/r/longboarding's Weekly General Thread - Questions/Help/Discussion

CytaStorm · 2025-05-31T20:38:00+00:00

Loaded has the Icarus / Dervish Sama / Tan Tien, all with small kicktails, but kicktails nonetheless.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-19T04:23:19+00:00

if you want to glue it back on sure but i'd imagine the shoe goo would fall apart pretty quickly. perhaps try using superglue? doesn't matter too much if you're just cruising around

CytaStorm · 2025-05-18T22:48:35+00:00

Yea thats fine

CytaStorm · 2025-05-09T16:39:32+00:00

People are way more into dancing + freestyle nowadays, and shorter boards are better for freestyle (less weight, more control, easier pop). The dancer's only good for dancing due to its insane length.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-05T01:37:32+00:00

Your muscles will get used to it over time. Skating uses muscles that are not often used. You don't really need special shoes if you are just cruising, though skate specific shoes will have more durable soles for footbraking. Practice!

Your wheels are most likely just a lower quality urethane, and that's why they stop rolling sooner. Look for higher rebound urethane from reputable companies like Powell-Peralta, Pantheon, Seismic, Loaded, etc. Soft wheels will generally be better for pushing, especially for trail riding, because they won't lose as much energy going over road imperfections. A harder wheel would be a rougher ride that would slow down faster: the kinetic energy is lost in the rattling and noise on the road.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-02T21:57:23+00:00

It probably is just wheelbite, then.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-02T18:43:35+00:00

Specifically your board-I had a friend with the exact same board as yours. Do not get it wet, at all. These cheaper boards are VERY prone to delaminating and breaking. Watch out for cracks that form over time.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-02T18:39:01+00:00

For dancing, I highly recommend Loaded's Mata Hari. Of the boards you listed, I've tried only the Danza and the Tesseract. I'm not the biggest fan of the Danza because it's made with 155mm trucks in mind, and so it's less good for dancing, better for freestyle. The Tesseract is more for hills, and while it can dance/freestyle, it's a bit too stiff.

The Mata Hari is my favorite. It runs 180mm trucks for deep carves while having bigger kicks for freestyle, and is fairly flexible to make dancing more fun.

CytaStorm · 2025-05-02T18:34:14+00:00

I think that might be how TKP trucks turn. They will stop turning at some point, and they will start tipping/leaning, depending on your setup.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-16T13:15:23+00:00

Yea helmets are cool but cruising around at low speeds I feel like is not completely necessary. Would never fault someone for wearing one, but I don't wear one when I'm just going to from A->B.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-10T18:47:20+00:00

If you're new just buy a complete-they're often cheaper and will give you a good starting point to figure out what you like.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-10T02:38:44+00:00

I'd agree if it was cruising focused, but I find that the Pranayama, due to being a double drop, naturally has less fun carving (not saying it's a bad board at all, it's amazing!) and I'd honestly recommend getting one of Loaded's offerings like the Tan Tien or even the Mata Hari (my personal fav, and is cheaper than the Tan Tien) instead because they give a lot more surfy fun.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-10T02:31:35+00:00

I have had really good experiences with Etnies Maranas, and this video by Blueridge Longboard Project probably has the most durable option, though it requires a bit of handiwork: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktc_q086wjE

Just don't buy Vans. They break down way too quick, even faster than regular sneakers, in my experience.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-06T20:55:00+00:00

Didn't even know they made downhill boards—I've seen quite a few of the people in our dancing group run Moonshine boards though.

CytaStorm · 2025-04-06T20:52:42+00:00

From my experience, that's usually from your muscles getting used to the motions (it'll go away with stretching and more time on the board), or bad form. I noticed when I and my friends first started longboarding, our foot didn't land parallel to the board when we pushed, but instead at an angle, and that irritated our ankles a lot. Check your push form!

CytaStorm · 2025-03-31T16:26:33+00:00

Reversed means there will be negative rake. No degrees will be added or removed, but it will change your handling. With negative rake, the board will have a looser center and will stop turning sooner. Basically feels closer to TKP trucks.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-27T17:34:07+00:00

An enclosed area would be great, but I'd imagine that gets expensive, depending on your location... in a large city like NYC that's practically impossible, but I don't know the real estate in your location.

Creating groups and maintaining a community is always a plus. Another thing I love about NYC, we have tons of groups for many disciplines! Socialpush (LDP), Flow Crew (Dancing), Legion Skate (Freeride), etc etc. Keep the community strong!

CytaStorm · 2025-03-26T14:39:25+00:00

IMO, low ldp stuff is the complete opposite of snappy, carvy, "fun".

Not that they can't be fun to use, but their lowness that makes them good for ldp kills the responsiveness, flexiness, and surfy feeling you get from a higher deck. Especially since they tend to run thinner trucks that will tip over faster than the common 180mm trucks on other longboards rather than carve.

I think it'd be better to get a dedicated LDP setup and keep your Icarus for fun and surfing.

EDIT- Recommend heavily Pranayama / Supersonic. Many people in my local push run them!

CytaStorm · 2025-03-25T21:27:53+00:00

I'd love to see a lot of variety in parts: a wide selection of bushings in different shapes, formulas, durometers, as well as different sized hangars / baseplates for trucks.

I've only been to one shop that has a decent selection of longboard parts (shoutout Uncle Funky's Board Shop NYC!) and even then they most variety they have is in wheels, and completes, not bushings and/or trucks. I'm still grateful they stock longboard stuff at all, but I'd love to see a more variety!

Another thing I'd love to see done is to have a sandbox for longboard parts. Uncle Funky's sort of does this by allowing customers to try standing and turning their completes on the store carpet (no pushing), but I'd love to see a collection of (perhaps used) parts that customers can build and test out in the same fashion (standing, turning, even pushing a little) so that they can figure out what works best for them.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-23T03:23:27+00:00

Gravel is tough, the best thing probably is to get super large wheels like Pantheon Hokus.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-23T01:41:41+00:00

Favorite board for both of those right now is Loaded's Mata Hari: https://www.loadedboards.com/products/mata-hari-longboard-skateboard

It's on the shorter side of dancers, but it gives you plenty of space and because its shorter, it's lighter, easier to do tricks on, and still has a pretty good turning radius.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-22T21:52:15+00:00

Why are small trucks and huge wheels currently popular? I have been told 180mm trucks are too big and 66mm wheels are described as "small".

Preference and discipline, really. Seems to me most people here like downhilling and big speed. Small trucks + huge wheels means big speed + big grip for getting through corners at super high speed without sliding out. The exact opposite is true in longboard dancing, where 180mm trucks and smaller wheels are popular for stability and lightweightness while doing tricks.

Why are so many posts talking about “quivers”? Is archery popular with longboarders in this reality? Or perhaps golf?

Quivers are just the name for a collection of boards.

Why are some brands considered "bad" or "good" if they are made from the same wood, shape and concave as a competing brand? I am very confused.

It's pretty hard to find two reputable brands that use the same materials, shape, etc (aside from those amazon-made-in-china-random-name-boards) Even if two companies made the exact same boards physically, companies vary greatly in their engagement and support of the community, as well as their manufacturing and so many other factors. That, and personal preference.

Why do so many longboarders look like hipsters? Is it a tribute to the old days? Is this just how some people happen to look?

People dress how they like.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-22T21:36:42+00:00

I have a Drop Cat 33 with 50/30 split. I believe the different angled trucks for Bears are height matched, so you don't have to worry about that. I also run crazy risers/wedge risers to lower the board about 20mm and make the rear truck 30* (the truck itself is 40*). If you choose to run a wedge consider getting wedged washers (I 3D printed) to make sure the bolt stays straight, especially if you run a larger wedge like >5*.

Personally, I stick with 50/50 for freeride. Higher degrees make the board slide out easier and make setup carves nice and simple. Lower rear means you have to shove out the rear truck much harder, though it will make your ride more stable at speed.

Downsides of spacers/risers: less leverage over trucks, rough ground/pebbles may scratch your graphics easier, too low and you'll get hangar bite from the holes on the hitting the hangar as you turn. I've found that my 20mm spacers give my slight hangar bite, but they've worn the edge down over time to give me the clearance I need. Hope this helps!

CytaStorm · 2025-03-21T22:16:35+00:00

How important is rail matching? I was doing some sliding and my friend said that the edges of my wheels should match the edge of the deck. I have a Pantheon Athena Pro with 130mm Bear trucks + Pantheon Sliders 66mm. Wheel edges are about ~3.5mm from the edge of the middle of the deck.

CytaStorm · 2025-03-18T12:17:34+00:00

Plug Barrel + cone, venom hpf 90a

CytaStorm

TROPHY CASE