You love skateboarding but tricks aren’t your forte? You think about a longboard but what about a cruiser board? You are stuck between these 2 types and don’t know what they have and which one will be more suitable for you? Well, if you are having these questions in mind, then read through this article because I will explain their differences in detail.

Difference between a longboard and a cruiser board

1.    Definition

Let’s take a standard skateboard as the center unit so that you can easily visualize.

“Longboard”: A longboard has a long deck and is bigger than a skateboard. All parts including the trucks, wheels, and deck are all bigger than a traditional skateboard. And with such a big size, the rider will feel comfortable and stable when riding on a longboard.

“Cruiser board”: a cruiser is a small version of a longboard. Sometimes it can be called by different names such as mini longboard or mini cruiser. A mini cruiser can be the same size or smaller than a standard skateboard. So the question is how can we distinguish them? You can only rely on their wheels and deck shape to know whether it is a mini cruiser or a skateboard. You can read more about this topic at SkateAdvisors. With a category on longboards and different types of skateboards, it is definitely a rich source of information.

2.    Function

Longboard: Because longboards are stable and smooth, they are often chosen for riding over longer distances or riding down hill. Longboards have great speed. They can pick up speed quickly and go really fast. The ideal places to ride a longboard are country roads and down hill roads.

Cruiser board: Cruisers are used to ride over short distances, for example, going to the bus stop. Their compact design makes them easy to turn and wriggle through the nooks and crannies of the city. Cruiser boards are lightweight so you can carry them through the congestion or take them with you to places like restaurants, cafes, offices, or schools.

Now, I guess many of you will wonder why don’t we cruise on a regular skateboard? First of all, remember, cruisers are designed specifically for cruising, so they will certainly have cruising features that a skateboard doesn’t have. Here are the reasons:

• Skateboards are small and uncomfortable

• Skateboards have small and hard wheels, and stiff decks which cause more vibration and shocks which are the reason that make the boards run slowly when cruising.

Since the definition and function may or may not be enough to distinguish a longboard and a mini longboard, we will consider the third criterion.

3.    Deck shape

Longboards come in many shapes: pintail shaped, symmetrical cutout shaped, hybrid shape, etc. One and the longboard also have a tail size to suit those who enjoy dancing or doing some freestyle tricks.

Cruisers are more recognizable when they have a rather characteristic shape. They are shaped like a surfboard, symmetrical with the tail usually rounded square, square, or a fish tail shape. The nose is pointy-ish.

Some designs have either kick tails or small nose kicks, or will have both kick tails and nose tails so riders can perform some kicks, manuals, or popping tricks.

Many models have very strange designs, such as the Loaded Poke. This cruiser has both full-sized kicks and a pronounced concave. It is not only for cruising but also very good for bowl riding.

4.    Wheels

Wheels will be the next factor to distinguish these two types of boards. I saw Robert Parker, a popular blogger with many good articles on skateboards including longboards and cruiser boards, also mentioned the wheel classification of each type of skateboard.

The wheel of the longboard is quite large. Wheel sizes of full-size longboards range from 70mm – 85mm. The larger the wheel, the faster the board runs and the wider the distance traveled. Also, the rider doesn’t need to make an effort to push the board.

Cruisers board, because of its smaller size, the wheels will also be smaller in size. The wheel size ranges from 55-65mm, bigger wheels may cause wheelbite. Smaller wheels also help to reduce the weight of the skateboard, making the board lighter and easier to move. Cruiser wheels have a durometer around 78A and 82A, which is considered soft.

Softer wheels have the function of helping the board run more smoothly because they are able to absorb shocks and offer better traction for carving.

Most today’s skateboard wheels are made from urethane, a durable and stable material for the rider.

5.    Truck mount

Now, let’s take a little look at the way the trucks mounted to the deck. Longboards have more types of truck mount. It can be a drop-though style, top mount style, or drop down type. Depending on the riding purpose, you can choose one of these three.

Cruiser boards, on the other hand, are mostly top mounted which is suitable for riding over short distances.

So, that’s it. With these 5 comparison criteria I think you can distinguish a longboard and a cruiser board easily and clearly. From this article you also know which one you should choose among them. Good luck!