Atom Pintail Longboard Review
Most of the people that are buying or thinking about buying Atom Pintail are looking for an inexpensive longboard that could serve as a city cruiser. Its attractive price tag and relatively decent quality are the 2 main things that make this board an enticing option for a beginner.
In this Atom Pintail longboard review I’m going to go over its features, pros and cons to show you how it stacks up as a simple low key longboard. I’ll be also giving you some suggestions for some useful upgrades, so It would be a good idea to stick to the end of this article.
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Table of Contents
Oldschool Pintail Shape From Decent Wood!
Whilst the “Atom pintail Longboard” looks simple it still packs some features that deserve your attention and money. Measuring at 39 inches in length and 9.4 in width the Atom Pintail has a classic, old school pintail shape, made from Canadian laminated maple. Wheel flares help reduce the risk of wheel bite. The top mounted platform gives the board a lively and more agile, responsive feel and riders more control over their trucks. Blue 65 mm 78 A wheels, 8.5 inches Aluminium Trucks, grip tape, ABEC-5 bearings and all necessary hardware are also included.
Who is the “Atom Pintail” for?
This is the sort of board that is suitable for beginners or simply people who are looking for a casual, simple board to commute around in or surf the concrete landscape. Whilst not burning a hole in their budget.
If you are looking for a cheap, simple board simply for carving, cruising at slower, chilled out speeds this board is definitely an option. The board is priced at a very reasonable price compared to other boards. You might find it on Amazon.com and definitely at Atom Longboards website. Although it could make a good choice for beginners, if you want to advance into any sort of advanced riding you will want to upgrade to something else quickly or just get something else entirely.
Although it could make a good choice for beginners, it won’t be the board for downhill. So if you want to get into any sort of advanced riding you will want to upgrade to something else quickly or just get something else entirely. For example, Sector 9 Meridian can be a pretty decent complete for a beginner.
What’s To Like?
Alright let’s get down to the pros. starting off, the board features small wheel flares. Whilst Atom didn’t have to bother with this, they did so it’s a bonus. The wheel flares will reduce the risk of wheel bite and therefore giving the rider the ability to use a greater range of wheels without getting to technical to avoid them. The top mount system for the trucks was also a good decision on Atoms part as this provides the board with greater turning, responsiveness and control. You are also getting good value for money as this board comes complete.
What’s Not To Like?
- Slow bearings
- Wheels could be bigger
- Concave – slightly too small
- No kicktail – won’t be that easy to perform tricks
Atom Pintail has a few pros but isn’t without its faults. Firstly the board comes with ABEC-5 bearings and 65 mm 78A wheels. Whilst the ABEC-5 bearings aren’t the slowest they aren’t the fastest as well, and could do with a better roll speed. I recommend you upgrade your bearings. They don’t have to be too pricey but can make a ride more enjoyable. I’d go with Bones Reds or at least ABEC-7 rated bearings.
The 65 mm wheels can also prove problematic if you are riding over long distances or rough, patchy concrete. Due to their relatively small size compared to other longboard wheels, they will not hold speed for too long and will have greater trouble going over cracks and other obstacles. Id recommended at least a wheel in 70mm -72mm in diameter.Such as “Cloud Ride Freeride” and “Cruise” wheels, “Premier Aces” or “Divine Street Slayers”).
Also, the board lacks concave therefore making unsuitable to be used for high-speed freeriding or downhill riding and not locking your feet in as effectively. The included trucks and bushings also pale in comparison to other options out there, whilst they do fine as included trucks, simply upgrading to some “Paris 180mm 50 degree V2s”,or “gullwing sidewinders” will help significantly.
Or alternately just swapping out the included bushings for aftermarket ones, will greatly improve the feel and life of the board as usually included bushings in cheap complete boards are not tailored to you. Try some “venom” bushings and look out for their bushing charts to get started. I recommend a set up using a barrel and cone set up.
The top mount truck system also has a few disadvantages compared to say, a drop through mounting system. Since the board is higher above the ground it could be a bit more strenuous to push the board around may not as feel as stable as a drop through which could be a bit concerning for beginners.
Other Atom Longboards
Here are other Atom boards that cover the cons of this Pintail model. Firstly, if you love this board but wished it had a kick tail then the “Atom Kick tail Longboard” could be the way to go as it is very similar to the “pintail” except it has… a kick.
Another possible alternative is the “Atom Drop through Longboard”. This would also make an all right cruising, commuting and carving deck as it’s made from bamboo, has a drop through mounting system and 70mm wheels. This boards design and concave will make it a bit more suitable for sliding and going faster speeds than the “pintail” and may be the better option for beginners who seek to advance into more technical riding. Both of the above mentioned boards should be available on Amazon.com :
Can You Trust Atom?
Atom is a relatively newly established company having been founded in 2005. Despite this they have already made their mark on the skating scene but doing so without leaving “oversized carbon footprints”. Atom aims to provide skaters with affordable, good quality longboards at “honest” prices designed by other riders themselves. Atom provides a diverse range of longboards ranging from pintail, drop through and drop deck skateboards, to even “all terrain” and electric skateboards.
Some last thoughts?
Altogether the “Atom Pintail” is still an ok choice and holds value for the money. So if you’re simply a casual skater who is just looking for something to carry around that rides and cruises decent and won’t blow a hole in your budget then this board will can fit your needs. However, if you are looking for something that will aid you in a journey to becoming a more advanced rider I would recommend spending a little more money and looking somewhere else as this board might be limiting.
