Review: Landyachtz Rally Cat (2018, 2020, 2021)

This review will cover the Landyachtz Rally Cat longboard models from 2018, 2020, 2021 and my thoughts on some modifications.

This is the longboard that I use in Singapore to get around to find places to sketch.

The most visible difference from the models are the graphics used. From left to right: 2018 Rally Cat, 2020 Rally Metal and Paradise, 2021 Rally Cat Kimono.

By the way, a few months ago, I wrote a review comparing the Landyachtz Rally Cat to the Dinghy Turbo King and Pantheon Pranayama. I had the 2020 Rally Cat Metal but it was stolen unfortunately, which led me to buy this new (old model) longboard.

So I've decided to by a Rally Cat again because I enjoyed riding it so much. This is probably could be the most comfortable top mount longboard from Landyachtz since it has that low rocker which makes it really easy to push it around.

I went with the 2018 model instead of the 2021 Rally Cat Kimono because this skateboard shop on Taobao was selling it at just SGD 300 (US $226) with shipping included compared to a local shop's SGD $425 price. A $125 savings is difficult to pass up, especially when my previous board was stolen – low crime doesn't mean no crime. And I also prefer the red graphic design slightly.

Shipping from the China skateboard shop took one week, much faster than I expected. The packaging box was knocked up quite badly with holes here and here but there aren't any damages on the board, thankfully.

These are main difference between the models

The amount of rocker is the same for all models.

The 2018 model more space for your feet since it's wider (0.85 inches) but slightly shorter (0.2 inch difference). The 2021 Rally Cat Kimono is now using Easy Hawgs 63mm 78A wheels with a 32mm contact patch instead of the Fatty Hawgs 63mm 78A wheels with 50mm contact patch.

More contact patch means more grip which is something I prefer. It's also able to go over cracks, bumps more easily. Less contact patch should mean it's easier to slide with. All my boards have wide contact patch so I'm sticking with what works for me.

By the way, I don't do tricks with my board so I can't tell you if it's possible to ollie. The only tricks I know are kick turns and popping to pick up the board. My main purpose of getting this longboard is to get from A to B with minimal fuss and maximum comfort.

You just can't tell how much rocker there is from the top.

The concave rocker is more obvious here. This low rocker makes it so effortless to push the board around with minimal bending of your knees. And when you're less tired, you can go longer distances. And because it's lower, it's more stable as well. The wider wheelbase and wider 155mm trucks for Dinghy 105mm trucks help a lot too.

I love this.

I'm wearing slippers and there's barely enough space for me to put my foot beneath the board. You can't slip your shoes beneath this but you can do so with under a Dinghy.

The low rocker is the main reason I prefer the Rally Cat over other longboard models from Landyachtz. It's low but it does not use a drop-through deck which means you can pop the tail behind to pick up the board. I'm 1.78m and this 34.5-inch board pops up at the right height for my hands. With the 28-inch Dinghy, I always have to bend slightly after popping the tail which is very inconvenient because riding in city area, going in and out of buildings, requires me to pick up the board frequently.

If you like longer boards don't don't require the low rocker, Landyachtz have the ATV longboards which are basically just the Dinghy at longer 30-34 inch. Anyway, different boards for different purposes.

The board is made with 7-ply 100% Canadian Maple. The weight is definitely heavier than the 28-inch Dinghy but I have absolutely no problem if I have to carry this for long periods of time.

Those are the 63mm Fatty Hawgs wheels (offset) with 78A durometer. These are considered soft and good for cruising while offering some dampening effect.

There's a good amount of wheel flare so even if you loosen the trucks significantly to get tight turns, there's minimal to no chance of wheel bite.

The 50mm contact patch is considered wide and the combination of the wheel size and wide contact patch allows this board to go over cracks or uneven road surfaces easily. They roll around real nice.

The 155m Bear trucks are noticeable wider compared the 105mm trucks on the Dinghy. This makes the board more stable.

The 2021 model uses 90A bushing but I could not find the durometer info for the bushing used in the 2018 model.

Anyway, I find the bushing to be soft, meaning it's quite responsive to turn which is what I need since I riding in city area requires quick turns at corners and moving around people. If you want to go at higher speed, chances are you'll want to get harder bushing.

One issue I have with this bushing is it does not seem to be able to return to it's original shape easily. This is me stepping down and releasing and you can see one wheel is off the ground. It doesn't really affect how I ride but I don't like this. The previous board with 165mm Paris Savant RKP trucks (50 degrees) seem to perform better – gosh I really miss that – so if anything goes wrong with this Bear trucks I will be switching back but those cost US $150 for a pair.

About the 2021 Rally Cat Kimono

Landyachtz switched to using the 63mm Easy Hawgs with 32mm contact patch over the 63mm Fatty Hawgs with 50mm contact patch.

I just don't like the thinner wheels. Anyway, it's really a personal preference. Those skinny wheels make reduce the weight slightly.

Getting your first board? Dinghy vs Rally Cat

That's the 28.5-inch Dinghy Turbo King vs the 34.5-inch Rally Cat. Difference in the size is significant. Dinghy is more compact, more portable and lighter. Rally Cat is heavier but it's not significantly heavier. Big advantage of Rally Cat is it's longer and allows you to pop and pick easily. The trucks are also wider which you can mall grab easier.

The smaller Dinghy has faster acceleration and more responsive, but less stable due to the trucks being less wide. Rally Cat has lower acceleration and noticeably more stable. If you have big wheels on the Rally Cat, you can go faster. There are some Dinghy models with 72mm Plow King wheels which allow for faster speed but faster speed on narrower trucks can be challenging to control. Those are more suitable for intermediate riders. Rally Cat is way easier to control.

In the photo above, note the lower deck of the Rally Cat compared to the Dinghy Turbo King (front). Lower deck is easier to push which makes longer commute more bearable. Higher decks are alright for short distances. I still use my Dinghy Turbo King very frequently for short 10 minute rides to grocery shops. If I have to be out half a day, I'll bring the Rally Cat without second thoughts unless I happen to be carrying other stuff in which case the lighter Dinghy is preferred.

Note how much my toes stick out on the 8-inch wide Dinghy Turbo King vs the 9.75-inch wide Rally Cat. Even the 2020 and 2021 Rally Cat models with 8.9-inch wide decks are noticeable wider.

The longer Rally Cat allows for a wider stance, again for better stability.

The concave rocker is so nice to push with.

Modifications

I actually thought about getting the deck alone and getting the 165mm Paris Savant trucks again but this time I decided to try out the 155mm Bear trucks instead just to save money. The complete deck cost SGD 300 whereas if I were to buy the deck alone ($202 + $20 shipping), Paris Savant ($275), Bones bearing ($24), hardware and riser ($15), the grand total is $516. The Paris Savant adds to the cost significantly.

I'm just gonna ride this default setup and upgrade in the future depending on how long these Bear trucks will last. Or maybe I will go with Paris V3 just to save money. Paris Savants is kinda overkill but hey they are more carve-y and just smoother.

The Paris Savants are taller trucks compared to the Bear so the deck will be higher (but still low) despite the rocker. The higher trucks can be used with larger wheels which allow you to go faster. My dream setup is 165mm Paris Savant (50 degrees), 1/8 inch riser with 72mm Hawgs Plow King with 65mm contact patch. This will go so fast!

Those are the 72mm Hawgs Plow King vs 63mm Fatty Hawgs. Those Plow King wheels can accelerate fast and go fast. Love those. But I can't fit the Plow Kings onto the 155mm Bear trucks on this Rally Cat because wheel bite is very likely. I will need thicker riser or a taller truck.

See how big those Plow King wheels are. One alternative to the Plow King is the 73mm 78A Race Formula wheels from Sector 9 with a whopping 70mm contact patch. They don't call that the Steam Roller for no reason.

My previous Rally Cat used Red Bones bearing and I don't notice any difference from the Spaceball bearing.

Conclusion

You can probably tell I really love the Landyachtz Rally Cat. It has some of the best features of other boards all combined into one (right length, pop and pick up, stable, smooth to ride on, comfortable to push) with the only downside being slightly heavier than those 28-inch boards but that's a such a minor compromise, oh and the softer-than-I-expected bushing.

This is a fantastic board for beginners.

I do recommend getting the 2020 models with the Fatty Hawgs wheels unless you really want the thinner Easy Hawgs then go with the 2021 Landyachtz Rally Cat Kimono (this below).