TL;DR
Popular Models
The Landyachtz Dinghy and Arbor Pilsner are frequently mentioned as top choices for mini cruisers. The Dinghy is praised for its compact size and maneuverability, making it ideal for city cruising [3]. The Arbor Pilsner offers a similar experience with a slightly different aesthetic. Both boards are known for their quality and performance, providing a smooth ride on various surfaces.
Customization and Design
For those who prefer minimalistic designs, some users suggest customizing a deck by sanding off existing graphics [3:1]. Brands like Krooked and Arbor offer decks with more understated designs that might appeal to those seeking a minimalist look
[3:2].
Portability vs. Stability
When choosing a mini cruiser, consider the trade-off between portability and stability. Smaller boards like the Pennyboard are highly portable and responsive, but may lack the stability of larger boards [2:2]. A longer wheelbase can improve stability, especially when accelerating or braking, which is something to consider if you plan to use the board for commuting over longer distances
[4:1].
Electric Options
For those interested in electric mini cruisers, the Boosted Mini X and Evolve Stoke are popular options. These boards offer the convenience of electric power while maintaining the nimbleness of a mini cruiser. Users appreciate their portability and fun factor, making them suitable for quick errands and short commutes [5:1]
[5:4].
Budget Considerations
If you're on a budget, it's possible to find affordable decks and customize them with better wheels and bearings. Some users recommend starting with a basic deck and investing in quality components like Bones Redz bearings and soft wheels to enhance performance [1:5]. This approach allows for a personalized setup without breaking the bank.
This thing is on sale for $30+s&h(the shipping cost me more). I changed some things aesthetically and for function. The 66mm Cloud Rides and the Cloud Ride bearings it came with seemed nice but I downsized to some bubblegum pink 60mm OJ Super Juice wheels. Because of wheel bite. I put Nora Vasconcellos Bronson G3 bearings in it. I liked how the loose feeling of the 149 Atlas Trucks were but the OJs didn’t stick out as far as the Cloud Rides. I changed the trucks to Blue Ace Classic 55s and swapped the bushings to Bones hard. I put a Riptide foot stop on and some OJ Juice Bars rails and a Century Skate skid plate. It’s a fun ride and I’d imagine you wouldn’t have to change a thing as a lighter rider. $30 for this is a steal in my opinion.
How has it been so far? thinking of grabbing this as my first board to cruise around town.
I’m digging it. I think if you’re a lighter rider, you shouldn’t have to change anything. The board feel is good. There’s a lot of real estate to put your feet and there’s a slight W concave that I find pretty comfortable. Mine doesn’t necessarily feel fast but I downsized wheels to 60mm. The handling on these wide boards with all the extra leverage can feel pretty carvy but I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
awesome! would you recommend it for a beginner?
The website looks s bit sketch
It looks like that is DB's actual website. Shipping is murder though
they're 39$ on Amazon, honestly save your money. Read his post he's got over 100$ basically into the wheels and bearings which in my opinion make or break a board.by a moose complete or CCS complete. Spend 25$ on some bones redz bearings and soft wheels and it's 100 times better
I ordered mine with no issues. 🤷♂️
Looks like a great board bro keep up the grind 🤙🏼
It depends on what you’re looking for. They provide more stability but not as snappy as a smaller one. A tiny Pennyboard is amazing in that way, very responsive and nimble while being ultra fast.
Your riding surface along with wheels make a much bigger difference from my experience.
It's preferable too me but everyone is different It's not objectively better
Yes
YES, but it all caps
…..yes, after a delayed response
All preference
My cruiser board is my smallest because I like and easy to carry board and a "regular skateboard" look. I don't like non-popsicle decks.
I'm looking to buy a cruiser (~27-28 inches) for easy carrying around the city.
I'm not a big fan of loud complex designs so I've been saving a few of my favorite minimal cruiser board designs in this album.
The first one is from Arbor - does anyone know how the Pilsner deck compares to a Landyachtz Dinghy?
The other 3 are Dinghys - the Lil Yachty one looks sick to me but it's impossible to find.
Does anyone have favorites they want to share? I want to see if there's something that's high quality, maybe more unique than the main brands like LY and Arbor but still being clean designs.
Or alternatively is there a place where I can buy a blank cruiser deck and customize it myself?
Buy any deck, and sand the graphic off. Instant "minimalist" deck.
Yeah man I did this and lacquered it with a polar boards cartoon deck. You can usually see what colour stain it has underneath so you can choose your colour.
That said I just got a passport stained glass deck that's absolutely gorgeous. Krooked zig zagger is fairly minimal. I have a Threesix downhill mini Slalom deck which is sick. Arbor foundation, artist and flagship graphics across the range. Some globe graphics are very minimal. Bustin have a customiser for the yoface. Can do some cool stuff with that. Loads really.
Recently bought a kit I want to throw on a mini cruiser deck (25”-27” range) for getting around campus. I am new to the hobby so I don’t really know what makes a good or bad deck performance wise. I’m mainly focused on portability but also value comfort. I preferably want to spend $20-$30 on the deck so I understand I wont get the best on the market but want to avoid buying hot garbage.
I’m currently looking at this one, but I’m not really sure if it will work well for an e-board. I’m currently basing my search on deck shape tbh.
Mainly looking for advice on what to look for in a board, but I would definitely appreciate any recommendations that fit the vibe of the one I linked.
I think a longer wheelbase with 16 inches or more is better for handling acceleration and braking forces. Far more stable. This can be found (or drilled) on a 28" board easily. I would also reccomend a fuller tail shape because you're rear calf aches like hell on a short board over distance and it's good to have some space there.
What kit are you using?
I picked up a teamgee h3 diy kit for ridiculously cheap online. It isn’t the strongest in the world, but my campus is small and flat enough that it’ll do the job.
I’ve also heard about that with 28” but being honest I’m already pushing the size limit I want with 25” as it can just barely fit in my backpack. Would you say having a wider wheelbase is a must have or just something you would personally prefer?
I've ridden my electric kit on basically everything it will fit on and yeah a little more in the wheelbase helps especially for braking. I'm saying you can find that on a short board or just redrill as far as you can.
I've been waiting so long for a post like this!
What is the "best" mini-board for a beginner to buy?
The portability on mini-boards are soooo amazing
There is no "best" mini-board because everyone will have a different preference and some mini boards are better at certain things than others (and vice versa). I think it comes down to what you're looking for out of a board. My personal experiences have been with the Evolve Stoke and Boosted Mini X
How do you find them? I have a mini s and I’m debating a stoke?
Yea! I've been looking to buy one but am super struggling with all the options. Any advice? Currently leaning toward the meepo mini.
Never tried out the Meepo mini, I owned a Boosted Mini X and now the Evolve Stoke!
Nice! How does the stoke stack up to the boosted?
I love skateboarding so it’s the only thing that made sense to me
Riding the Stoke brings me back to riding my first mini cruiser longboard back in the day!
Reckon I most certainly will once I get one. Can't wait!
They're so nimble and fun!
Yup; they're perfect for zipping around, running errands, and last mile trips.
I’m new to cruiser boards and I want to get one, but I don’t want to spend a lot on it at this point. I was wondering what a good quality or decent quality one that isn’t super expensive was or just what the good quality ones are and what to avoid.
Best advice I can give in three parts:
It’s worthwhile to invest a little more that what your instinct tell you on your first board because if you end up loving it (you will), you will want to try a better board sooner than later.
look on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist or whatever second-hand sales platform is popular in your country for used cruisers. They’re constantly showing up on those places and most of the time you can make a good deal on them. (I’ve found so many boards at half price in excellent condition this way).
Get a Dinghy. You won’t regret it.
Do you have a budget in mind? I think £100 would get you a decent complete. Brands to look out for are Arbor and Landyachtz. I wouldn't recommend buying something cheap, you can always sell it again if it's not for you.
I think somewhere around 100 is my budget. Maybe a little more if it’s worth it.
What's your experience with skateboarding? If you've got experience and you can ollie you may want to look at something like a Dinghy or Pilsner. If not you may want to look for a longer drop through which will be more comfortable for grinding out the miles.
Hi! I have been longboarding for around a year now. I love my longboards, from the pantheon pranayama to my loaded icarus, but in some days I just want to go out with something that is not huge and heavy. I own a nickel and a penny and hate them both. They feel extremely more un confortable than my longboards, sadly. Would you recommend any mini cruiser similar in portability to the nickel that is more confortable to ride? I was thinking on the loaded ballona. What any recomendation? For reference, I am a 75kg, 1.80m guy Thanks guys!
Dinghy Coffin XL for portability. Tugboat if you want a better tail for ollies. Even better is to pick out all the parts yourself and build a custom cruiser. If your on a budget skateshred.com has a bunch of blank cruiser decks of different shapes and sizes.
Didn't know about black decks. This site is amazing, I am definitely buying one of those if they ship to Europe
Arbor Oso? The thing is 10 inches wide, so it feels stable without being super long. Mellow concave, more standing room. It is not a small and light board like a Nickel, but it sort of has that longboard feel due to the width (TKP trucks though).
Guess there are plenty of good options right now. I personally own: a loaded ballona a arbor pilsner a rocket surfscout XL a urskog fro (but I guess 17" deck is a bit radical for most) and they're all great regarding quality.
But I'm sure you could go for a dinghy, tugboat, Oso just as well. If you want a fast and stable cruiser maybe think about a medium length that is just above the cruiser deck length. Ideally peek for a setup like the comet cruiser. If you want something nimble and turny as hell go for a pilsner or a ballona. If you want a tiny travel board, get the frö. If you want something in-between with a ton of wheelbase options go for a rocket scout board.
Too many arrows waiting to be put in the quiver. It's a pain :D
I am super curious about the fro. Is it really usable for more than 10 minutes with such an small deck? It looks super cool tough
It has actually a great build quality, probably saving the best you can find for a board this tiny. The ultra short wheelbase comes with certain limitations obviously. But for what it is - a ultracompact and super portable mini cruiser - it works amazingly well. Think of airports, other large building complexes or cities with super smooth streets. Right now i set it up with 1 thin carver riser pad, C5, arbor easy bogarts. That's just the maximum limit of not getting any wheelbite for me. If you don't need a kicktail you can drill additional holes to get a surprisingly big wheelbase for this tiny thing. I think it's 17 inch altogether, probably 13-14 inch wheelbase achievable. You can definitely ride it longer than 10 minutes. However for bigger distances it is no match for longer boards. But in regard to the portability none of the other mini cruisers even come close with additional +10 inch on average.
I also have a Pranayama and Icarus.
And two cruisers: Landyachtz Tugboat and Loaded Coyote.
And I love the Tugboat. It’s a bit of a larger cruiser, but still totally portable, and having also come from longboarding first, I appreciated the greater width and slightly longer deck with an excellent kicktail.
The Coyote is OK. But I actually have it up for sale as I prefer the Tugboat so much more.
I had also considered Ballona, but I prefer a wider stance and didn’t think that was possible with that deck.
IMO, Tugboat all the way.
This thread is a little bit old by now. But I'm curious about your opinions regarding Pranayama vs Icarus. Which one is more fun?
I own the Icarus which is so much fun, because it's so lively. But I wonder how Pranayama feels, compared to Icarus. Lots of ppl praise it highly for being fun. But it's actually a push only board and rather stiff. so the fun possibly comes from it being a compact and extremely easy to push with barely any effort in lowering one's body? Or how is it fun, when being so stiff?
Pranayama actually does have a bit of flex. And I ended up selling my Icarus, but mostly because I’ve pivoted to mostly skating for distance.
Pranayama is still lively due to the TKPs, and yes, its height makes it easy to push and just a fun, chill ride.
It certainly won’t pump like the Icarus can, but in its own way, it’s just a solid pusher/commuter that’s lively when you want it to be.
Why did you sell the Coyote over the Tugboat?
By the way, is the height of the Coyote deck higher or lower Tugboat?
A few reasons, but mainly they were both doing the same thing for me and I found myself reaching for the Tugboat more. I find it to be more comfortable and never quite felt right with the Coyote’s rocker. The Coyote felt like it was forcing my feet into a certain stance, and not one that I cared for.
Edit: not sure on height, but I’d say they’re close, maybe with the Coyote being a bit lower.
Team Landyachtz Tugboat!
Highly recommend Manak Skates. Hand shaped and pressed. Such a nice person. $80 for a deck and this is all it came with.
https://jonnymanak.bigcartel.com/product/9-25-deep-ender-pool-shape-excelskull
I was just browsing their website 10 minutes ago!
Pull the trigger!! Such sick boards
Yeah the 9.2 symmetrical twin tail Voodude looks really interesting to try next. Worried it might feel small going from a 9.8 but I'm interested to try a symmetrical shape and I like supporting smaller companies. Think I'll pull the trigger.
Good dude- great decks! ❤️
This is rad to see. I've known Jonny for a long time. Good dude.
I herd 10 seconds of a song just now, can totally get behind it. Thanks for the new rec 😂
Manak is a good dude. He's given me advice on board building on fb groups.
Searched high and low for a good deck and in almost every, “what’s a good deck?” question on this sub, there’s at least 1 person who recommends DK.
So i went ahead & got one. Ngl I am impressed. Really good quality deck especially at the price point. The pop’s so freaking crispy & i seem to handle the board really well.
Shipping took some time tho but it didn’t really bother me.
Anyways, if y’all are wondering whether or not to pull the trigger on this, don’t think twice and just do it because this deck will not disappoint.
What’s the details on shipping? Options, cost, turn around?
Nice board
Hi all,
I am currently looking into buying a mini-cruiser to ride from class to class. I used to have a 22" penny board which was super fun to use, but I definitely outgrew it and don't feel comfortable riding it anymore. I'm on a stricter budget as I am a graduate student and my days consist of class and clinical from about 8 am-8 pm almost daily, so finding time to make extra money is a challenge. That being said, ideally, I don't want to spend much over $100 on around a 27 in board. Want it big enough to be comfortable while riding but small enough to carry around and bring into class. I've been looking at the retrospec as an option but have also thought to build one from scratch or just upgrade the retrospec parts. Any thoughts on the best step to take?
I'd definitely look 2nd hand. We've got a cruiser board group with a buy sell page. Maybe someone can help you out.
I'd look for a second hand Arbor Pocket Rocket. They're around 150 euros new where I live, so you might be able to find one for a little over 100 dollars second hand. You could also sell your Penny to give your budget a bit more space.
I’ll keep an eye out, thanks!
Get a Globe 23" cruiser. It's still very portable, but the extra inch will give you a bit more stability than a penny
The issue I had with the 22” was the instability, does an extra inch make that much difference?
I'd suggest a Yamba 500 from Decathlon. It's exactly what you're looking for, good quality and very affordable.
Looks like there all out of stock at the moment
best mini cruiser skateboard
Key Considerations for Choosing a Mini Cruiser Skateboard:
Deck Material: Look for decks made from durable materials like maple or bamboo. Maple offers strength and stability, while bamboo is lightweight and flexible.
Size and Shape: Mini cruisers typically have shorter decks (around 22-28 inches) which make them more portable. Consider the shape (e.g., pintail or square tail) based on your riding style.
Wheels: Softer wheels (78A-83A durometer) provide a smoother ride over rough surfaces, while harder wheels (84A and above) are better for tricks and smoother pavement.
Trucks: Lightweight aluminum trucks are ideal for maneuverability. Look for trucks that are wider than the deck for better stability.
Portability: If you plan to carry your skateboard around, consider its weight and whether it fits in a backpack or can be easily carried.
Recommendations:
Penny Board: The classic Penny board (22 inches) is a great choice for portability and fun cruising. It’s lightweight and comes in various colors.
Retrospec Zed Mini Cruiser: This board is known for its sturdy construction and smooth ride, featuring a 22-inch deck and soft wheels, making it ideal for beginners and casual riders.
Land Yachtz Dinghy: A bit longer at 28 inches, this board offers a great balance of stability and maneuverability, with high-quality components for a smooth ride.
Choosing the right mini cruiser skateboard depends on your personal preferences and riding style, so consider trying a few options if possible!
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