Need advice on my first longboard (for getting around a college campus)

[el_gringo]

Hi there,
So, I have been at college for about a month now and I am coming to the realization that I would like a better way to get around than walking. Since it is always sunny here (southern California) and the campus is all just one very gentle slope (no real hills) longboarding seems to make the most sense. Trouble is, I don't really know where to start. I have never skateboarded or longboarded before. I snowboard (and have for about 7 years now) if that makes any difference.

I have been looking around at a lot of different threads and websites, and all the advice seems to be very specific to a given situation, so here's mine:

I am looking for a longboard that would be good for general cruising/getting around campus. I am not looking to slalom, slide, race, do tricks, go extremely fast, bomb down any serious hills (although the ability to do some hills would be nice), etc. Nothing fancy, I just want a nice, smooth, reliable way to get around. As I said it is sunny all the time, and the campus has no major hills, just gentle slopes. The pavement is generally clean and smooth, but it is uneven in enough places that I wan't something that can handle small-ish bumps without any issue. I am generally hoping to spend $200 or less (less being preferable, but if there is a strong reason to spend the extra money I will). My ideal price would be about $150-175. A board that requires minimal maintenance would be preferable. Oh, and I'm about 5'11" and about 140lbs if that affects anything.

Having done some research, the two boards that seem to come up the most are Sector 9 boards, especially the Carbon TR3 (same as a Trylam?) and the Earthwing Superglider. I am by no means set on either of these two, but both seem to be in the general category of board I am looking for.

A couple of things I think I have figured out, but would like feedback on (are these good or bad conclusions, and why?):
-Board size of about 36-42", 38-40 probably being ideal.
-Wheels about 70-72mm, and around 78a

And, some specific questions:

-Any particular board recommendations or feedback on boards I mentioned?
-Wheel recommendations? size, hardness, brand?
-Truck recommendations (Paris, Randall, Gullwing, other?) brand, model, size, etc?
-Where to buy online? Any experience with Daddiesboardshop.com? They seem to have good prices and a high degree of customizability in terms of picking from a wide selection of trucks, wheels, bearings, etc. Are their in-house wheels/bearings any good for what I need?
-Convex/concave/flat/other: which would work best and why?

Thanks a ton for taking the time to read all this, and thanks in advance for any/all advice!

-Nick

[jsweriduk]

40 inches might be a little bit big to carry to class
the superglider i think is the largest board that you want to get, its a great choice, you wont go wrong with it, but there are other boards out there that you might like better
im getting a landyachtz drop hammer for cruising around campus. its 36 inches, and the deck is lowered so its easy to push around and so it can handle some speed
another well-designed campus cruiser is the FSMini
as far as wheels go, i would go with orangatangs, either the stimulus or the 4prez, although if those dont fit in your budget, some cheap wheels will do for getting around campus

daddiesboardshop is a legit dealer, although i always prefer to order direct from the board companies to be safe. just stay away from soul boards a lot of people have had less than stellar experiences with them. check to see what shipping options the board company has, as well as their location compared to places like daddiesboardshop. if daddiesboardshop is closer to you, it might make more sense to order from there

[el_gringo]

Thanks for the response!
The two you mentioned look great, but they're both a bit out of my price range, at least for now. I very well may get one of those later on if I get more involved in longboarding and they make sense, but right now they are a bit pricy for me.

DBS is pretty close to where I am, so I think I would likely order a board from there.

Any advice regarding trucks (randall, paris, or gullwing)?
Bearing spacers, yea or nay?

Also, is there a major difference between wheels with rounded edges and ones with sharper edges? What are the pros and cons of each for the type of riding I would be doing?

Thanks again!

[-Mu-]

Thanks for the response!
The two you mentioned look great, but they're both a bit out of my price range, at least for now. I very well may get one of those later on if I get more involved in longboarding and they make sense, but right now they are a bit pricy for me.

DBS is pretty close to where I am, so I think I would likely order a board from there.

Any advice regarding trucks (randall, paris, or gullwing)?
Bearing spacers, yea or nay?

Also, is there a major difference between wheels with rounded edges and ones with sharper edges? What are the pros and cons of each for the type of riding I would be doing?

Thanks again!

A rounded lip will slide a little easier, a "square" lip will typically hold better grip. I can highly recommend BigZigs(or any zig), though there are plenty cheaper wheels these will go over plenty stuff and grip reliably. It's just my opinion though, anything 77a up to 83a should be really good if you wanna really trust your turning.

I'd say go with a topmount board, you'll get more control on turning, and better grip on turns as well.

For portability you might not want something bigger than 3 feet long, and maybe hope for something with wheels closer together so you can learn to pump (keeping the board moving without pushing).

I don't have any brand specific suggestions, you could probably find a decent sector 9 or arbor board somewhere. They're not as bad as people like to make them sound. As far as you'll be able to tell right now, it's as good as anything else. you'll definitely be able to get a more tailored board online (if that's not just a little ironic).

[el_gringo]

Thanks for the advice -Mu-! I just rode a friend's Sector 9 spoontale today and it felt pretty good. Not too long, so I think a 38" board would be ok. Thanks for the info on the wheel shape and hardness.

Any more input from anybody would still be very much appreciated!

[killerhill72]

a small board for easy storage and caring, all so gull wing trucks the one with 2 kin pins good carving

[bob82pigdog]

There's a lot of great options out there which make purchases a challenge, but that's part of the fun! I recommend thelongboardstore.com. Their prices are good and they have a great selection and free shipping. Longboardskater.com is another good one with free shipping. Thelongboardstore.com also make a few boards themselves under the name TLS which would be great boards especially since you are on a budget. You should check out their 35" and 40" boards. I bought my brother the 40" board for his first longboard and it was great.

Some other recommendations would be the the sector9 sunset or 9star. My friend got the sunset as his first board and it is awesome for cruising and carving and has some nice flex.

Also if you feel up to it you could order your components seperately and save some money and possibly get a better deck. If you cruise eBay you can find a lot of packages that include a set of Paris or Randal trucks with some generic wheels plus bearings hardware and risers. The no name wheels are just fine especially if you are going to just be cruising. Just make sure you get the softer 78A instead of the 83A if you go that route.

Check out some of the boards from Never Summer and Landyachtz. The Never Summer Norad would be right up your alley.

[SpeedDemon8]

There's a lot of great options out there which make purchases a challenge, but that's part of the fun! I recommend thelongboardstore.com. Their prices are good and they have a great selection and free shipping. Longboardskater.com is another good one with free shipping. Thelongboardstore.com also make a few boards themselves under the name TLS which would be great boards especially since you are on a budget. You should check out their 35" and 40" boards. I bought my brother the 40" board for his first longboard and it was great.

Some other recommendations would be the the sector9 sunset or 9star. My friend got the sunset as his first board and it is awesome for cruising and carving and has some nice flex.

Also if you feel up to it you could order your components seperately and save some money and possibly get a better deck. If you cruise eBay you can find a lot of packages that include a set of Paris or Randal trucks with some generic wheels plus bearings hardware and risers. The no name wheels are just fine especially if you are going to just be cruising. Just make sure you get the softer 78A instead of the 83A if you go that route.

Check out some of the boards from Never Summer and Landyachtz. The Never Summer Norad would be right up your alley.

Get the Flexdex Grenade!! its a mini board but rides just as smooth as a longboard! Not only can you flex pump but you can go in circles around people. You make you way through groups of people. I got mine yesterday and thats what I've been doing here at my campus. You'll get some of the coolest looks from everyone. Most of them come from the ladies. And you can shove it in your back pack too. Its only 23". A really nice ride. I suggest you get it!!

[herrimanhills]

i would go with a flexdex glass grenade for your purposes, not only is it a sweet board it also looks really cool and will turn some heads

[blackbelt132]

I would go with Gravity Skateboards. They make great cruising boards!

[el_gringo]

Well, it ended up that somebody on campus was selling one, so I ended up getting that. It's a Sector 9 Trylam with Gullwing Chargers, S9 nineballs, bearing spacers, etc. It has been working great so far. It is a little long to be the most convenient board ever, but it is honestly nice to have the extra length to move around on while riding sometimes. It was $100 in almost new condition, so I had a hard time turning it down. Thanks for all the advice though guys, I appreciate it!

[-Mu-]

Enjoy it! Remember the board wont have fun for you!

[Brendonia12]

Good pick up bro ( :

[seymourboard]

i have the exact same issue and i was wondering on your opinion of this board. bamboo carving & cruising longboard
for $110 doesnt seem like a bad commuter board.

[jose]

i have the exact same issue and i was wondering on your opinion of this board. bamboo carving & cruising longboard
for $110 doesnt seem like a bad commuter board.

I wouldn't ride on a counterfeit Vanguard equipped with counterfeit Randalls

[-Mu-]

i have the exact same issue and i was wondering on your opinion of this board. bamboo carving & cruising longboard
for $110 doesnt seem like a bad commuter board.

I wouldn't trust craigslist

[seymourboard]

i;ve looked around this site is there any way to search the buy sell forum by region or buy what you want to buy only. are there any other sites you would trust. i would like to get one in the next week or so and dont want to buy new

[Silverskater145]

It'll be a little more expensive than you asked for, but the Apex 34 is perfect for what you need. It weighs only 5 pounds completely set up, and it's small. Just search Apex 34 'round the forums here you'll see it gets mad awesome reviews. I just ordered mine, actually. I've been riding Original's Apex 37, but decided to get the 34 specifically for campus. It's got more pop more torque and much easier to people-slalom. I can vouch for the 37 as it is.

http://www.originalskateboards.com/l...x-34-longboard

[SoFlo]

I wouldn't trust craigslist

I've bought two boards of craigslist, both were good deals. As long as you're dealing locally and you know the product your getting you'll be cool.