The most prevailing riding style in longboarding is cruising for multiple valid reasons. First of all, no other technique is as simple and easy as cruising on a longboard. Compared to the other riding styles, you do not need to put any extra effort when learning it. Because, there are no tricks involved, and above all, you can enjoy this typical riding style on a longboard, skateboard, or cruiser as well. In case you don’t know, cruisers are smaller boards that are explicitly built for cruising purposes.
Longboard Cruising – Cruising Definition
Roaming freely on smooth tracks in a fluid manner while riding a longboard defines cruising perfectly. Cruising is the most accessible way of riding a longboard, and that is why all experts suggest this style to all beginners.
On the other hand, aged people with functional muscles opt for cruising to enjoy the fresh air slowly. Moreover, I have seen countless professionals enjoying cruise trips on a longboard to relax, warm up, and try out newer longboards for better understanding. Last but not least, cruising is highly recommended for the beginners to begin their longboarding journey.
The suggestion of cruising first for novices is that it is way easier to learn than downhill riding, freestyle, freeride, commuting, and carving. However, a newcomer should always consider learning some basics despite the ease. Here is the precise description of everything related to cruising.
How to Cruise on a Longboard
Cruising on a longboard is one of the easiest longboarding riding styles. It is as simple as you ride a longboard, but still, you have to be careful of a few things as a beginner. Let BoardsOnTop help you make a longboard cruising master with a few simple steps. If you are a complete newbie, make sure you learn some basic tricks of longboarding for beginners.
1st Step:
First and foremost, you need to ride a longboard that supports cruising style. It must contain a length of around 40 inches and a width of 7-8 inches. These dimensions work nicely for both cruising lovers and beginner riders.
2nd Step:
Before you start riding, you must know what is your longboard stance, goofy or regular. A goofy rider places his right foot on the front of the deck, whereas a regular rider uses his left foot as the front.
3rd Step:
Place your front foot (right or left) in a way that can help you keep the ride’s momentum and speed thoroughly. In this case, your longboard must have grip tape on it. A high-quality grip tape enables you to ride safely and stay balanced.
4th Step:
With your back foot (right or left), give a little push in the beginning and see how long you can go and if the longboard is under your control or not. If everything goes well in the first push, give it a second push, but harder this time than the first one.
Second Last Step:
If you are on a flat or thick surface like grass, you will have to continuously push with your back foot. The distance you cover while cruising depends on two different actions, how hard you push the board and the surface where you are riding.
Last Step:
The tips for going a little bit faster and covering more distance are to place both of your hands at the back and bend your back a little. This position will allow you to go faster and cover more distance. Make sure you clean your longboard’s grip tape and wheels on a regular basis for faster rides.
Tips for Cruising on a Longboard
The tips explained here will help you experience the best cruising rides on your newly bought longboard.
Choose the Right Longboard:
As we mentioned it above, the most important thing is to have a longboard that suits cruising completely. Due to the variety of riding styles in longboarding, there are a dozen and half types of longboards available in the market. For cruising purposes, it is better to have a longboard with a length between 35-40”, and it has a top-mounted deck for better movement.
Loosen the Longboard Trucks:
Usually, when your cruising longboard’s package arrives, its kingpins are screwed tightly which is not suitable for cruising. You need to use the skate tool to loosen up the trucks. Tighter trucks won’t let you cruise in a freestyle way, while the loosened trucks allow the longboard to move freely on flat tracks.
Right Foot Placement:
Knowing your dominant foot is also essential because professionals recommend placing your best foot in front of the longboard deck. Once you know your chief foot, it becomes easier to turn the longboard and handle it under critical conditions.
Bushings Quality:
Bushings inside the trucks play an essential role in bringing a smooth ride. From my cruising experience, I noticed that softer longboard bushings work efficiently, providing complete control to the rider.
Practice Simple Cruising:
If you have issues at the start, do not go for tricky parts of longboard cruising. Always stick to the basics of how to cruise. Because practice makes the man perfect, it won’t take 3 or 4 rides until you learn to flow swiftly on flat tracks, skating fields, and urban streets.
Wear Comfortable Outfit:
It is better to wear a friendly and comfortable outfit that will never irritate you during your first essential rides. Heavy and bulky costumes may cause sweating and aggravate you.
Speed Control:
Having complete control of the speed while cruising is as essential as having the best cruising longboard. You need to use your body parts to handle the longboard and control speed. When you carve during cruising, you can slow down your rate, and gently pushing the longboard will help you gain some pace.
Wear Safety Equipment:
When people get used to riding on a longboard, they take their safety for granted. I always recommend wearing proper safety gear like helmets, knee pads, gloves if you are sliding, and appropriate shoes for experts and especially freshers.
Stick to One Cruising Way:
Don’t waste time learning another one if you have a full grip on one cruising style. The first step is always challenging, and the rest of the longboarding is an utmost joy unless you hit something hard and injure yourself.
Find a Suitable Spot for Cruising on a Longboard:
It is better to cruise in isolated places with no people or traffic around as a starter. When you learn the basics of handling a longboard, start practicing it in slightly rush areas to increase your experience.
Types of Cruising on a Longboard
There are three standard cruising techniques all cruising enthusiasts should learn. I have explained each of these three riding styles and the suitable longboard you need for each type.
Cruising for a Long Distance
Long-distance cruising is also known as commuting. For example, if you have a longboard and want to go to High School, which is 4-5miles away from your residence, you can commute through streets and roads to reach your destination. However, you will face empty streets and traffic-full roads because you have to cruise for miles. That’s why you need to have a basic understanding of cruising, and commuting will enhance your riding experience.
Recommended Longboard for Long Distance:
Continuing the previous example of going to a high school with your longboard, the foremost thing to consider is to have a portable longboard that is easy to handle. Finding affordable, portable, and durable longboards isn’t a big task these days as many longboard brands are manufacturing high-quality longboards. These board are applicable for multiple riding styles if you plan to commute shortly.
Boardwalk Cruising
The Boardwalk is the most enjoyable and leisure-full cruising style, usually performed on a pleasant beach or skating park. You can relax, relish, and do exercise while pushing the longboard and enjoy the beauty of nature. The method you should learn in the Boardwalk case is braking with foot & mellow pushing.
You also need to know how to cut broader turns. Unlike commuting, you will not have to worry about higher speed because, in Boardwalk, the longboard’s pace will be average. Reduce the rate with the sole of the shoes if you plan to stop.
Recommended Longboard for Boardwalk:
Pintail longboards are undoubtedly the best options for Boardwalk cruising. They usually have a more oversized deck up to 40”, providing more than enough space for a better stance on the deck. In addition, their flat decks make cruising more accessible. Moreover, if you arrange bigger and softer wheels under pintail longboards, you will enjoy the utmost experience of boardwalk cruising.
Urban Cruising
Urban cruising is similar to commuting because you have to move through busy streets and shopping markets. However, we only suggest this riding style to little experienced skaters because they are familiar with braking down or speeding up the longboard according to the traffic in front of them. Other skills that you should learn before trying out city cruising are;
Regular pushes with Responsive turning
Dealing with bumps & Sudden braking
Recommended Longboard for City Cruising:
Responsiveness of the longboard matters a lot in city cruising. You will be facing crowded streets and roads. That is why you need to have an agile longboard that can start, stop, or turn quickly according to your longboarding skills. Longboards with smaller lengths have these qualities; hence you should opt for a longboard with a length of 32-36”. Moreover, the smaller size of the longboard makes it portable too. So, whenever you need to pick it up, you won’t face any trouble.
People Also Ask
Are Cruiser Longboards suitable for Beginners?
Cruising on a longboard is one of the best ways to begin and learn longboarding due to the shape and dimensions of a cruising longboard. Usually, the cruising longboards have a length of around 40 inches and a width of approximately 7 inches. With such sizes on the board, you can play freely with fewer chances of falling off, and that’s what a beginner requires. Moreover, cruising is the first step toward learning other riding styles.
How fast can a cruiser longboard go?
Depending on your cruising skills level, you can start from 6-7mph and reach 20-25mph. This speed goes high when you start showing your cruising skills down the hill. Keep in mind that the board’s traveling speed depends on the pushes you make, the skills you have, and how much faster your longboard can go.
Is it safe to cruise on a longboard?
You will not injure yourself if you wear safety equipment like helmets, gloves, and knee pads. However, sometimes due to the late response from the trucks and wheels, you fall yourself off the longboard. That’s why it is essential to protect your sensitive body parts secure. Besides, cruising is not hard and does not injure the rider.
What is the difference between cruiser and longboard?
The significant difference between cruiser and longboard is the deck’s dimensions. The cruiser board has a short length and width, whereas the cruising longboard has the exact dimensions of a traditional longboard. You will see some differences in the other parts as well.
Conclusion
If you are a starter with zero experience in the longboarding, cruising is the best way to begin your career. Interestingly, cruising is a longboarding style and it has further styles whereas I recommend you do boardwalk cruising. It is undoubtedly the most convenient type of cruising on a longboard.
You will have to go for a pintail longboard which provides a broader deck for better balancing. After having experience controlling the longboard, you can go for urban cruising, which needs skills in handling the longboard well in any possible situation. Smaller, agile, and nimble longboards are better for city cruising.
