Roller Skating / Quad skates / Inline Skates 4s and 3s

I suppose it was inevitable, that Roller nation can’t accommodate everyone..

mi-soul DJs are on the right track..

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slightly off topic.. epic endurance tour on frozen canals in Holland.. the whole nation might be wondering.. will the troll of trondheim / siberian cold air bring it home in 2023..

any dutch formengers here with gossip or chat about Elfstedentocht the 200km eleven town skate race in the Friesland region, been missing for years due to climate change

https://youtu.be/l1guYkK8bEY

My partner had her first roller pole dance lesson at the weekend. Sounded like a right laugh. Was mostly just messing around so the teacher could work out if it was worth teaching regularly but she loved it. She got sfr figure skates from skate attack in Turnpike Lane. Cool(if dilapidated) shop staffed by north London’s answer to Jay and Silent Bob.
I’m kinda tempted by a pair of skates but teenage me would have definitely given me a kicking…

@edmundro

roller pole dancing, there is some logic doing tricks whilst holding on. Glad to hear your missus is enjoying it..

Edit: just returned from Limehouse Town Hall, for the Architecture LGBT+ Christmas Party.. what a great space. Maybe we can squeeze a roller disco in there for 2023, add smoke machines, laser lights, sequins and glitter ball

For those that have built own skates anything to watch out for versus watch youtube guides and drill the holes straight?

My partner followed the roller girl gang video. They did all the measuring/marking up. Checked with/without wheels. Worth checking that the marks match the holes on the boot if it kicks up. Think about where the toe stop will sit if you don't have an offset one (bit of a trade off between lining that up and lining the trucks up equally on each side). Make sure the front bolts, particular the outer ones aren't too close to the outside of the boot as it's a pain to get them in.

I was left to the drilling. Getting it straight is hard, but not the end of the world of you do it a little off as the sole usually has a bit of flex/wiggle room. Check you have all metric or imperial fixings, be prepared to Dremel end of bolts down a bit. It'll be impossible to get them perfect, but I bet even pro skate builds have a little variation in them.

@almac68

Can some of the experienced roller heads talk to me about wheels?
My partner is loving her skates but they came fitted with large, soft wheels. She’s starting lessons with Isle of Skate next week which is indoors and obvs her roller pole class is all inside as well. She’s already swapped out her toe stops for shorter, dome shaped ones instead of the big conical ones it came with which has made a difference for her.

So my question is, as a beginner, would she notice any benefit from a smaller, harder set of wheels at this stage?
Do you guys have seperate indoor/outdoor wheels you chop and change depending on use or it it just a case of use what you’ve got and not overthink it?
I’m also going to assume that entry-level skates are fitted with fairly sluggish bearings but that’s an easy change if required.

Seeing as on here we obsess about the smallest details on our bikes I assume you have the same approach to your skates ;)
I just remember that from my skateboarding days a tiny difference in wheel size/shape made a huge difference…

I'd definitely suggest harder wheels from the outset are going to make a difference, feel more free and less sluggish. I switched wheels after a year of lessons and would have made more sense to start with harder indoor wheels as the transition took some adjustment. Isle of skate are a lovely crew. Had some great sessions with them.

Cool, thanks.
That’s essentially what I’d read but was unsure if it was one of those perceived benefits: ‘I’ve spent some money so it def feels better’ etc.

Edit - research done, RC Medallion Plus wheels have been ordered. Seem the best value dance wheel available in the uk.

harder wheels are better for speed and skating on smoother surfaces. They also tend to last longer than softer wheels.
The downside of harder wheels is that they can be more difficult to control, especially for beginners. They're also more likely to slip on rougher surfaces

I reckon RC Medallion + is a good switch

Cool, it appears they’re similar to the Sure-Grip Fame but more widely available(and importantly available in hot pink). Amazed that you can get a full set of big soft for £20 but the price skyrockets for anything harder. Bridgend cycles had a good range much cheaper than the boutique hipster skate shops and from the looks of it they’re a family business. She got the Medallions for £45 posted for a full set of 8.
Are Bones Red or Big Balls the bearing of choice?
I used to fluctuate between branded and el-cheapo on my skateboard but they took an absolute kicking and I was a poor teenager. I had some knock-off ceramics once which were fast as hell but rattled like an old trolley.

Has anyone ever tried cutting down skate boots? Partner is after something like this, but finished. Been struggling to find much online about it and not really sure where to start. Draw a line and then have at it with a stanley knife/big scissors then try and make good with a speedy stitcher?

Might cross post in the craft person thread too.

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Fun afternoon at roller nation today. Managed to do bubbles all the way around for a few laps and attempted some backwards bubbles and skating. It’s a bit wild in there on a day time with all the kids launching themselves in every direction all at once.
They’ve got fancy new hire skates in there as well. Nice suede boots as opposed to the chunky old ski boots they used to have.

I bought some skates today. Sure-Grip Boardwalk from the lovely folks at DoubleThreat down by Kings X.

The woman who helped me in there insisted I try on everything in my size regardless of budget and was super hands on with checking my fit in them all. There was a pair of Bonts I liked but they were nearly £400 which is crazy money for a first pair so were never really an option.

These boots feel pretty stiff around the ankle and will need breaking in(they feel a bit like new hiking boots or climbing slippers) but reviews and shop advice seem to suggest they’re a damn fine skate for the majority of folks and definitely at the fancy end of things for a beginner like me. Any tips for softening up stiff suede boots appreciated.
They came with really big soft wheels but they did me a deal on some Sure-Grip Fame wheels so I’m covered for indoor and out. I got jam plugs as well but will prob stick with the brakes for the time being.
10/10 buying experience from that shop.

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Great post and review.

I’ve not seen Bont skates. I have a pair bont cycling shoes which have heat moulding in step, I assume same for Bont skates.

Your purchase look ace. I’ve not been out skating since October, hope to get along to Newham Leisure Centre for indoor sessions with Sammee

Bonts appear to be aimed more towards the skatepark/dance/derby crowd than wobbly newbs like me. The main difference I noticed is they don’t have the Cuban heel like everything else I tried. Look like they start at around £350 though and not widely stocked over here so you gotta get measured up and order from the supplier. They just happened to have a pair in my size on the shelf. I have no idea if it’s the same Bont as the cycling shoes but I assumed so. Fairly sure it was these I tried or v similar.

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The Cuban heel in figure skating I believe provides better balance, which probably means better for a host of tricks.

I have hockey skates they have a slight incline, I wear them like I’m off piste skiing, heels down which is probably a mistake given that I am not a pro.. less control, weight distribution I think should be in the proximity to balls of your feet.

Your skates are a great choice.

Yes, the woman who served me had ‘views’ about hockey skates it seemed!
She was American and hadn’t really seen it outside of roller hockey players til she moved to London.

I sorta learned to turn around today, would like to be able to skate backwards by the end of the week. Lucky to have a smooth underground carpark in my building.

Underground car parks are super smooth and ideal place to practice.

So if you can propel yourself forward without lifting your feet, parallel feet wide-together-wide-together repeat.

Try doing that in reverse, knees slightly bent leaning forward slightly.

Start really slowly, to stop arms stretched out both sides, one toe stop.

I reckon stopping like this is the easiest.

Yes, I can sort of do ‘bubbles’(this is the term my partner has been taught by isle of skate for that move) backwards as well as forwards, just a case of keeping up the momentum and not panicking or grinding to a halt.
The joys of YouTube means there’s plenty of info out there, just need to up the confidence and muscle memory.
I can just about do a pirouette on the spot so think I’ll get there.
Lucky for me I’ve spent my life on skateboards so don’t mind falling over and have a bit of understanding about rotation and momentum.
I got wrist and knee pads so a bit less concerned about knackering myself.

Forum skate meet up soon?

next Sunday, good to be back inside.
It’ll be all age groups.. pre teens and the over 50s methinks, lol

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I may well join you! I was going to go hiking but this looks fun. :)

Okay cool, I’ll pm you nearer the time. Sammee keeps asking me to help out and I need the exercise.

Oh cool, I promise not to monopolise your time being hopeless and asking daft questions if you’re there helping out ;)

Just found a YouTube vid of ‘stuff to practice indoors in a confined space’. Whether or not I’ve got much time to practice properly I’m going to aim to spend as much time wearing them around the flat just to get a bit more poise if nothing else…

Having a slightly early mid life crisis and bought some skates last week. I used to play hockey in tesco car park. yep i was pretty cool...

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