Throwing in the Rolling Skates - Advice Needed

[WeeBee]

Good Morning,
I have decided to purchase my first inline skates. I have been roller skating for about 20 years and am going to make the transition to inline skates.
My questions are:
Will this be a difficult transition? And what areas in particular should I watch out for in the transition?
What type of skate would best fit my beginner status on inline skates, but advanced intermediate on skates? I read some reviews (including the Activa II 90 and Wing 50 W) and looking for some guidance here.
Looking forward to losing the weight of the roller skate and increasing a smoother trail ride.
Thank you for any and all advice.
Most appreciated inline skate newbie, W

[Robert]

Hi, W.

Welcome to the inline world!

Will the transition be difficult? ...Given your experience, probably not, but you may need a few sessions to get the hang of it.
Be sure to wear your protective gear and avoid any kind of downhill (even a driveway). Also, learn how to brake so you can control your speed.
http://inlineplanet.com/six/braking_column.html

Before you buy ... try on some quality skates, such as those made by Rollerblade or K2. You can usually find some skates at Big Box sporting goods stores, such as Sports Authority. Roll around a little in the store to see what feels best. (Take care not to fall!)

Be sure to note the wheels size. The smaller the wheel, the slower the skate but the easier to control.
The question to ask is what skate will be the best at your level of skill. You don't want to challenge yourself too much or you could end up not using the skates or getting injured.

If you start inline skating a lot, you will probably start thinking of upgrading your equipment (meaning buying more technical skates) after several months of skating. That's what seems to happen with most skaters.

Anyway, best of luck and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Yours,
Robert[/b]

[WeeBee]

Robert,
Thank you so much for the advice. I am sure a few more questions will pop up..but for starters, regarding "The smaller the wheel, the slower the skate but the easier to control. "..I was thinking of going with a bigger wheel (90) perhaps too speedy but providing a smoother ride.. or perhaps I should look at something like the Wing 50 W..
Either way, I am very much looking forward to losing the weight of my roller skates!!
Also, will be interesting with a back breaking system. Usually, I just did a tight turn to stop and rarely used my front break..rather a T-stop..hopefully this will be the same with inline skates..not sure if I even want a rear brake..curious of the pros and cons..thoughts on this??
Again, please, please, please do not hesitate with the feedback.
Truly appreciated!!!!
Hopefully will try on a few pairs on Thursday and get feel for things..
Look forward to reading more advice from the forum!!!
W

[sk8teacher]

Robert,
Thank you so much for the advice. I am sure a few more questions will pop up..but for starters, regarding "The smaller the wheel, the slower the skate but the easier to control. "..I was thinking of going with a bigger wheel (90) perhaps too speedy but providing a smoother ride.. or perhaps I should look at something like the Wing 50 W..

90mm wheels will be a bit hard to learn on. You can always buy the skates if they fit your foot well, and replace the wheels with an inexpensive set of smaller wheels (76mm - 80mm), then as your skill level increases put the originals on.

Also, will be interesting with a back breaking system. Usually, I just did a tight turn to stop and rarely used my front break..rather a T-stop..hopefully this will be the same with inline skates..not sure if I even want a rear brake..curious of the pros and cons..thoughts on this??

Spin stops and T stops work the same on inline skates as you are used to. That said however, the heel brake is the best way to stop, and using the heel brake is how you control yourself on hills. It's not hard to learn but it does take some practice to use it well.

Cheers,

[WeeBee]

Most excellent advice.
Thank you!

All the best,
W

[SkateCoach]

Hey Weebee,

You're right, we do have great folks here in our little online community! But then, I've always felt that skaters in general tend to be terrific people. I mean, small-minded selfish evil mean people simply don't strap wheels to their feet and go out to experience the exhilaration of skating, y'know?

Hey, speaking of the joy of flying down a hill on skates - YES, you will want a heel brake if you're going to be skating streets, sidewalks or trails. T-stops, power slides, etc., all rely on friction between the wheels and the pavement to slow you down. This eats up wheels and gets costly in a hurry. Tight turns may work for a while but sooner or later you'll find yourself on a slope too narrow to turn on, or you'll surprise a bike, car or fellow skater by turning into their path, resulting in an ugly collision.

The exception is a closed course race where the only time you should need to stop is after the finish line, and they usually provide you a nice long outrun area for this purpose.

By the way, are you in New York City, or somewhere else in New York State?

There are a number of certified instructors who teach in NYC, and others in Syracuse, Rochester, etc. There's even a Central Park chapter of the National Skate Patrol that offers free braking clinics.

I'm very proud of the three part braking series I wrote for Inline Planet, but there is no substitute for a lesson from a live instructor. No tutorial can watch what you're doing and give you specific corrections!

To find a certified instructor in the U.S. and Canada:

UnitedSkateSchools.org

To see if there's a National Skate Patrol chapter in your area:

NationalSkatePatrol.org

Good luck and have fun out there!

[SkateCoach]

Hey WeeBee,

You're right, we do have great folks here in our little online community! But then, I've always felt that skaters in general tend to be terrific people. I mean, small-minded selfish evil mean people simply don't strap wheels to their feet and go out to experience the exhilaration of skating, y'know?

Hey, speaking of the joy of flying down a hill on skates - YES, you will want a heel brake if you're going to be skating streets, sidewalks or trails. T-stops, power slides, etc., all rely on friction between the wheels and the pavement to slow you down. This eats up wheels and gets costly in a hurry. Tight turns may work for a while but sooner or later you'll find yourself on a slope too narrow to turn on, or you'll surprise a bike, car or fellow skater by turning into their path, resulting in an ugly collision.

The exception is a closed course race where the only time you should need to stop is after the finish line, and they usually provide you a nice long outrun area for this purpose.

By the way, are you in New York City, or somewhere else in New York State?

There are a number of certified instructors who teach in NYC, and others in Syracuse, Rochester, etc. There's even a Central Park chapter of the National Skate Patrol that offers free braking clinics.

I'm very proud of the three part braking series I wrote for Inline Planet, but there is no substitute for a lesson from a live instructor. No tutorial can watch what you're doing and give you specific corrections!

To find a certified instructor in the U.S. and Canada:

UnitedSkateSchools.org

To see if there's a National Skate Patrol chapter in your area:

NationalSkatePatrol.org

Good luck and have fun out there!

[WeeBee]

SkateCoach,
I did read your braking piece and I look forward to putting words to action. Definitely will check out the Chapter link, great advice.
I am living outside of the city in Westchester and might check your link for some instructors. I usually like to learn on my own with a few trips to the doctor intertwined with " I will NEVER do that again"...did the same with skateboarding - and that was NOT a pretty sight.
Anyway, I am giving my roller skates to my niece and am out to purchase my first inline skates. Shocking.
Looking forward to the new experience.
Again, thank you for the helpful input.

All the best,

W

[SkateCoach]

What a coincidence. I grew up in Westchester - Hastings-on-Hudson to be exact. Also lived briefly in Dobbs Ferry and Tarrytown.

[WeeBee]

Currently, I live in Somers. Moved to New York from San Diego about 2 years ago so still trying to get the hang of things here. We lived in Tarrytown for a year (where I would roller skate on the trail near Rockefeller Park - love that area!), and now being in Somers, we have the nearby Putnam bike trail system to skate on. Looking forward to meeting some skate buddies out this way. Too bad you dont live closer.

Happy Friday!

W