Rollerblading?

[neonorchid]

@cantunamunch, now that our rails to trails "Schuylkill River Trail" has had RR crossing tracks removed and is 90% repaved, I'm working back to a speed boot.
As much as I hated the orginal Bont Semi-Race three-point boot, I ordered the new two-mount point version. Was cheap enough to try. So far the fit is better for me then the old disasters. I love having control of my edges again, but I got a blister on each leg at the very top of the cuff just in front of the peroneal tendon that I'll need to work thru. I figure heat molding first, neoprene bootie as a last resort. For now I resist the urge to do anything, I'll give it a few weeks, see if they'll break in on their own.
Btw, I put a 12.2" Powerslide Vi 3x125 frame on them but have been using 3 110mm wheels which I'll swap out for 125's when I get the boot issues worked out. 125mm aside, I'm liking the 12.2" length a lot better then my old 13.4" 4 x 110 set-up. I also had ordered and subsequently sent back the 12.8" Bont 3x125 frame. It was crap! Had an unnecessary big gap between the bottom of the boot and top of the middle wheel, practacally as much as the Powerslide Vi 3x125 frame using 3x110's, typical Bont! LOL.

 

[cantunamunch]

Can you provide a reference video for these strides? I can google some, but there's a lot of crap on the internet.

Stride 2:


This is equivalent to Richard Nett's Step 8: https://www.nettracing.com/pict/inst/step8.htm <- notice the long glide phase on a long support leg.

Stride 3 needs some dryland work to explain properly: <- notice the fall onto the short leg from a long leg. That is the key concept. It is *not* intuitive and it needs to be practiced.

More falling onto the outside edge of the short leg:

Step 9: https://www.nettracing.com/pict/inst/step9.htm

And now for some Zen:



^ you know you have it right when someone skating or riding behind you can't tell if you're going to make a turn or go straight.

 

[cantunamunch]

@cantunamunch, now that our rails to trails "Schuylkill River Trail" has had RR crossing tracks removed and is 90% repaved, I'm working back to a speed boot..

My secret ambition was to crack Trek's Cycling Challenge https://www.strava.com/challenges/trek-century-challenge on skates. With 160 miles to go I was stupid enough to go for a metric on one of the hottest days of the summer and wound up with heat stroke. Then it rained - I figured bike miles shouldn't count if I'm going to do it right, you know?

44 miles short of qualifying to win the bike but hey I'm getting a silly T-shirt.

 

[ted]

I like to use nordic freestyle(skate) poles and the different techniques V1, V2 etc. Besides the extra upper body use, the poles can help stabilize me after hitting unexpected bumps.

 

[neonorchid]

https://www.skimag.com/ski-performance/rollerblade-skate-to-ski

 

[Shawn]

Love rollerblading! I ended up skating 2200 miles last year. Great for one-legged balance, ankle strength, leg strength, cardio, etc. It's a lot of fun and gets me out of the house.

 

[neonorchid]

Love rollerblading! I ended up skating 2200 miles last year. Great for one-legged balance, ankle strength, leg strength, cardio, etc. It's a lot of fun and gets me out of the house.

View attachment 122820 View attachment 122818

@esef, I could'nt get along with any of the Powerslide "marathon" skates, or any of their skeleton boot skates for that matter. I think it is the plastic cuff's hinge location which presses in front of the malleolus (ankle bone). Just came across a new Powerslide design for '21 which does away with the hinge and plastic cuff. Looks like it could be good and not a cast like the old R4 ... @cantunamunch ... Bueller, Bueller, Bueller?

Powerslide Arise Marathon Skates - Inline Warehouse

www.inlinewarehouse.com

 

[cantunamunch]

Just came across a new Powerslide design for '21 which does away with the hinge and plastic cuff. Looks like it could be good and not a cast like the old R4 ... @cantunamunch ... Bueller, Bueller, Bueller?

Haven't skated it. I come off crutches sometime in April, depending on how the fibula looks on the next round of Xrays, sorry.

 

[neonorchid]

Haven't skated it. I come off crutches sometime in April, depending on how the fibula looks on the next round of Xrays, sorry.

Ouch!

You're sounding like me, seems like it's always something:/

Good luck and I hope the coming X-rays bring good news!

 

[Ogg]

I've been contemplating getting a pair of rollerblades. I've been researching a bit online and realized I really have no idea what I should be looking for other than something with wheels for asphalt. I figure ultimately I'm going to have to try some on and see what fits but I'd like some guidance from the "lunatic fringe" and I figured I could find it here.
As for my ability level, I used to roller-skate a lot when I was a kid and was pretty good. I've ice skated a few times but it was always on crappy rental skates so I struggled. I tried rollerblading up and down my street once or twice on a pair my friend had left at my house. I did OK but ended up falling on my ass a lot more than I expected from my roller-skating experience.
Any guidance on particular models, fit tips, things to avoid, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cantunamunch]

I've been contemplating getting a pair of rollerblades. I've been researching a bit online and realized I really have no idea what I should be looking for other than something with wheels for asphalt. I figure ultimately I'm going to have to try some on and see what fits but I'd like some guidance from the "lunatic fringe" and I figured I could find it here.
As for my ability level, I used to roller-skate a lot when I was a kid and was pretty good. I've ice skated a few times but it was always on crappy rental skates so I struggled. I tried rollerblading up and down my street once or twice on a pair my friend had left at my house. I did OK but ended up falling on my ass a lot more than I expected from my roller-skating experience.
Any guidance on particular models, fit tips, things to avoid, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Fit - use all your ski boot fit ideas. Seriously. Loose fit skates are cr@p, no matter how nice the model and features. Loose fit skates will not let you feel the edge and loose fit skates will not let you balance on one skate. If you can't glide on one foot for 10-15-20 yards, you will *never* be efficient on skates, never unlock the advanced turn skills and will have mediocre braking at best. You want a skate with what in a ski boot would be a performance or race fit. Remember, every last bit of looseness in the boot will make a wobblier skate under you. Bad for learning glide, bad for learning turns, bad for braking. And absolutely, horribly dangerous at speed. Did I mention that braking ability is directly related to boot fit?

The only other fit thing of note: pay attention to your ankles and to the cuff tilt. There is no way to fix navicular problems with shell punches; if your ankles or heel are unstable in the shell you will get blisters, bursitis, chafing. You really can't do posted-footbed magic with skates; Superfeet yellow or blue are about the biggest footbeds you should be able to fit. If you can fit a Superfeet green, your booties are too big.

If you're just starting out, hardshell boots are a seriously good idea. Smaller wheels are a good idea, yes bigger wheels go faster but skates with smaller wheels brake easier and smaller wheels are cheaper to replace. If you have anywhere remotely nice to skate, expect to wear out 1-2 wheelsets per season. Other features (e.g. bearings) are completely irrelevant to starting out. Your speed is directly proportional to your ability to glide, and no amount of money spend on bearings will help that. Wheel durometer - on a 4 wheel skate, pretty much anything between 82A and 90A will work depending on your skate surface and body weight. 3wheel you will want slightly harder.

If there is one takeaway here, a well-fit Twister Edge, Next, or F.I.T. will give more value and more fun while you learn than anything upscale/speedier.

 

[Ogg]

Fit - use all your ski boot fit ideas. Seriously. Loose fit skates are cr@p, no matter how nice the model and features. Loose fit skates will not let you feel the edge and loose fit skates will not let you balance on one skate. If you can't glide on one foot for 10-15-20 yards, you will *never* be efficient on skates, never unlock the advanced turn skills and will have mediocre braking at best. You want a skate with what in a ski boot would be a performance or race fit. Remember, every last bit of looseness in the boot will make a wobblier skate under you. Bad for learning glide, bad for learning turns, bad for braking.

The only other fit thing of note: pay attention to your ankles and to the cuff tilt. There is no way to fix navicular problems with shell punches; if your ankles or heel are unstable in the shell you will get blisters, bursitis, chafing. You really can't do posted-footbed magic with skates; Superfeet yellow or blue are about the biggest footbeds you should be able to fit. If you can fit a Superfeet green, your booties are too big.

If you're just starting out, hardshell boots are a seriously good idea. Smaller wheels are a good idea, yes bigger wheels go faster but skates with smaller wheels brake easier and smaller wheels are cheaper to replace. If you have anywhere remotely nice to skate, expect to wear out 1-2 wheelsets per season. Other features (e.g. bearings) are completely irrelevant to starting out. Your speed is directly proportional to your ability to glide, and no amount of money spend on bearings will help that. Wheel durometer - pretty much anything between 82A and 90A will work depending on your skate surface and body weight.

Slower and better braking sounds perfect. There are a lot of steep hills in my neighborhood. I'm ~175 right now hoping to get back down to ~160. The roads are a bit beat up after the winter but are generally pretty good. My father's neighborhood is the perfect place to practice because it's a relatively flat, circle with wide streets and very little traffic, perfect for doing laps. It's also close enough that once I'm more confident on the hills I can skate there and back.

 

[cantunamunch]

Slower and better braking sounds perfect. There are a lot of steep hills in my neighborhood.

Good. Climbing hills is great for opening up hips, building up lower back and leg strength. Parking lots are great for learning turns.

I'm ~175 right now hoping to get back down to ~160.

Go with softer wheels until the asphalt gets hot. Softer wheels will give you better lateral grip and more cush on the inevitable road buzz. Otherwise, forget about the weight for now, get out there and have fun.

You are getting full pro (wrist, knee, elbow), yes? Learn to fall onto your protection. Seriously. Kneel down and take a couple of forward dives onto the pavement. It is instinctive to avoid falling this way and that just gets you more injured in the long run. And you need to practice keeping your fingertips and chin up off the pavement.

Long term, try to find a 6-7mile sand and gravel-free path that you can really book on. A good stride 2 skater (read: amateur who has worked on their glide) should be able to keep up with slower cyclists in the 12-15mph range. You will actually be able to beat them up short little popper hills, because you use more of the leg muscle per stride.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Fit - use all your ski boot fit ideas. Seriously. Loose fit skates are cr@p, no matter how nice the model and features. Loose fit skates will not let you feel the edge and loose fit skates will not let you balance on one skate. If you can't glide on one foot for 10-15-20 yards, you will *never* be efficient on skates, never unlock the advanced turn skills and will have mediocre braking at best. You want a skate with what in a ski boot would be a performance or race fit. Remember, every last bit of looseness in the boot will make a wobblier skate under you. Bad for learning glide, bad for learning turns, bad for braking. And absolutely, horribly dangerous at speed. Did I mention that braking ability is directly related to boot fit?

The only other fit thing of note: pay attention to your ankles and to the cuff tilt. There is no way to fix navicular problems with shell punches; if your ankles or heel are unstable in the shell you will get blisters, bursitis, chafing. You really can't do posted-footbed magic with skates; Superfeet yellow or blue are about the biggest footbeds you should be able to fit. If you can fit a Superfeet green, your booties are too big.

If you're just starting out, hardshell boots are a seriously good idea. Smaller wheels are a good idea, yes bigger wheels go faster but skates with smaller wheels brake easier and smaller wheels are cheaper to replace. If you have anywhere remotely nice to skate, expect to wear out 1-2 wheelsets per season. Other features (e.g. bearings) are completely irrelevant to starting out. Your speed is directly proportional to your ability to glide, and no amount of money spend on bearings will help that. Wheel durometer - on a 4 wheel skate, pretty much anything between 82A and 90A will work depending on your skate surface and body weight. 3wheel you will want slightly harder.

If there is one takeaway here, a well-fit Twister Edge, Next, or F.I.T. will give more value and more fun while you learn than anything upscale/speedier.

Quoted for truth.

And another vote for Twister Edge X. The closest feeling to ski boots. Only problem is they are FAST.

P.S. The Twisters will be OK for medium/narrow feet. For wider I hear the best are SEBA/FR.

 

[cantunamunch]

P.S. The Twisters will be OK for medium/narrow feet. For wider I hear the best are SEBA/FR.

K2s have an interesting fit in the lower models - the skate roof can be lower than the comparable RB even though the width is wider. It's interesting because the initial platform feel is broader/more neutral than RB.

RB have an institutional tendency to bias the inside edge and raise the heel on fitness models. This is comfortable and creates a "safer" feeling, but it creates problems when the skater advances to faster neutral skates. But, nvm, the first time shopper needs none of that on their brain.

 

[DanoT]

In the late 70s, prior to the popularity of rollerblades, I was part owner of a small roller rink and outdoor roller skate rental business. I still have my skates but haven't been on them in several years. Maybe this summer.

While roller skates are heavier than roller blades, the trucks work like a skate board and allow a very similar to parallel skiing feel with a lesser skill set than on what it takes to do that on a roller blade.

We used to use semi precision bearings (open on the inside) for greater speed than fully sealed bearings and way less cost. But first they need to be speed tuned. Here's how:

-Soak (a bit of shaking the container also helps) the bearing for several hours in carburetor cleaner (other solvents don't work as well) to dissolve the factory grease.
-Remove the bearings and tap on a piece of cardboard to shake out solvent and dissolved grease, then turn the bearing open side up and let any remaining solvent evaporate.
-Once the bearing is dry, apply 2 small drops of Tr-Flow Lubricant: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Tri-Fl...bricant-with-Drip-Bottle-2-oz/PRD3VS29PGDX7WM
The price above is in Cdn dollars but even though it is 5 times more expensive than WD40, it is 10 times better.

After you have speed tuned the bearings for one wheel, reassemble the bearings and wheel on the skate. Then hold the skate and spin a speed tuned wheel and a non speed tuned wheel; you won't believe how much longer the speed tuned wheel/bearings continue to spin after the wheel with factory grease has stopped turning.

Tri-Flow, under 250x microscope magnification shows up as hundreds of tiny "ball bearings". We use to buy Tri-Flow buy the gallon.

 

[Ogg]

Good. Climbing hills is great for opening up hips, building up lower back and leg strength. Parking lots are great for learning turns.



Go with softer wheels until the asphalt gets hot. Softer wheels will give you better lateral grip and more cush on the inevitable road buzz. Otherwise, forget about the weight for now, get out there and have fun.

You are getting full pro (wrist, knee, elbow), yes? Learn to fall onto your protection. Seriously. Kneel down and take a couple of forward dives onto the pavement. It is instinctive to avoid falling this way and that just gets you more injured in the long run. And you need to practice keeping your fingertips and chin up off the pavement.

Long term, try to find a 6-7mile sand and gravel-free path that you can really book on. A good stride 2 skater (read: amateur who has worked on their glide) should be able to keep up with slower cyclists in the 12-15mph range. You will actually be able to beat them up short little popper hills, because you use more of the leg muscle per stride.

Yes I definitely plan on getting good protective gear. I used to skate all over NYC with no pads most of the time as a kid. I'm lucky I survived. I do, fortunately, know how to ride the knee and wrist guards and keep the skin away from the asphalt. My foot is a pretty wide 10 1/2. I'm in Lange RS 120 27.5(97 last?). Should I be looking at a 9? I have pretty bad pronation so I'm a bit concerned about proper ankle fit. I'm hoping I can try on a few different pairs but there aren't really any shops with much inventory around me.

 

[cantunamunch]

I'm in Lange RS 120 27.5(97 last?). Should I be looking at a 9? I have pretty bad pronation so I'm a bit concerned about proper ankle fit. I'm hoping I can try on a few different pairs but there aren't really any shops with much inventory around me.

9-9.5 in RB sizing might be right for you depending on volume - it probably won't be in Powerslide.

There are tricks you can play with lacing to accommodate width. There are tricks you can do with pads in the cuff that help with chafe. And there are tricks with toeing and with shimming the frame of the skate that help with the balance. All of these tricks are marginal benefit tweaks (i.e. no better than 10% improvement from any one).

The one thing I cannot emphasize enough though - stay with a small wheelsize! Larger wheels make all those problems huge.

There are drills you can do to completely change your pronation and your ankle strength, but they require absolute dedication at a 3x week 5-8week to first progress level. Rich Nett has an absolutely brilliant summary here: https://www.nettracing.com/step1.htm

(If you actually accomplish this level of training, the skiing rewards both alpine and nordic will be enormous. You will not only change your ankles, you will change everything up from there, knees, hips, back. Also notice that you are not ready to start this level of training until you learn braking, edge awareness, edge changes, and glide. PM me if you want step by step breakdown).

 

[Tony Storaro]

Yes I definitely plan on getting good protective gear.

Please do. Vital stuff. I'd rather ski in a baseball cap than skate without a helmet and all the gear.

Also, you can upgrade the liners same as the ski boots. Intuition make excellent skate liners.

 

[Ogg]

@cantunamunch I know you are a particular fan of the Rollerblade brand but are there good skates from other brands out there I should look at, too?
ETA: I just noticed the F.I.T. is a K2. Any other good brands?