Novice looking to buy & start in-line skating, what should i know?

[tom3]

I was in Target the other day and saw how ridiculously cheap in-line skates were.. so I tried a pair on. That sparked my interest in picking up this recreational activity.

So now I'm looking around online for deals on skates. Do you guys know where I can find good skates at low prices? My budget is $50, since it is my first pair. What should I look for in a pair of skates? I cant tell the difference between $30 and $200 skates.

Other than purchasing, do you have any advices for me??

Oh yeah, i am not looking to jump on rails and do all kinds of crazy stuff with them.

thanks!

 

[DAM]

if you are gonna do stunts, then i recommend you spend a little more, they will last longer, go to a shop that sells inline skates and pretend you are gonna buy, and ask the guy what you should look for, then go to a place that is cheaper and look for those things


oh yeah, dude be careful, wear pads and a helmet, and ask him about those wrist guards, cause ive heard that they are bad for you, but im not sure.



dam()

 

[nickdakick]

One word: carefully

 

[RaDragon]

it's ok that you start with those less expensive inline skates -- if you end up not liking ths "sport", then you've got nothing that big to lose.

here's a site to start: http://inlineskating.about.com/recreation/inlineskating/msub-beginners.htm

though the best way to really learn is to go out and try it yourself! make sure to practice first where there aren't a lot of people or objects you can hit (i.e., practice in an empty parking lot). you may also want to invest in some good knee & elbow pads, some wrist guards, and a helmet. when i 'taught' my sisters to skate, the one thing i noticed is the importance of confidence. if you're not confident that you can skate well, psychology kicks-in and you'll be falling all over the place.

keep your knees bent (kinda like a crouch position) initially, and use your arms for balance. once you've got the hang of things, you can do that 'speed skating' look -- place one arm behind your back while the other sways from side-to-side also, make sure that while you learn how to skate, you also learn how to stop! pm or email me if you have any other questions!

oh yeah, don't forget to have fun!

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Don't get skates with a heel brake. It will only get in your way. Also get lace up skates. They provide better ankle support and they don't have any clasps that can pop loose when you fall. You will spend a little more on lace-up(hockey) skates but they are worth it.
Also get a friend to start with you. It is easier and funny to watch someone else fall on their ass too.

 

[tom3]

Thanks for the replies.

JeffreyLebowski, why not get skates with heel brakes?? what other type of brakes are there?

Also another thing I noticed was that the skates I tried on only had heel brakes on one side (right). Is this normal??

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

It is normal to have the brake on only one foot, seeing as how you drag your heel to stop. Kinda hard to lean on both heels and not fall over.

As far as how you stop with out the brake. Just make a quick turn or drag your other skate by one wheel.

I always found that the heel brake got in my way. If I was to go down a curb or something you have remember it's there. Also most of the brakes will not stay locked in the postion you put it at which is a pain in the ass trying to reposition it all the time.

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

One more word: Pads.

Well, add a helmet too.

 

[DesignDawg]

Don't go cheap. I, too, wanted to get into the sport once and I bought a pair of $35.00 skates. HURT LIKE A BITCH. I thought that I just couldn't get into them because I would never be able to stand the pain..... But then I put on a pair of REAL rollerblades (rollerblade brand), and it was like a whole other world. My feet didn't hurt at all like the cheap skates. I was able to skate and really get used to them being on my feet. Cheap skates will never allow that level of comfort, and you will give up soon. Trying them on in the store, you may not tell a difference, but the first time you go out on them for an hour or two, if you buy cheapo ckates, you will see what I mean.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[DesignDawg]

Don't go cheap. I, too, wanted to get into the sport once and I bought a pair of $35.00 skates. HURT LIKE A BITCH. I thought that I just couldn't get into them because I would never be able to stand the pain..... But then I put on a pair of REAL rollerblades (rollerblade brand), and it was like a whole other world. My feet didn't hurt at all like the cheap skates. I was able to skate and really get used to them being on my feet. Cheap skates will never allow that level of comfort, and you will give up soon. Trying them on in the store, you may not tell a difference, but the first time you go out on them for an hour or two, if you buy cheapo ckates, you will see what I mean.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[BiB]

Yes don't go cheap. Also, although the hellbrake may get in the way if you're good, I would say that for starting its a great big help. I've seen many novice skaters use it to good effect dragging down a hill...and although I don't use it for low speeds I still find myself really cranking back on it hard at high speeds. Although you can turn or drag your foot at lower speeds (and that really burns up the wheels), at high speed its either heel brake or hockey-stop - and hockey-stops aren't easy.

BiB

 

[20_MuleTeam_Borax]

Money good, fruit-booting bad

 

[Eug]

Cheap usually --> uncomfortable and lousy bearings. You'll quickly learn to hate in-line skates if you buy crap ones. I say look at $100 and up if possible.

Lace up is a pain, but often more comfortable. Hockey-specific ones are are usually like their bladed brethren. Uncomfortable until you start spending $200+. I own lace -up non-hockey blades. I'd try out 5 or 6 models and buy the ones that are most comfortable.

Make sure you get ABEC-3 or better bearings, or ABEC-1 in the very least. Below ABEC-1 the bearings truly suck.

I like the heel brake, but to have a removable one is ideal, esp. if you may want to play hockey or something later. Also, if you want to play hockey, the option to rocker the wheels is a big bonus. (With the wheels rockered, emulating the curve of a hockey skate blade, the in-line skates become MUCH more maneouverable, albeit less stable.) I like to play hockey with the heel brake unlike most people. I'm not a good hockey player, but I'm an OK skater. I have actually learned to use the brake not as a brake only, but also for quick moves. On the other hand it TOTALLY screws me up in the winter - I invariably try to use the non-existent heel brake the first few times I try to stop on ice. Not pretty. At least that's better than trying to use the ice-skating scraping type stop on rollerblades. Now that's painful. What I hate is those brakes that move with some sort of lever system built in - meant for beginners but when I was learning I thought they were the stupidest things I'd ever tried. I much preferred the simple non-adjusting brake. I think those levered brakes actually hinder progress when learning to skate.

Helmet & wrist guards are absolutely necessary. Wrist fractures are very common. Head injuries are less common but potentially much more serious. Knee pads and elbow pads are a big bonus too.

Grass is your friend. Start somewhere where there is grass at the edge of the pavement.

Edit:

As far as speed of stopping is concerned people state that you can't stop as quickly on the heel brake as opposed to using the turn stop. Perhaps, but I can stop pretty damn fast. When I go full speed, I can actually put ALL of my weight just on the one heel. My other leg is off the ground, as are my wheels of the foot with the brake. Definitely not for beginners though.

I find it's much harder to stop as quickly using the heel drag method, and it takes much more effort. I find the turn stop method problematic when going full speed too, but that may partially be because I haven't used it as much as those who are forced to use it.

 

[tom3]

Hello folks!
Is Roces a good brand??

The particular pair i ordered was the Seattle model. Does it look alright?
I know I should have asked before I bought, but I saw a good deal and snatched them up.

thanks!

 

[RaDragon]

As far as I remember, Roces *was* a good brand. Do you know the type of bearings it has, and whether it is a soft or hard boot?

 

[tom3]

It uses ABEC 3 bearings. And the shell is vented and made of Nylon, while the liner is "vented, standard footbed.

Here's a link that would do better than i can


thanks!

 

[RaDragon]

not bad... though i'm not too happy 'bout the "all clasp" design, that'll be a good pair for learning. once you've 'advanced' a bit go for the string laces and soft-boot.

btw, i started w/ rollerblades (the kiddie ones) with 3 clasps and a hard boot, then when i got comfortable with the sport, i got some cool K2 soft-boot ones...it was a big difference (in terms of comfort and speed)