Quest Super Cruiser Review: Spuper Ginormous!
I speak from experience when I say that almost everyone, when they start out at skateboarding, will look at the complete boards in a box store and wonder if they differ much from the more expensive completes at skate shops.
The short answer is, yes, they do.
The high-quality components on premium complete longboards will last longer and generally outperform those on their more affordable brethren. If you are a beginning skater and considering buying one of these longboards anyway, don’t let a perceived lack of quality scare you off. You may be on to something.
So does Quest Super Cruiser lives up to the hype? The answer depends on your skill level and what you plan on doing with the board.
Table of Contents
Who’s This Cruiser for?
Cruisers are top-mount boards, where the deck sits on top of the trucks in the traditional fashion. The purpose of a cruiser is evident in the name, but the Super Cruiser is another animal.
It fits the bill in being a great around-town longboard, and as a means for getting from point A to point B, this super-long board is an interesting option.
Click Here for Arbor Pocket Rocket’s Pricing, Pictures on Amazon.comWhile certainly not ideal for carving, thanks to a long wheel base and a lack of flex, it is a reasonable option for beginning skaters who are in it for transportation and exercise. The Super Cruiser will up the fun factor in your short commutes, though finding a place to stow it in class or at the office will be a challenge.
What’s To Like?
• Solid deck with nice concave, kick tail and nose
• Affordable price makes upgrades painless
• Not too fast at first, upgrades will help as you improve
• Large size gives good platform for learning/getting your feet under you
You will soon see that the super cruiser’s size is listed as both a benefit and a detraction. The reason: Whether the length of this board is a positive or a negative greatly on your own point of view.
As a beginner, the 44-inch length will provide you with a stable platform to stand on, and you will easily see the effects of different foot placements.
The deck itself is solidly made, and the tail and nose kick are nice to have. The bearings may be slow, but this, too, can benefit a beginner, keeping things neatly (and safely) under control. I often suggest that new riders tighten the axle nuts a bit as they learn, so they won’t go faster than they can control.
Additionally, the low cost of this board makes the Super Cruiser an affordable option for anyone considering getting a first longboard.
In the unlikely event that you find out you don’t like skateboarding, you will not be out hundreds of dollars. And the money you save can be used to purchase the upgrades in components that will make the Super Cruiser come to life.
What’s NOT to Like?
• Wheel bite
• Slow bearings
• Inconsistent setup from factory
• Wear items wear quickly (grip tape, bearings, bushings)
• Deck wood issues
I’ve heard people claim their deck splits between the layers, but this is an odd occurrence for a longboard at any price. I personally had that happen to one of my first (generic) boards, but then, I let it get wet.
It may not be that these new riders let this happen to their board; it could have happened during shipping. If no moisture was involved, then this is truly a point of concern. But if it is a manufacturing problem, you would think it would happen to all Quest boards. It does not.
Other customer complaints include a tendency toward wheel bite (wheel-on-board), noisy trucks and slow bearings. But, these issues sound suspiciously like inconsistent factory set up. The nuts and bolts on a skateboard require continuous adjustment, and factories are not known to do these things with any consistency.
Another common complaint is that the grip tape, bearings and bushings all wear out too fast. Again, this is a typical skateboarding issue. Peeling grip tape may be an eye sore, but it is easily replaced.
These are all wear items, and companies like Quest keep prices low by skimping on component quality in these areas. There are high-quality aftermarket options available for all the wear items on a skateboard, and your personal choices in these areas will make your board your own.
Parts and Quality
Cruise Missile or Cruise Ship?
With the Super Cruiser, Quest seems to have taken the term longboard quite literally. This thing is truly massive. Any cruiser over about 34” is big, but the Quest Super Cruiser comes in at 44 inches. The Super Cruiser is in line with some other over-sized commuters, though.
Wheels & Trucks – Above Average for The Price
The Super Cruiser, like all Quest boards, utilizes Quest wheels and trucks. The wheels are 70 mm, with an 80A durometer. The word on the street is these wheels will go plenty fast enough to strike fear in an inexperienced skater, but they have drawbacks.
They are a bit hard for their purpose, cannot take much abuse without chipping, and tend to bite on small pieces of street debris (pebbles, twigs, etc.).
But for a longboard of this price, they are better than average. The trucks are aluminum, and have 7-inch hangers. They are an obviously generic component, and their stiff and oddly shaped bushings can be noisy, but they are solid.
Despite their limitations, the Quest trucks are fine for beginners, because any lack of turn-in ability will go unnoticed. The ABEC 7 bearings are generic as well, and will require an upgrade sooner rather than later.
Upgrading The Deck – Yes or No?
But the meat on the Super Cruiser plate, and its main attraction is the deck. It is solidly built, has some kick (uplift) on the nose and tail, and wheel wells to reduce the chance of wheel bite. It is comprised of seven layers of mostly cold-climate maple, with a bamboo bottom layer lending flex and aesthetics.
Even with the bamboo, though, the Super Cruiser will barely flex. While this further limits its ability to carve, a lack of flex may benefit a beginning rider because flex in a longboard can be unsettling at first.
Not the Only Fish in the Sea
If you are in the market for a longboard like the Super Cruiser, it may be worth looking around a bit. There are other cruiser-style longboards of this size out there, like this Ten Toes Emporium Zed cruiser, which even shares a price point with the Quest. If money is not an issue, then this Globe Kaguya on Amazon may float your boat.
If you like everything about the Super Cruiser except its enormity, check out the Super Cruiser Remix. It has everything its bigger brother has, but comes in at just 36 inches long, a more typical length for a board of this type.
And, if you have a true aversion to size, the Super Cruiser Mini measures a scant 26 inches in length.
Here are similar longboard brands you might enjoy :
Can You Trust Quest?
Quest is owned by the Made in Mars brand. Its stablemates in this group include Body Glove, Tiki Shark, and the girl-focused Pom Pom skateboards. One of the O.G. skateboard companies, Bahne, is also under the Made in Mars umbrella. Quest makes a wide variety of longboards and claims to focus on “style, quality, and attitude” as its brand mission.
Thanks to high praise and positive user reviews like this one on Youtube, the Quest brand is becoming synonymous with affordable, entry-level products.
Should You Go For It?
The Quest Super Cruiser is a super-sized longboard that fulfills its mission in life well. While it would certainly feel clunky and slow to someone with years of skating under their belt, as a beginner’s board, it has merit.
It is priced to appeal to those questioning (Link to Amazon.com) whether they want or need to buy a longboard, and it will reward those who take the plunge with a mellow experience that is just a taste of what skating has to offer.
True, there are better-quality longboards on the market that will absolutely fly the first time urethane touches pavement, but that quality comes at a price. As the components wear out and your skills improve — inevitable on any longboard no matter how pricey — purchasing aftermarket components will liven up the riding experience.
In the end, the well-built and unusual deck may last years, and your Super Cruiser will be your keepsake from your first steps into the world of longboard skating.
