Top Mount Longboards come in a few varieties to suit different riding styles.
Most Longboards are top-mounted, where the trucks are mounted to the underside of the deck.
The only alternative to top-mounted longboards is Drop Through Longboards, where the deck has cutouts, and the trucks sit through and are mounted to the Top.
Drop Through Longboards are lower to the ground and more stable than Top-mounted Longboards.
Top Mounted Longboards have more leverage and turn sharper than Drop through. They wobble at speed, though, and the faster they travel, the more skill required to keep control.
Wider stances are possible with Top Mounted. For example, riders can position their feet over the trucks rather than short of them.
Wheel Bite can and does occur with Top-mounted Longboards. The rider leans too hard into the deck, which touches the wheel.
Wheel bite isn’t a significant concern. There are several ways to overcome it. Fit risers to make the deck sit higher, use smaller wheels, buy a deck with wheel wells or get to know your board and lean accordingly, enough to execute turns not too much to touch the wheels.
The Top Mounted Longboard you pick will depend on your riding style.
Top-mounted Longboards are optimal for most Longboarding disciplines, although there isn’t one size that fits all riding styles.
Some Longboarders prefer the lower centre of gravity provided by Drop Through or Drop Down Longboards. Commuting is a good example. A lower deck is easier to push over long distances.
Top Mounted Longboards come in various shapes such as Pintail, Twin Tipped, Single Kick and Twin Kick, with different camber and rocker profiles from flat to deep.
Each shape lends itself to different styles of riding.
Your riding style establishes the best type of Top Mounted Longboard for you.
Cruising
Top Mounted trucks provide a surfy feel and sharper turning, essential in urban settings.
The addition of a Kicktail enhances Turns.
While Cruising can be performed on all types of Longboards, top-mounted Pintails are the best option for most cruising styles.
Carving
Carving involves riding along in continuous ‘S’ style curves, a satisfying method that works on Top-mounted pintails, twin tips and single kicks.
Top-mounted Twin Tips have the added advantage of deep leans without the possibility of wheel bite, ideal for carving.
Dancing
Longboard dancing involves performing creative and fluid movements on Top of a large deck.
Dancing Longboards are top-mounted, double kicked with wide trucks and big wheels, wheel wells are often included to prevent bite.
Downhill
For Downhill, Longboarding top mounted decks offer the highest possible speeds.
Advanced riders sacrifice stability (drop-through or drop-down decks) for speed, so usually opt for a shorter Top-mounted deck.
Free Riding
Freeriding is a less aggressive form of Downhill where riders drift and slide to regulate speed and get around corners.
Again top-mounted Longboards are prefered by advanced riders who can slide the deck harder and push corners tighter than a dropdown or drop through.
Freestyle
Longboarding meets skateboarding with various tricks performed on flat ground or obstacles.
Freestyle Longboards are top-mounted and twin or single kick for jumps, grinds and other tricks.
Pumping
Longboard Pumping involves no pushing instead generating energy and momentum by ‘pumping’ on the deck, moving the body back and forth propelling the Longboard forward.
Pumping Longboards are top-mounted for better flexibility and pump.