Introduction: A Shortboard Built for the Commute
Most electric shortboards make you choose between comfort and portability. Longboards float over rough roads but are a pain to carry on trains or up stairs, while tiny stiff decks are easy to store but beat up your feet and knees on every crack. OMW Gladius aims to break that compromise by combining a compact kicktail shape with the range, flex, and premium components you’d expect from a much larger, more expensive board.
Gladius clearly isn’t a budget toy, but on paper it offers features that many flagships at twice the price still don’t have: a flexible carbon-composite kicktail deck, precision CNC RKP trucks, a 504Wh 14S Samsung 50S battery pack, and 105mm MAD wheels. I spent my time riding it like a real owner—commuting through city streets, weaving through traffic, and hauling it through buildings—to see whether it’s actually worth your money as a daily commuter.
Deck & Flex: Carbon Kicktail That Doesn’t Punish Your Knees
Short kicktail boards are usually brutally stiff. They turn quickly and feel fun at low speed, but after 15–20 minutes your legs start begging for mercy. Gladius takes a very different route: the 33.5-inch deck is a carbon-fiber composite reinforced with fiberglass and epoxy, giving you a platform that is both compact and noticeably wider than a typical mini so you can stand naturally instead of feeling cramped.
The deck has a pronounced W-concave and about 8 mm of drop at the nose and tail, which lowers your center of gravity and physically locks your feet into place when you push harder or brake suddenly. Underneath, OMW uses a segmented “chain-whip” battery enclosure so the deck can flex without stressing the battery housing. On the road that translates into a smoother, more forgiving ride that takes the edge off cracked pavement and expansion joints, which is exactly what you want during a weekday commute.
Battery & Range: 14S Samsung 50S, Tested on Real Commutes
Under the deck, the Gladius runs a 14S2P pack built from Samsung 50S cells, for a total capacity of 504 Wh. OMW rates it for up to 35 miles of range, but like all manufacturer claims that assumes ideal conditions—light rider, low speeds, and mostly flat ground.
In aggressive real-world riding (top speed mode, mixed hills, hard carving), the reviewer managed roughly 18 miles before hitting low battery. For a more relaxed commuter in lower modes, around 25 miles is realistic, which is more than enough to cover typical 5–10 km daily routes with plenty of buffer. When you finally do run it down, the included 4A fast charger takes the battery from empty to full in about 2.5 hours, with no need to pay extra for “fast-charge upgrades”.
Power, Speed & Braking: Enough Punch, Still Commuter-Friendly
Power is delivered by dual belt drive motors based on Hobbywing 4235 cans that use upgraded 5255-grade internals for better heat dissipation. These motors are controlled by a 14S Hobbywing 9028 ESC capable of 30 A bus current, giving the throttle response a very commuter-friendly feel—smooth and gentle off the line, then surprisingly punchy once you lean into it.
In testing, the board accelerated from 0 to 10 mph in about 1.7 seconds and hit 20 mph in roughly 5.7 seconds, which is fast enough to feel exciting but not so violent that it becomes unmanageable in traffic. Heavier riders were able to reach around 28 mph by GPS, and while the theoretical 31 mph top speed seems achievable, the reviewer backed off for safety because that kind of speed on a compact deck already feels intense. More important for commuting is braking: the 9028 ESC allows strong, predictable braking and can even lock the rear wheels if you pull the trigger hard, giving you the stopping power you need when a car or pedestrian does something unexpected.
Trucks, Wheels & Ride Comfort: Urban Roads Without the Rattle
Instead of generic cast trucks, OMW equips the Gladius with 8.5-inch Versa™ precision CNC reverse kingpin trucks. The machining tolerances eliminate slop around center, and the board transitions smoothly from minor corrections to confident carves. From the factory, the bushings are split: a softer 90A setup up front for responsive turning and a firmer 95A setup in the rear to keep speed wobbles in check.
The wheels are 105mm MAD Wheelz V2s with a 72A durometer and a 70 mm contact patch, built around a hollow core design that acts like mechanical suspension. In day-to-day commuting, they swallow cracks, tactile tiles, and small debris in a way that makes you forget you’re not riding pneumatics. Combined with the flexy deck, this setup makes longer city rides feel far less fatiguing than most compact boards in this price range.
Commuter Convenience: Handle, Lights, and Carrying It Through the City
On paper, the Gladius weighs about 24lbs, which is heavier than a typical “mini” but still manageable. The key detail is the integrated CNC-machined aluminum handle built into the tail. It doubles as a functional kicktail—letting you pop over curbs, pivot the board in tight hallways, and quickly reposition at crossings—and it also lets you tow the board behind you like rolling luggage instead of carrying all 24 pounds in your arms.
For night rides, the integrated light package is one of the strongest value adds at this price point. Using the OLED remote you can control dual front headlights rated at around 1,800 lumens, red taillights that flash under braking, and a full RGB underglow system with multiple colors and patterns that react to throttle input. In real commuting, this isn’t just a gimmick—cars and pedestrians see you much earlier, which translates directly into safety.
How the Gladius Feels as a Daily Commuter
Put all these pieces together and the Gladius feels less like a “toy shortboard” and more like a compact, serious commuter tool. The flexible deck and 105mm wheels take the sting out of imperfect pavement, so you can focus on traffic instead of bracing for every bump. The 14S power system means acceleration and braking stay consistent even as the battery drains, which is exactly what you want when you’re timing stoplights or tackling small hills on the way home.
There are still trade-offs. The 24lbs weight is noticeable if you have to climb several flights of stairs every day, and while the board is capable of 28–30 mph, most commuters will be more comfortable cruising in the mid-20s. But compared with many small decks that either lack range or feel sketchy above 20 mph, the Gladius lands in a spot where you can realistically ride it to work every day without feeling like you’re compromising comfort or safety.
Pros and Cons from Real-World Riding
Pros
- Flexible carbon-composite kicktail deck that actually smooths out urban pavement instead of punishing your knees.
- 14S2P Samsung 50S battery with strong real-world range for a compact board, plus a fast 4 A charger included.
- Predictable acceleration and powerful braking that suit real commuting speeds and traffic situations.
- Precision CNC trucks and 105mm MAD wheels give a premium carve and grip normally reserved for more expensive boards.
- Integrated handle and bright light system make carrying and night commuting much more practical.
Cons
- Heavier than some riders expect from a “portable” shortboard; repeated stair carries can get tiring.
- Top-end speed above roughly 28mph feels sketchy on such a compact deck, so not all riders will use the full performance envelope.
Who Should Buy the OMW Gladius?
Gladius makes the most sense if you want one board that covers your weekday commute and your weekend rides without jumping to the size and cost of a full allterrain longboard. It’s especially well suited to riders who:
- Have 5–20 km of daily urban or suburban commuting.
- Ride on mixed pavement and want comfort without going to pneumatic tires.
- Care about range, flex, and component quality more than chasing the absolute highest top speed.
If your routes are mostly rough trails or you rarely take public transport and just want a huge off-road deck, a larger board like OMW Hussar or Cavalry will still make more sense. But if you’re looking for a compact commuter that actually rides like a premium longboard while still being easy to store and tow around the city, the OMW Gladius absolutely deserves a spot at the top of your shortlist.
