pavedwave longboarding

howdy · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 1 Location: London

i am looking for a board to use around London mainly for commuting on a daily basis.

i have never skateboarded in my life.

would an entry-level complete be an ok starting point to get the hang of everything or do i need to get a dedicated LDP setup from the outset.

please excuse my ignorance, i know nothing, except that this looks like a mode of transportation i want to get into.

cheers for any advice!

pavedwave · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 1120 Location: seattle wa usa

welcome!

this really depends on what your commute looks like. hills, lots of curbs, stop and go, flat, etc... mine was long and mainly flat, on a dedicated bike trail, with some tight sidewalk/pedestrian downtown city commuting at the end. the curbs in Seattle are wheelchair-friendly enough that I don't worry about ollies and where I would otherwise have to, I just figure out a route that stays on the road until the next smooth transition back up on the sidewalk.

i don't think that you need to go with a shorter board to do pedestrian slalom. with turny trucks on an LDP, you can carve sharp and fast through all kinds of traffic, and the main thing is you'll have far more stability on a longer, wider deck. the agility of a small deck comes at a price, if you have loads of natural balance, no problem, but a longer deck will just feel "easier" to ride as you're starting out.

as for dedicated LDP vs. anything else... i ride my LDP everywhere, and speeds from 10mph to 40mph. the only thing these decks don't really do are ollies because of lack of kicktail, and sliding because the wheels are usually too sticky. but I would always recommend an LDP deck to anyone with the desire to cruise long and far.

the main thing is to set it up right, using angled risers but not TOO many risers (the #1 mistake) you should have the deck only 4.5" off the ground when you're done. that, and getting the right bushings in front and back. it takes a little more time and effort than just picking up a complete, mass-produced "XXXXX" deck, but the ride is infinitely more comfortable and even a noob WILL appreciate it. i don't ascribe to the notion that noobs need to pay their dues on inferior setups starting out!

then there's the question of going with a dropped or lowered pushing deck over a topmount LDP. the idea that an LDP is "high" gets wrongly played up a lot -- coupled with the notion that pushing on a lowered deck is infinitely easier. my theory is if you do learn how to pump even at a rudimentary level, you spend an increasing amount of time doing so, and the slight difference in pushing height becomes even more slight.

the only time I really see a big advantage in using a dropped deck (that's a full 2 inches lower) is if you expect to be pushing up a lot of hills, or pushing up some really steep ones. and if you're not, then you're stuck with basically a 'dedicated pusher' once you're back on the flats.

luckybastard · Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 14 Location: Phoenix, AZ

nubz69 · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 11

So guys what board, trucks, wheels are you recommending as the entry level LDP setup?

Shaine · Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 33 Location: TriCities, WA

Being in the same situation I recently ordered the Roe Complete and they make choosing the right trucks, wheels, risers, etc very easy. I've assembled skateboards/longboards for a long time but I had to concede that slalom set ups and LDPs were foreign enough to me that I needed help. I think the drop down menus on the Stoked "Mermaid complete" page can be used as a pretty good guide to what works well even if you're not purchasing the Roe. Also I spent a lot of time reading older threads on this forum which was a lot of help as these guys discuss the equipment quite a bit.

stocago · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 227

In addition to the gear page, there's a good discussion here:
http://pavedwave.myfastforum.org/ftopic505-0-asc-0.php