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If a dude who has never skated wanted to get into cruising around a college campus and high-quality bike paths in a fairly flat town, what kind of setup should he look at? Longboard with fat soft wheels? There's a bunch of used ones on Craigslist/Facebook marketplace/gear consignment shops around me. I'm a decent snowboarder and I have zero interest in the kind of skateboard where the wheels are expected to come off the ground. My two year old daughter is getting into things with wheels and we spend a lot of time outside, so I'd like a leisurely way to scoot around with her too.
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Jan 7, 2021 20:31
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Sleekly posted:I like my longboard but only when I know I don't have to stop quickly or take sharp corners...so probably not ideal for semi crowded areas but they are great fun. Thanks. Maybe I will go both, it seems affordable. The Landyachtz cruiser boards seem like good options as well. I’ve got miles of nice bike trails in town, so I would enjoy taking advantage of that in a different way than I usually do. Plus I haven’t been snowboarding much and miss carving.
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Jan 8, 2021 15:51
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UFOTacoMan posted:I would just start with something like the landyacht to get a baseline. Thanks. I'm going to swing by one or two of my local skate shops today to see what they have. Since I'm also looking at used stuff on Craigslist, is there an especially good website or youtube channel for reviews to research the ones I'm seeing? HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jan 8, 2021 |
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Jan 8, 2021 17:19
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UFOTacoMan posted:The shops are a good place to start, just tell them you are looking for a cruiser that is fun to ride/carve on if that is what you are after. Cool, thank you very much for the effort post. This is the one Z Flex I was looking at but Reddit explained why pintails are a bad way to start for what I think I want to do. Especially the ground clearance. Looks like telling the shop(s) I want to build up a cruiser deck is the way to go. The campus I work on and would commute through is pretty standard multi-surface with areas of lovely cracked sidewalk, nice newer bike path, asphalt, etc., so I'd assumed a set of fat soft wheels and adjustable trucks (maybe on the softer end?) is necessary. Re: the fitness aspect, yeah, I take that part seriously. I'm pretty active already, and my current exercise (other than walking or biking most places I go) is freeweights with a big focus on squats and deadlifts, i.e., leg and core stability. I'm 36, so I don't just jump into new activities with the gusto I once did. I play with my daughter and her neighborhood friends (3 - 12 years old) on their variety of wheeled toys a few times a week, so I see that as a slower way to ease into this and have fun with it. If it turns out it's not for me, it should be easy to flip this stuff to a college student without much loss and I've had fun trying it out.
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Jan 8, 2021 18:04
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Thanks goons, this is all helpful and encouraging. I’m in a resurgence of sadbrains lately and I need something fun and active I can do right out my front door or as part of my daily activity anyway. I’m about to take lunch and go to the local shops.Mongoose posted:but I'm a bit intimidated by skate culture and not having any friends to try it out with. Also very much this. Especially commuting on a college campus, where most of these kids aren't much more than half my age. But on the other hand, there are a shitload of wobbly kids clearly just getting into it for the first time too. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Jan 8, 2021 |
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Jan 8, 2021 20:04
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So my local skate shops helped. They pretty much echoed what y'all said in here. The first one pointed me at a couple cruisers (one was a Santa Cruz Cruzer posted upthread) and their shortest longboards. They had a few Quest boards that had a price I liked but turns out they're a brand commonly sold at Walmart. Second shop didn't have a lot in the way of cruisers, but they did have a couple Arbors I kind of liked, the Pilsner (seems pretty small for a cruiser and new rider) and a Mission (felt good underfoot, wasn't too heavy). Both under $150. They had a handful of those Powell Peralta decks which are badass. As far as local classifieds, I found a Sector 9 Laniakea and what I think is an Arbor Mission. I think they're about the same size, maybe on the longer end of cruisers but shorter than most longboards, and with a kick tail. Any reason those aren't ideal?
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Jan 8, 2021 22:15
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What are some good youtube channels for nice flowy videos of people skating around interesting cities or scenery with good music? I’ve really been digging Landyachtz and Arbor Collective stuff. Also, dude at the skate shop said come back later, we’re getting more boards in this afternoon. So I went in today and saw this:  And I think I might have to have it. I didn’t see what trucks and wheels are on there, but I’m pretty sure I read 78A on the wheels so seems like what y’all are telling me I need for the most part. Google says it’s a Darkroom Prisma, probably 8.75. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Jan 11, 2021 |
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Jan 10, 2021 06:47
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I went to the board shop today pretty much ready to buy the arbor mission. Just to be sure I lined it up with the landyachtz dinghy and arbor pilsner, and decided it was the best feeling, and all my research said it would be the most stable and easy to learn on of the three. So I was doing my last little bit of thinking too drat much about it while the gawky teenage sales kid yammered at me when I saw this in the corner for about $25 less and a good bit more goon-approved.    It’s 8.75 and about 3” longer wheelbase than the dinghy and pilsner. The hardest decision was between this graphic and the light pink/purple/teal. Off to go fall over in a parking lot in the dark.
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Jan 14, 2021 03:42
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drat this is fun
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Jan 14, 2021 04:37
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 gently caress yeah I should have started this years ago
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Jan 14, 2021 05:58
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I've thinking for a while about getting some cheap used decks and putting some of my own art on them. Stencils and poo poo.
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Jan 14, 2021 07:44
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UFOTacoMan posted:you did the right thing, have fun. Thanks for all the help, I feel good about this board. I had a shitload of fun last night wobbling around the parking lot of the elementary school down the street. One section has a 200-foot-long gentle slope with some marked kid drop off lanes for reference.  I started out just rolling straight down the slope under gravity and figuring out how to footbrake, turning around, and pushing back up the hill and starting over. After about an hour, I was linking up big wide turns all the way down. Remembering my snowboarding lessons really helped a bunch of stuff fall into place really quickly. Keeping weight on my left foot, pointing head and left shoulder (and sometimes hand) in the direction of the turn, looking at least 30 feet in front of me all the time, etc. I only fell off once and hooly poo poo does a board take off like a rocket when you go off backwards. I only stopped to go home when the wind got so brutal I couldn't push up hill anymore and my left leg was starting to cramp. Back at it tonight.
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Jan 14, 2021 23:44
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Will my bushings stop squeaking so much?
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Jan 20, 2021 17:33
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Cool, thanks. As long as it doesn’t mean my trucks are too lose or something like that, it won’t bother me too much.
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Jan 20, 2021 20:30
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gay for gacha posted:No such thing Also good to know. I read somewhere that if you just go ahead and learn on really loose trucks, you'll gain better balance in the long run. HenryJLittlefinger posted:What are some good youtube channels for nice flowy videos of people skating around interesting cities or scenery with good music? I’ve really been digging Landyachtz and Arbor Collective stuff. Bumping this question, because I've watched every Landyachtz video now. Having a fuckin blast just cruising around campus a couple times a day and at night. I keep trying to come up with reasons to leave the office to run an errand or something so I can get 10 minutes of riding in.
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Jan 20, 2021 20:56
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UFOTacoMan posted:not sure this is what you are after but these come to mind: yes very much all of this
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Jan 20, 2021 23:33
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That whole OJ Wheels channel is great and the cruisin series is exactly what I'm into right now. Also diggin the Bones Brigade stuff. I wish Tommy Guerrero would do some similar videos set to his own music, it's very chill.
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Jan 21, 2021 17:20
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Herzog is so weird.
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Jan 25, 2021 22:44
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How do I develop a good powerful kick when I'm pushing? Right now I get in at least 20-30 minutes a day and I'm working on keeping my front foot in a consistent spot, keeping my pushing foot close to the board, and trying to get a good swing in with every kick rather than just stabbing at the ground. Still, its hard to get it up in the air in front of me without starting to lose my balance. I have to get in a bunch of successive pushes to maintain speed on flat ground. Wheels are as loose as they can be without having side to side play, so I'm sure it's my novice technique. Do I just need to keep at it and let it come naturally?
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Jan 26, 2021 06:06
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I’m pretty sure one of my nieces has those in her Vans collection.
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Jan 29, 2021 03:01
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DrHammond posted:Tell your niece she has impeccable taste. Still raining, still crushed. Oh she does, when a 22 year old girl likes what you’re wearing, you did something right.
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Jan 29, 2021 05:20
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Was dude a 1.) b-boy, 2.) martial artist, or 3.) parkourist? All 3?
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Jan 29, 2021 23:42
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I enjoyed this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtfMhSSCfOw
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Feb 5, 2021 22:52
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Anybody got an old deck or two they’d like to donate for an art project? Popsicle, cruiser, longboard, whatever. Beat up is fine, I’ll be stripping and completely repainting them, probably not with any intent of riding them. I’d pay shipping.
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Feb 23, 2021 19:09
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I drat near earned the thread title last night when I attempted baby’s first manual over a big crack in a parking lot and sent the board into the street and myself onto my hand and elbow, jamming up my shoulder in the process. Still got like another hour in after and commuted today. Every week or so I make some kind of noticeable progress and it gets more and more fun.
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Mar 4, 2021 05:04
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I’m gonna build a longboard for longer distance travel on bike paths and good bike lanes, carving where I can find chill slopes, and maybe learning how do slide a little. Skateshred.com has a good selection of drop decks and a good discount right now. I was thinking a top-mounted drop down deck with a shallow-moderate drop would be stronger, easier to push long distance, and easier to learn how to slide. No crazy downhill poo poo, just noob freeride attempts. Some articles and Reddit people said drop through would be about the same or better. I don’t want something totally slammed, just low enough to be stable and easy on my front knee. Would an 8-ply maple dropthough be strong enough to have a long life? I tend to baby my outdoor gear, so it won’t die from neglect or water damage, but so often it seems like dropthroughs snap right at the neck or split around the mounting bolts just from regular use after a couple years. Seems to me a dropdown that’s not crazy would be about the same mechanics as a dropthrough, potentially with a longer life. Edit: also I had a little session in the street last night with a couple 9 year old neighbor girls. They have a skateboard club and they’re trying to teach me how to kickturn. It was so much fun. 
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Mar 6, 2021 20:25
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I’ve been watching way too many longboard freeride videos lately and ended up taking advantage of Ehlers/Skateshred’s 15% off deal that’s going on.  Gonna paint the deck, do some structural upgrades to the board, and see how much road rash I can get.
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Mar 13, 2021 20:22
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You can put on riser pads to lift the deck. Or you can get a cruiser that’s set up a little better. I’m also learning for the first time at 36, been at it for a few months. I’ve tried to ride my neighbor kids little boards and they are terrifyingly unstable. I wholeheartedly endorse a wide cruiser like the Santa Cruz street cruiser - it’s nearly 9” wide, got a little bit longer wheelbase, and is very stable. I got mine complete from a local shop for $135 or so. I think it was UFOTacoMan in this thread who pushed me in that direction and it was the best advice. FWIW, I’ve never gotten wheelbite on that board, it’s got flared wheelwells and 1/8” risers. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 01:01
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I’ve been having a lingering pain in the ball of my pushing foot, right where it takes the most pressure at the final thrust in each push. I’m working on smoothing out the push so it’s a nice heel to toe roll rather than slapping the ground with a flat foot, but is it possibly a shoe problem as wel? I’m wearing older New Balance 515s, so there’s a bit of drop and not a ton of cushion left. I.e., probably not great skate shoes.
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Apr 13, 2021 15:56
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I tossed an older pair of Dr Scholl’s insoles from my motorcycle boots in today just to see what more cushion does. They’ve got more in the heel plus the forefoot is kind of flattened, so I think these will just make it worse if anything. I do need some new insoles for my hiking boots anyway, so maybe I’ll get a couple pairs of FP. Thanks for the advice.
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Apr 13, 2021 20:30
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I built a longboard. I wanted something a little lower, easier on my knees, and extra carvy to chase the snowboard feeling a little more than my cruiser.   Ehlers deck with some improvements. Namely fiberglass reinforcement to nose and tail, backing plates to keep the trucks from breaking their mounts, and a couple leather shock pads between deck and trucks. Art is mine, stenciled on and clearcoated over. It’s a lot of fun. Super soft bushings, so staying balanced on it when pushing takes more leg and core engagement. But because of the wheelbase it takes a lot of input to actually turn, so it’s easy to be sloppy. Also it’ll roll right over nasty bumps, gaps, and rocks easily, which will make you lazy pretty quick. It’s a right pain in the dick to carry around, and throws the slightest bit of moisture from the pavement up onto my shins, so I’m still riding the cruiser about half the time.
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Apr 30, 2021 12:55
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AfricanBootyShine posted:A friend of mine has decided to pick up longboarding and I'd like to join them. I think a cruiser would be better as I have no interest in anything involving hills or high speed. I'm mainly looking for something for commuting/getting around town... Furthest I'd go would be 3 miles on a flat path. I was in your position a few months ago and went with a Santa Cruz street cruiser and it's great. I tried out the Arbor Pilsner (shorter and quite a bit narrower) and did not feel like it would be especially stable for a beginner. The shops I looked at did not have the Oso in stock, which is one that I was really interested in. On paper it's definitely a much larger platform than the pilsner. The more general advice I got in this thread was "8.5+ inches wide, cruiser wheels, either a popsicle stick deck or 80's style single kick" and I'm really glad I followed it. Since then, I've also built a dropthrough longboard because I couldn't shake the fixation on them, and it's fun too. Starting on a cruiser was definitely key though. I still ride both of them weekly.
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May 10, 2021 16:18
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AfricanBootyShine posted:I decided to go with a cruiser based on the advice you got earlier in the thread! It's good to hear that you don't regret your choice. How are you finding getting around obstacles with it? As far as getting around obstacles, the cruiser is definitely easier. It's got a shorter turning radius and is much more responsive than my 39" longboard. I'm still not comfortable going off curbs and haven't tried to learn to ollie yet, but I'll get there this summer maybe. The Oso is a fatty, but wheelbase isn't especially long, and it's top-mounted on traditional kingpin trucks, so I doubt it'll be too big. Maybe it'll be easier to get yourself off balance by standing too far left or right of center when pushing, but I wouldn't be too concerned about that.
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May 10, 2021 20:00
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lol this is so good
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Jun 10, 2021 21:07
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Get a helmet now. You’re much more likely to fall at low speeds and the injury will be no less severe. Watch some videos of how fast a head accelerates into the ground during that last fraction of a second after your shoulder makes contact. Here are some other thoughts, not from years of experience but because I was exactly in your situation a few months ago. You’re good having started on a cruiser. They’re much more responsive than a longboard and don’t allow you to have the lazy form, stance, and balance habits that a carvy longboard facilitates. Longboards are cool, but spend some time on the cruiser getting the fundamentals down, namely 1.) stopping, 2.) pushing, and 3.) turning. Forcing a wide stance because you’re coming from snowboarding is not necessary, and getting a longboard to accommodate that is not productive. Keep your front foot on the front bolts, back foot near the rear bolts or behind on the kicktail. Helpful exercises: deadlift, squat, leg press, lunges. When you’re pushing along doing gentle cruising, pause while you’re balanced on only your front foot, leg slightly bent at the end of a kick. Do that a lot and balance and control will come. While you’re pushing, concentrate on keeping your weight on the front foot and centered over the midline of the board while your pushing foot is touching the ground. Don’t unload your weight off that front foot ever, really. Also, work on that front foot pivot from straight forward during a push to 45 degrees for coasting. Just do it every time until it becomes unconscious. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Jul 28, 2021 |
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Jul 28, 2021 13:30
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Also if you’re concerned about protecting your corners, I’ve landed on my back elbow pretty much every time I’ve bailed so far. From someone who has had a few concussions, the last one being gnarly and I’m still paying for 10 years later, get a drat helmet and wear it every time. I’ve been cycling, motorcycling, and snowboarding for years now, and I’ve never experienced faster falls with no time to prepare than on a skateboard. If you're not very good at exercise, this is a really good sport to make yoga really effective. Nothing crazy, but a few times a week, even 20-30 minutes of basic core and leg flexibility stuff goes a long way, and it shortens your warmup time on the board by a lot. If not yoga, even simple body weight exercises that really stretch out your legs, glutes, ankles, and lower back are huge. Just for being in your 30s, keeping flexibility is some huge quality of life poo poo. I'm 36 and I've fallen off my yoga routine completely because I need a class for it, but I lift weights and deadlift, squat, bent over row, shoulder press, and chest presses have been huge in keeping me flexible and just generally feeling better in life, not to mention on a skateboard. Check out some of the basic exercise threads in YLLS, people there are really nice and helpful. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 15:52 on Jul 28, 2021 |
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Jul 28, 2021 15:21
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I was cruising up to my office a few minutes ago and came up behind my boss who was on his way in. Was gonna be real slick and do a quick dismount next to him and say "Mornin' boss," when I hit my foot with the rear wheel and came off and stomp-ran past him waving my arms like an idiot trying to stay on my feet.
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Aug 6, 2021 17:48
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That's rad.
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Aug 16, 2021 22:24
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Laserface posted:adjusting trucks - Tighter seems to be recommended for beginners and ive been getting wobbles at just faster than running speed. Longboarders recommend keeping the rears a little tighter than front, because the rear turning more than the front can be one (maybe most common?) cause of wobbles. Can confirm that it solved the wobble problem on my cruiser board.
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Oct 7, 2021 01:29
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McJesus posted:I had similar issues a couple of years ago and started doing these 4 yogo stretches ( I cant recall all their names but bridge support, Cat Cow and Spinal Twist were 3 of them) but the gist is to stretch and strengthen your core which takes the strain off of your lower back muscles so you don't throw your back out tying your shoes or sneezing. I noticed a difference fairly quickly and after a couple of months I really noticed how much less I was throwing my back out over dumb stuff. I ended up starting to skate several months later and now use several of those stretches before skating and it helps my old rear end avoid a lot of other muscle pulls! I started lifting weights, just simple barbell/dumbbell stuff at home a couple years ago and as long as I stay on it, my back does not get hosed up from stupid stuff like stepping off a curb wrong. Deadlift and bent over row seem to be the big ones that help.
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Oct 7, 2021 15:30
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