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There is nothing quite like riding a Penny Board – not just in comparison to wooden skateboard, but also other plastic cruisers. This Penny Board review will highlight why you should consider a different riding style.
Penny single-handedly revived plastic skateboard decks from the 70s and are the household name to describe any plastic skateboards.
Many old school skaters would have started their skating lives on a plastic skateboard like a Penny.
The Penny Board Quality
Every inch of this 22 Inch Skateboard screams quality.
When you pick up a Penny Board for the first time, the best description is that it feels like a solid unit. It’s neat, well balanced and has a pleasant feel to it all around.
Deck
The print of the deck gives fantastic detail. We purchased one with a duck hunting theme monogram for our Penny Board Review. As you look at the ridges of the base of the board you can see that the design flows over these ridges without stretching or cutting out the flow of the picture. There has been a great deal of Research and Development into making this work.
The Penny Board deck is very different from the other cheaper boards out there. The plastic is thicker and doesn’t flex like the budget boards.
It does not have any concave and for this design it is wise. Since it’s a small deck you want as much contact as you can with it.
Penny Boards claims to have a secret formula for their decks. Because of this Penny has the renowned reputation for its ability to survive a car rolling over it without breaking or warping.
While we have not had the courage to throw it under a vehicle, the design of the ridges at the base of the deck (darkside – skateboard terminology) offer extra support to the weakest point of the deck.
I could not conceive of a way that the deck would ever need to be replaced with bad treatment.
The base of the kicktail has been beefed up with more plastic to give it that extra durability for stopping.
If you are tall or prefer a larger deck you could also consider buying a nickel board which is a slightly larger size.
Wheels
Penny boards wheels are made of soft plastic urethane rating at 83A. They’re designed for cruising for gathering natural momentum and speed. The wheels are broad which made them particularly better on rough surfaces compared to normal skateboards.
Trucks
Out of all the plastic cruisers, we have tried. Penny have the best trucks
Penny trucks are 3 inches long and made from high-quality cast aluminum.
All of the wheels were ready to roll and spinning freely which is not normally the case for many plastic boards. We did remember to test the tightness of the trucks and found they needed a tiny bit of adjustment. For those new to skateboard, adjusting the tightness of your trucks is something you should always do before riding for the first time. The best way to do this is with a skate tool
Bearings
Penny use a good quality Abec 7 Bearings. The are smooth and move well.
Penny Board Review Of the Ride
The Penny Board is a super smooth unique ride that we found exciting and fun.
I really enjoyed the maneuverability of the board due to the thicker wheels.
The Penny Board is super responsive and the softness of the wheels rolled particularly over the ridges of pavements.
The kicktail is fine for kick turning but we the sharpness of the carve you won’t use it much. We feel it’s mainly here for the breaking ability.
Penny Board Tricks
Penny Board can perform quite a few tricks. Of course, the Penny Board is a cruiser and not designed for skating vert but the standard tricks are fun for a beginner and advanced ones will be even more of a challenge than usual for the pros.
One thing we noticed is either you land bolts on a Penny Board or you don’t land at all.With a deck like this, it’s hard to avoid landing on them.
Portability of the Penny
Part of the reason Penny Boards have been so successful is is its portability. A Penny can be easily placed inside a backpack and was a similar smash with high school students since they can be placed in placed in lockers. You may have also seen them make their ways smoothly onto airplanes.
We loved the fact that board can be thrown in the back seat without the usual careful concern to prevent abrasions between grip tape and upholstery.
Barefoot
Our Penny Board review could not avoid mentioning barefoot riding. You may notice Penny Boards are popular with people who like to ride barefoot.
This is partly because this skateboard is designed to function without grip tape, and why the Penny Board such a great product.
We were able to zip along paths running along the local beach/shoreline. With a Penny Board, you are able to throw a board into your backpack go for a surf or so swim – and breeze back home.
The absence of grip tape means you don’t rip up the soles of your feet like a normal skateboard.
The countersunk wheel design also makes the bearings more resistance to dirt and sand.
SPECS
– 22″ Penny Plastic Cruiser
– Classic waffle top non-slip deck
– Quality colour-coded Abec 7 stainless steel bearings
– Colour-coded high tensile bolts
– 3 inch aluminium truck with powder-coated finish
– 59mm, 83A wheels for a smooth ride
– 83A colour-coded cushions
Warranty:
– Lifetime manufacturing warranty
Penny Board Review Summary
The Penny Board may be the single most identifiable brand of skateboard there is. We are really struggling to find anything negative to write about it.
The company has focused completely on providing a quality skateboard at an achievable price point.
For those looking at the Penny and considering a cheaper option, I would strongly caution against it. There is a reason Penny revived the plastic skateboard culture of the 70s and it has a lot to do with the attention to quality components and meticulous design.
If you are a seasoned skater and looking for a board a fun board to cruise around in then we can’t recommend this more.
Australia has a cruisey surf and skate culture and this board feels decidedly authentic and well placed. Hats of to Penny for reviving a valued part of skateboarding history. We love it.
