If you’re a beginner in skateboarding, you might have heard about Atom longboards being great for starters. But the question is, are atom longboards good for beginners for real? Is this brand reliable for making beginner-friendly boards?
Well, we’ll answer these types of questions in this article. But you need to know what kind of longboard is best for a beginner beforehand. After all, getting your choice right at this early stage cannot be overemphasized.
Okay, in short, Atom longboards are great for rookies who’re getting their hands into the game. The design, ground clearance, handling mechanism, and other necessary variables in Atom boards do come ahead to be the best longboard for beginners.
Let’s get to know Atom longboards in detail and help you make a wiser decision.
What Makes a Longboard Good for Beginners?
A good longboard for beginners includes a perfect length, good riding comfort, and the materials used in it. As a beginner, you will need a longboard that offers a stable and smooth ride. Furthermore, a longboard that is up to 30 inches long will be a great choice for a starter. And the material, either bamboo or maple, is a factor that determines the accuracy of your turns and carves.
For a longboard to be a beginner’s choice, those are the basic features it must possess. Therefore, most riders will recommend Atom Longboards, given that they possess all the features of a beginner’s longboard.
Are Atom Longboards Good for Beginners?
Certainly, atom longboards are the best bet for beginners as they are specially designed to provide stability on rides. If a longboard provides a smooth ride with ease of carving and turns due to the material, it’s made from, that is a beginner’s longboard.
Now, the thing is, these are some of the benefits you get from atom longboards. To help you perceive the reasons why Atom is a great longboard brand, let’s go through some points. They will explain why atom longboards are the best choice for beginners:
Materials
Most atom longboard decks are made of bamboo and maple materials. This is essential for a beginner’s ride, allowing the board’s flexibility. And with flexibility comes easy carving and turns because of high-quality materials. All these won’t compromise the heavy support you expect from your longboard though!
Length
The length of Atom longboards is a factor that determines why it is good for a beginner. A longboard when it is longer than 28 inches. As a beginner, you want to start with a longboard of about 30 inches. The more the length of the board, the more comfortable you feel on a ride. And Atom offers you that.
Comfortable Ride
Atom longboards are renowned for the comfort they provide during a ride. But, as you may already know, the kind of material they are made of is the determining factor of your ride experience.
Build Quality
Atom longboards come with thick and stiffer decks. This part of the longboard contributes to stability on a ride. Usually, these longboards come pre-assembled. This means the wheels, deck, and truck are already fixed to suit a beginner.
Components
The components of most atom longboards are specially constructed to fit a beginner’s need. These components include the boards, trucks, wheels, and bearings. The integration of these components is what makes the atom longboards a great choice for a beginner.
Below are a few atom longboard brands to guide your choice:
Atom Drop Through
Atom drop-through longboard offers a stable ride, an excellent choice for all riding styles with extra stability. It does this by lowering the center of gravity. These are great options simply for cruising and riding on mellow hills. The average length of a Drop-through longboard ranges from 36 to 41 inches.
They have about 8 plies of flexible maple, and the wheel cutouts are constructed to prevent bites. The drop-through longboards possess Area 51 wheels. These wheels do not allow high speed, but they are excellent for their traction. 70mm tall, 51mm contact patch, and 78a durometer are the features of the wheels.
[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Advantage” cons_title=”Disadvantage” ][i2pros]There are a variety of choices with close prices available on the marketMaple decks possess components of high quality
The Drop-through atom longboards do not need upgrades[/i2pros][i2cons]The best of the base-model trucks are lackluster
The urethane material of the wheels lacks feel and is generic
The bearing rating across models is a letdown[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Atom Pintail
This is another great option for cruising and carving on suburban or city streets. With the Pintale, it is easier to perform tricks. These longboards have a board length of about 39 inches and a width of 9.4 inches.
They are completely made of maple material, with the construction that keeps the feet firm when performing quick carves. Also, they avoid wheel bites and provides maximum stability for the beginner riders
The trucks here are similar to those of the drop-through. However, the length is around 8.5 inches. The design of the atom pintail allows easy carving and is a great option for cruising but lacks enough stability at higher speeds.
The wheels possess a 65mm diameter with a contact patch of 35mm and a 78a durometer with large cores.
[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Advantage” cons_title=”Disadvantage” ][i2pros]They are great for what they are designed for, which are great shape and size.The trucks are receptive, which is just good enough for the job.
It is unusual to find adequate concave beginner’s longboards[/i2pros][i2cons]The large wheel cores only make room for much urethane, shortening its life.
It only gives a short coasting distance on leveled ground, given that it has slow ABEC-5 bearings.
Compared to other cruiser wheels, these are harsher on a ride.[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Atom drop deck
One of the best choices for free-riders is the atom drop deck or drop-down longboards. This is because it reduces the center of gravity, which contributes to stability even at high-speed. In addition, due to the reduced weight riders experience over trucks, it is quite simple to kick into slides.
- Length – 41 inches
- Width – 9.6 inches
- Atom trucks – 9.6 inches axle (7 inches aluminum hangers – 50 degrees reversed kingpins)
- Wheel: Area 51 wheels (70mm diameter – 51mm contact patch – 78a durometer)
Its length and width are responsible for the stiff and solid feel it provides. The stability on high-speed and ease of turn come from the trucks. It also comes with ABEC-9 bearings, aiding faster speeds.
[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Advantage” cons_title=”Disadvantage” ][i2pros]Stable and solid feeling under the feet from the stiff deckIn this setup, the Area 51 wheels are very effective
The pockets for kick out are comfortable and large; aiding kick out leverage[/i2pros][i2cons]Since these are pedestrian, they do a good job but not excellently
The included Area 51 wheels are an attachment, which means there will be a need for an upgrade.
The added ABEC-9 bearings are industrial and slow.[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Atom Kick Tail
If you need a longboard that is most suitable for transportation and cruising on city streets, then the atom Kick Tail will be your best option. What makes the turns and maneuvering possible on this longboard is the kick or upturn of the tail.
There are two distinct types of the atom kick tail: the Green Surf and the Tiki editions. The Green Surf is longer, with a length and width of 39 inches and 9.4 inches, respectively. Also, it comes with a maple concave of 8 plies and has aluminum trucks of 8.5-inch with a conventional kingpin placement. The shape and wheels are similar to the Atom Pintail (65mm diameter – 78a durometer).
The Tiki longboard, on the other hand, is the shorter edition with a length of 36 inches. The wheels are small enough to prevent bite and have the same aluminum trucks as the Green Surf (8.5 inches) but possess a gummier compound 78a wheels.
Both editions possess the same big double-stacked riser pads, which evaluate the height of the ride. Also, they both come with ABEC-5 bearings, which can stand upgrading.
[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Advantage” cons_title=”Disadvantage” ][i2pros]Comfortable quality decks and enough cruising concaveTwo options advantage that covers a huge number of longboarders
Riders get another means of maneuvering with the Kick Tail, which opens up options.[/i2pros][i2cons]The ABEC-5 bearings are okay but do not offer enough speed and smoothness
These longboards get quite squirrely at higher speeds, which makes them a bad option for downhill.
The trucks are solid and snappy but act like tools instead of equipment. [/i2cons][/i2pc]
What Do Beginners Longboarders Need to Know?
As a beginner in longboarding, you will need some tips to help you get through the journey, from purchasing to the learning and mastering point. To this effect, here are some tips for your perusal and necessary action.
Getting The Right Board
The right board is dependent on the skill, size, age, and riding goals of a rider. So you will have to define all these to get the perfect board for your needs.
Know your Stance
Your stance refers to the position in which you feel most comfortable. For example, a goofy rider is such that puts his right foot in front and left foot behind. Conversely, a regular rider places his left foot forward and right foot behind. That gives you better aerodynamics.
Get your balance in a static position.
Getting your balance perfectly in a static position is the first step to learning longboarding before moving. A good surface for this lesson is either on grass or a thick carpet.
Learn your turning stance and push/brake stance
While you are in a stand-still position, move the weight of your body around. Be aware that in this position, the wheels are not rolling. However, the decks will move from side to side.
The push/brake is achieved with one leg balanced while the other pushes and brakes.
Get a Stable Rolling
Once you can master the preceding steps, it is time to roll ahead on your longboard. You should practice this step on slight inclines to get some advantages from the ground. Stand on the longboard while you let gravity aid the rolling.
Learn to Brake
You can achieve this lesson by applying foot breaking. This is achievable when you can stand on one foot or squat while rolling.
Mastering these tips is a sure way to start your journey to longboarding.
What Essential Gear do you need as a Beginner?
The most notable gear a beginner will need include a longboard helmet, elbow/knee pads, longboard riser pads, longboard bushings, and skate tools. These things will not only help you ride more confidently and more efficiently, but also keep you safe when risks are associated with the longboard’s setup.
Final Words
If you are new to longboarding or still getting used to atom boards, it is appropriate to be hesitant. If you’re confused about whether are atom longboards good for beginners or not, certainly, they are great.
Atom Longboards are a great choice for anyone who intends to venture into longboarding. The components, material, and design of these longboards are what makes them a good option at any time.
