Carving is the next natural step of progression for any longboarders who have started their cruising journey already. Any longboard you might have picked as your beginner longboard may work fine for cruising. But it’s not always the case for carving with the longboards. Carving is slightly different than just cruising as it involves sharp turns and better maneuverability.
But before finding out the best longboards for cruising and carving and what they have to offer for you, here are a few things I kept my eyes on while picking them.
- I have picked a longboard that has a drop-through deck. Because drop group deck mounts require less energy for cruising and carving
- I have focused on finding longboards that come with comparatively narrower trucks. Why? Because narrow trucks provide better response and turnability.
- The board I have covered here comes with quite loose wheels. Having a loose wheel is quite necessary for carving. Otherwise, you won’t get the necessary turnability required for carving around the city.
- I have picked longboards with a comparatively wider deck.
Without any further ado, let’s get to the business.
5 Best Longboards for Cruising and Carving Reviews
1. White Wave Bamboo Longboard Review
Pros
- One of the most versatile and well-designed longboards for cruising and carving, as you can choose from up to 14 different designs and variations!
- Its drop-through deck is relatively easy to push around, that is one of the most necessary features of a good cruising longboard.
- The deck’s width is 9.25 inches, which makes it very suitable for cruising and carving as you will have enough feet space to do all the twists and turns around the corners.
- The deck is designed to help the longboarder to get their feet in the right place. It is beneficial for riders who have just started as you don’t have to look at your feet.
- The 70 millimeters wheels work pretty well and provide a perfect spin and turnability.
- Its 78A urethane wheels are pretty soft, and they will help you to go over any cracks and rough terrains well.
- It has reverse kingpin trucks, which are quite well made with aluminum construction and helps even the beginner’s riders to carve the corners with confidence.
- The trucks are quite loose without giving up the stability required for carving. That makes it easy to go through turns and carve as you want to.
- It also eliminates wheel bites, so you can go carve as sharp as you want to or hit the ground quite hard.
- It is very lightweight despite being a 41-inch longboard. You can carry it around or store it anywhere with ease.
Cons
- It may squeak a little
- Bit lengthy for storing into a backpack
Summary
White Wave Bamboo Longboard can be an excellent choice if you are looking for cruising longboards that can also be used to carve. Its high-quality wheels and trucks can make you make confident turns and carve in the city streets or any terrain you might want to try!
2. Seething 42 Inch Longboard Review
Pros
- Are you looking to bring some change to how your ride looks and want to try out different combinations? Seething 42 Inch Longboard comes with 15 different combinations to choose from.
- If you are worried about whether there are any excellent carving and cruising boards to support heavy riders, It is one of the best longboards for cruising and carving! It can support as much as 330lb weight!
- The deck is 10 inches in width, which makes it a perfect board for people with broad feet as they can just place their feet without having to think twice!
- The deck includes emery paper, which eliminates any possibility of slipping even for the beginner. This can make a beginner carve and cruise with confidence as you won’t have to fear slipping even when hitting the ground quite hard.
- The wheels come with a durometer of 80A, which makes it quite great for controlling even at a top speed. This is quite necessary for making sharp turns without having to slow down.
- You carve without holding back and reaching your top speed, and quickly slow down even at difficult terrains as the wheels enable the rider to have superior control.
- The truck is 7″ in width and provides great response and better turnability to carve and cruise.
- It is effortless to push and provides excellent stability for the riders.
Cons
- It is a bit heavy compared to other Carving longboards
- The length makes it unsuitable for storing in the backpack
Summary
Looking for a Good carving longboard for taller and heavier tough and well-made people despite being quite affordable? Seething 42 Inch Longboard can be an excellent choice as it has good weight support and all the necessary features for cruising and carving.
3. Magneto Longboards Bamboo Longboard Review
Pros
- Are you looking for a longboard that is not confined to just one longboarding discipline but can be used for many different riding styles? This Bamboo Longboards from Magneto Longboards is an excellent pick.
- The manufacturers have used both bamboo and fiberglass as well, which makes it quite durable and capable of lasting for years to come.
- It comes with a deck that is 38′ in width, which is quite perfect for carving and cruising as it ensures better control for the riders. This length very suitable for storing on a backpack or in any closet as well
- The deck width is 9 inches, so you can just place your feet without looking even once
- It is equipped with a drop-through mount, which is relatively low to the ground. That is quite good to have for a longboarder who is looking at both cruise and carve. The deck is quite easy to push and also provides enough stability.
- The trucks are quite sturdy, and they are 7 inches with a baseplate angle of 50 inches. This is very good to have in a longboard for carving, as you can expect it to have excellent response while carving.
- The wheels are not too tight or too stiff either and provide excellent turnability while carving the road with a top speed. The wheels are quite stable, which is often not the case with the wheels that have looser settings.
- It can support up to 275 lb of weight, so quite heavy riders can use it as well.
Cons
- The price is a bit high
- You may need a bit more loosening of the wheels
Summary
This is among the best longboards for cruising around the town and carving down the street. But most importantly, this is quite versatile and very suitable to be used for even doing tricks and riding downhill as well.
4. Hana Longboard Review
Pros
- Hana Longboard is a very sturdy and well-made deck with beautifully stained bamboo made from a deck with a hard maple core.
- Other than being a 42″ board, it is 9 inches in width. So it is quite suitable for people who might have a bit of trouble placing their feet as they will have ample space to put their feet on.
- It comes with large 70mm wheels that are quite good for cruising or carving, and it won’t throw you off balance on rough surfaces.
- The wheels come with a softness of 78A, which is soft enough but not too soft. You won’t be feeling anything even when going through a stick or pebble as these wheels go over them quite smoothly.
- its deck provides a good grip for your feet as it has a sand grit finish. Most importantly, this longboard grips the road very well.
- The 34-inch wheelbase on this cruiser can give an excellent stable ride while providing a perfect flexible deck that you can bounce up and down.
- The bearings are quite smooth and spin very well, which is necessary for carving
- The concave in it is very comfortable to put the feet on
Cons
- The bearings are a bit noisy
- Sometimes it can bounce a bit more than necessary
Summary
This Hana Longboard Collection is quite great for cruising but even better for carving. Its premium quality deck, truck, bearings, and wheel make it one of the Best longboards for carving.
5. Playshion Drop Through Longboard Review
Pros
- it has got enough flex without giving up the stability and very suitable for some aggressive carving on the road
- The 9-inch wide deck is quite good and large enough and for placing feet intuitively. Other than that, it is quite easy to push on the ground due to the drop through.
- Playshion Drop Through longboard has got a sturdy deck made with Eight Ply Maple Deck can support up to 250 lb of weight to accommodate teenage riders to even quite heavy adults.
- The wheels are pretty big, 70 mm in size, and pick up speed very fast. So if you need fast cruising or carving hard on the road, the wheels have got enough firepower on it!
- 78A wheels are quite balanced when it comes to softness and can go through any type of terrain without letting the rider feel any bump.
- The best thing about its wheel is that it doesn’t sacrifice control over speed. So while it can be quite fast and responsive, it doesn’t even for once let the rider lose its control.
- The reverse kingpin is quite narrow, measuring 7 inches in size. This ensures better stability and control while sliding, which is quite necessary for carving and cruising at high speed.
- When it comes to the bearings, it is one of the best longboards for cruising as they spin faster than most of the longboards out there. It picks up speed quite fast and is suitable for cruising and carving at a very high speed.
Cons
- Not suitable for dancing or doing tricks
Summary
If you are looking for a budget longboard that does not trade off any necessary features for cruising and carving, this Playshion Drop Through Freestyle Longboard has to be the one. It provides excellent quality in half of the cost.
How to Choose the Best Longboard for Cruising and Carving? – Buying Guide
Cruising is the most basic longboarding style and a perfect way to start the longboarding journey for the beginners.
Of course, it is the style that everyone from beginners to advanced longboarders enjoys doing.
As the name suggests cruising is just moving around, going from point A to point B. Nothing fancy, no advanced tricks, sliding, etc.
So, now you can understand the longboards that are made for cruising or suitable for cruising can have very basic construction.
But what is a carving longboard then? Carving longboard can be a subset of a cruising longboard but must have good turning support. Typically you will want good turning for cruising as well.
So, by now you understand the cruising and carving longboards have an almost similar configuration except few things that must be present in the case of a carving board.
Here is the summary of the different configuration first. Below this summary, I will discuss everything in detail; meaning why this particular configuration is suitable for your cruising/carving board.
Cruiser and Carving Longboard Buying Guide Summary
Deck
Material – Any material that provides flexibility – a combination of bamboo and maple is perfect for flexibility and durability.
Size ( length )
- 28” – 32” for the young and small rider
- 32” – 42” suitable for all the riders ( tall or short )
- 43”+ for the tall riders
Shape – Directional shape is preferred ( mostly pintail and fishtail ), but symmetrical shapes are also good to go.
Deck profile – Preferably “Camber” to get the most flexibility and turning support.
Concave – Flat concave and radial concave are the most perfect ones. But no hard rule.
Deck Flex – Flexible or medium flexible. Should avoid the stiff decks for cruising and carving.
Mounting System – Top mounting or drop through.
Truck
Width – Around 150mm for deck width less than 8.5”, 180mm for deck width greater than 8.5”
Kingpin – Both the standard ping and reverse pin are ok. But reverse kingpin is the most dynamic one and provides carving support better than the standard kingpin.
Bushing Seat – Open bushing seat for carving support.
Bushing – [Roadside / top – Cone bushing, Boardside / bottom – Cone bushing] Or [Roadside / top – Cone bushing, Boardside / bottom – Barrel bushing]
Bushing Durometer –
- Weight ( 50 lbs – 100 lbs) -> 65a – 78a
- Weight ( 75 lbs – 125 lbs) -> 80a – 83a
- Weight ( 100 lbs – 145 lbs) -> 85a – 87a
- Weight ( 125 lbs – 175 lbs) -> 87a – 89a
- Weight ( 145 lbs – 195 lbs) -> 88a – 93a
- Weight ( 175 lbs – 220+ lbs) -> 91a – 93a
Baseplate Angle – 50 degrees
Wheel
Size –
- If the deck size ( length ) is 40+” then go for wheel size 70mm – 75mm.
- If the deck size ( length ) is in the range of 34” – 40” go for the 68mm – 70mm wheels.
- If the deck size ( length ) is smaller than 34” go for the 60mm – 67mm wheels.
Shape / Lip Profile – Sharp lip
Wheel Durometer –
- If you are weighing 135 lbs or less go for 78a – 80a wheels.
- If you are weighing between 135 lbs – 175 lbs go for 80a – 83a range.
- Is your weight 175+ lbs? Then go for 83a – 86a or 90a.
Now let’s get into the detailed explanation or logic behind choosing the above parameters for different components.
Cruiser / Carving Deck Configuration
If you ask me which is the material that you should go for the cruiser and carving deck, I will answer the deck material is highly dependent on your personal choice and budget.
If you want to use the board for only cruising and carving I suggest you go for the material that provides the most flexibility.
Why flexible decks?
I am going to discuss the reason after a while.
For the time being, take my suggestion for granted and try to choose a deck that is made with a combination of bamboo and maple to get both flexibility and durability at a time. This is the optimized solution for a cruising deck.
The deck size in length of a cruising longboard generally ranges from 28” – 46” in length. So from shorter to longer any size can be a good choice for cruising and carving. You will find mini cruisers as well that sized 26” or less to carry the board anywhere you go.
If you want to move around the town where you got to pass through a number of pedestrians you should go for the relatively smaller sizes from the 28” – 46” range. Preferably any size from 28” – 32” range. This is a suitable size for young and small riders.
32” – 42” is considered to be the deck size that you can go for if you are confused about the perfect size that may suit you. This is a deck size that is suitable for all the riders tall or short.
43”+ size is perfect only for the tall riders. Small and beginner riders will find it difficult to maneuver initially particularly this is not a perfect size for cruising through the crowds and sidewalks. The weight of these larger boards also may cause trouble to carry them here and there.
The ideal cruiser deck width varies from 7” – 8.5”.
Most of the cruising longboards have directional deck shapes mostly pintail and fishtail. But it is not a crime to use a symmetrical shape longboard for cruising and carving.
What will be a suitable deck profile? Camber or Rocker?
For cruising and carving, the camber is my choice because of the flexibility it provides and also helpful for turning. Is this anything that you must follow? No, not at all, deck profile does not have that much of impact for cruising and carving. It is most important for freeriding and downhill riding.
What about the concave? – Flat concave or radial concave will do the trick for you. Again no hard rule here.
If you ask me which deck flex you should go for in case of a cruising and carving longboard; I would suggest you go for the flexible ones or medium flexible ones.
Why?
Because for cruising you don’t need any stability in high speed riding like downhill.
What you need is the most shock absorption support to make your life easy on the rough and tough roads. Flexible decks will do exactly that.
But the stiff decks fail to do so. It is essential to use the stiff decks on the flat road, and when you are cruising you don’t want to bother choosing the surface, right?
Any particular mounting system?
Mostly you will be looking for the top mounting deck for the most turning support.
A flexible drop-through board can turn into a handy solution as it will provide a mix of flexibility and stability with good pushing support.
So for the sake of simplicity, you better go for either the top mounting or the drop-through mounting system.
Truck Configuration for Cruising and Carving Longboards
First, let me give you an idea of which truck width is perfect for cruising and carving.
The perfect truck width depends on the deck width mostly. The truck width should match the deck width as close as possible. But again a few inches more or less won’t hurt you.
For carving, you require more responsiveness. In that case, if the truck width is smaller than the deck width, it will be more responsive resulting in easy carving. But if the truck width is larger than the deck width, it will provide you more stability but less responsiveness.
If you go for deck width less than 8.5” use a truck that has a width around 150mm and if your truck width is bigger than 8.5” a 180mm truck will be something you should be looking for.
For the cruising longboards, you will see both standard kingpins or reverse kingpin truck.
As I said earlier, cruising does not require too many facts to take into consideration. But if you want to take my opinion, I always prefer reverse kingpin to the standard kingpin to get the most customization option and carving support.
Tight bushing seat or open bushing seat for cruising and longboard?
Well, if you want to choose only one, I would suggest going to an open bushing seat as you will get good carve and sharp turns in this case. But again, this is not any hard rule. You will find the combination of tight and open bushing seats to give you both stability and carve at a time.
Cone bushing helps for the sharp turning and liveliness which you will want for the carving longboard. So use cone bushing for both roadside and board side. You can also use the combination of cone bushing (roadside/top) and barrel bushing ( board side/bottom) to get both the turning support and stability.
The durometer of the bushing is important to get the right feel while riding and it depends on your weight.
The heavier people tend to choose the harder bushing due to the higher resistance and the lighter people tend to choose the softer bushing to get the perfect turning support based on their weight.
Above I mentioned the general guideline on the bushing durometer against your weight.
When it is about the baseplate angle, generally you will want to get the 50-degree baseplate angle for the cruising and carving longboards to achieve the optimum turn against your leaning effort.
Cruising and Carving Wheel Configuration
The wheels should be bigger in size ( 70+mm ) to roll over the small obstacles, cracks, or bumps on the road. Small wheels are mostly good for sliding. But for cruising and carving you are also allowed to use smaller wheels as they fit in almost any setup.
I think if you opt-in for a bigger wheel then go for bigger decks. Similarly, use a smaller deck if you want to use smaller wheels.
If you use the bigger wheels with smaller decks then keep the wheel-biting factor in mind. Your board should have enough options for wheel clearance. Either a cut-out deck shape or a top mounting system can be helpful in this case. Using a riser helps to avoid wheel-bite as well.
To get rid of the confusion here is the general guideline every longboarding experts suggest. If your board is 40” and above in length go for 70mm – 75mm. If your board is in the range of 34” – 40” go for the 68mm – 70mm wheels. Go for 60mm – 67mm if your deck is smaller than 34”.
I like to go for the bigger wheels for cruising and carving; keeping the wheel clearance in mind.
If the lip profile of the wheel is sharp then it’s going to give you some extra grip. Probably you won’t mind the extra grip from your cruising board particularly if you are a beginner and you are not going to be doing sliding too often with your cruiser board.
If you keep your wheel size right and choose the sharp lip then you won’t have to think about the contact patch. Because the contact patch will be fairly bigger with that combination for the grip you expect from the wheel.
One of the most crucial parameters that are related to your wheels is the durometer. That means should your wheels be hard or soft?
Well, softer wheels give you more grip and absorb the shock and pass over the bumps and crack better than the harder wheels. On the other hand, harder wheels are faster. But if you go for 78a – 80a then it will give you the combination of grip and pace.
But the durometer should support your body weight. This is more important than considering the grip or speed.
Why?
Look, if you are using softer wheels but you are a too heavy person, what will happen?
Your board will slow down quickly.
On the other hand, if you are too light you won’t get enough grip from the harder wheels.
Here is the general guideline of the wheel’s durometer against your weight.
If you are weighing 135 lbs or less go for 78a – 80a wheels.
If you are weighing between 135 lbs – 175 lbs go for 80a – 83a range.
Is your weight 175+ lbs? Then go for 83a – 86a or 90a.
Final Words
Are you a longboarder looking to progress from merely cruising around the city to become more of an advanced rider? I have covered our top picks of best longboards for cruising and carving here and what makes them so great in the first place. So, if you need a good quality longboard that can be used for both cruising and carving, this is the guide you are looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are drop through longboards good for cruising and carving?
Drop through longboards are very suitable for cruising and carving. The lowered center of gravity helps to have the rider better stability and control while carving or cruising. It is also very easy to push on the drop through longboards as you are close to the ground and don't take too much energy.
What's the best-shaped longboard deck for cruising and making turns?
Pintail and drop through decks are considered to be the best shapes for a longboard when it comes to cruising and making turns. These tend to provide riders a better turnability while making turns while ensuring enough stability.
What should be the deck configuration for cruising longboard?
When it comes to the deck configuration for cruising longboard, a deck between 32 inches to 42 is considered the ideal size for cruising. But it is recommended not to go for a longboard that is less than 36 inches. As for the flex, you should be aiming for a deck with medium to a bit stiffer flex but not too stiff.
What should be the truck configuration for cruising longboard?
For the truck configuration for cruising longboard, you should be eyeing a longboard with a reverse kingpin truck for cruising because longboards with a reverse kingpin truck tend to be better at carving and more responsive.
What should be the wheel configuration for cruising longboard?
The wheel of an ideal cruising longboard should be moderate-sized or between 70 mm to 75 mm. Anything longer than that might be more comfortable to ride but won't be that much good at picking speed. As for the softness, you should get something between 75A to 78A as it is considered medium-soft and suitable for cruising.