If you want to find a board that suits your needs, there are many options on the market. You will definitely have a hard time choosing of penny board vs long board. By just looking at them, you would really get confused as well. Thus, its best to narrow down the choice by determining the main purpose of your board. If you desire to use it for cruising, then this article will help you. The popular boards for cruising are penny boards and long boards.
Long board surfboards are the first boards that surfaces. They were born after Hawaii surfers searched for some leisure activities during low tide. The Long board appeared as regular wooden boards in the 1950s, but the production was high in the 1990s. When the penny original board appeared, the ebb tide had become the focus of attention.
Penny board is the company name established by Ben Mackay in 2010, namely “Penny Skateboard”. This is a trademark, but later, people started using penny to refer to a small piece of wood. Therefore, even if it is not a product of Penny Skateboard Company, people still refer to the small board with the same shape as “penny board”. It is quite impressive that the penny board is still too young in the market, but because of its unique features, it has attracted many users.
Many people have been talking about these two boards because it has always been the subject of cruising boards. Most people would think that a penny board is better than a long board, but long board supporters defend their side. If you use both boards at the same time, it can be said that there is indeed a big difference between the two. Let’s take a look at some of them and try to determine which cruiser board is the best.
Definition of Penny board vs Longboard
Physical differences
1. Length and size
As the name suggests, long boards are usually longer than penny boards. Of course, when you say a penny, it means that the size is small. The original penny board was only 22 inches, while the nickel plate was 27 inches. About half a meter. The long boards range in size from 28 inches to 44 inches. They are usually one meter long. But there are some small versions of the skateboard longboard that are shorter and narrower than the original. In fact, sometimes it looks like a penny board. But there are some special sizes, up to 59 inches as well.
2. Shape
Longboards are usually sharper at the ends than penny boards. On the other hand, the ends of penny skateboards tend to be round.
3. Materials used
One of the obvious differences is the materials used on the deck. Long board uses wood. You will see long boards with maple, bamboo or oak decks. Maple is usually used for cheap long boards. Bamboo is very popular because of its elastic properties. But bamboo board is usually used for short version of long board.
It also depends on the manufacturing company that produced it. On the penny board, it uses only plastic. The tested relatively dense plastic also has a rough base strength. Although they are only made of plastic, manufacturers can still ensure the durability and strength of their boards. Another difference is the wheel. Penny boards use plastic wheels and longboard skateboards use rubber tires. But nowadays, people are gradually turning to polyurethane wheels.
4. Design
Penny boards have different designs and bright colors. Their printed boards carry patterns and certain works of art, pastel and faded classic color boards. You can also find glowing penny boards in the dark or with LED lights. Isn’t it amazing? Long boards seem to have always been in classic shapes, but new designs have appeared on the market today. The manufacturers have chosen not to change the shape to maintain its identity.
5. Weight
The Penny board weighs only 4 pounds. To be precise, some standards are 4.2 pounds. Long boards range from 3 to 4 kg on the other hand.
Advantages and disadvantages
1. Usage
The most popular usage of penny boards and long boards is for cruising. However, if you want to ride for more than 10 minutes, the better option is the long board, because it is more comfortable than the penny. On the other hand, if the itinerary is short, the penny board will definitely be good because it is so convenient that you can bring it with you. The penny board is also suitable for narrow areas, but that’s not the case for long boards. Rather, it is difficult to manipulate long boards in narrow spaces.
If you are already an experienced boarder, you can play tricks on the penny board. The long board in contrast is suitable for beginners who have just learned to make a perfect curve. The Penny board is also suitable for those seeking adventure and extreme sailing. Long boards are very capable of cruising, carving, downhill, gliding and slalom. Despite this, you cannot try techniques like heel clips and hard foot clips here because they are too wide and too long.
2. Smaller deck vs. Wider deck
If your wooden deck is smaller, it will be easier to carry. The winner in this case is the penny board. You can place it wherever you want without causing any interference. You can put it between your arm and body when you take public transportation, or you can mount it on your backpack or even in your bag. You also don’t have to find a larger space to store it.
You can put it under the school chair without disturbing the lockers. You can even take it with you during your vacation because it can be carried on the suitcase. But with a long board, you will need some extra space. You can’t just put it under the chair, because the extra part will pop into the aisle, which may cause someone to trip or fall.
Although the long board seems to cause trouble in the storage area, it may prove to be suitable for a wider and longer deck. If you are an adult with a height of 6 feet, then your feet will not have problems because the board will provide more space. Thus, you can control your balance well and move freely.
But for penny boards, if your foot size is larger, this is really a big problem, because the board is too small for you. Maintaining stability requires not only considering the feet, but also the distance ratio between the legs. The long board will provide more space for your legs to leave enough space between them. If you are just a beginner, a small area will not help, because you will have difficulty maintaining balance in a small space. Of course, there will be many drops and bruises.
The reason is that the small deck reduces stability. Although if you are already an experienced penny board rider, the story will be very different.
3. Durability
Since the penny board is made of plastic, unlike the long wooden board, it is not easy to scratch. In addition, if you are riding on a penny and hit something such as a wall, you may lose your balance, but it will not have a significant impact on the board. But when using long boards, you may lose some wood chips, causing dents on the deck. Another situation is if you ride in the rain. You need to clean the long board faster than the penny board.
4. Weight
The smaller the object, the lighter the weight. This is quite true with the penny board. In addition, plastic is lighter than wood. Compared with heavier long boards, penny boards are easier to carry without stressing you. Therefore, you can even carry it in the building. However, the long board cannot be placed anywhere. Maybe you can pick it up and keep it for a while, but carrying it over long distance will put you under pressure.
5. Driving at high speed
At high speeds, the penny board may swing easily, or even at a moderate speed, you may fall. The reason is due to the narrow truck which loses stability at high speed. On the other hand, long boards are stable even at high speeds. You can prove this when riding downhill. You do not have to worry, because the long board is very stable, and the chances of losing your balance at high speed is quite lower.
6. Price range and quality
Compared with the long board, the cost of the penny board is lower. It is the material that determines it. Although the penny board uses dense plastic, its cost is not as high as the long board. Penny prices start at $30, and long boards start at $60. The higher the quality, the higher the price, and this is also obtainable in both the penny board and long board.
7. The Grip Tape
Most commercial boards are sold with the grip tape. It can be considered that the grip tape can help you get more stability between the foot and the board. This would prevent your foot from sliding quickly. When using the grip tape, you can reduce much imbalance. In fact, using this is a great safety measure.
Long boards always carry the grip tape. If yours doesn’t have, you can easily buy the tape and put it on. It is easy to stick on the wooden deck. On the other hand, penny boards are not sold with them. Although the surface of the deck already has some tortuous or criss-cross designs, it is still not stable enough compared to long boards.
If you choose to place the grip tape on the penny, you may be surprised because that it will work temporarily. This is due to the fact that the rough surface with the zigzag or cross design will tear it. But rest assured, you can buy a tape again because it is not expensive. Sacrifice the grip belt tape with your penny until you learn how to ride without it. You will one day become an expert.
More explanation about Penny board and long board is required. For this, the following is a summary table of the most important differences:
| Penny Board | Long Board |
|---|---|
| 1. The Penny board is lightweight and ideal for teenagers who need the board to go to school or nearby locations. | 1. Long boards tend to be heavier than penny boards. |
| 2. Penny boards are often unstable. | 2. Long board has higher stability than penny board, which makes it the best choice for novices. |
| 3. Penny boards are often not so wide, so they are not very comfortable for people with big feet. | 3. These skateboards are wider than a penny board. Thus, people with big feet usually enjoy long board skateboarding a lot. |
| 4. Since the penny board is made of plastic, it is completely waterproof. On the other hand, they are also very durable. | 4. Since the long board is made of wood, it isn't completely waterproof. Nevertheless, they are often durable. |
Penny board cruiser vs. long board Q/A
1. What's better penny board or long board?
If you need to skate at a crowded area, then that’s the only place where the Penny Board is really better than Long board. In this case, the small size makes the Penny Board a good choice.
2. Are Penny boards easier?
The Penny Board wheels are very small (this makes them slower and requires more propulsion). They are also made of urethane, which is cheap and has low performance. This further reduces their driving speed, making long distance cruising on the Penny more difficult.
3. Penny board vs. longboard for beginners: which is easier?
For most medium-sized riders (5 feet 5 inches to 6 feet), skateboarding is easier than Penny riding. Especially if you have never stepped on a skateboard, long board or Penny Board before. The main reason for this is that the standing platform of Penny Boards is very small. And the shape is super narrow, which makes balancing more difficult. Moving too far or retreating too far means losing control or leaning forward.
4. Which is faster penny board or long board?
Long boards usually run faster than Penny boards when riding downhill. This is mainly due to their components. More importantly, Long boards are much more stable than Penny boards, which allows better control of high-speed driving. This greatly reduces the difficulty of riding downhill as well.
5. Penny board vs. long board: which is best for cruising?
The bigger wheel size used on the Long board will also be easier to roll over rocks, cracks and bumps. While the Penny Board with small wheels will hang on the cracks and rocks. This will often accidentally bend you forward (possibly making you hit your face). Riding a penny board also requires more attention.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, both penny boards and long boards have their own unique features. Thus, you will have to decide which board best suits your needs. If you are a beginner, first seek for a board that’s more suitable for learning. First buy a long board, then in the future, if you want a smaller board for tricks, you can now buy a penny board. At least you must have mastered how to balance and get used to smaller boards.
