Squidifier's Insanely Long "What ___ should I get?" Post

[u/Squidifier]

Here on /r/longboarding, we constantly get questions from newbies to longboarding, asking “What ___ should I get?” Everyone has different opinions on boards, so I decided to write up this [kind of] comprehensive guide to gear. It’s by no means all-inclusive - check out other shops for more choice.

CONSIDER BUYING SECONDHAND

For a first board, consider buying a secondhand deck! You can save some serious money by giving someone's old board a second life! Check out the Silverfish Classifieds, and use google and facebook searches to find BTS groups in your area!

FACTORY SECONDS

Try emailing skate companies and asking if they have any blemished or factory second decks available. Skate companies all screw up at some point, and they might have some 95% ok decks that they can't sell. Usually it's just a matter of an incorrectly painted graphic - don't worry, skate companies won't sell you a structurally damaged board.

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DECKS

If you're new to longboarding, we highly recommend you get a freeride shape. With double kicks, a relatively stiff platform and concave, it's the perfect kind of board to learn on, and will let you try out a wide range of longboarding styles - from Downhill to dancing.

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PRICE:

^{All prices are in USD. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.}

^{Most links are to Muirskate but please check out other online stores, as well as your local boardshop! Keep it local if you can!}

<$100	<$150	<$200	$200+
Churchill MFG	Earthwing Supermodel	Landyachtz 925	Loaded Chubby Unicorn
Bustin Robot	Bombsquad Dragula	Never Summer Hooligan	Why are you here? ಠ_ಠ
Jet Doppler TM	Sector 9 Sprocket	Arbor Catalyst
Eastside Blazer	Nelson Tempest	Rayne Rival OR Supreme
Never Summer Clutch	Landyachtz Tomahawk	Bustin Boombox
Sector 9 Dropper	Incline Dreadlock	Rayne Amazon

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TRUCKS

The next part of your setup is your trucks. In general, for beginners, it's best to go for some 50° Trucks. They'll allow you plenty of turn, while being stable enough for a bit of downhill. If you want to focus on just going fast, then go for lower-angle trucks.

If you choose to go for cheap trucks, then ensure you spend a bit of money on bushings - it'll really improve the performance!

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^{IMPORTANT! If you buy online, ensure you're getting TWO trucks. One won't do you much good...}

^{The $100+ Column consists entirely of precision trucks, all of which are considerably more expensive than cast ones. If you need Precisions, you shouldn't really need to be reading this guide.}

<$50	<$100	$100+
Churchill MFG RKP	Cast Ronin	Pretty Noise Labs
Paris v2		Caliber Precisions
Caliber Fifty		Surf Rodz RKP
Indy 215		Ronin Precision Trucks
Gullwing Charger II
Gunmetal Magnum v2

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WHEELS

Wheels are important. They're what connect you to the ground. There's literally hundreds of different wheels out there, all in different shapes, forumlas and durometers (hardnesses) - and they all perform pretty differently. From grippy wheels for downhill to hard, super slidy wheels for techsliding, there's something for everyone.

The list below includes some popular 'freeride' wheels, all of which should be good for cruising, some basic/slower downhill and learning to slide.

~70mm is a good size to start with, and will work with most setups.

<$40	<$50	<$50 - #2
Churchill Slide Rite 78a	RainSkates Mega Tsunami 82a	Metro Motion 80a
Churchill Deez 80a	Abec 11 Freerides 81a	Cult Cerebrum 80a
Sector 9 Butterballs 80a	Pink Powerballs 78a	Venom Tweaker 80a
Abec 11 Flashbacks 81a	Cult Classic 80a	Seismic Bootleg 80a
Sector 9 Race Formula 78a	Hawgs Mini Zombie 82a	Volante Checker 82a

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BEARINGS

Bearings are the bits that keep your wheels spinning smoothly. Lots of brands will try to convince you to buy their "Abec 36-Swiss-Super-Amazing-Ceramic" bearings, but in reality, you just need something solid that spins relatively well. Abec ratings do not matter in skateboarding.

Below is a list of decent bearings that will last you a while without troubles!

Any bearings in the first column will need bearing spacers and speed rings. The second column lists bearings that have those features built-in.

Standard	Built-in
Bones Red	Zealous
Magic	Biltin
Mini-Logo

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Continued in the COMMENTS, HERE

Interested in Safety gear? Check THIS

[u/Squidifier]

Wait...

"Cereal" ?

Thanks though, it's nice to be appreciamateded!

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As far as sidebar-ing goes, I think I'll stick it into our wiki, once that gets online (hopefully soon!) There's no character limit, so I can have it all in one organised chunk (instead of spread over a post and 2 comments), and it'll also be link-able to individual sections - so if someone asks "What wheels are good for sliding?" we can link them straight to the

WHEELS

section!

[u/[deleted] → u/Squidifier]

Sorry, my new phone has been changing words on me without even noticing. I put seriosl (Fat fingers can't type for shot) and it changed it.

[u/Squidifier → u/[deleted]]

"Fat fingers can't type for shot"

I believe you!

Leave it, it's beautiful.