Penny Longboard Review – Is It Any Good?
Penny is well known for making the famous tiny “Penny Board”. They have decided to break into the longboard market and have brought forth the “Penny Longboard”.
Its confusing as they now have loads of options to choose from. Today I will be discussing this, I shall highlight its strengths and weaknesses, so you can see if it matches what you need. Penny already have great decks with their Penny and Nickel board. Check out my penny longboard review to see if they have done the same.
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Table of Contents
Quick overview
- The Penny 36 inch Longboard comes in at 9.5in wide. Its deck is made from the high-quality plastic Penny is famous for, making it waterproof and durable.
- It utilises Penny trucks which are light and strong. With the bushings loose enough so you are ready to carve when you get the board – tighten and loosen them according to your riding style. This makes it turn fast and smoothly.
- The board comes with large wheels and fast Abec 9 bearings. For easy pushing and riding over any imperfections.
- This deck will be lightweight and flexible, but strong due to the construction.
Parts Are Quite Ok!
Deck is flexible and will last long!
The deck is super strong can last a long time against wear. It features the famous waffle grip by Penny meaning you don’t need griptape. You could skate the board barefoot- great for surfers 😉 Though if you really want grip, you can still apply it to the deck. Being plastic, the deck is also waterproof. You can get away skating in the rain a few times (but make sure to clean the bearings).
The deck is a bit flexible and features camber (its curved downwards from the centre), meaning it feels super comfortable under your feet and it absorbs road vibration. Keeps your feet from getting sore when you skate long distances. The board is top mounted, making it maneuverable but slightly less stable for beginners. With a bit of practice, this doesn’t matter.
In my opinion, this is a great deck for anybody. It can be used in all types of weather and its durable. It comes in many colours so you can get one that fits your style.
Lightweight trucks, that will give you good maneuverability!
The trucks used are Penny reverse kingpin trucks. Reverse kingpin trucks are the best for longboards. They provide great turning and maneuverability. The Penny trucks are 180mm wide, which is a good width for stability and maneuverability. I’ve heard people say they turn easily and fast. The trucks themselves are pretty good and should last a long time. They are made from aluminum, so they will be light and strong.
What you want from a truck is something wide enough for stability but narrow so you can make tight turns. Paired with the 25.25in wheelbase (distance from truck to truck), the board is setup right for stability.
Being top mounted, the deck allows you to get the most out of your trucks. It also comes in with built-in risers to avoid wheel bite.
Wheels will work great for a cruiser board…
The Penny wheels come in various colours. However, they are all 69mm tall and at 83a hardness. The height means that they will roll over most road imperfections like pebbles, cracks and gravel.
The 83a hardness means they will be able to roll fast but they won’t absorb as much shock as other soft wheels. They will be easy to push and have a good roll speed. The bearings used are Abec 9. These are pretty good stock bearings and roll surprisingly well. The wheels have square lips. This feature makes them good for gripping the road. This means you can take really sharp turns without fear of slipping out.
Super easy maintenance!
This should be the simplest board to maintain. With the waterproof deck, all you need to do is take care of the bearings. After 50 hours of riding, it is recommend you oil them.
If you ride in the rain, make sure you clean and oil the bearings. If you cannot, spin the wheels when you get home and once again about 4 hours later. This will keep them from locking up.
The board may be waterproof but the bearings are not.
Make sure you do not tighten the bushings (trucks) too much. This will shorten the life of the bushings. These should be replaced after a year. I recommend running the trucks loose, this will be a bit harder to learn on but it will improve your balance with time. Watch out for speed wobbles on hills though.
For another view, take a look at this video…
Main Setbacks?
There are a few things that aren’t good. The plastic deck is prone to chipping. While the plastic is durable, it’s not impact resistant. Be careful that the board doesn’t run into curbs or walls.
The board is setup for cruising and not much else. You’ll have to invest in a different board if you want to do a specific type of skating. The board is pretty large. At 36in it isn’t easy to take it around. It won’t be as transportable as the Penny Nickel.
Your Turn!
If you are looking to cruise or commute to work (or across campus), this board is for you. Penny have done their best to produce a well rounded board. It has all the right specs for something that will be maneuverable and fast, but also easy to ride.
This board is a must have, especially within the price point. With all the custom Penny parts, the board is kept low cost whilst having great quality. There is no need to replace anything. I’m happy to say that there are very few cons to this board.
