While searching for affordable and high quality skateboards, you may have gone through Cal 7 skateboards. Due to its low price you have a question in mind is it worth buying or not? Right?
We have created a complete Cal 7 skateboard review taking into account some of its best skateboards. Additionally, we also reviewed decks, wheels, and trucks of the Cal 7 brand.
The reading of this article will leave you with no doubt as to whether or not to purchase a Cal Seven skateboard. Additionally, we will explain what type of riding style these boards are suitable for.
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- Cal 7 Complete Standard Skateboard (Most popular Cal 7 Complete Skateboard)
- Cal 7 complete mini cruiser skateboard (Best Mini Cruiser)
Cal 7 Skateboard Review
If you ask about Cal 7 skateboards, in short, they are good for low-budget riders. The low price makes them unpopular, and they can’t compete with popular brands who offer boards of a wider price range. Despite this, Cal 7 is still one of the best and most trustworthy brands for budget skaters.
Additionally, Cal 7 offers both mini and standard size skateboards. While their complete standard size skateboard is popular with both beginners and professionals on a budget. Due to their easy balance feature, flexible deck, and attractive shape, these boards are more prevalent in affordable skateboards.
As a result of the seven-ply maple wood decking on the Cal 7 boards, the overall boards are strong, sturdy and lightweight. It has a decent weight capacity of 215 pounds, so just because it’s lightweight doesn’t mean it can’t handle more weight.
Furthermore, the wheels are made of polyurethane, which is soft and absorbs the vibrations of rough roads so you can experience a smooth ride.
On Cal 7 skateboards, the riding style suits are cruising with their mini cruiser boards and tricks with their standard skateboards that feature a double kicktail for easy trick execution.
It was a short and complete review of the Cal 7 skateboard. If you are compatible with Cal 7 skateboards, then the below are two of the best and worth investing in skateboards, so let’s take a look at them.
Cal 7 Complete Standard Skateboard
If you’re a beginner or a pro looking for a budget skateboard for all types of riding styles, including tricks, cruising, and rough roads, this model of the Cal 7 complete board is for you.
This board is made incredibly smartly considering all types of riding, and in that way, the parts, including wheels, trucks, and decks, are used.
Furthermore, the board is available in a variety of bold colours and graphics. Cal 7 skateboards offer 1 year of warranty for buyers satisfaction, which isn’t available even in the other brands costly models.
Design
You may have seen till now that cheap skateboards have poor designs with light colours that fade in a short time. That is not the case with Cal 7 boards, as they are very attracted by bold colours and designs that last longer. This board gives the appearance of a premium board.
Graphics on the board are very unique and different, such as a checker in a different colour, motivational quotes, a logo in a stylish font, and a blank natural deck where you can attach your own graphics.
At last, the Cal 7 skateboard is designed to be compatible with expensive skateboards.
Deck
The deck of Cal 7 skateboards is one of the main reasons why they are in demand, being cheaper. The Cal 7 deck is made of 7ply maple wood with a medium concave and double kicktail design, which helps in performing tricks easily. If you want to fly the board or land, the double kicktail is very useful for you.
Further, the deck has a high-quality black grip tape, which helps you easily maintain balance and stability on board.
The deck size offered by Cal 7 is 7.75″ and 8″. Hence, this skateboard is suitable for every age rider, just make sure you buy a 7.75″ skateboard if you’re a beginner and an 8″ skateboard if you’re a pro. Furthermore, the board can handle weights up to 215 pounds when it comes to the weight limits, so if you’re looking for a skateboard for big guys on a budget, this can be a good option for you.
Trucks
As the deck is connected to the wheels by the trucks, they play a major role in skateboarding. When it comes to Cal 7 skateboard trucks, they are reliable as they are made of aluminium.
Aluminium is the best material for trucks as such trucks are lightweight with durability. These same materials are also used in expensive skateboard trucks.
The trucks are five inches, which is fine for most guys. However, heavy-weight guys might experience wheel bite in turning. To avoid this, you can add riser pads.
Wheels
No matter how quality the skateboard is, if your wheels are not reliable, the skateboard is of no use as they are the actual part that touches the ground.
Skateboard wheels determine your riding style and experience. Hence, the wheels in a Cal 7 skateboard are made of urethane with a hardness of 99A and a diameter of 52mm.
This skateboard has hard wheels, which make it good for tricks and skate park skating. But as we said, the Cal 7 plays smartly; the wheels are also suitable for cruising because of the soft outer surface. Therefore the wheels are capable of handling rough roads and cracks shock while riding the board.
Also, keep in mind that these wheels are suited to tricks as well as cruise, but not for all-day cruising.
Bearings
To make the skateboard wheels spin longer and smoothly in a few pushes, the Cal 7 skateboard wheels to include ABEC 7 bearings.
Additionally, the bearings come pre-lubricated so that you can get on the road right away. Bearings with this rating provide smooth riding.
Cal 7 22″ Complete Mini Cruiser Plastic Skateboard
The mini cruiser is the second best and most popular skateboard of Cal 7 and you can also consider it as a Cal 7 penny board review. Due to the plastic deck, this skateboard is good for cruising but not recommended for professional or heavy riders.
If you’re looking skateboard for 10 year old or under, this is the best and most affordable skateboard that you can’t afford to lose.
Design
Cal 7 never compromises when it comes to design. The mini cruiser comes in the same attractive design and colour options as its standard sized skateboard.
No matter what the colour of your mini-cruiser, it will provide you with the same size skateboard as well. Therefore, when choosing the colour, you can discuss it with your kid.
Deck
The mini cruiser is designed for kids, so the board becomes heavier if they add a wood deck. As a result, Cal 7 has added a high-grade plastic deck, which makes the board incredibly lightweight. The lightweight deck of this board makes it easy for kids to transport when traveling.
Moreover, you might also wonder if there will be any durability issues with this plastic deck, right? Well, the plastic used in this board isn’t typical; it’s vinyl plastic, so it’s flexible and reliable. This board is also suitable for heavy kids, but not for heavy guys.
If we talk about the deck size, it’s 6″ wide and 22″ in length. It is the ideal size for children under 5 or 10 years old.
The mini cruiser deck also features a single kickboard design, which makes it easier to learn tricks and apply breaks.
Trucks
The trucks added to this mini cruiser are made of aluminium and measure 3.25 inches in length. These trucks turn easily, ride smoothly, and are long lasting.
We can see that the deck is lightweight because of its material, just as the trucks are also lightweight because of their material.
Furthermore, Cal 7 trucks focused on the quality of bushings located in the trucks to help improve the board’s turning and response.
Kids who are older than 8 might have difficulty controlling the trucks and experience wheel bite. Consequently, Cal 7 has pre installed 3mm riser pads which increase the space between wheels and deck in order to prevent wheel bite.
Wheels
This mini cruiser features big urethane wheels measuring 60mm. The wheels on the board are soft and have a durometer of 78a since the board is designed for cruising.
These wheels won’t make you feel unbalanced or uncomfortable whether you’re riding on a street or rough roads. The wheels make the ride smooth and fast regardless of the terrain.
Kids might get into roads full of cracks and bumps; hence the wheels are big enough to handle that as well. Their size ensures the wheels are able to cross over any surface easily.
Bearings
Additionally, as you’ve already learned, the bearings are crucial to riding smoothly. Hence the Cal 7 mini cruiser skateboard wheels also contain high quality ABEC 7 bearings.
Skateboards with these bearings are fast and smooth. Consider also that the bearings are not too good, but as they are added to a kid’s skateboard with a plastic deck, they are acceptable. The bearings can be replaced later with quality ones if you feel uncomfortable.
We have also reviewed other skateboard brands, such as Magneto skateboard review and CCS skateboard review.
History Of Cal 7 Skateboard Brand
Cal 7 is one of the oldest skateboard brands and was founded in southern California in 1970. However, at that time, many other skateboard brands were performing better than Cal 7 skateboards. Since that time, other brands have stopped updating their boards, while Cal 7 has kept improving the quality and design, and has started making affordable skateboards. So, the regular improvement of their products makes Cal 7 one of the best skateboard brands that last longer.
Today, Cal 7 skateboards are incredibly popular due to their board quality, which is both long lasting and high performing, as well as their affordable price.
FAQs
The answer to the question of, are cal 7 skateboards good or not is Yes, Cal 7 skateboards are undoubtedly good skateboards. Cal 7 offers affordable, attractive, and reliable skateboards. Therefore they are more popular among budget skateboards.
Standing on cheap skateboards can be risky due to slippage, but on the Cal 7 skateboard, the grip tape is very reliable, though we can say that it’s a good one.
Cal 7 offers different quality skateboards made of different materials, such as a complete standard skateboard made of maple wood and a mini cruiser made of plastic.
Bearings from Cal 7 are better than average but not excellent. With its ABEC 7 rating, Cal 7 bearings allow for smooth riding. However, high quality skateboard bearings have a higher rating. Therefore, it is recommended to replace the bearings in the future with quality ones.
Cal 7 skateboards are famous for their budget skateboards, and their prices are normally under $50. In addition, Cal 7 offers kids mini cruisers with plastic deck boards that start at under $30.
Cal 7 decks are good and reliable since they are made of maple wood or high-quality vinyl plastic. You can select either wood or plastic for your Cal 7 deck. With a wood deck skateboard, a heavy guy can also ride, but on a plastic deck, only kids can.
Conclusion
We hope this Cal 7 skateboard review article has covered all your questions about the brand and its skateboards.
If you’re still unclear about which skateboard is right for you, we suggest if you’re on a budget, just purchase Cal 7 skateboards right away. Cal 7 boards also compete with expensive skateboards in several aspects, including design and colors.
I am James Buckridge, the founder of skateboardidea.com. Skateboarding is my passion, and I have years of teaching experience in this field. Our vision and mission is to provide you with accurate information on everything related to skateboarding. Catch me on Twitter & Pinterest.