Update May 2021: My full review for Landyachtz Rally Cat is up

These are the new skateboards in my collection lately, namely Landyachtz Rally Cat Metal, Landyachtz Turbo King and Pantheon Pranayama.

What has these got to do with art? Well, I'm using them to move around more easily to go places to sketch.

I've been using electric skateboards since 2016. Unfortunately, currently in Singapore, electric skateboards can only be used in very limited number of places, basically only at the Park Connectors, so it's difficult to use them for end-to-end commute. Personal Mobility Device (PMD) used to be so popular that they were misused so now there is so much regulation that it can almost be considered a ban.

Anyway, I'm writing this post to share more information about these skateboards, cruiser boards or longboards or whatever you call them.

If you just what a quick list of pros and cons, just scroll to the bottom.

From the top to bottom: Pantheon Pranayama, Landyachtz Rally Cat King and Landyachtz Turbo King Dinghy.

The Landyachtz Rally Cat with Metal design (2020 model) is the latest skateboard I bought recently from Longboard Love Board Shop.

It's a 34.7-inch deck with 8.9-inch width and a wheelbase of 18.2 inches. The stock comes with 130mm Polar Bear trucks and 63mm 78a Fatty Hawgs and Bear Spaceball bearings.

Mine's not stock. I bought the deck secondhand with new 63mm 78a Fatty Hawgs wheels and Bones Reds bearings. I actually wanted to fix up the board myself but I can't find any secondhand trucks online or know what is a good skateboarding truck. Which was why I went to the local skateboard shop Longboard Love Board Shop. Big thanks to Barry and Jonathan for explaining and recommending various trucks.

I had initially bought some Caliber skateboard trucks for S$110 and when I tested them on the Rally Cat, it wasn't able to do tight turns I need for using the board in the city. I was told that longboard trucks would work better for the tighter turns and was recommended the Paris Savant trucks, S$265. It is definitely expensive but I don't mind expensive because I know I'll be skateboarding for a very long time so it's worth the investment.

The Rally Cat with the Paris Savant 165mm trucks are quite zippy and responsive but not that zippy compared to the Turbo King Dinghy with the 70mm Plow King wheels and 14.6-inch wheelbase. That's exactly the type of responsiveness I'm looking for. In the city, there are a lot of junctions so you need to do lots of tight turns and now I finally have a board, well, two boards that can do those easily.

The 34.5-inch Rally Cat is significantly longer than the 28.5-inch Turbo King but it's only slightly heavier so it's still very portable. And because of the extra length, I can actually rest it on the floor of the train/bus while commuting. With the Turbo King, I had to carry it or find a wall to let it lean on.

The difference between the 2020 Rally Cat (mine) and the 2018 Rally Cat is the smaller 8.9-inch width vs 9.75, and the wheelbase 18.2-inch vs 19-inch. The smaller width makes it deck much smaller, more compact, and easier to bring around. The larger width gives you more stability but with the Paris Savant 165mm trucks, I can say that it's very stable too. Default Bear trucks on the Rally Cat is 155mm.

The main reason why I wanted to get a Rally Cat is because I wanted a lower deck, one that's easier and less tiring to push. The Rally Cat has a rocker deck which means the deck curved down between the wheels to make it closer to the ground. In reality, the deck is only slightly lower and closer to the ground compared to the Dinghy. With the Rally Cat, I can bend my legs slightly less to push, and even though the difference is slight, that was enough to make it less tiring to push.

So it seems the Polar Bear 130mm trucks that come stock with the Rally Cat is 50mm in height and the Paris Savant is 62.5mm. I just discovered this on Reddit. So it looks like I could have gone even lower. But since I've already bought the Paris Savant trucks, I'll just stick with it.

These are how low the three boards are. Landyachtz Turbo King is right in front, Rally Cat is slightly lower, and the Pantheon Pranayama is significantly lower.

The Paris Savant trucks come in three colours, the gold/black, red/black, gunmetal and some psychedelic colour. I wanted the grey but there was only the gold/black in stock which actually looks quite good.

I don't know much about skateboard parts so I can't tell if this is the 43 or 50-degree baseplate angle. The wheels are the orange 63mm 78a Fatty Hawgs. This is my first time using coloured wheels and I was told by Barry that they get dirty quite easily. I guess I'll have to stick with these wheels since I already have them.

You may not see it in the photo but the back of the truck is actually exposed – there's a hole there.

Barry got me the thinnest riser so that the deck can go lower to the ground.

Those Paris Savant trucks look gorgeous. The curves are so much smoother than other trucks with angular designs.

There's a washer below the nut which I was told that it makes turns easier, and it does feel that way.

You can see the seven plies of maple wood quite clearly. The ply that's closest to the ground has yellow that blends to pink. The deck is quite solid. I can't feel much flex to it but I'm only 60kg+ so probably not heavy enough to flex the wood.

There two schools of thought when it comes to buying things for your new hobby. First is you should get the best you can afford. The second is to start out with something more affordable and upgrade when needed.

Both school of thoughts have merit. The important thing to know is, if you spend a lot only to find out a month or two later that you're not really into skateboarding, then it's too bad. It's the same with people buying guitars only to realise that it takes too much time and effort to learn so it's easier to just let the guitar sit around as display.

I'm saying this because the Landyachtz Rally Cat is not cheap. Here in Singapore, the 2020 model cost S$425 retail (or US$189). Yeah, there's a markup in Singapore, which was why I wanted to look for secondhand ones. In the end, I saved on buying a secondhand deck, but overall spent more because the Paris Savant trucks was $265. It's worth the money though because I know I will be using this for a long time. The normal Landyachtz Dinghy is way more affordable. Turbo King is more expensive.

My first non electric skateboard is the Landyachtz Turbo King. I've been riding 28-inch electric skateboards for years and decided to get something that's about the same size. I'm 1.78m and 28-inch boards are just the right size for me, portable, and for use in city areas.

The 72mm 78a Plow King wheels on the Turbo King are quite bouncy. Contact patch is 65mm and can go over rough city roads easily, except for off road terrain. For some reason, the 63mm 78a Fatty Hawgs wheels are not as bouncy. Maybe because the urethane isn't as thick. Contact patch is 50mm and is good for city roads too. I'm just not sure how stable the stock 130mm Polar Bear trucks are compared to the 165mm Paris Savant. But the 105mm Polar Bear trucks on the Turbo King aren't that stable so more care is needed when riding.

I don't do any skateboard tricks so I can't say if you can ollie or not with these two Landyachtz boards.

I'll be getting gray or black wheels next time.

The graphic is nice.

The Pantheon Pranayama is my second board. I bought this because I was getting quite tired from pushing the Landyachtz Turbo King as the deck was high. it's easier on the electric skateboard when the battery is doing all the work.

So I wanted a board that's lower and less tiring to push and discovered the Pantheon Pranayama. This board has a double drop design with the trucks mounted above deck and a 1.3-inch drop. With the Landyachtz Rally Cat, I was still able to put my shoe underneath the deck. With the Pantheon Pranayama, the deck is so low I can't even put the toe section of my shoe underneath. Stepping on the Pantheon Pranayama is like stepping onto a train.

Riding the Pantheon Pranayama is like riding a magic carpet because it's so close to the ground. I've been using such tall decks for years that it feels so unreal when I'm on the Pantheon Pranayama. It's so easy to push. I barely have to bend my knees.

The Pantheon Pranayama is made with 9 ply maple, comes with Paris 149mm TKP trucks and huge 85mm Seismic Speed Vents wheels. It's 31.375 inches long and 9.25 inches wide with a wheelbase of 26 inches.

Pantheon Pranayama takes slightly more strength to push start but once it gets going, it was able to maintain its speed for much longer, meaning you don't have to push as much. And even if you push, it doesn't require much effort. This board is good for going long distances where there aren't many starts and stops. That means this board is not suitable for use in city areas because there will be lots of road junctions.

The wheelbase of 28-inches is significantly wider compared to the Rally Cat's 19-inch and Turbo King's 14.6-inch. You'll need a larger turning radius. It's like turning a bus vs turning a Mini Cooper. That's another reason why it's not good for use in the city.

The 85mm wheels are huge and can go over almost anything. They also have incredible grip on the ground. It's incredibly difficult to kick the board away just by kicking the wheels when I want to change the position of the board. This board is incredibly stable.

The Pantheon Pranayama is also noticeably heavier compared to the Rally Cat and Turbo King.

I use the Pantheon Pranayama when I know I'll be traveling long distances. But my main commuter boards are the the Rally Cat and Turbo King.

Here's the pros and cons lists for the three boards:

Landyachtz Rally Cat (2020) (US $189)
+ Slightly easier to push due to rocker design
+ Significantly more pricey than standard Landyachtz Dinghy
+ Can be as responsive as Dinghy when fitted with the right trucks
+ 34.5-inch length makes it possible to rest the board on ground while commuting
+ 63mm Fatty Hawgs wheels good enough for city roads, asphalt
+ Even though it's longer but weighs about the same as the Dinghy
+ Stable ride with wider 8.9" board
+ Can kick up the board and it will be at the right height for my hands
- I wish the deck could be even lower

Landyachtz Turbo King (US $179)
+ Zippy and responsive
+ Compact and lightweight, easy to bring around
+ More expensive compared to standard Dinghy ($139)
+ 72mm Plow King wheels with 65mm contact patch great for city roads, asphalt
- 8-inch board and shorter trucks makes this less stable than Rally Cat

Pantheon Pranayama (US $130)
+ Extremely stable
+ Almost effortless to push. Great for long distance commute
+ Wide wheelbase requires large turning radius. It can't make tight turns
+ Designed such that wheels will hit instead of the deck (front, back and sides)
+ Large 85mm wheels go over almost anything
+ Large wheels maintain speed much better — less pushing required
+ Like riding on magic carpet
- Heavier
- Not kick tail so you have to bend to lift it up. It's too heavy to kick up anyway
- Not good for commute with lots of starts, stops, tight turns

Update after 5 months

I sold the Pantheon Pranayama. It was sad to part ways with it but I just wasn't using it enough.

Thankfully I bought the Pranayama secondhand so I didn't suffer much loss. Finding the right skateboard is kinda personal. Sometimes you won't know whether you like a skateboard or whether it fits in your routine until you actually use it. So it may be a better idea to buy a used skateboard first to try. It's can cost more if you buy a brand new skateboard only to find out that it's not suitable for you, or you just don't like it for whatever reasons.

I sold the Pantheon Pranayama for two reasons. It's heavier than the Rally Cat and there's no way to pop it up so that I can pick it up easier. The Pranayama is not that heavy but is still noticeably heavier than the Rally Cat. If I have to carry additional things with me, backpack or groceries, I won't use the Pranayama. And not being able to pop up the board is inconvenient.

So now I'm down to just the Rally Cat that I use maybe 90% of the time, and Dinghy Turbo King.

I've added a few more pros and cons to the list.

The Rally Cat is noticeably more stable compared to the DInghy Turbo King because of the wider trucks and the wider 8.9-inch vs 8-inch board. The Dingy Turbo King is more zippy and the board is not as wide, so it can be a bit unstable at times, at high speeds, and at low speed when turning.

Another thing I like about the Rally Cat is with the kick tail you can pop it up and it will be at just the right height for my hands. I'm 1.78m and if I do that with the Dinghy, I still have to bend down to pick it up. I realised I do have to pick up my board quite frequently.

E.g. A trip from home - gate - bus stop - train station - crowd - destination would mean I have to pick it up six times. It's less convenient with Dinghy. Very inconvenient with the Pantheon Pranayama.

For short 10 minute commute, I'll still go with the Dinghy Turbo King. For anything longer, I go with the Rally Cat. But if I have to carry heavy items, e.g. backpack or groceries, then I'll use the Dinghy.

Compared to the Langyachtz Dugout
The Landyachtz Dugout is 31.5-inch length and 8.5-inch wide. It's a larger Dinghy which means it's going to be more stable. The longer board also allows you to pop it up to carry easily. Downside will be the extra weight but it's not going to be that much heavier.

Compared to the Langyachtz Tugboat
The Landyachtz Tugboat is 30-inch length and 9-inch wide. The wider board will make it more stable than even the Dugout, and noticeably more stable than the Dinghy. You can still pop up the board with its kick tail. I'm 1.78m so I may have to bend down just a bit (no issues). Compared to the Rally Cat, the main difference will the the height above ground. Rally Cat will be lower and offer a less tiring ride especially if commute is long. Tugboat will be lighter than the Rally Cat since it's shorter.

If you're already thinking of Tugboat, might as well go for the Rally Cat unless you want something shorter. It's 34.7 vs 30 inches.

I don't think I'll be getting any more skateboards since the Dinghy Turbo King and Rally Cat pretty much covers all the possible scenarios, city or urban commute, in which I can use them. I don't do long distance or downhill so getting a long longboard doesn't make sense.

Where to buy

Landyachtz is a popular brand and can be found in many skateboard shops. Not too sure about Pantheon longboards though, but do search online.

Definitely search Amazon too (affiliate link).