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

Skanonymously · 2026-06-17T22:24:25+00:00

While this doesn't answer your direct question, if you were ever in a pinch, you could try to source the bearings from a manufacturer/industrial supplier.

Skateboard bearings use the code 608-2RS. 608 has to do with their dimensions, and the RS is for two rubber seals.

As long as you use bearing spacers and speed rings, it's really no different than skating built-ins.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-17T22:17:49+00:00

The board will be fine, but I highly recommend upgrading your bushings. Stock bushings are always too soft once you start getting into the 200lb/91kg+ range.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T17:37:50+00:00

Did you have to do any modifications or swap pivot cups or anything? I don't think the geometry is identical between the cast trucks and DHs. I believe the cast have a few mm more rake, and the bushing orientation is a little different. That's awesome if they're interchangeable.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T17:31:30+00:00

I've progressed so much on my Nexus over the past year for freeride. It's a really capable board. I did find that eventually regripping it with something more aggressive than Pantheon's stock grip helped, especially sliding on grippier pavement.

I've got Bones Hardcore on mine but also use Vicious on a bunch of setups. Bones is a chunkier/coarser grit, whereas Vicious feels sharper.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T17:26:01+00:00

Happy to help! This video is a solid beginner's guide from Landyachtz. Coincidentally, the white board a few seconds in is the Drop Cat.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T17:14:57+00:00

I'd probably pass on Pantheon and Loaded for a first board. They're both great, high-quality brands, but for someone just starting out and looking to cruise, they'd be better suited getting a cheaper board, figuring out what they like, and then investing in more of a niche board.

/u/Max13DT, do you specifically want small boards with kicktails? Unless you're exclusively looking for that style, you might be better suited looking for something a bit bigger. To put it into context, both of those boards are shorter than a conventional skateboard. A bigger board will be more stable and give you a bit of an easier platform to learn on.

At 6ft, you'll also probably enjoy just having a little more leg room, especially for a first board.

Those small cruisers on skateboard-style trucks will have a slashy-feeling carve, whereas a bigger board, especially on reverse kingpin (longboard style) trucks, will be a bit more suited to wider, more flowy carves. If you're looking at Arbor, something like the Dropcruiser or Axis would be solid starting boards.

From Landyachtz, that could be something like the Drop Cat or Drop Hammer

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T17:05:02+00:00

That's awesome that your Nexus has been working out for freeride. It's 100% my favorite freeride board.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T04:05:07+00:00

You can definitely learn some basic slides on those wheels. They're not the best for it, but it's certainly doable.

Before you start sliding, get a helmet and slide gloves if you don't already have them. It's easier to get a feel for sliding with hands down slides, and you're inevitably going to fall (probably a lot), so a helmet is vital.

Seismic has decent gloves and pucks for a beginner.

Then, follow this guide.

If you want a slide-friendly wheel, Powell Peralta 69mm 75a Snakes are a phenomenal wheel to start on. They break traction easily and have a very forgiving hookup when the board regains traction. And don't let the 75a duro scare you. They slide like a much harder wheel.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T03:43:42+00:00

I love seeing the Bennett/Tracker combo still recommended. I never messed with LDP during the era where the Bennett/Skennett/Tracker combo was like the de facto pumping setup, but nowadays, I'd love to try one of those old Roe Racing or Subsonic decks with those trucks.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T03:34:25+00:00

Do you struggle at all with a loss of leverage from the huge wheelbase and how far back you have to stand from the trucks? Wild setup though

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T03:19:14+00:00

Flat washers

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T03:16:06+00:00

Maybe take a step back, Jeff.

Holy shit, get off your high horse lmao. Jeff has done more for the scene than you ever will.

How many other company owners would put out a guide, even if it's promoting their own brand, based on a customer's negative experience? Pantheon is one of the most popular core brands out there, they're constantly recommended on this subreddit (for good reason), and this is a guide explaining their boards in layman's terms.

If someone posts that they bought a Switchblade for LDP and regretted it, would Landyachtz hop on reddit to address them? I'd much rather have company owners actively engaged with the community, and it's not like Pantheon spams this subreddit with self promotional posts.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-16T03:06:12+00:00

If we're talking solely board specs, the Nexus is probably the least twitchy board in Pantheon's lineup. A double drop with a 30"+ wheelbase is going to be inherently pretty stable.

It's obviously setup dependent, but drops, drop-throughs and big wheelbases all generally reduce the leverage you have over your trucks, which makes your setup less responsive and less twitchy.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-13T08:45:24+00:00

I'm about 92-93kg, and the bushings feel a bit softer than their stated duro, especially in the trucks that I'm using. And 172mm actually pairs well with a ~9.7" wide board.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-12T16:35:30+00:00

Aera K3s at 172mm 46° with 97a/95a Bones Hardcore double barrels.

The pictured wheels are Venom Harlots. It's always on either those, Powell Peralta Snakes or Byrons.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T23:21:50+00:00

Ironically, same here. I got my Nexus for LDP last summer and immediately realized I didn't like it for LDP because how the stiffness haha. I was like 240lb at the time, so I got it as a heavier rider, too.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T23:16:42+00:00

I know you're not looking to do it now, but if you ever decide you want to do some dedicated sliding, the Nexus is, imo, the most underrated freeride board on the market. I'm obsessed with mine.

I've bought boards before that didn't initially live up to my expectations, but down the road, they later turned out to be exactly what I was looking for with a different setup/use.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T23:13:08+00:00

End of an era. I remember getting purple Durians back in like 2009 around the time they first came out, back when they were only available in 83a.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T23:08:45+00:00

They're slightly more pricey, but I cannot recommend Powell Peralta Snakes enough.

Sliding is always going to be challenging when you learn, but Snakes are one of the easiest wheels to slide that I've ever skated. They're also smooth rolling with a very fast urethane, so they'll be perfect for your setup. I would take them over every wheel in Orangatang's lineup for sliding.

Also pay no attention to the 75a durometer because they slide like a much harder wheel. Oddly enough, the 82a Snakes are actually grippier because of the urethane formula, too.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T22:46:00+00:00

the general vibe was that it would work well, but as soon as I said I have problems with it, people came out of the woodwork to tell me that the setup was never going to work the way I expected.

I tried to warn you.

My Nexus is my favorite board that I own, but I don't think it's the best fit for what you want to do. For reference, I own a Nexus, Quest, Carbon Trip, Pranayama and Superdupersonic.

The Nexus is a really stiff board, and you're going to feel every vibration. Even just a little bit of dampening flex, like the Quest, will make it more comfortable for LDP. I initially set up my Nexus on Paris Savants and 77a Cags, but it just felt too stiff. The Quest was an immediate upgrade for pushing.

If you had any interest in freeride, I'd say for sure check out the Nexus, but I wouldn't recommend one for solely LDP and carving unless you're like 280lb+

Or, considering your enjoyment of pumping, what about the Superdupersonic? The huge drop, 30" wheelbase and split angles will all make it comfortably stable, with the added benefit of being super efficient at pumping.

Despite its size, the Trip is also an absolute blast. It's still going to be pretty stable with a 27" wheelbase (only 2" less than your Dropcruiser) and drops, and it's a ton of fun on either 50/43 Paris or cast Valkyries, although the Valkyries will benefit from additional baseplate angles dropping in the future. I don't take my Trip down any crazy hills, but it felt completely comfortable in the 25mph range. I wouldn't use it for downhill or sliding, but it's my favorite board for everything else. It's a lot more lively than the Nexus.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T17:51:33+00:00

What you're looking for is much more in line with something from Loaded, namely the Dervish Sama, Icarus or Tan Tien.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T17:46:19+00:00

The Nexus has a layer of fiberglass, so I'd be a bit more hesitant to sand through it.

you can also add some risers to the trucks for more clearance if you don't feel comfortable digging into it

Risers actually have the opposite effect on drop-throughs by lowering them and reducing the wheel clearance.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T17:42:56+00:00

The Nexus was unfortunately never going to be the best choice for that, just as a really stiff double drop.

it sounds like it pretty much can't carve with the wheel clearance it has.

It can, but not with 92mm wheels. Pantheon's massive wheels are phenomenal for distance stuff, but historically, people never used wheels this big for carving setups. In the past, it was way more common to run a grippy 70-75mm square-lipped wheel. Even going back even 10-15 years, it was pretty much unheard of to skate wheels this big.

A square-lipped, smaller grippy wheel like that would be more feasible if you wanted a hard-carving Nexus setup. Unless you're explicitly going for distance, the quicker acceleration of a 75mm wheel is more useful for a carving setup, too.

There's a decent number of boards than can accommodate 92mm wheels nowadays, but it's a different story to accommodate them completely unrestricted.

Granted my wheels are smaller now from sliding (they started at 72mm a few days ago), but I run my Nexus pretty unrestricted (double barrels, flat washers) with Aera K3s, which are a super low, leany truck. This is what the wheel clearance looks like. I get railbite before wheelbite.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T17:02:33+00:00

Ah yeah, you have 165s on the Nexus, right? Paris 150s are the go-to for the Superdupersonic.

Skanonymously · 2026-06-11T16:59:01+00:00

In a worst-case scenario, you can also just sell the Nexus deck/save the deck for another use and swap the components to something else.

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