics. For instance, they are all more or less directional. Some cruiser decks lack a nose entirely, while others have a nose and resemble a regular street skateboard in shape. Because they are designed for cruising, cruiser decks are typically wider than standard skateboard decks. The extra width offers a nice cruising platform, but is not an advantage for flip tricks (which shouldn’t keep you from throwing a flip trick on your cruiser setup).
Old School Skateboard Decks?
Cruiser skateboard decks are often referred to as old school skateboard decks because of their characteristic shape, where the kicktail is far more pronounced than the nose. This shape definitely pays homage to the classic old school decks of skateboarding in the 70s.
However, modern cruiser skateboards are often quite refined, featuring various levels of concave for a secure foot lock-in while skating. Many modern cruiser boards also incorporate wheel wells to reduce the risk of wheel bites and enable a slightly lower setup than would otherwise be possible.
Another more modern innovation in cruiser skateboard decks is the addition of strengthening materials between the usual plies of wood. Some cruiser decks feature fiberglass or carbon layers, enhancing the strength and durability of the deck.
Cruiser Skateboard Wheels
The best cruiser wheels will optimize your cruising experience, prioritizing smooth rides on various surfaces. Rather than focusing on rapid acceleration, cruiser wheels are designed to maintain speed once you've reached it.
Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the best cruiser skateboard wheels:
Cruiser Wheel Size
When selecting cruiser wheels, consider larger wheels for stability and smoother rides on various surfaces, but keep in mind that smaller wheels offer increased agility despite potentially leading to abrupt stops.
- Larger wheels: More stability and smoother rides but are less maneuverable.
- Smaller wheels: More agile are more affected by uneven surfaces.
Cruiser Wheel Hardness
When choosing cruiser wheel hardness, opt for softer wheels for better grip and absorption of surface roughness, or opt for harder wheels if you need more speed on smooth surfaces and easier sliding. Wheel hardness is measured in durometer, and for cruising it is recommended to stay below 90A hardness.
- Softer wheels: Better grip and absorb surface roughness more effectively.
- Harder wheels: Faster on smooth surfaces and facilitate easier sliding.
Cruiser Wheel Shape
Wheel shape refers to the lip or the cut of the wheel's sides, which directly impacts its contact patch – the area of the wheel that comes into contact with the surface you are riding on.
- Sharp edges: Wider contact patch for a smooth and stable ride.
- Rounded or beveled edges: Smaller contact patch, providing a more agile and lively wheel with increased slide capability.
Cruiser skateboard wheels come in many different colors and designs, and you can get anything from old school skateboard wheels to new and shiny wheels with LED incorporated into the cores.
