Difference Between Longboard and Skateboard

Are you passionate about riding on a board but still don’t know which board is best for you and confused about the difference between longboard and skateboard

Now, worry no more! 

If you are confused about which you should choose as a beginner between a skateboard and a longboard, then this information-rich blog explaining the different aspects of skateboards and longboards is for you.

At the end of the blog, you can decide wisely which board best suits you.

Difference Between a Longboard and a Skateboard

Many say skateboarding and longboarding are the same, but I’m afraid that’s not right. Many debates are also circulating about which is better and more fun. Only a trained eye can recognize their differences and answer those questions. With more than 15 years of experience, I can settle the debate and give plenty of guidance to help riders select between the two.

The first thing everyone can notice in finding the difference between a longboard and a skateboard is size. But this is not enough. They do have major differences. Let’s have a look at more technical differences:

Deck

As mentioned above, longboards are larger and wider than skateboards. The length of longboards varies between 33 inches and 59 inches, but the width could be 9 inches to 10 inches. Skateboards, on the other hand, are only designed with lengths ranging from 28 to 33 inches and widths ranging from 7 to 10.5 inches.

Thus, longboards give a wide space for maintaining stability. When placing the two side by side, you will notice that their shape is the only visible difference between skateboard decks and longboard decks. The longboard is relatively flat as compared to skateboards. If you are a beginner rider or in a period of learning tricks, the deck flexibility of a flat longboard gives more stiffness and easiness to live it up.

Truck and Wheels

The wheels of both boards are attached to the trucks that operate quite differently. Before moving to the main difference between longboard and skateboard trucks, I want to tell you that the truck size should match the board.

Skateboard trucks are occupied with traditional kingpins and are narrow. For ideal skateboarding, you should choose the one with the exact size of board and truck.

Longboard trucks are broader and more flexible with a reverse kingpin. The flexibility of trucks makes longboarding comfortable. A board of 9 inches wide matches a 150 mm truck.

When comparing the wheels, I never hesitate to agree that longboard wheels give a longer ride than skateboard wheels. Longboard wheels make the ride faster and less complicated. Although small and complex skateboard wheels are ideal for tricks, they are thrown off easily by obstacles. 

Speed

Of course, the speed longboards offer can’t be beaten by skateboards. The large wheels of a longboard raise the board slightly above the ground. This factor increases the center of gravity and boosts the stability of riders.

In longboarding, heavy riders gain an advantage over lighter ones because the heavy rider’s push speed will be greater, which is maintained over a longer distance by the longboard’s strong wheels.

While talking about speed, how could I forget bearings? The board with more lubricated bearings moves faster.

Lastly, to ease your difficulty, one more point through which you can easily compare the two boards is that an average push can move a longboard at a speed of 8-9 mph, still 1 mph faster than a skateboard.

Applications

Selecting between two boards depends on the passion riders have or the type of sport they choose. If you wish to learn street moves and park skating tricks, skateboarding can help you to do so. This is usually used by individuals moving quickly in crowded places in urban areas. 

Longboards are ideal for getting around. It can enhance park rides and long-distance commuters’ commutes and practice old tricks at high speeds.

But what if someone has a mix of tastes from these two? So I have the best proposal for that too.

You can also have a hydride longboard or small cruiser, or you can also design your own by mounting the big wheels of a longboard on a regular skateboard to enjoy all the fun of riding.

Terrain Suitability

In general, longboarding vs skateboarding don’t demand any particular kinds of terrain. But by broadly experiencing the two kinds of sports, I have concluded that longboards, because of their flexibility and big, fast-moving wheels, cover a greater distance on all terrain. On the other hand, skateboards, because they are less comfortable, don’t offer a longer ride, so they can limit the ride to smooth paths.

Price

The difference between a longboard and a skateboard would be incomplete without comparing their prices. Longboards are constructed using more material, which makes them more expensive than skateboards.

The flexible, wide, and large longboard deck utilizes more wood; the big wheels are made out of urethane and metal trucks, etc. All these materials make up the total cost of a longboard, which ranges between $50-$500+ depending on the material’s quality and the board’s specialty. 

If choosing a longboard, I recommend spending at least $150 or more. Longboards at a low price will not be of high quality.

Skateboards never cost more than $25–$200, whether purchased or built on your own. Being small in size, they require less material. If you wish to buy a skateboard directly from a brand, you must spend approximately $80–150.

Pumping

Skateboarders, while cruising, has to lay down their feet on the ground to give thrust for a speedy ride. This is not a safe action.

In longboarding, the big wheels first maintain a high speed, but if more is needed, a longboarder can attain it by shifting their weight from left to right. This is enough to create thrust and force for the design of longboards. Gyrating, a variant of pumping is also used to speed up the wheels.

Pros and Cons of Longboard and Skateboard

If you cannot decide to choose one of them, read the pros and cons for a clearer understanding of the two.

Longboard

Skateboard

Difference Between a Longboard, Skateboard, and Penny Board

All three boards are phenomenal to ride on of them.

A brief examination of the differences between longboard and skateboard must have greatly aided comprehension of the two. When comparing the two with a penny board, the key feature to highlight is that these are the smallest-sized boards that are only suitable for experts.

At a time, penny boards were only known to the biggest skating enthusiasts. Over a few years, they have gained such popularity that a person having a penny board is considered excellent. These are half a meter long, similar to longboards made of plastic. They lack grip, but their wheels are the same as on longboards. More experienced skaters use it for U-ramp.

Conclusion

Although it has been a lengthy description, it is a full bucket of guidance between longboard and skateboard differences for you. Both boards promise to give great fun to their users. The selection is, however, made between the two based on requirements and budget. A few tricks, flip flops, zig-zag turns, and cruising is major demands for selecting one of them.

FAQ’s

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