The generic answer to this question is that Longboards are generally in the 36”- 60”range. Shortboards are generally referred to as “Mini-Longboards” with a range of 24”-35”. Now that companies have increased the quaility of bushings and trucks sizes, Mini-Longboards have the feel and turning radious of a traditional Longboard.

It really depends on what you want to do with the skateboard and how well you ride it. You can ride a Mini-Longboard in all types of conditions. Most students that need to commute on a campus tend to like a skateboard that is easy manuever and carry with them when there is more than normal congestion. A Longboard will serve equally as well, however, Longboards are normally heavier and longer which makes walking with them difficult. If you are planning to bomb hills with your friends, you should consider something in the range of 38”-46”.

Try using a softer wheel like a 75a to 80a durometer wheel. You can even increase the size of your wheels in the range of 70mm-80mm to help you absorb the hit.

Try skating towards cracks in the pavement at angle. If you are moving at 5-10mph and at a good angle, you should not have a problem going right over the cracks.

Truck Bushings are to blame for this. Truck bushings are either rubber or plastic which are designed to absorb your turns. Therefore, it does take a little time for the bushing to bend back to their original position.

We recommend that you not ride your skateboard through puddles, rain, or in the sand. About every six months you should have your bushings replaced. Old bushings do flatten and become stiff after time.

NO. Adding lubricants to the exterior of your bearing casings will on attract more dirt to the bearing. WD40 is just a quick fix for your skateboard.

Some bearings do make noise after time. That does not necessarily mean that you should buy new bearings. Check the speed of your wheels by giving them a quick revolution. You will know if you need a new set of bearing if the wheel/s stop suddenly. The good news is that bearings are relatively inexpensive.

If you are attempting to go down large hills you should be aware that you may get "speed wobbles" on your board. At higher speeds your trucks are more responsive so every slight movement you take will do much more because of this, over corrections will lead to speed wobbles, where your board oscillates back and forth out of control and eventually pitching you from the board if you can't control it. To prevent this from happening a simple fix is to simply tighten down your back truck

Reverse-kingpin trucks are named so because the kingpin is on the opposite side of the axle as opposed to traditional skateboard trucks. In terms of ride, reverse-kingpin trucks tend to turn much more than traditional trucks making them better for carving and lean turning as opposed to kick-turning. However, reverse-kingpin trucks are taller than traditional skateboard trucks which raises the ride-height of the board a little bit.

On reverse-kingpin trucks the hanger is flat allowing it to be removed and turned over 180 degrees. This changes two important things, first it lowers the ride height of the trucks, secondly it changes the turning characteristics of the trucks by changing how the hanger interacts with the bushings. Generally flipping the hanger will lower ride height and make the trucks less responsive. For most applications the hanger does not need to be flipped.

The squeaking is coming from a part of your trucks called the “pivot cup”. It’s caused by friction between the pivot bushing and the hanger. To fix it simply take the hanger off of the baseplate and take soap shavings, graphite or wax and spread it around inside of the pivot cup, use the hanger pivot to evenly spread it around. Then reassemble the truck and you’re good to go.

No, but they will keep you rolling for longer. Wheels play a much larger role in speed. A larger wheel (80mm+) will have a slow acceleration, but a high top speed. Smaller wheels (51mm-66mm) will have a fast acceleration but a low top speed. Wheels in the 70mm-75mm range will have a good balance between acceleration and top speed. Also the "hardness" of the urethane plays a role too. A harder wheel will be faster in a skate park setting but slower in normal setting because it is slowed down more by cracks and rough pavement whereas a softer wheel will more easily roll over those imperfections and lose less speed.

All skateboard wheels are measured in "durometer" which is basically just a measure of the hardness of the wheel. Street skating wheels are usually very hard in the 99a-101a range. Longboarding wheels are usually in the soft 75a-80a range. Slide wheels are typically 97a+ with the exception of the EarthWing Slide A's which are measured differently.

Softer wheels (75a-80a) will offer a much smoother ride and will have more grip than harder wheels. Harderwheels (95a+) will be faster in park situations but slower in normal applications. In normal applications they will not grip as much and have a much rougher ride. Wheels in the 81a-86a range will be a balance between grip and slide ability. Wheels in this range will grip better than harder wheels but are more prone to sliding out.

The wheel you buy depends on the intended application and the board it’s going. For cruiser/commuter boards in the 35”-46” range a larger wheel in the 70-76mm range with a durometer under 80a will work best. On a mini-board (under 30”) wheels in the 60-65mm with durometers under 80a work the best. For street skating a smaller wheel in the 51-55mm range with a durometer of 99a or 101a will work best. Park/Pool skating benefits from a medium sized wheel 60-65mm in diameter and a durometer in the 90a range works best. For sliding a wheel 60-65mm with a hard durometer 97a and above will work best.

The truck you buy depends on the intended application and the board being used. Cruiser/commuter type boards work well with the reverse-kingpin style truck because of its increased maneuverability and better turning capabilities. Street, park, pool and slide skating work better with traditional skateboard trucks because of the lower height, and the tendency to kick turn instead of lean turning. Also there is less of a chance of kingpin bite with a traditional skateboard truck.

The deck you purchase depends on the type of riding you will be doing. For cruising any board with large, soft wheels will do but for the most enjoyable cruising experience a board anywhere from 38”-60” will work best. For commuting boards under 38” work best. For park/pool/sliding/street a board with double-kick tails works best. Street skating tends to favor a narrower deck in the 7” width range whereas park/pool and sliding tends to favor a wider deck in the 8”+ range.

The type of bearings you buy isn’t as important as the wheels, trucks and deck. Any bearing within the $10-$20 price range will do. Bones Reds for example are a great bearing for the price.

We thought you’d ask so we made a special page to define all the longboarding terms we could think of. So if you want to know what Wheelbase is all about, or what a Half Shell Helmet is, the Longboarding Lingo page is the place to get your answers.

Are you new to longboarding? There are so many options that it can give you a giant headache if you’re not careful. Check out our Longboard Guide to make sure your head doesn’t explode!

If you are attempting to go down steep hills, you should be aware that you may get "speed wobbles" on your longboard. At higher speeds your trucks are more responsive. Every slight movement you make while riding will cause your longboard to react differently. Over corrections will lead to speed wobbles. There are three reasons why this may occur: The first is that the rider is inexperienced. Second, the bushings on your longboard are too soft. Third, your back truck is not tight enough. Anyone of these reasons or a combination of these can case extreme damage to the rider. Be sure to learn everything you can about your longboard and the best way to adjust it. Also, spend time working your way through the grades and difficulty in a hill before attempting high speeds.

Sometimes things go missing, so here’s a list of all the parts that a completely assembled longboard (from Muir Skate) comes with: 1 longboard deck, 2 longboard trucks (these parts make up a truck: 1 baseplate, 1 hanger, 2 stock bushings, 1 kingpin, 1 lock nut, 2 speed rings, and 2 axle nuts), 4 longboard wheels, 8 bearings (2 are required per wheel), 2 risers or shockpads (1 riser per truck), 8 panhead or flathead bolts & nuts (4 per truck to assemble deck), 8 seating washers (4 per truck for secure assembly), 4 bearing spacers (1 spacer per wheel, optional), & applied black or clear grip tape (that fits the width of the deck).

There are companies that offer custom nose guards for specific and expensive longboards. There is also and inexpensive way to make a nose and tail guard: Gorilla Tape! We purchase Gorilla Tape from our local Home Depot store to protect our longboards. You can peel small strips of Gorilla Tape and stack them on top of each other and adhere them to the nose and tail of your longboard. The strips act as bumpers more than “guards”, but they get the job done for protecting your deck from impact at low to moderate speeds. They do wear down in time, so you will need to replace them every so often. And Gorilla Tape works well on ripped shoes, too!

Try using a softer wheel in the 75a to 80a durometer range. You can even increase the size of your wheels to the range of 70mm-75mm to help you absorb the rough surfaces. Combining a flexible longboard and soft wheels, the longboard will dampen the feel of a rough road.

First check your wheels to be sure the axle nuts are not tightened down too much. If you are using wheels you found at a swap meet, chances are the urethane on them isn’t helping you out very much. Name brand wheels (like Orangatang, Retro, Abec 11, and Gravity) use premium urethanes that rebound very well. You can also try skating towards cracks in the pavement at angle. If you are moving at 5-10mph and at a 30-45° angle, you should not have a problem going right over the smaller cracks. If you are still having problems, you might consider purchasing new wheels.

The generic answer to this question is that “longboards” are generally in the 34” to 60” range. Longer longboards are used for long distance, carving/crusing, freeriding and downhill. Mini longboards generally range from 20” to 33”. Mini longboards are used for quick commutes, around campus, and trips to the grocery store. Most mini longboards feature a kick tail for easy maneuverability. Longboarding manufacturers are now manufacturing quality bushings and wheels that give a mini longboards a smooth and more stable ride, much like a (longer) longboard.

Slide gloves are definitely important for downhill longboarding. If you intend to do slides or ride downhill, we definitely recommend protecting your hands. Slides gloves will help you perform technical slides, drifts, and shut-down slides in the need of an emergency stop.

If you plan on reaching high speeds downhill or practicing new slides we recommend that you wear quality protective gear. Good pads like those from The 187 offer quality fastening straps that will secure the pads to your knees and elbows. Having tight fitting pads will prevent slipping when contact to the pavement is made.

Falling is nearly always a surprise in the longboarding world. For that reason, a helmet is important. Pro-Tec B2 Skate helmets are low profile (read as: “less ‘goofy-looking’”) and light weight. They are great for cruising and carving. We recommend that you get a certified race helmet if you intend to race downhill. (And many races and leagues require them!) These helmets offer better protection against injury during heavy impact. Let’s put it simply: Wear a helmet!

If your desired longboarding discipline is downhill racing and technical high speed runs, we would recommend shopping for used motorcycle leathers on eBay, SilverfishLongboarding.com and other online forums. Making contact with the pavement at any speed can cause serious injury to your body: The faster you go, the more severe the injury will be when it happens. Leathers help prevent road rash and other unfortunate impact related events. (If you can, find some leathers with knee and elbow pads to protect your body a bit more.)

On most reverse-kingpin trucks the hanger is flat allowing it to be removed and turned over 180 degrees. This changes two important things, first it lowers the ride height of the trucks, secondly it changes the turning characteristics of the trucks by changing how the hanger interacts with the bushings. Generally flipping the hanger will lower ride height and make the trucks less responsive. For most applications the hanger does not need to be flipped.

The squeaking is most likely coming from the part of your trucks called the “pivot cup”. It’s caused by friction between the pivot point (found at the base of the truck’s hanger) and the pivot bushing (the plastic cup the pivot point fits in to). To fix it simply take the hanger off of the baseplate and take soap shavings, graphite or surf wax and spread it around in a thin layer on the pivot point. Then reassemble the truck and you’re good to go. If it still squeaks, try a little more wax/soap.

If you are attempting to go down steep hills on your longboard, be aware that you may experience "speed wobbles". At higher speeds, the turnability of your trucks is exaggerated and where you place your center of gravity becomes more important. Every slight movement you make while riding down hills will be magnified by your speed, causing your longboard to react differently than if it were still or on flat ground. Over-corrections are a main cause of speed wobbles. There are three reasons why this may occur. The first reason is that the rider is too inexperienced for the hill at hand. Second, the bushings on the longboard are most likely too soft. And third, your back truck may not be tight enough. Anyone of these reasons (or a combination) can be a cause of speed wobbles. Be sure to become very familiar and learn everything you can about your longboard before taking on any new hills. Get to know your setup and how the different bushing and truck combinations feel under your feet. Also, spend time working your way through the grades and gradually increase the difficulty in a hill before attempting high speeds. Ski resorts have green circles, blue squares, and black diamond ratings, but you will have to be the judge of every hill you ride. If you have doubts, take it slow and gradually work your way to where you want to be.

Longboards and their components are designed to be ridden, so it’s not uncommon for longboards to behave differently when not being ridden. If it rides fine while you’re on it, it’s nothing to worry about. But since we’re on the subject of turning boards: The bushings in the longboard trucks are to blame for this odd occurrence. Truck bushings are made of urethane. Bushings are formed into shapes that bend with pressure when leaning. Quality truck bushings will bend back to their natural state and keep the truck aligned. If they do not respond properly, they are most likely low-grade plastic. These bushings should be replaced with Venom, Bones or Khiro bushings. If you are still having issues, you should check your truck hanger to verify that it is not bent and also check to make sure that your washer is not digging into your bushings because of an over-tightened kingpin nut.

We recommend that you not ride your skateboard through puddles, rain, or in the sand. As often as you remember to (at least every three months for casual riding) check your bearings and make sure they still spin freely. Replacing your bearings is the simplest and most affordable way to maintain your skateboards performance. Old bushings do flatten and become stiff after time. Do a rebound test on your bushings to make sure the hanger bends back to center properly. With your board sitting grip-tape-down, press down on one of your wheels and let go. If the truck returns to its center position, you’re set. If not, consider replacing your current bushings with some that have a bit more life! It’s a good idea to change your axle and kingpin nuts once a year or after every 6 months if you frequently change your wheels and bushings. Grip tape should be changed only when necessary, but avid longboarders tend to readjust and reapply grip tape frequently.

Reverse-kingpin trucks are named so because the kingpin is located on the opposite side of the axle from traditional skateboard trucks. In terms of performance, the geometry of reverse-kingpin trucks allows them to turn much more efficiently than traditional trucks making them better for carving and quick turning. Reverse-kingpin trucks are taller than traditional skateboard trucks, making the standing platform of the board a little bit higher. Traditional skateboard trucks are more common on boards with kick tails. However, some longboards do work very well with traditional skateboard trucks if adjusted correctly.

Some bearings do make noise after time. That does not necessarily mean that you should buy new bearings. Check the speed of your wheels by giving them a quick spin. You will know if you need a new set of bearings if the wheels stop suddenly. If your wheels stop suddenly, however, make sure that the axle nuts are not fastened too tightly against the bearing. If the bearings still does not turn after loosening the axle nut, this is an indication that new bearings are needed. The good news is that quality bearings like Bones Reds are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.

Longboard bearings are generally inexpensive. It is much easier to replace your bearings when necessary. Some longboarders purchase more expensive bearings ($28 and up). If this is the case for you, purchase a Bones Cleaning Unit, Speed Cream, and some Acetone (commonly found at a local hardware store). Instructions for cleaning bearings are found all over the internet as well as inside the Bones Cleaning Unit.

Note: Adding water-based lubricants (like WD40) to your bearings will attract more dirt to the exterior of the bearings and eventually inside them, too. (At that point you will be no better off than you were before!)

No, but they might help keep you rolling for longer. Wheels play a much larger role in speed than bearings. A wheel that is made by a reputable manufacturer using premium urethane will ultimately out perform an expensive bearing on a cheap wheel. If the urethane in your wheel has no rebound characteristics, it will not pass over cracks and rough surfaces even with the best of all bearings. Wheel size is also an important factor in the speed of your ride. A larger wheel (80mm+) will have slower acceleration, but a higher top speed. Smaller wheels (51mm-66mm) will have a fast acceleration but a lower top speed. Wheels in the 70mm-75mm range will have a good balance between acceleration and top speed. Also, the "hardness" of the urethane plays a role as well. A harder wheel will be faster in a skate park setting but slower in cruising setting because it is slowed down more easily by cracks and rough pavement. A softer wheel will easily roll over those imperfections and maintain speed more effectively.

Softer wheels (75a-80a) will offer a much smoother ride and tend to have more grip than harder wheels. Harder wheels (95a+) will be faster in park situations but slower in cruising applications. In these cruising applications, they will also grip less and have a much rougher ride. Wheels in the 81a-86a range tend to have a nice balance between grip and slide-ability. It is important to note that the durometer of the wheel you choose depends on the weight of the rider. For general riding and carving purposes, riders between 60-135 lbs. ride wheels with durometers ranging from 75a to 80a. Riders in the range of 100 to 165 lbs. ride a durometer somewhere in the range of 78a to 80a. Riders weighing 150 to 195 lbs. ride a durometer ranging from 80a to 83a. And riders ranging from 175 to 250+ lbs. should ride a durometer somewhere between 83a and 89a.

The hardness on all longboard wheels are measured using a "durometer" which (in this case) is a device that measure the hardness of urethane on a standard “A” scale. The durometer rating itself is a measure of how much pressure it takes to penetrate the surface of a wheel with a small needle using a standard amount of pressure. Street skating and park wheels are usually very hard in the 98a-100a range. Longboarding wheels are usually much softer in the 75a to 89a range. Downhill longboarding wheels, freeride wheels, cruising and carving wheels, and “soft slide wheels” tend to measure from 80a to 86a. Hard slide wheels are typically 97a and above with some wheels even surpassing the 100a rating (the maximum rating possible using the urethane hardness measurement tool).

There is a possibility that your domestic package will be processed and shipped the same day as long as the order has been placed before 12 noon PST, although there is no guarantee. Most packages are processed and packaged within 24 hours of the time the order was placed. We never keep you waiting longer than 3 days. Although we work really hard at shipping all of our orders in a timely manner, orders placed after roughly 12 Noon PST on Friday may not leave our warehouse until the next business day which happens to be Monday afternoon.

It just depends on where you live in the continental US. West Coast addresses will usually receive packages 1-3 business days after we ship it. Mid-West addresses will usually get it 3-5 business days after we ship it. East Coast shipments will usually receive packages 5-7 business days after we ship it. We use UPS Ground to ship our larger orders and USPS 2-3 Day Priority to ship our orders. UPS and USPS do not guarantee these shipping times; these are approximated delivery times.

We will try our best but we cannot guarantee we will ship it out the same business day. Your package will leave the next day (at latest), otherwise we will be in contact with you to discuss/resolve any issues.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. For international orders, PayPal is the only payment option.

There’s a lot of important information that you need to know about shipping to your international residence. We can’t fit it all on this page so visit the International Shipping Policy.

Our Return Policy is designed to give you the opportunity to return an unused item that you decided was not right for you. All returned items must not have any wear or damage when received at our warehouse. For example, complete skateboards and wheels must be in the original condition in which we sent them to you with no signs of wear. If you decide to return an unused item, you will need to call us for a Return Authorization Number. Once you have it you will be able to ship it back to us using the shipping method of your choice.

Since we shipped the item at the time of purchase at no cost to you (Free Shipping), we have to recover the cost of shipping. We do not charge a restocking fee. If it meets all these guidelines when it arrives at our warehouse we will refund you the cost of the item minus the original shipping cost (for Free Shipping items).

If you have entered the delivery address incorrectly and your order has not yet shipped out, we can adjust it so that it arrives to the correct destination. If your order has already left our warehouse with USPS, we will not be able to alter the address. If it has been shipped using UPS or OnTrac, the address can be altered. However, there will be a $15-20 fee associated with changing an address for a package that is already on the way.

As long as the product has not been used, damaged, or modified you are welcome to send it back as a return or exchange. If it meets these conditions, please send it back to us with the shipping method of your choice along with a note inside the package telling us what to do with the return/exchange. Please also include your order number, email, and phone number on the note so that we have an easy way to contact you.

Please mail the package back to our company address:

MuirSkate - Returns
2929 NE Blakeley St.
Suite 102
Seattle, WA, 98105

If you are unsure if your product meets the appropriate criteria for an acceptable return, feel free to send us an email.

If you are having difficulties placing an order through our website, we can help you with a manual payment through email using PayPal. Just send an email to Nate@MuirSkate.com with the following information:

-Your PayPal Email ID
-The exact (and finalized) list of items for your order. (A screenshot would be great!)
-Your shipping address.

We will send you a PayPal Payment Request through email for the total amount of your order including shipping if international. Once we receive the payment and verify that the items in your order are in stock and available to be shipped, we will then create a tracking number and ship your package. This process often is completed on the same (or the next) business day. For international orders, we will have to determine the shipping costs before sending over the request for payment. Please allow a little time for this process to finish, as it is not our normal ordering procedure.

Sure! We love to send out free stickers! Please send a SASE to:
MuirSkate - Free Stickers

2929 NE Blakeley St.
Suite 102
Seattle, WA, 98105

Please allow 4-6 weeks for your package to return to you in the mail.

Your package’s tracking number begins to update once it is picked up from the Muirskate Warehouse. Occasionally, there are instances when a carrier will miss a scan on a package. That package will not track until the tracking number is manually entered or scanned at another shipping facility owned by the carrier. Packages are picked up from the MuirSkate warehouse Monday through Friday (with the exception of major holidays) after 3pm. (Please note: major holidays can delay shipments 1-2 days. If you’re in a hurry to receive your package, please select an expedited shipping method!)

These “duplicate” charges drop off in 24-48 business hours. Duplicate charges can occur by double-clicking the order submission button and can also come about due to an internet Time-out connection error. As long as you have received a Order Confirmation Email following your order, your original order has been submitted successfully. If your second or third pending order has not dropped off from your bank statement in 72 hours, we would suggest that you contact your bank for more details.

When placing an order for a Complete Longboard, be sure to use our Longboard Builder. If you order your new deck with trucks and wheels separately, it will be shipped with hardware and bearings. You will be responsible for the assembly. Some of us like to get personal with our gear and we understand that. If you just want a professional to do it, try out our Longboard Builder. It's fun and easy to use!!

We’ve got a rad team of riders who represent the industry very well! We’re not always looking to expand our team, but it's always helpful to get to know you! We ask that you send us your most recent video along with a brief introduction. (Think of it like a skater’s resume!) Please send your email to Nate@MuirSkate.com.

We love to sponsor events, but we cannot sponsor all of them. Please send us as much information as you can regarding your event. (The better organized you are, the more likely it is we will be interested in supporting your event!) Please email us a link to your event page on Facebook, your event flyer, and a list of activities that you plan to do at your event. Please note: We only sponsor races that are sanctioned and that have taken the proper safety measures, such as adding hay bales to the event course. The race road must be closed off to traffic.

Once you have created a new User Account account, you must confirm your email address. Please check your email shortly after to confirm your account. If you do not see the confirmation email, be sure to look in your Spam or Junk Mail inbox. Didn't receive confirmation instructions?

Not everyone that visits our website knows about our Longboard Guides. We have designed several guides specific to the components that make up a longboard. Have a look there first. If you still have questions, we can help. Please help us by answering the following questions:
1. Do you learn new sports quickly or slowly?
2. How much do you weigh?
3. How tall are you?
4. What is your intended purpose of your new longboard?
5. Do you plan to ride hills once you have gained experience on a longboard?

Often times customers get confused as to what quantity trucks, wheels, and bushings to order. Here are the general rules:
A longboard consists of two trucks and 4 wheels. We sell trucks individually. We sell wheels in sets of 4. We sell 2 bushings per pack.
Quantity 2 = 2 trucks. A Longboard requires 2 trucks
Quantity 1 = 4 wheels. A longboard requires 4 wheels
Quantity 2 = 4 Bushings. 1 Truck needs 2 bushings. Order 2 Packages to complete a Longboard.

Because you'll get a Free Gift when you redeem the Gift Card and use the store credit to buy something else.

We will contact you to verify your order. Once we approve it, you will receive a separate email for each Gift Card.

Yes, but you still need to register an account and redeem the Gift Card for Store Credit. We can help you with this in-store, but it would be faster if you did it before coming over.