K2 Radical 100 vs. RB Lightning TF vs. any skate

[BarrySVT]

I am seeking advice on purchasing new skates.

I have been inline "fitness" skating for 15 years.
I also skate ski in the winter and raced road bikes (cat 2) for over 15 years.
My skates are typically 1 to 2 hours in length. 70% paved bike trails 30% open road with rough pavement. Current skates are K2 Escapes with 80mm wheels.

100 wheels seem to be the way to go for me. I have genetically small ankles and I think a mid rise cuff works best for me.

I am looking at the K2 Radical 100 and the Rollerblade Lightning TF.

Any opinions or reviews of these skates?
Any other models to consider?

[tjw]

Go to inlinewarehouse.com and check out the 2007 K2 Moto Extreme and the new 2007 Rads.

[BarrySVT]

Ty for the reply..........

Yup, I have been buying wheels and bearings from inlinewarehouse for years. The Moto X's are a high cuff and I am not sold on the 2x100 2x90 setup.

I think the Rads are more what I am looking for. Any user reviews? And from what I can tell the only "new improvements" for 2007 is a lower cuff? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[SeJoWa]

Hi Barry,

I bought a pair of 2006 K2 Rad 90s a couple of months ago as a step up from K2 Power 6.0 fitness skates. I'd say they are an excellent choice if you have long distances in mind and are maybe a little apprehensive of thoroughbred speedskates.

I started skating last year, and needed a better fitting skate for long distances in order to have good chances at painfree fun participating in a 300 km skate through Holland in May. The Radicals fit the bill. At the same time, they have permitted me to evolve.

The quality of these skates is way above your usual fitness skate in every respect. Be aware that they fit more snugly, so if your current K2s are on the loose side, I'd advise a half step down in size (don't forget you can also get thin socks).

Fire away if some specific question comes to mind!

Sean

[Pepper Montana]

I think the Rads are more what I am looking for.

I would second that. I don't like the Rollerblade frames. I had the Profuel and it cracked after several months. It is very similar to the Topfuel. I just don't see the Rollerblades being the way to go. Too brittle! Bad design.

[BarrySVT]

TY for the replies guys..........

Its not that I'm "apprehensive of thoroughbred speedskates", I just have never skated a pair to know if they would be comfortable for a 2+ hour skate that would include rough pavement. Are Bonts sold in shops? Any skate I buy is going to have to be tried on first.

I have also read some posts about the K2 Rads boot comming apart. (post had some pretty ugly pics) Any comment on this. Also do you guys know if the only change for 2007 is a slightly lower cuff? There are somme good prices out there on the 2005 models.

Have you guys heat-formed your K2 rad boots?

[SeJoWa]

Any skate I buy is going to have to be tried on first.

Excellent.

I was apprehensive of speedskates. Now, I at least get the feeling of being a junior apprentice of the trade. Looking forward to my first pair sometime in the future. :D

I imagine the calamitous posts you read are some rare data points. I skate my Rads hard at times (the frame is pretty scratched), and there was a strong skater along for Skatefresh with the same pair. I noticed some on Janneman's Finline pics too, and occasionally, satisfied owners have weighed in in the past on the old forum.

Haven't heat formed them, but bought some eezyskate ankle booties (my foot is a but narrow).

I like the manoeuvrability of the Rad 90s , by the way, but most everyone seems to feel the 100s are superior for trail skates.

[janneman]

Besides the comments - maybe you should add the FILA M100 to the list.

They are fairly comparable to the earlier mentioned. In my last queste to pick a good pair similar things played a role. my wishlist;

- i'm up for looong skating (Lapland trip "finline" almost 400 km in 5 days)
- i expect not too good pavement
- consider myself not a beginner, nor a racing pro - but some in between

For as far as my personal judgement on the three models mentioned;
- rollerblade TF had some strange bulb in the heel that irritated me highly. for me that did not work - but for others it may be fine
- K2RAD100 has a plastic shoe wich is more flexing laterally. On 100's the momentum on the frame is huge - and it felt like not-so-stable. K2 appearantly does good marketing in scandinavia - many people there on the RAD90's.
- FILAM100: have them now for 3 months. only two weaks; shoes are pretty warm and have no ventilation, the upper cuff has a clip on the inside-leg. When your knees nicely woosh each other and so do your feet - your skates may touch each other. On the FILA's the clip then opens :(

Further; i love the 100's as they roll better than my 5 x 84 espesially on rough pavement. The shoes are very comfy and even at days of 6, 7 hours on them i had no foot-probs at all.

one remark; Im not a dwarf... 1.88m and 85kg (6'4" - 170 LBS) that makes some difference in handling big wheels.

[BarrySVT]

Hey thanks guys! good input, a real help.

I have looked at the Fila M100 and they appear to be the ideal skate for what I am seeking.
However, I do not believe they are distributed in the US.
Which would make trying on a pair difficult. Most of the internet sites seem to price the M100s at about 600.00 USD. (a little more than I would like to spend but I would consider) I would be buying (2) pairs. Other pair is for my wife.

K2 Rad100 vs. Fila M100?
Any leads to the best price on the M100s?

[Jon B.]

Can't comment on Fila.
I skate a 2005 Rad 100. Keep in mind the cuff is "loose", it does not snug your ankle, thereby giving you good freedom of movement, but less than ultimate ankle support. Even though I've only owned them for 8 months, they have mucho miles on them and several spills, and they still hold up. I have heat molded them and have made them extremely snug in the heel cup.
My wife skates the TFS and loves the pull string laces, she can tighten up on the fly with ease. They are much more conforming to the ankle, and probably higher giving much greater ankle support, but also less ankle flexibility. Depends on your strengths/weaknesses. JB

[Code Monkey]

Only my opinion. I have the Rad 100. I would say it is a nice skate but I wouldn't buy it again. What I recommend is to look at the Mogema crosstrainer skate or the Powerslide C8 or R4. As Jon B. said there is little ankle support and to me the boot is heavy and mushy feeling or sloppy.

I now skate in the Powerslide C4 and recently bought another pair so I can put on a frame, wheel, bearing setup for my faster, shorter twelve mile skates and use my current set up for my long distance skates or when the weather looks unpredictable or just slower skates.

[janneman]

Mmm i feel to repeat myself - but i DISADVICE the powerslide R4 ! they have no flex to bend the knees (and let the ankle flex) and there is much pressure on the lower shinbone / instep causing nasty bulbs or even tendon infection. have been there gone through myself and it is not a nice thing :mad:
heard same stories over and over and people ending up not using the upper strap and lace holes - in my opinion the proof this thing is just a misser.

mogema crosstrainer was also on my list and tried it. it is a kinda half-high shoe and i found it not all that supportive - at least not half what the M100 does.

The powerslide C8 is quite similar to the R4, just slightly more luxurous but with the same flaw. The C6 is similar to the C4.

On pricing; i paid Eur 400 for the Fila's - without seeking any bargains or trading off. I know the purchasing price for the dealer is low enough to get 10 or even 20 % off. So that would make in US$ something 400 to 500.

A problem there could be the euro/dollar rate, as the interest in U$ is still high and thus the current is sinking. Hence buying italian stuff may come expensive. not sure....

[Code Monkey]

Barry,

Forget my advice on the R4 or Mogema crosstrainer. I just thought it would be something to look into. Janneman is the one to listen to on this because he has actually tried them out, I haven't. I guess what I was trying to get at was (and only my preference) I like a good stiff, tight boot, without a lot of padding.

[BarrySVT]

I am finding the Fila M100 on E-bay Germany for 299 EUR.
(364 USD)
Anybody know anything about "inline-discount_com"? They have not replied to my email yet.

And... What is up with the wheels on the M100? That solid core looks kind of weird. I thought wheels need to dissipate bearing heat. Any comments?

[janneman]

the "lenticular" wheel is a gizmo... they look sleek and like carbon, they are not. not that i have big problems, in fact the quality of the UP and bearing is very much ok. - and they just look fancy.

the only small problem is that this special cover is an extra plastic part that not only covers the wheel like a mere cap, but it is fixed because it has an indent that makes part of the hub. What happened to me is:

there was some goo between the hub and this cover
- so the cover could not slide in perfect
- so the bearing was not snug in totally
- so the bearing was crunched because it got no support from the spacer
- so the wheel did not roll :(

once you find out how the construction is, not a biggie. and when this first set of wheels is history i just buy matter or hyper.

i told the FILA boys this cover is not a great idea.

[BarrySVT]

So what you are saying is if I get the Fila skates I should swap out the wheels to Hypers? That seems like it could be deal breaker.........more money for decent wheels right out of the gate.

Yeah I thought those wheels looked whack. Right now the Fila look like a good boot and frame but crappy wheels and also near impossible to get in the US. That is leading me back to the K2's.

Ty for your reply. I really appreciate your feedback!

[motosk8ter]

I have a set of RB L10's and am pleased with them. Got into a big debate with myself between the Radical 100's and the RB's. The CF boot seemed to speak to stability although comfort comes second. The quality I have found to be high. My big change was to Hyper 90's for hills and manuervability. Overall I am pleased with them but then again I have not had the Radicals.

[irablumberg]

In my limited experience, both K2 and Rollerblade make good high end fitness skates. I can say for certain that K2 stands behind its products. I got a pair of the Rad 100s and had a wheel break in the first week. K2 sent me a set of 8 new wheels as soon as I called to report the problem.

In addition, I purchased some Hyper wheels that turned out ot be 2 mm wider than the stock K2 wheel. These wheels rub at various spots on the frames. K2 is now sending me replacement frames. Customer support has been great.

As for which skate to choose, again in my limited experience, the most important consideration is your foot shape. If you have a narrow foot, K2's boot will likely fit much better as it is a lower volume. If you have a normal foot, you can probably use either skate. If you have a wide foot, stay away from K2. My foot is narrow and the K2s fit very nicely while all the RBs I have auditioned allowed my foot to slide laterally as the boot is simply too wide for my foot.

The best bet is to find a way to try on both skates and see which gives the best fit.

Ira

[mikeyb]

Rollerblade is (or has) come out with all carbon fiber boots for 2007 in the US. According to Inlineplanet.com, they will provide greater ankle motion. The K2 Rad now has a 2x110/2x100 for 2007 already being sold online if you feel bigger is better!

For those with experience, is the K2 Rad best fitted the same size as your street shoe (K2 recommends this) or a half size smaller than your shoe?

Also, this discussion borders on the issue of speed boot vs fitness boot for the fitness skater. Both Jannemann and I have been in speed boots and gone back to fitness boots. While speed boots have the tightest heel hold and so work better, the hassle factor can loom large for some of us. I used speed boots for 1 1/2 yrs and finally got some Achilles tendon swelling from boot pressure and shelved them for the time being. When I first bought my speed boots, it took me two months to work out the kinks. During that break-in period I couldn't skate more than 10 miles because some ache and blister. Once broken in, I could skate any distance my legs could handle. However, knowing more, I think I could break in a speed boot much faster now though I still haven't got up the gumption to buy another pair. I admit I miss the refined control of a speed boot.

[BarrySVT]

thanks to all for the feedback..........my head is swimming with possibilities. I am going to try on a skates some day soon....

right now I am trying to road bike as much as I can. A rain day or to two is forcasted for next week and then I will get to a local shop for fitting.

............right now I am leaning toward the K2 100s, but the racer in me keeps saying " speed boot" the previous post pretty much solved that! LOL Thanks! will keep y'all posted

[Pepper Montana]

I have recently been switching between speed boots and fitness boots. The fitness boots remind me of a luxury car. They are plush and comfy compared to the speed boots. I can really control the edges better on the speed boots. Right now though, the speed boots aren't hugely faster for me than the fitness boots.

Good luck with your decision. Choosing skates is hard. If you were very wealthy you wouldn't mind making bad skate decisions while you seek the perfect boot for yourself. For people with limited resources it is hard to choose when you know you will have to live with the consequences of your decision for awhile.

[janneman]

So what you are saying is if I get the Fila skates I should swap out the wheels to Hypers?

did not say that. actually the wheels are fine as long as you don't mess with them - and if you do.... just be aware of this little "pitfall".

[sk8scott]

Just spotted the new '07 skates at inlinewarehouse.com, and I'm salivating like a Pavlovian skate-dog. The big decision is between the Rad 100 or the Rad Pro 100/110. Since I'm skipping 90mm along the way, I figure 100mm might be a safer jump. Also, 110mm wheels are going to be a lot harder to find than 100mm. On the other hand, I've really gotten used to the 80/84 hi-low frame setup on my old Mod 8.5s (falling apart more & more...), and the 100/110 frame might closer approximate the footfall.

I may have to swap the 80/84 frame on some trails, especially the one right outside my door, depending on how the 100mm wheels and longer frame handle long, steep, twisty, and narrow hills...

Either way, it's going to be an adventure that I likely won't begin until next spring (that's between late April and late May up here), as a late October shipping date pretty much guarantees that the skates won't arrive until the snow starts falling. :( (Too bad there's no indoor skating track here in VT, aside from the ones with ice on them.)

----Scott

[Code Monkey]

BarrySVT,

You could hate me later but remember this is just my personal opinion and from my experience. I was reading over your first post and thinking about my skating. So just to make your decision even harder I say take a moment and reconsider just going ahead and getting some speed skates. Yes, speed skates!

Here is my reasoning...

First off you have been skating many years on fitness skates. Ok you've done that. Next is you skate for a good time duration so I feel like you like pushing and testing yourself. Correct me if I am wrong but I feel you want to do more. You want to go faster and you want to go farther. So it is time to try something different and exciting. You still have, even though beat up, your fitness skates. I have the Rad 100s and never use them. In fact if you are a size 12 I would give you a better than great deal on them. I suggest going to nettracing.com and look at the Powerslide C6 set up. It is a little more expensive than the Rad 100 but very close. Now I also have very skinny ankles and a narrow heel. Actually a narrow foot. I have had no problems at all with the ankle or heel in the C4 boot which is almost exactly like the C6 boot. Now they come with the 5x84 frame and wheels and I personally think that is a good thing. I skate my long distances which I consider to be over 15 miles on a 5x80 Mogema frame and the C4 boot. I also think that has a great deal to do with why I have no foot problems or ankle problems. The bigger wheel causes your ankle to torgue more and it will fatigue much quicker. Now if you don't go long distance or want to then this may not be a concern. For me I am trying to build up to do the A2A next year and other ultra long distances so it is a concern for me. The other thing is that the C4 or C6 boot is so comfortable to me that I didn't feel the need to heat mold it until last weekend and I just did it to see what it would do. I have had the boots for months and have skated a lot in them. I skate everyday of the week but one. I skate for an hour as hard as I can three days a week and two days a week I skate for an hour and a half but at 70% effort. One day a week I go and skate for as long as I can which is between three and a half to five hours. Did I get blisters, yes. Small ones but I think that is a good thing when skating for that long. I now do one thing different and it is a smart thing. I stop after my feet are just soaking wet, and take my skates off, dry my feet and change into some underarmour soaks and powder my feet and towel dry out my boot and powder it. Last weekend I skated thirty five miles and no blisters or any foot problems. Now that was with a heat molded boot so maybe that helped but as far as I can tell the boot feels just marginally more comfortable. Yes the speed boot will take more tweeking with the frame but I think you will like that. It's fun to me to do a little tweeking and go skate and actually feel how that changes things.

So think about it but if you have this little voice inside you saying ... speed boot, then I say don't let fear or caution stand in your way.

[BarrySVT]

Codemonkey:

Awsome advice! Thank you so much for taking the time for such a complete and thought out reply. I am going to consider your thoughts. I dont think I will ever get into the distances your doing (or frequency), but I think I know where you are coming from and can apply that to what will work for me..........I may have some questions after I checkout the skates you suggested. Will keep all y'all posted. TY again.

[mikeyb]

I see it a bit different than Code Monkey. While speed boots can be comfortable, the real purpose is to create a very close fitting light boot that allows more refined and powerfull technique. However, to fit something that's made of a hard material like carbon fiber and is designed to fit so closely that they can be skated in without even lacing them, isn't easy. Speed boots work great, but there can be plenty of whining getting there. That's why custom boots are popular.

[motosk8ter]

sk8scott...Sounds like your planning to go with some big wheels. I think I mentioned it before but you can switch out the 100's for 90's if you have to do hill or corner stuff till the 100's settle in. Keep the same frame etc., just a slightly smaller wheel. Just a thought, hope it helps...Phil

[sk8scott]

sk8scott...Sounds like your planning to go with some big wheels. I think I mentioned it before but you can switch out the 100's for 90's if you have to do hill or corner stuff till the 100's settle in. Keep the same frame etc., just a slightly smaller wheel. Just a thought, hope it helps...Phil

Thanks for the tip. I may have become somewhat more sane with age, but chances are that I'll end up just taking the new 100's onto whatever terrain I've been skating. Hopefully I won't crash *too* much during the adjustment process!

----Scott

[okayfine]

Are there any difference between Radical 90 and 100 besides the wheel size? Are the boots exactly the same?

TIA.

[NWGlenn]

Are there any difference between Radical 90 and 100 besides the wheel size? Are the boots exactly the same?

TIA.

Tia: The 90's have a Velcro ankle strap while the 100's have a buckled strap. I think the '07 100's may have a different frame mount to accept a 100 Longmount frame (a change from the '06 model's frame). During the summer season I swap the 4x100 frame from my indoor Pro's to the 90s for a better road skate. The 100mm frame is about one-half inch longer than the 90mm center to center. If you're considering getting a pair I'd recommend the 100's for the ankle strap. I've got the 90's and have gone thru a couple of pairs of Poweslide add-on straps; more than making up the difference in price. If you're merely concerned about handling the big wheels you can always put smaller wheels in the 100 frame and later work your way up to the the 100's.

[streetsk8r]

I have been skating on the street with RB Lightning 90mms /Lightspeed frame for about 18 months. I have over 1,500 miles on them.. My skate is 10-14 miles in the bike lane of a suburban street. Lots of sand, rocks, trash and those stupid bike lane reflective stickers that always seem to be coming loose !

The RBs hold up well, except the only issue I had was I broke one of the rivets on the ankle - the shop said I pushed too hard on the side of the boot. The stoplight turned green at one of the 8 lane intersections I go through and I was digging hard. I put a bolt with a fender washer and "repaired" it. That was about 300 miles ago. I do have to watch it closely but it seems okay.