VOLADOR 40inch Maple Longboard - Basic Cruiser

The board arrived just yesterday. I got this for myself because I usually ride a Santa Cruz cruiser and wanted a longboard that would let me ride and relax a little bit more.Great board pretty much right out of the box. The board is a good size; 40" is neither incredibly long or short. The deck is a little flexy without feeling unstable. The wheels are very soft. The trucks turn VERY well without any adjustment. Of course, as with any cheap board, the bearings aren't great, but those are easily changed (They were better than my Santa Cruz stock bearings, though).Adjustments to be made before you ride at all:Tighten up the screws holding the trucks to the board. They were a little loose when I got the board, so I used a 3/8" six-point socket wrench and an Phillips screwdriver to tighten that up.Loosen up the nuts over the wheels. They come screwed on very tight. I used the middle sized socket on my skateboard T-tool to loosen up each one about 30 degrees. A full quarter turn (45 degrees) seemed like a little too much.

I'm a 21 year old that wants a longboard as a means of getting around my college campus and for recreational use. I chose a board over a bike because the board is much more portable (i.e fits in a car). I've always loved board sports (skateboarding, snowboarding, paddleboarding), so I figured it was time to get my first longboard. Did some research and item comparisons to a longboard my friend got at Target and a bunch of other longboards right here on Amazon. Pulled the trigger not knowing what to expect.Here's my impression of the board:Deck: Deck was the perfect size for me. I am 6'0", have longer than average limbs/legs and am currently around 190 lbs. It does have a bit of give/flex that made me uncomfortable at first out of fear the board will break (and that I will break something along with it), but this fear goes away the more comfortable you get with it. Skateboards tend not to have this level of board flex because of the smaller wheelbase. Good grip on top. Bottom came with a few bumps and imperfections on the finish, but nothing a week or two of regular use wouldn't have done to it anyways. I also understand because this isn't a 'professional' board, so I'm expecting quality, but understandably not the best. Only issue is the tail/nose are tiny, so while you do have a longer wheelbase in relation to the size of the board, it's difficult to prop the board up on 2 wheels.Trucks: Seems to be average quality. I thought the handling was too soft for me, so I tightened the kingpins a bit. And then lossened them. And then tightened them. It took maybe 5 minutes to find my preferred tightness, which is one where I don't feel wobbly and can still turn. I've gone down a few hills and I felt stable after my first couple runs where I was a bit afraid about not knowing how fast I would go and if I could handle the speed. Again, I'm a beginner, but I was able to figure it out. I've tried going for sharper turns by putting more of my body weight on one side/over the edge of the board, but I keep falling. I'm gonna chalk that up to the fact that I'm new to this and not blame the board.Wheels: Wheels seem to be decent quality similar to the trucks, though the trucks are better quality. Again, not cheap but not the best quality. Decent. Average or a bit above average, I wouldn't say below average. I will probably replace the wheels with Shark Wheels later on. The bearings, though, were terrible. I followed the advice of another reviewer and bought some Bones Redz for around $10 (without spacers, spacers are already included). Huge improvement on the stock bearings without even breaking them in. It's a shame they cut corners here. Now that they're broken in, I get a lot more distance on each push.To summarize:-Board components are all average or a bit above average, with the exception of the bearings, which are terrible. I'm new to longboardong, this is my first longboard and I'm buying it over the internet without any real external guidance, so I didn't want to spend more money without truly knowing the best board to get. I couldn't find a cheaper board that came assembled and didn't come from eBay. Nothing about this board astounded me, but that's just because I had realistic expectations. Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase and I don't think you can find a better board for $49. If it came with a decent set of bearings I wouldn't have had to replace, I would have given it 5 stars.Edit 1: It's 2 weeks later and I've cleaned the bearings I bought for the first time and replaced the wheels with Shark Wheels (70 mm 78A Ghost Formula). I rode it around for the past 2 days and though I originally didn't like the new wheels, I changed my mind after I saw how much faster I could go, how mich firther I could coast, and how I didn't get stuck on cracks that would have tripped me up on my other set of wheels. I also ordered a pair of Caliber II 50-degree trucks and I expect to see improved handling since these are 40 degree trucks. Still like the board.Edit 2 (01/03/2019): At this point, I've logged dozens of hours on this board. I now own other longboards, but this is my favorite. The deck, while not the highest quality, remains the only original part of the board. I still stand by my statement that it is worth the money; if you want a real professional longboard board, you're going to have to spend at least $150 on just the deck itself. With that money, I bought a pair of Caliber II trucks for $35, a set of Shark Wheels for $45 or $40 (can't find receipt), and Bones Reds bearings for about $10. Those 3 elements, especially together, will change the way the board performs and responds more than just the deck. Just some food for thought.

DISCLAIMER: This was my first time getting a longboard, so I didn't know if certain specs that I found about this particular longboard were the same or at least similar to other longboards. Now to the review. Right off the bat, shipping was great. They got the longboard to me in a very short time. It was properly and carefully packaged and there was lots of padding inside to keep the board safe. Once I took the board out, I must say I was pretty impressed. I almost expected a flimsy, cheap board, to match the extremely low cost. However, the board felt pretty good in my hands. It wasn't too heavy or too light. It felt like it could last a long time with careful use. One thing I also noticed is that the wheels were a little harder than other longboard wheels that I've seen and felt. (This may be an issue for the more hardcore longboard riders that do crazy high-speed slides and stuff) Once I started riding the board it felt very smooth and I fell in love with it immediately. The only cons (kind of) that I found are the board's wheels being a little harder than most longboards and also the fact that the board felt a little bouncy. Other than that, I am completely satisfied with the board.If you're like me, and you're only getting a longboard to have fun cruising at the park, commute to school/work, and get girls, this is definitely the board for you. If you're one of those people that likes to go down steep hills at 70 mph, doing slides and other crazy stuff, then the few cons I mentioned above may have a detrimental effect to your riding experience. I gave 5/5 stars because this board is perfect for what I want to do on a board.

I am 42 years old and decided to take up longboarding so I began researching for a safe but fun longboard to purchase. After a few days of research, I set my eyes on the Volador 40-inch Maple Longboard - Basic Cruiser. And I'm glad that I did! I find this board to be very sturdy and long enough to feel safe and comfortable while practicing your balance. Easy to turn left or right by simply tilting between the heels of your feet or your toes. Most importantly, it feels safe practicing on it, which made learning fun. After 2 days, I was able to balance and push of one foot and roll comfortably around my neighborhood! My 12-year old son saw how much fun I was having and asked me recently to teach him and he learned just as quick! I would recommend this board to any beginner!

He was a skater boyShe said, "see you later, boy"He wasn't good enough for herShe had a pretty faceBut her head was up in spaceShe needed to come back down to earth

Like many other reviews about this board state - this is great for beginners who are just looking to cruise around the city. Without a kicktail it is difficult to perform many tricks, but basic longboard dancing is fine.