Longboards are awesome and entertaining methods of transportation. Although in comparison to other methods of commuting, how fast are longboards?
Typically, longboards are known to be much faster than their skateboard counterpart, due to large wheels and wheelbase. So how fast can you go on a longboard?
It is known whilst cruising, you average between 5 – 6 MPH whilst cruising on your longboard, however downhill longboards can reach up to 60 MPH! So how fast you can travel on a longboard is dependant on your style.
Table of Contents
- What Is A Longboards Top Speed?
- Can Weight Effect Your Longboard Speed?
- How Can The ‘Speed Boarding Tuck’ Effect Top Speed
- How To Gain Speed On Flat Ground
- How To Brake On A Longboard At Speed
- What Are The Best Type Of Longboards For Speed
- How To Avoid Speed Wobbles On A Longboard
- Conclusion – How Fast Are Longboards
What Is A Longboards Top Speed?
The first factor that you need to bear in mind about a longboard’s top speed, is that this can be influenced depending on your style, ability and gradients that you choose to ride on. Moreover your own weight and your longboard components can influence the speed performance of your longboard too.
When commuting around town on your longboard, you can expect yourself to be cruising from speeds of around 4 MPH to around 15 MPH at the top range. However if you find yourself to be a downhill longboard skater, then dependant on the gradient of the hill your skating, you can expect anything from around 25 MPH to 55 MPH!
The more experienced downhill skaters can expect to even reach around 65 MPH +. When compared to other methods of transport, it really does put it into perspective to how fast you can actually go! – considering you’re essentially only a plank of wood.
Some professional riders have even reached speeds of up to 80 MPH +!
Can Weight Effect Your Longboard Speed?
Before asking the question of how fast are longboards, on factor that is constantly a variable in discussing this, is the skaters weight. A skater’s weight can have a profound effect on your speed, as a heavier rider will be faster in a straight line.
Although you may experience that in the curves that the lighter skater may be able to hold a line, without sliding outwards. Another interesting fact is that some skaters who have a lighter frame, choose to purchase heavier longboards in order to counter this.
Ultimately due to the fact that a skater’s weight can counter air-resistance and maintain more speed, which can counter wheels friction too, it can be more beneficial to be a heavier skater.
How Can The ‘Speed Boarding Tuck’ Effect Top Speed
A great method of increasing your top speed on a longboard, is via practising the technique of tucking. Tucking is when you get into a position on your longboard when you reduce your body’s air resistance.
By making your body more aerodynamic, then you can increase acceleration and top speed. A better tuck technique, will increase your speed significantly.
How To Perform A ‘Tuck’ On A Longboard
To preform the best tuck on a longboard, you’ll need to tuck your rear knee behind your front knee, whilst leaning into your front thigh. Whilst doing this and if you feel in control at high speeds, try keeping your arms.
Other alternatives to performing a ‘tuck’ on a longboard include:
- Position your rear knee against your front calf.
- Position your rear knee onto the deck behind your front knee.
- Place your back knee behind your front ankle, with your back bent, with a lowered position.
If you learn to perform the tuck effectively, then it will enable you to skate at higher speeds, especially whilst on those longer sessions and on downhill gradients.
Whilst wanting to know how fast are longboards, you’ll also be probably thinking about how to brake on a longboard whilst skating at a high-speed. Braking is essential when it comes to safety and stopping without injury on a longboard.
The easiest method of stopping s through foot braking, which is when you drag your foot across the ground in order to come to a complete stop. This will slow you down through friction and is most effective at slow speeds. It’s important that you purchase a good pair of longboard shoes that are durable enough to withstand this.
An alternative method of braking on a longboard is through the use of sliding. This is more associated with experienced skaters, as you’ll need to be comfortable on your longboard to perform this. A pair of slide gloves may also give you more confidence when performing a slide.
Moreover, the act of sliding involves you shifting your longboard sideways, perpendicular in fact to the downwards gradient of the slope you’re on. This then enables the wheels to loose their grip and to begin a slide, this act makes your Urethane wheels lose grip and slow down.
If you’re searching for a longboard with the most suitable capabilities for speed, then its best that you focus on aspects such as stability and agility when it comes to turning.
This is because you want your longboard to be able to preform well in the corners via pumping and carving, so you can keep up a high average speeds whilst going downhills.
The problem with longboards is trying to find the balance between speed and stability, as there’s a trade-off in this situation. This is why we recommend that if you’re a beginner you should find a more stable longboard, the best type of stable board would be a drop-through longboard in this situation.
Drop-through boards are better in this circumstance, as they are more commonly than not much wider and heavier, giving you more control and comfort whilst skating.
In addition to that, due to their truck placement and design in relation to a the larger deck, however larger longboards can be associated with more difficulty with turning.
It’s also important that you choose to have larger diameter longboard wheels if you want to reach higher top speeds.
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