Description
The 2025 Nexus is our stiffest double drop longboard. It is low to the ground and easy to push, but it’s also stiff enough to handle just about any speed you could possibly throw at it, and it’s strong enough to manage very heavy riders edging toward 350 lbs. If you’re a heavyweight OR if you want to go fast on your double drop OR if you’re looking for an easy longboard to start learning more advanced skills like sliding, the Nexus is a perfect choice.
Picking a Complete
Because we like to ride the Nexus fast, our favorite complete for the Nexus consists of 165mm trucks in the 50/43 configuration. This puts a high degree turning truck in front and a slightly lower degree in back for increased stability. This is ideal if you’re going to be riding your Nexus fast and especially on hills. For lower speeds and a smaller turning radius, or for a more freeride oriented setup, choose the 50/50 options. Pair your Nexus with 165mm trucks to get as close to rail matching as possible, lining up the edge of your wheels with the edge of the deck.
Other conigurations: Choose 165mm 50/50 with our smaller 66mm Sliders wheels for learning freeride techniques. Choose 165mm 43/43 for higher speed freeride. Either of these setups will allow you to pull 180s and easily ride switch. If you ride the 43 degree setup, there’s a good chance you can make the setup work on the inner wheelbase option, getting your feet ever closer to the trucks for a super high performance, controllable feel where you’re closer to standing on the trucks.
A note about bushings: Paris trucks really benefit from proper bushing choice, and the Nexus setup benefits from this especially, because we cut this board close to fit into a nice, sports-car-like setup. The stock Paris bushing is a bit undersized, and if you fill the bushing seat with larger aftermarket bushings, it’s keeps the bushing from shifting around in the bushing seat and results in a higher performing and more bite-resistant setup. You can often get away with a softer bushing just by filling the seat and you get more easy turning and still better bite resistance! Best bushing options for Paris Trucks, currently: Seismic 0.6″ bushings, Riptide CANNONS, and Orangatang NIPPLES. I capitalize the bushing model because both of these companies make other bushings, but these models are the ones that specifically fit Paris trucks properly.
Michael –
Stiff, sturdy, versatile. The Nexus may initially seem like a freeride deck of years past, before short topmounts became the fad of downhill skaters, but that would sell this board short. It’s a beautiful, amazing deck that’s suitable for riders of any skill level.
As a commuter, the Nexus is my least favorite of Pantheon’s lineup. It’s heavier and more stiff than the Quest and bigger than the Trip, Pranayam, and Ember. However, I am a bit lighter than the range that the Nexus would benefit most (220+). If you are a heavier rider, this is the best distance option on the market.
Where the Nexus shines for me is on hills. It’s stick, low design makes it loads of fun to drift at high speeds. It’s a great option for anyone learning to slide, especially on straights. It is also a blast when hitting corners, just be mindful of the fact that it is dropped, so it will drift a bit more than a topmount.
The Nexus is a beast. Perfect for heavier riders looking for a pusher and a great option for downhill skaters looking for a bit of that old school feel.
Zach (verified owner) –
Absolutely incredible deck for freeride, and cruising! I have not had as much time as I would like on this deck due to living in the coldest part of the country where it’s cold and snowy six months out of the year, but the miles I have been able to sneak in have been incredible.
The tub concave gives you a nice ledge for your feet when kicking out slides while the drops on the nose and tail give you amazing pockets to snug into when pushing. The deck is stiff, wide, and, subsequently, super stable at all speeds. When I’m pushing the limits of my ability on a hill, this is what I bring to the show.
Make no mistake, this is a 5+ star board and it would be my favorite deck (*is* my favorite for RKPs), bar none, if I hadn’t also snagged a Pranayama around the same time– I’ll be dropping a stellar review for that deck in the near future as well!
Set-up (6′, 0″, 150 lbs rider):
Deck: Nexus (obviously)
Trucks: Paris V3 50° 165mm (though I have been curious to try some 150s!) w/ stock 90a standard bushings
Bearings: Bronson G3 & LY Spaceballs, respectively to wheels below
Wheels: Purple Caguama 85mm & Peralta Snakes 69mm, respectively to bearings above
Phil (verified owner) –
I’m at 6’3″ 220lbs. I love this board. I took it out to a park with some rolling hills and it was like the most spiritually significant moment of my life. It glides and cruises and carves so smooth. It moves so fast on McFlys. It’s hella stable… especially downhill on purple o-tang nips, and feels super roomy for my big clumsy feet. It’s a bit on the heavier side but it’s not enough to me to matter… but I knew that before I bought it. Last double drop I’ll ever buy, it can’t possibly get better.
Alex Bohman (verified owner) –
This is an absolutely amazing board! I rode a regular skateboard for many years, but I’m still new to longboarding, and my first longboard was a Sector Nine Dropper Dread that I absolutely love. However, all it took was one ride on my Nexus to instantly tell a difference in quality compared to the other board. From graphic design to shape and engineering, this thing is a work of art.
I wasn’t able to order the recommended trucks/wheels for this board, but I’ve found that my current setup does the job; I am running 180mm 43° Paris trucks along with the 70mm 78a Nineballs that came with my first longboard. This setup sits very low to the ground, and pushing and foot braking became far easier as a result. It was also far more stable going down hills than my other board.
I’m around 255lbs at the moment (have to lose about 70lbs), and I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of flex in this board. I plan on getting more comfortable going down hills, and hopefully learning to slide in the near future, and I truly believe that this board will help me accomplish that. For anyone on the fence about purchasing this board, I would strongly recommend pulling the trigger. I did a lot of research on Pantheon boards before making my purchase, and I’ve found nothing but positive reviews; so far they have absolutely lived up to the hype. My only complaint thus far would be the triangle on the grip-tip (it’s not perfectly centered lol), but I can’t blame them for me being insane and noticing that.
Dylan Moulton (verified owner) –
This board. This. Board. I am a large rider, 6’3″ 360-ish lbs. I’ve broken boards from my size a typically look for weight ratings as the first thing when shopping for boards. So when I saw the 320 lb testing it caught my attention. Today it arrived. I took it out off the box, slapped a set of Gullwing Sidewinder 2’s on with some grippy wheels and went straight out to one of my skate spots. I have never ridden anything that is more comfortable, when you plant your feet the board does most of the work. Carving on it is smooth and controlled. This board made me feel instantly confident, and before long I was carving and surfing like I’ve owned it for years. Besides that, the board is gorgeous. The photos really don’t do it justice(not that they look bad mind you) in person it’s a warm, rich, dark veneer and the graphic is vibrant and clean. 20/10 Would absolutely recommend this board!
John McGuire –
I bought one of these secondhand. Wish it had been my first board. So much easier to use than my Magneto boards. Pushes easy and rolls forever. Turns well and handles my weight with no problem(285#). So happy with this board I ordered a Bandito and Genesis as well! Set up with the paris trucks 43/43, zealous bearings and 85 mm speedvents.
Wyatt (verified owner) –
I just received mine a few days ago and with the help of a local skate shop put together a killer setup. This deck is amazing. I am a heavy rider and competitive strongman weighing in at nearly 300lbs and this board has NO problem carrying me to Valhalla. Amazing board; I highly recommend.
Richie (verified owner) –
I bought the Nexus to learn some downhill and sliding. I’m not a big heavy guy, yet I have big feet and long legs. I like the extra length of the platform (compared to the Prana and Trip). I find that with the extra space/length, I can better switch between regular and mongo pushing than I can on my Prana. The Nexus is certainly chunky and heavy, yet once you get some momentum it just doesn’t matter.
I’m making some progress with my hands-down slides, which makes me happy. Keen to progress some more.
Currently equiped with PP 69mm Snakes for slides.
Nic Pec (verified owner) –
I gotta say for my first longboard the nexus would be my go to choice, I seriously love this board. I’ve been skating it for about 5 months now and pantheon is the best longboard company out here. I just bought the Pranayama and I am so excited to be skating it all the love to pantheon I seriously recommend getting the nexus, amazing stability on hillbombs amazing comfort on cruising and insane speed paired with the 92 karmas not much left to say besides the love I have for this board 100 percent will be buying more boards from you guys. Much love ✌️
Pierrick Katzwinkel –
So I got the Nexus a couple of weeks ago as a replacement for my Trip that I have been riding daily to work and to workout.
The only similarity between the two is the double drop, but the Nexus platform is around 7mm higher than the Trip on equal setup.
Now there are a lot of differences. It is longer, heavier, rock solid (like no flex at all). This is perfect for downhill, I never stepped on a more stable setup. It has lot of footspace, amazing concave and geometry in general. You just get real confident on it. The durability this provides was the main selling point for me, given my weight (231lbs/105kg).
But let’s talk about setting it up. So the only reason I would rate this 4 Stars is the wheel clearance. If you use Paris Trucks 165mm 50°, you can only run wheel sizes up to 72mm without wheel bite (on the longer wheelbase option). So if you want big 90mm wheels on there, combined with the longer wheelbase, you won’t be able to turn very much, and coming from my very nimble Trip with 90mm wheels, it was kind of a bummer.
So it took me around a week to figure out a setup that fits my needs (urban commuting, LDP, downhill) :
-symetrical 50° 165mm Paris V3 Trucks (on the longer wheelbase option)
-70mm OFFSET wheels 82A
-4mm of riser pads to lower it more
This setup makes it as low, if not lower as my Trip 90mm setup, and allows for the full motion of the trucks without wheelbites, with the biggest wheelsize possible. This is the best I could make of this deck.
With this I am pretty happy, it allows me to commute comfortably and take the hills at full speed without worry. It also isn t that much heavier than my Trip 90mm setup.
It as 2 small issues tho :
-the bottom of the deck is very close to the ground, like 5cm. When turning, I could fit my fingers between the edge and the ground but not much more. So you have to go pretty fast to go down ledges without scraping the bottom. A sudden 6cm bump on a flat road
would definitely hit the deck also.
-with rised pads installed, the Truck hanger will press against the deck and deform it a little bit (less than 1 mm of deformation) at first when turning to the max. This will have no impact on the structural integrity tho I think.
Conclusion :
You really have to know what you are looking for to buy this deck.
The limited wheelsize option (if you wanna keep 50° of turning radius) and the added weight makes it an inferior flatground LDP option for sure. I will at some point get a dedicated distance setup. As a dedicated downhill setup, this would be 5 stars without question.
BUT the way I set it up fits my needs perfectly. It is durable for my weight, low to push, tolerable turning radius to ride in the city, perfect for hilly terrain, and generaly very versatile. It serves my commuting needs very well 🙂
Again thank god for Pantheon longboards, you guys changed my life.
PS : Jeff if you have a spare Bandito setup you could discount me I would be forever thankful 😉
Jeff –
The Nexus is a solid deck. I’ve measured mine at over 1/2″ in thickness with almost 5/8″ of concave at foot placement. The concave runs through the truck mounts to keep the deck sturdy. The platform is generous with about 26.25″ of length between the platform corners. When setting it up, it’s important to ensure clearance with the truck (brand and baseplate angle) and wheel size selections, as the deck was designed to put the wheels close to the riding platform, which I like. Initially mine was setup with Caliber II 50 degree trucks, but this did not allow enough clearance for larger wheels such as the 92mm Karmas, so I swapped them for some Paris 50 degree trucks. Excellent board for hilly terrain. It feels bullet proof.
Kure (verified owner) –
Great stable board smooth ride. I had a little wheelbite, but with great advice from Jeff on selecting 1inch diameter Bushings for my weight issue was instantly resolved. I would recommend a buy for this board!!!
Kure (verified owner) –
Fantastic board! Great service and advice. I got some wheel bite and got great advice from Jeff. Bought some seismic hard and extra hard 1” bushings and problem resolved. I mixed the bushings to get some more rebound without bite.
Lucas (verified owner) –
I just received my Nexus with 92mm Karma wheels and a 50° front, 43° rear configuration. I could not be happier with how this board has turned out. I am used to a top mount setup, and the double drop makes pushing so much easier. The wheels are fantastic, so much speed and they roll over anything. I am a heavier rider, so I swapped the stock bushings for Seismic Midnights (97a) and I haven’t had any issues with wheel-bite. This is an extremely high quality setup and I would highly recommend it!
Jason (verified owner) –
I just got into long boarding. I’m almost 50 years old and my kids got me a Santa Cruz drop through board for Father’s Day. I took that board camping and had so much fun cursing around the campground, I immediately bought a couple more boards when I got home.
My collection of boards now includes the Santa Cruz board, a Landyachtz Rallycat FG, and the Pantheon Nexus. The Nexus is easily my favorite of the three boards. It’s so smooth and fast, goes over everything with the Karma wheels, and carves nicely. As I’m new, I haven’t really tried sliding with it yet, but I plan on getting some additional wheels to give that a go.
One recommendation: Don’t stick with the stock bushings that come with the Paris V3 trucks. You’ll need to really tighten them down to avoid wheel bite. I put some Riptide Canon’s on my board and it feels so much better and I can’t force wheel bite if I tried. I’m told Seismic Barrels are also a great choice.
AnderTimTJwork@gmail.com –
260+ lbs mounted my electric longboard set up to it not only did the drop down get me 1 mile fast than I could get before the concave deck caresses my feet locking them in place and the overall carving is very phenomenal with my set up
DukeSD (verified owner) –
I’m 6’3″ and closer to 270lbs and after doing searches and reviews, as most long boards aren’t designed for that weight, I went and purchased this board. It’s my first longboard, it’s beautiful and functions very well, having the option to get the complete package as recommended by Pantheon is great, as well as having stiffer truck bushings installed by them. It’s definitely a steeper learning curve than I anticipated, but my package with the large 102mm wheels makes learning how to start and stop and carve in my neighborhood over not the smoothest asphalt sustainable, now I just gotta keep at it, eventually looking forward to just cruising on this thing.
SimplyCosmic –
The Pantheon Nexus is a high-quality option for heavier riders.
I am a 50-year-old skateboard novice who wanted something for when the water got too cold for standup paddleboarding. I came across the idea of longboards and land paddles. But as a 275 lb guy I was worried about weight capacity.
I sent a message to the Pantheon contact email asking for recommendations around my needs. I got a quick response from Jeff, Pantheon owner and board designer, with a very detailed breakdown of what would work best for my specific needs. That kind of custom care made buying the complete Pantheon Nexus he suggested easy.
When I first took the board out of the box, I was awed by how great it looked. The artwork on the bottom is, well, a real piece of art. The board setup looks beautiful. Love the wood design. But it was the design and build quality that really got me. When I took my first tentative step onto the board, it took my full weight without issue.
I’ve been out on the board with a Braapstick land paddle and it’s great for a complete novice like myself. I’ve pushed it to 5-mile rides, and will be spending the next few weeks working on the fundamentals.
I really look forward to all the places the Nexus will take me.
Felipe L. (verified owner) –
This board has changed the way I view longboarding. I got a stock complete with a 50°/43° Paris V3 truck split, Seismic Defcon 87a barrels in front and left the rear stock so I can put in my own Venom SHR 91a barrels. I also replaced the pivot cups to Riptides. The 92mm Karmas are the softest and biggest wheels I’ve ever ridden and I absolutely love them. They turn road chatter off and roll over cracks as if they aren’t there. Combined with swiss ceramic bearings, the Nexus cruises nearly indefinitely I highly recommend this board for anyone just getting into the hobby and veterans alike.
Kurt Derow –
Usually when I think Double drop decks I think they are gonna be way to big and way to heavy, and if they are smaller, then my stance is going to feel cramped and uncomfortable. Somehow this board has blown those thoughts out of the water. A lightweight downhill board, nimble for its style, with some fantastic concave, the nexus will be my go too for rain skating, long distance commutes, and hucking huge slides on mega hills. This board is a gem in todays modern era of boards.
T (verified owner) –
I love this board it carves incredibly smooth and feels effortless to maneuver. I use it to commute around campus and it has no problem with most of the hills I come across. Super stable and reliable on downhills at high speed and it is long enough for me to feel like I have plenty of foot room without being cumbersome or heavy to carry around. Jeff was super helpful with helping me pick the right bushings as this is my first longboard and I didn’t really know what I was doing. The high quality construction, materials and design are all super apparent the second I picked it up and I’m planning on getting another Pantheon board because there are so many different styles.
Jon-Luke Jenkins (verified owner) –
I ordered a Pantheon Nexus and Jeff personally called me to make sure I had the right bushings for my weight and experience level. He noticed I had selected the softest bushings and reached out before shipping to recommend a safer, more stable setup for me. That kind of attention to detail and care is extremely rare.
He took the time to talk with me, answer questions, and make sure my board would be perfect for cruising and commuting. This is already some of the best customer service I’ve ever had from ANY company.
I haven’t received the board yet, but if the product quality matches the level of care I’ve already experienced, I know it’s going to be fantastic. Pantheon clearly cares about their riders, and I can’t recommend them enough.
orangefeb (verified owner) –
I’m brand new to longboards, piece of advice: watch plenty of videos on how to stop safely. Foot-braking really came in handy my first time out.
I’m around 260lb, chose the 97a bushing front and rear (43/43 165mm trucks). At first I was concerned on how little it turned in my parking lot but once I got up to speed it make alot more sense. This thing magnificently turns and I can really tell (with my limited experience nonetheless) that Pantheon REALLY knows what they’re doing in suggesting what to get.
Once I get more comfortable this thing is gonna be the bees knees for down hills.
I love how there is a nice springy flex.
I’m hoping to use the board for weight loss and eventually swap out for softer bushings.
This arrived on my Birthday, and I am so grateful. Thank you Pantheon!
Brian Zimorowicz (verified owner) –
Phenomenal. 6’5″, 230lb, Size 14 shoe and discovered Pantheon on Reddit when trying to get back into cruising/carving 10+ years after a hiatus looking for a wide board with no wheel bite. Everything I read was about the amazing customer service was true and I was able to email Jeff personally back and forth for consultation prior to ordering.
My 1st ever drop through (even just a board without a tail!) so I’m still breaking it in, but it’s unbelievably stable, responsive and fast when I want it to be.
Pablo Cheyre (verified owner) –
Amazing board! As everything Pantheon does, so no surprise here. I was looking for something more stiff to handle better higher speeds, but at the same time, be able to push without losing my dignity. This board does exactly that. My day-to-day board is still the Pranayama, which I love, but it tends to get a bit nervous (as myself) when going at higher speeds. So the Nexus fills that gap just perfectly when I ride on different paths with more ups and downs. Thanks Jeff, once again, for building such a functional piece of art. Cheers.
Ryan Bewley (verified owner) –
I’m loving the Nexus. This is my second Pantheon, after the Trip, and I took it straight to the hills.
The Nexus picks up where the Trip leaves off. It keeps that planted, easy confidence, then gives me more to lean on as speed builds and the road drops away. It carves hard, responds fast, and feels alive underfoot. A low, stable platform that is genuinely fun to steer is exactly what I wanted.
My only disappointment was the limited bushing selection when I ordered. I wanted the board enough to take the closest option and sort the tuning out later. I’m still doing that. More bushing choices would make an already excellent complete better.
The Nexus has already become one of my favorite boards. It makes me look for steeper roads.
Once the tuning is right, this thing is going to be dangerous for my free time.
Ryan Bewley (verified owner) –
The Nexus picks up where the Trip leaves off.
It stays planted as speed builds, but it never feels dull or disconnected. It responds quickly, carves with confidence, and still feels alive underfoot when the road starts dropping away.
What I wanted was a low, stable platform that was genuinely fun to steer. That is exactly what the Nexus delivers.
It has enough composure to make speed feel manageable without turning the ride into something numb or overly serious. The harder I ride it, the more sense the design makes.
I’ve already put serious miles on it, and it keeps making me look for steeper roads.
Five stars.