Novice cronicle- The 42 year old newbie.

[JimQPublic]

My name is Jim and I'm just taking up roller skating at age 42 after my kids got skates for Christmas. I did okay at the rink last week- though only got two laps by myself- the rest of the time I was helping to support either a 7 or 5 year old kid. My total life experience on skates is probably a half dozen trips to a rink before age ten, another half dozen in my twenties, and one day on inline skates in my 30's. If it matters, I was an avid alpine and cross-country skier up until the first kid came along.

A friend at work gave me a pair of very lightly used old quad skates that I would like to use if they're appropriate. At least they fit quite well. The boots are tan suede, 6" tall. They look similar to the Suregrip 1300's on the Rollergirl.ca "Sugar Daddy" skates. Base plate is rather thick aluminum marked "Jogger" down the middle, "Sure-Grip" down one side and "5" on the other. Axles have "SG" stamped on them, rubbers on the trucks seem pliable and crack free. Wheels are orange marked "Sure-Grip 85A" on one side and "Aerobic 85A" on the other. The only thing missing is laces.

Will these skates be good for a novice? Are the wheels more suited to indoor or outdoor use? I assume I should treat the bearings similar to those on a bike regarding grease and tension.

We will probably mostly skate on the new asphalt schoolyard up the block, with occassional trips to Skate Depot in Cerritos, California. Before these freebies came along I was planning to buy some inline skates.

Thanks,
Jim

[JimQPublic]

Answering my own question here...

I tried them out last night on the sidwalk. This was my first ever skate on concrete, so of course I did it at night with no safety gear.

Loads of fun, and I think they'll do for now. They aren't quite as stable as the rental skates I had last week- the front axle seems to be just under the ball of my foot vs. the rather longer wheelbase of the rentals. Still in 15 minutes of playing around I didn't fall so I'm sure that I will grow more comfortable. This afternoon I'm going to stop by a shop to get wrist, head, elbow, and knee protection.

The bearings allowed a bit of play in the wheels so I'll plan to grease and adjust them. I don't need ABEC anything at this point, but they did spin for quite a few seconds when I gave them a whirl.

Jim

[cehowardrc51]

Originally Posted by JimQPublic

Answering my own question here...

I tried them out last night on the sidwalk. This was my first ever skate on concrete, so of course I did it at night with no safety gear.

Loads of fun, and I think they'll do for now. They aren't quite as stable as the rental skates I had last week- the front axle seems to be just under the ball of my foot vs. the rather longer wheelbase of the rentals. Still in 15 minutes of playing around I didn't fall so I'm sure that I will grow more comfortable. This afternoon I'm going to stop by a shop to get wrist, head, elbow, and knee protection.

The bearings allowed a bit of play in the wheels so I'll plan to grease and adjust them. I don't need ABEC anything at this point, but they did spin for quite a few seconds when I gave them a whirl.

Jim

Cool man on that protection bit. I am a newbie too, and just like you, real shaky. Also, along with my age, came some wisdom, so I am going to get me some of that protection gear too. No matter that I am indoors and on the rink, the old bones are old, and need protection.

In my main hobby, protective gear has save my old butt more than once in crashes of over 100+mph, so I am a strong believer in protective gear.

Good skating to you,

[sk8rmom]

Congrats on the "new" skates and welcome to both of you.

I started skating three years ago at 40. I skate indoors, but still wear knee pads and wrist guards.

The wheels are indoor/outdoor wheels. The higher numbers are for skating indoors. Usually 90 and above are indoor. 80-90 would be indoor/outdoor. under 80 outdoor.

Sounds like the plate is outdoor since it says jogger on it. If the set up is comfortable, go with it, BUT inlines are preferred outdoor, especially if skating trails.

Definitely invest in pads and a helmet for skating outside.

Hope that helps.

[Larry_PA]

Hey Jim,

Welcome aboard. I restarted skating back in July of this year. It had been about 35+ years since I was last on any roller/ice skate. I went with in-lines for outdoor use. I use them at the rink, now that it is too chilly to be out on the streets. But I prefer the street to the rink. You seem to be on the right track, take your time, and don't try anything fancy for a little while. Get the protective gear. You may also want to think about shorts or under armor that has tail bone protection. I took a spill and hit that.....believe me, it hurts, and it hurts for a few weeks. Good luck, be careful, have fun!!!!

[JimQPublic]

Thanks folks. Do I get the same shorts and pads that football players wear, or is there something more suited to skating?

Second question- Does it make sense to use quads for indoor skating and inlines for outdoor, with someone who's just learning? Or should I stick with one or the other?

Jim

[tdellaringa]

Welcome Jim. I'm going to suggest that you move to inline skates instead, and stick with them, regardless of the fact that you got a free pair of quads (which sound like they fit, although not optimally).

You really want to think about what your skating goals are. Do you want to get fit? Just have fun with the kids? But in any event, it sounds like you might be skating both indoor and outdoor. Quads aren't really going to cut it, as has been said, for outdoor trail skating. If you are just tooling around at the park, that certainly works.

As a beginner, you want to avoid switching back and forth between quads and inlines.

However, the benefit of going with inlines is that they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor skating and they provide generally more support for newer skaters. Also, there are plenty of outdoor events that happen during the outdoor skating season - marathons, half marathons, 10ks - that are a blast to attend. You need inlines to attend these races. You don't have to "race" or be fast or anything to be in these events, all you have to do is show up, skate and have a blast.

Since you're in CA, there are a lot of events that go on throughout the year there. And I don't know how old your kids are, but you could certainly take them along and do it together. Plus, being in CA you've got good weather for most of the year, you can skate practically all year round outside - to me just another reason to have inlines.

Oh, and don't go out and skate again without a helmet. Friend of ours fell in his *driveway* on his bike with no helmet, and died, leaving 4 kids and a wife. It's never worth it.

Unless you are very unsteady on your skates, you probably don't need padded shorts, although it doesn't hurt to have them if it makes you feel comfortable.

For Christmas I got my wife and two daughters inlines, and we're going to be skating as a family this spring. Whatever you decide, welcome to the sport!

[skaterdog]

I'll second the advice on picking up some inlines. Rink skating is great..especially as a family activity but the versatility of inlines let's you enjoy the great outdoors. Good luck!

[cehowardrc51]

Originally Posted by skaterdog

I'll second the advice on picking up some inlines. Rink skating is great..especially as a family activity but the versatility of inlines let's you enjoy the great outdoors. Good luck!

Ah shucks, I been reading this thead cause I am a beginner too. Aslo, on the verge of getting some quads, then I read this!!

I might be doing some outside stuff, but first I want to get to where I can skate around with out waving my hands for balance. Inlines, I am sure would have me waving big time..

Will contiuned to read, and learn!!

[sk8rmom]

If you want to add the shorts, you can use the foot ball ones. They work. Make sure they have the tailbone protector. I don't know if they all do, but that's the main area you would be wearing them for.

They sell other shorts that are more expensive, but they are more for aggressive skaters. If you are just going to do trails and stuff, the foot ball ones should be enough. If you decide you want to go more aggressive, then go for the other ones. I think I've heard azzpads and crash pads are good ones. There are threads on here talking about the fit and stuff. Just search for those names and hip pads or protection and you'll find them.

All this talk of inlines makes me want to dust mine off. I've been strictly a quad skater for the 3 years I've been skating, but I do have some inlines I bought years ago. Hmmmmm

[Freckles]

I'd like to get my highly-biased opinion in here edgewise

While a lot of people will swear by inlines only for outdoor use, I'd like to mention some really cool features of quad skates that make them fantastic for use outdoors as well. Don't get me wrong, inlines have TONS of great features...but...:

1) Trucks. The presence of trucks on quad skates makes them have a super cool cruis-y, slalom-y feeling that you just can't get on inlines. A bit of a sexy hip-lean, and there you go in the direction you want. The feeling of being able to control your direction simply by shifting your weight is not something that can be easily replicated on inlines.

2) Stability. Simply put, you *do* have a wider base of support on quads which means that not only is balancing easier for many people, but especially in the beginning, your legs will fatigue less easily from just standing still. On quads, once you get into a T-stall/stop position you can stand there all day and relax - you don't have to work so hard just to keep balance on edge.

3) Style. Now I certainly don't want to offend anyone here, but really, those who manage to look sexy on inlines (and I've seen quite a few!) do so *in spite* of their footwear. Old-style quads just look SO good. Plus, even an inliner will concede that quad skates are necessary for any attempt at dance moves

There are lots of great quad skates and wheels on the market, and more all the time, for the outdoor quad roller skater. If one is only interested in going fast or using their foot-wheels for long-distance travel (esp. on sidewalks where quad skates can get in the way), inlines are probably a better choice...but there are still lots of occasions where quads will do the trick beautifully!

[BWI-Sheldon]

Originally Posted by Freckles

... Style. Now I certainly don't want to offend anyone here, but really, those who manage to look sexy on inlines (and I've seen quite a few!) do so *in spite* of their footwear. Old-style quads just look SO good. Plus, even an inliner will concede that quad skates are necessary for any attempt at dance moves

There is no way you ever saw a speed team in a paceline. Especially with team uniforms. Now that, is STYLE!

[Bill in Houston]

Funny stuff, Freckles. I hope nobody takes it too seriously.

[roller_dudette]

Dont tell me you cant take quads on the streets, ramps, bowls, flying over logs! Shux, thats all I do, quads and outdoors. Dude, just get the right set up. Check out some posts here. Forward mount all the way. No artistic set up and its all a gravy ride.

[Skateguy]

Quads have been workin just fine for both in-door and out-door use for years. Jogger plates were designed for the old blue and yellow jogger Skate set up. the plates are over kill, but they didn't want to take any chances. Arobic wheels were not all that great. Arobic II wheel used better compounds. Depending on your weight, you might try either Route 65, or route 70 Krytos. they work great, and are as smooth as anything out there. Plus the wheels will last for years with heavy use. You may have a a Riedell 130 figure boot, which will also last for years. Have fun, and don't worry about your wheel configuration---Just skate and enjoy.

[Wolfgang]

You need the pads, get them as soon as possible (= yesterday).
The helmet, well, chances that you'll actually hit your head skating are pretty slim, BUT the consequences can be very gnarly if you do, so get one anyway.
Agreeing to a point with what Freckles said, quads definitely have it over inlines when it comes to artistic or dance type skating, they tend to behave more like (ice) figure skates, whereas inlines tend to behave more like (ice) hockey skates.
But for a beginner who wants to skate outdoors, I'd say inlines are the way to go, the much narrower, aggressive profile makes them way better suited to dealing with hazards like pebbles, twigs, cracks, and all the less savory debris your fellow humanoids leave behind.

[Skateguy]

With inlines, be careful of parallel cracks and expansion joints---and some rain grates can get your attention, and hold it. They do cross cracks nicely though. and better for cobble stones.

[susiehm]

Ok guys lets see if Ive got this right as I'm thinking of getting inlines too as I'm sick of my friend raving about hers anyway I will be skating outdoors recreational/fitness (I noticed my quads dont handle the cobblestone or concrete joins well & I have to concentrate now on avoiding those as well as staying upright) so maybe inlines might work better for me. There arent that many who skate around here so I'm mostly on my own. Am I correct in saying the lower the wheel mill the better for use outdoors? What about bearings? Do they have mill numbers too? I see ABEC-1,2 etc mentioned sometimes what does that mean? Please condider I live in NZ not America.
Cheers everyone
Susie

[MDS]

ABEC ratings are a measure of how closely the bearing conforms to certain specifications like the diameter of the bore. They are mostly used to specify the appropriate bearing for high speed machinery; they are mostly irrelevant for skate/skateboard bearings although most people automatically think ABEC-7 will be 'better' than ABEC-5. They *are* better from a tolerance perspective but not from a use perspective.

[Greenetuckian]

Originally Posted by susiehm

Ok guys lets see if Ive got this right as I'm thinking of getting inlines too as I'm sick of my friend raving about hers anyway I will be skating outdoors recreational/fitness (I noticed my quads dont handle the cobblestone or concrete joins well & I have to concentrate now on avoiding those as well as staying upright) so maybe inlines might work better for me. There arent that many who skate around here so I'm mostly on my own. Am I correct in saying the lower the wheel mill the better for use outdoors? What about bearings? Do they have mill numbers too? I see ABEC-1,2 etc mentioned sometimes what does that mean? Please condider I live in NZ not America.
Cheers everyone
Susie

Hello Susie, I don't post much anymore but I would jump in here to tell you a little of our experiences.

Wheels,
Smaller wheels (<=80mm) Give better stability and control but do not negotiate bumps, rocks, sticks, etc. as well as larger wheels. The smaller wheel also will likely make you work harder to cover the same distance.
Larger diameter wheels (>=84mm) negotiate hazards better but become increasingly more difficult to control as diameter increases.
Bearings - Unless your going for timed marathon or speed runs just get a decent bearing for your wheel and try to keep them clean. There are several inexpensive bearings out there that will serve you well.

I would recommend something like a medium quality fitness skate such as Rollerblade, Saloman or K2 with say an 80 - 90mm wheels. As for protective gear, I would not road skate without wearing wrist guards and knee pads. Trust me the road will peel the hide off these two areas faster than anywhere else on the body

Good luck and be safe.