Inline Planet Skate Forum

by **lolramen** on Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:07 am

So let me explain my situation to you. I'm looking for a pair of skates, and I have no idea where to begin, and this seemed like a good place to ask for advice. I recently quit roller hockey, but I enjoy skating too much to just totally abandon it. I would like something that i can just take around the block for a quick run, and something that is good pretty good for downhill, so that when my friends go longboarding, I can keep up. Also, since I'm coming from hockey, these insanely low-cut boots seem like they would be very hard to balance on, but I wouldn't know from personal experience. Lastly, price is quite a concern of myne, since most of my spending money is funneled into my other hobby, R/C helis. NOW, what is your personal opinion on what I should get?

by **Bill in Houston** on Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:42 am

k2 moto 90.
big wheels, tall boot.

by **lolramen** on Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:57 am

Not worried about a tail boot, I know how to stop.

by **Bill in Houston** on Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:44 pm

lolramen wrote:these insanely low-cut boots seem like they would be very hard to balance on,

the more you change your story, the harder it is to make a suggestion.

by **chaosdsm** on Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:29 pm

lolramen wrote:So let me explain my situation to you. I'm looking for a pair of skates, and I have no idea where to begin, and this seemed like a good place to ask for advice. I recently quit roller hockey, but I enjoy skating too much to just totally abandon it. I would like something that i can just take around the block for a quick run, and something that is good pretty good for downhill, so that when my friends go longboarding, I can keep up. Also, since I'm coming from hockey, these insanely low-cut boots seem like they would be very hard to balance on, but I wouldn't know from personal experience. Lastly, price is quite a concern of myne, since most of my spending money is funneled into my other hobby, R/C helis. NOW, what is your personal opinion on what I should get?

Not all low-cut boots are created equal, some are cut at or below the ankle, giving the skater maximum ankle movement (some skaters like that freedom), while others come up just above the top of the ankle bone for added ankle support (my preference). For a skater who wants maximum ankle support, I would suggest the Bont Semi-Race. Right in line price-wise with the top-of-the-line boots from K2 & Rollerblade, they offer one feature that K2 & Rollerblade cannot match, a Fully Heat Moldable boot, allowing you to fit the boots to your feet, for a much more stable & comfortable ride. IMO, Bont should have called them "Crossover" or "Hybrid" instead of "Semi-Race" because they have features found in race skates, but have the support of a recreational skate, & can easily fit the bill as both a fitness skate & a marathon skate. The 3 point mounting system improves stability & with a 13.2" 4x110 frame (available seperately, though some vendors may be willing to swap the 4x100 frame that comes with the Semi-Race for a 4x110 frame for a considerable savings over buying the skates plus a 4x110 frame), you might even pass some of those longboarders on those downhills :wink:

by **lolramen** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:27 am

Just to clarify, I'm looking for a very ankle supportive skate, and something that I can wear all day (from what I've gathered this would be a marathon skate?). I'm also looking for 90-100 size wheels. Lastly I'd like to keep the price below $300, if at all possible (could be swinging a little low on that). After roaming the internet for a few days, I think I've found something that fits the bill. K2 Radical 100's seem to be about what I think I'm looking for. They have the large wheels I'm looking for, the ankle support, and I'm finding them for $230 on the internet. Thoughts?

by **chaosdsm** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:05 am

lolramen wrote:Just to clarify, I'm looking for a very ankle supportive skate, and something that I can wear all day (from what I've gathered this would be a marathon skate?). I'm also looking for 90-100 size wheels. Lastly I'd like to keep the price below $300, if at all possible (could be swinging a little low on that). After roaming the internet for a few days, I think I've found something that fits the bill. K2 Radical 100's seem to be about what I think I'm looking for. They have the large wheels I'm looking for, the ankle support, and I'm finding them for $230 on the internet. Thoughts?

Nothing wrong with the Radical 100's & $230 is a darned good price!!! Personally, I would spend the extra for the Semi-Race. I got a pair last Christmas as a replacement for Rollerblade Lightning 10's (very similar to Radical 100's), and I'm so glad I got them instead of another pair of Rollerblade's or K2's, but a big part of that is due to the need to be able to heat mold my boots to fit my abnormal feet...

If price is #1 priority - Radical 100's, if ankle support is your #1 priority - Semi-Race all the way... if all-day wear is a #1 priority - it's a toss-up, they're both very comfortable, & I have worn the Semi-Race for 5 straight hours.

by **skaterdog** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:56 pm

Radical 100s are actually easy to find much cheaper than $230 these days. I paid $140 on Ebay for a new pair for my son.

This seller always has some:

http://tinyurl.com/3n4l7b

You can't go wrong for that price.

by **gem** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:53 pm

skaterdog wrote:Radical 100s are actually easy to find much cheaper than $230 these days. I paid $140 on Ebay for a new pair for my son.This seller always has some:http://tinyurl.com/3n4l7b You can't go wrong for that price.

If Ü got the skates that are shown in the pix, those are the older models. Which is fine as K2's are gud skates

by **Bill in Houston** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:04 pm

I have some Rad100s and I really like them. I heard a rumor that this year's model is narrower than last year's.

by **lolramen** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:41 pm

That's a GREAT deal! Only problem is my foot is slightly larger than a 5, lol.

On another note, my old friend's dad just got in a car crash, and is selling his skates because he needs the money, and isn't in the best physical shape at the moment. I haven't seen them, and for that matter I'm not even sure what kind they are (but I DO know that they are heat moldable) They're 5 wheelers, though, and I've noticed that most skates now have only 4. What exactly is the difference?

by **chaosdsm** on Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:22 pm

lolramen wrote:They're 5 wheelers, though, and I've noticed that most skates now have only 4. What exactly is the difference?

Wheel size. Five wheel frames came about back when 80mm was the largest wheel on the market, & were designed for speed skates, though you could add them to rec/fitness skates. They eventually graduated all the way to 90mm wheels, but once you get up to 100mm wheels & larger, the frames start becoming ridiculously long if you keep with 5 wheels, i.e. a 5x100 frame would be a minimum of 16" long, while a 5x110 frame would be a minimum 17.6" long, so they just went back to 4 wheels to keep with a reasonable length.

Of course Bont though 17.6" was too short :?: