Skateboards seem to be difficult to ride, particularly for the beginner. It is not easy to control and roll the skateboard. Even some beginners struggle to learn the ride. Eventually, they give up the learning process. For cruising on the ride, picking up the appropriate longboard is the right choice.

They are built for smooth turning and rides. Longboards come with bigger wheels. These less agile sports are perfect for taking long rides. Reversely, skateboards have smaller but harder wheels. It is really difficult to accelerate the boards rapidly. We will figure out the inquiry of, “Are Longboards Easier To Ride Than Skateboards” in today’s post.

Many people love to go longboarding because they feel like surfing on land. For intense activities or commuting, these sports are practiced all over the world.

Longboarding is very easy to cruise on the surface. You have not to worry about working on your balance and stance while longboarding. You can easily learn how to push a turn or foot brake.

In between two sports, longboards and skateboarding, which one will be easy or hard for you to perform? You may think about this. “Are longboards easier to ride than skateboards”, having in mind this point, today’s post will be outlined below. Remember to include your fitness level, physical abilities and age with the overall information.

Larger Wheels

Compared to skateboarding, longboards have bigger wheels which enable a comfortable ride. Skateboards have wheels of 50 to 59 mm in size. They are hard to move. Board manufacturers try to build something which is lightweight, smooth to push and fast to roll. Whereas, skateboarding is supposed to be utilized in the skatepark. You will get smooth pavement.

This will allow faster moving or the hard wheels of skateboards. When we take them outside of a skatepark like on the street, sadly they don’t work as well. They can be stuck in the cracks. Also, skateboards will vibrate on the rough pavement. You can not roll rapidly on an irregular surface.

On the reverse side, wheels of longboards are particularly designed to work better in any kind of environment. These wheels are larger in the size of 66 to 72mm with a great hardness. The soft durometer and bigger size will allow you to ride over anything. Ultimately, it provides you with a favorable ride.

Indeed, wheels of longboards can run over cracks, pebbles and any imperfections in rough pavement. Their size brings comfortness in the riding.

Bigger Trucks

Skateboards have trucks that are around 4 inches to 5.5inches in width. Whereas, longboards have wider tracks in comparison with skateboards. They are about 7 inches to 10inches in width. As they are wider, these trucks can turn smoothly. Besides, they are very stable. Eventually, you can easily balance on the longboards. While turning the ride, it makes you feel a straightforward move.

To get an effortless ride, longboarding is preferable. But, the narrower trucks of skateboards are very difficult to turn sideways much quicker. The twitchy ride will make them feel uncontrollable and unstable. For skating, quick turning is possible in the park. But, if you want to cruise around, you will not feel good.

Finally, some manufacturers produce RKP trucks for longboards. They are stable and better for rapid turning. Longboards are more steady at high speeds.

Wider Size

Longboards come in longer and wider sizes than skateboards. If we look at the skateboards, they have much smaller size at the widths of  7.5 inches or 8 inches. Also, the total lengths are about 32 inches. So, this keeps the deck rails underneath the toes. Plus, the heels help in doing tricks perfectly.

However, longboards are best to enjoy riding for a short distance. As a beginner, you will find it very trouble-free to take a ride with longboards.

Related Post: Longboard Vs Skateboard

Flexibility

Skateboards have stiff decks which are built from maple. They provide a responsive and firm ride. Besides, the rider may have good control over the riding. But, skateboarding reflects a great amount of road vibration. For this reason, comfortable cruising is not possible. On the other hand, longboards have flexible decks.

Some manufacturers use fiberglass or vertical lamination for providing the flex. The board of different flex will allow you to bounce profoundly when you are stepping on it. This enables the deck to work as suspension. Meanwhile, flexing can be achieved whenever the rider boards over any rough surface. The vibration of the road can be smoothed out with flex.

Longboard And Skateboard- Different Styles

There are many styles of longboard and skateboard available on the market. For particular rides, they are built specifically. Although, some boards may provide multiple-use facilities, more than only one style. To dig deeper, you should take the proper idea to select your desired one.

Styles Of Longboard

  • Cruising: It is the most relaxed form of longboarding. Large decks are used which contain large wheels. So, you will get a comfortable ride.
  • Freestyle: This is the latest version where you can do tricks. Besides, you may perform cross-steps, flips and tricky maneuvers. They use longer and larger decks that have comparatively smaller wheels.
  • Long-distance pushing: It is simply riding as you can go. Riders will use the decks which are very low to the surface. Because of high speed and their momentum,85mm huge wheels are used.
  • Downhill: This style is good for going down the hill fast. Riders are using specialized gear. They have high-quality slide gloves, specialized trucks and protective gear.

Styles Of Skateboard

  • Pool & Vert: In this style, you will ride up and down on the ramp or bowl. They use decks that tighten the trucks to allow stability. Also, they tend to be bigger.
  • Park & Street: This type of skateboarding uses smaller decks with mini wheels. You can perform all kinds of tricks.

Wrapping Up

Both longboarding and skateboarding are trendy sports. Apart from fun, these outdoor activities provide us with lots of health benefits. “Are longboards easier to ride than skateboards”, this question has been explained properly through the article. All you have to do is prioritize what you need from a longboard.

As a beginner, undoubtedly we will recommend using a longboard. Because it is easy to learn. Besides, the softer and bigger wheels are able to tackle rugged roads and small obstacles better than the skateboards. Happy riding!


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Types Of Longboards
Types Of Skateboards