RollerSkating/RollerBlading [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-01-2008, 02:51 PM

Hey, it's the middle of winter here in the northeast...
Too much wind and icey patches on the roads for biking. Not enough snow to snowshoe. I've been fitness walking, but want some variety sometimes.
I'm just not a bike trainer or gym/homeworkout type person.

So I got up my courage and went to the local roller rink and got on a pair of roller skates for the first time since I was about 9 yrs old I think?....that would be almost 45 years. (!!) :eek: :eek: :eek: OMG what an experience.

Anyone else here do roller skating or blading? Seems like a great way to keep in shape a bit during the winter if there's an indoor rink around. :)

teigyr

02-01-2008, 02:56 PM

I'm not coordinated enough to roller blade though I do have the skates. I used to love to rollerskate though I haven't done it for years! Ironically enough, I was just looking at this: http://www.ratcityrollergirls.com/faqs.html thinking that it looks like FUN!

mudmucker

02-01-2008, 03:36 PM

I have rollerskates but use them infrequently now. I'm about 45 minutes to the nearest rink. If I go, I usually find a well-paved parking lot instead of driving somewhere. Still can be done in the winter if the lot isn't too sandy from the recent storms and things have melted out a little. Last time I used to skate frequently was about 12 years ago, when I had a very big dog. He was a beautiful part shephard/part doberman and very strong, long since gone. He loved it - similar to the cross country skiing we'd do I could keep up with him when he ran frisky like. With the skating I used to bring him out to again, a well-paved parking lot with a leash. We'd get going, I'd crouch down, lean out a little, make the leash real taught, and start curving around to get some faster momentum and then I'd have him whip me around - I'd let go of the leash and I'd go sailing. It was a blast. Ahh, good dog memories.

That's cool you decided to go. Lotta young hormones at the rinks these days, huh?

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-01-2008, 03:39 PM

Roller Derby- (gulp) I don't think my bones would be into crashing into other people over and over. :eek: I'm trying to avoid that right now!

I ordered some wrist and knee pads online. I hope to go to the rink again tomorrow afternoon for more practice. It was so much fun! Plus, it only costs $6 for the 2 1/2 hour skate session and that includes the skate rental! :confused::rolleyes: Can't beat that.
I still can't believe I am doing this at 53. Well, I couldn't believe I was riding a bike again either a year and a half ago. ;) :p
I guess it's never too late to get more fit and have fun learning (or re-learning) new skills.
I expected to be really sore the next day, but I was fine, just a bit of soreness in my knees. My biking and fitness walking must have helped prevent problems.

Mudracker- that's a cool dog skating story!
Teigyr- I might try blading eventually but for now I just want to regain some old roller skating skills on the traditional skates. It's scary enough as it is!

sandra

02-02-2008, 07:05 AM

I love to roller skate. I took roller skating as a PE in college. We did everything but jump barrels. I was pretty good at skating backwards too. Hubby and I used to go in our younger days, but that was years ago. I haven't been in years, but would love to try it again.

PS Lisa, did you spend much time on your knees? =:-)

Jolt

02-02-2008, 08:25 AM

I like rollerblading as well, preferably outdoors (obviously not really do-able in winter). It's fun to go to the rink too; they're just always so crowded! Do any of you find rollerblades to be fairly easy but regular roller skates to be much harder to maneuver? I'm decent on rollerblades but put me on regular skates and I'm a klutz for the first half hour or so!!

mudmucker

02-02-2008, 08:51 AM

I got my rollerskates in the mid 80's. I'm not even sure if the rollerblades were "out" yet, or maybe they were just getting popular at that time in my area. Since I already had something I never saw the need to get rollerblades, and I never rented cause I already had something - so I never tried them. I have heard people say they like the inline skates better. Maybe it's just what you grow up on. You can tune the rollerskates by adjusting the pivot points and that allows you to turn better. I wonder if maybe sometimes the quad skates are too stiff and they haven't been adjusted well enough for people.

It's fun to watch people skate-dance to the music in the rinks. Some of them are really good. Yes though, usually the rinks are very crowded. I used to go on adult nite. That was always better - there weren't so many young ones to trip you up.

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-02-2008, 08:58 AM

PS Lisa, did you spend much time on your knees? =:-)

Hey no Monica Lewinski jokes, now! :eek:

I'll have you know Missy Sandra, that my first session was 2 1/2 hours long of almost solid skating....and I didn't even fall once!!! (a miracle). My knees were sore the next day because the instructor that helped give me some tips for the first few minutes told me to keep my knees bent and to not lean forward, and that would help me to not fall. I think she was right, because i didn't fall (that night anyway) but keeping my knees bent while skating for over 2 hours put a lot of strain on my front thighs and my knee fronts, so I was a bit sore there the next day.
I did order some wrist and knee protectors online, and hope they arrive soon as I know I am bound to do some falling and I don't want to injure myself! :(

I am going roller skating again today (Saturday) and hope my luck holds out again. I'm sure my knees and thighs will get stronger if I go once or twice a week. Still waiting to see if this is going to be a regular thing, I hope I have as much fun this second time as I did the first time...and stay in one piece while I'm learning. With all those kids careening around, it's a jungle out there! :eek: Saturday will be more crowded I bet. Wish I had big rubber bumpers.

I thought quad wheel roller skates were harder to fall down with than roller blades? :confused:

mudmucker

02-02-2008, 09:15 AM

Lisa watch out for your bursa sac :p Wear your elbow protection !

I say this with tongue in cheek. I used to go rollerskating with a set of friends at a rink. They just started out, and the guy in our group fell on his elbow real bad. He went to the doctor and came back and said that he injured his bursa sac. Who knows what a bursa sac is? We laughed, we know what one is now and I think of it every time I hear the word rollerskate.

Jolt

02-02-2008, 10:09 AM

I am going roller skating again today (Saturday) and hope my luck holds out again. I'm sure my knees and thighs will get stronger if I go once or twice a week. Still waiting to see if this is going to be a regular thing, I hope I have as much fun this second time as I did the first time...and stay in one piece while I'm learning. With all those kids careening around, it's a jungle out there! :eek: Saturday will be more crowded I bet. Wish I had big rubber bumpers.

I thought quad wheel roller skates were harder to fall down with than roller blades? :confused:

Yeah, it's those erratically-moving little kids you have to watch out for! :p Usually when I fall down at a skating rink it's a result of trying to avoid crashing into a child who cuts in front of me. They're cute to watch as they learn to skate and have fun, but they do make me nervous when I'm sharing the rink with them.

As for quad skates vs. rollerblades, NO WAY are quad skates harder to fall down with!! Harder to turn maybe, but not harder to fall off of!

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-02-2008, 02:09 PM

Yeah, it's those erratically-moving little kids you have to watch out for! :p Usually when I fall down at a skating rink it's a result of trying to avoid crashing into a child who cuts in front of me. They're cute to watch as they learn to skate and have fun, but they do make me nervous when I'm sharing the rink with them.

I might have to eliminate some of them. :cool:

As for quad skates vs. rollerblades, NO WAY are quad skates harder to fall down with!! Harder to turn maybe, but not harder to fall off of!

Now that's news to me! Is this really true? And.....why are rollerblades so HUGE and heavy???

Hey I am back from my 2nd skating adventure....still alive!! :eek:
Came very close to falling once- I flailed around for a bit like Charlie Chaplin and wound up bent forward with my two hands on the floor but my legs straight and still on my feet, with my butt sticking up. Very graceful. OK, I say if I stayed on my feet it does not count as a fall even if my hands plant on the floor....DH says it technically a fall. What do you guys say? :o

So, miraculously I did not hurt myself my 2nd time there, and I skated for 2 hours. This time I didn't get tired or sore at all, my legs and knees felt fine (are you listening Sandra?) ;) I was steadier on my feet than last wednesday and even managed to improve my turning skills which will certainly help me avoid the many kamakazi midgets.
I actually told three very reckless 10 year old boys to quit their crossing in front of people or they were going to cause an accident. Amazingly, they listened to me respectfully and must have thought I worked there. Hah!- the advantages of looking ancient and "worldly"! :D :D I have the "kind but firm Voice of Authority" down pat. :D

Did I mention I am having a ball? Can't wait til next wednesday again!!

sandra

02-02-2008, 02:42 PM

Hey I am back from my 2nd skating adventure....still alive!!
Came very close to falling once- I flailed around for a bit like Charlie Chaplin and wound up bent forward with my two hands on the floor but my legs straight and still on my feet, with my butt sticking up. Very graceful. OK, I say if I stayed on my feet it does not count as a fall even if my hands plant on the floor....DH says it technically a fall. What do you guys say?

I SAY: I'd love to have seen THAT. And that's ALL I'm saying. :p

Blueberry

02-02-2008, 02:53 PM

OK, I say if I stayed on my feet it does not count as a fall even if my hands plant on the floor....DH says it technically a fall. What do you guys say? :o

I say not a fall:) Unless your posterior and the rink make acquaintance, not a fall.

mimitabby

02-02-2008, 04:39 PM

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-02-2008, 04:55 PM

I agree, not a fall unless your BODY touches the floor.

Skating IS like bicycling, if you could do it 30 years ago, you probably still can.

Last time i went skating was 15 years ago, after a 20 year lapse. It was fun, but boring. It was a tiny rickety rink.

I remember skating on beautiful big rinks many years ago.

Lisa, you done good!

Hey thanks! Yes I am kind of amazed and proud that I still am able to skate after a 45 year absence from it and a non-athletic life all that time. There is a lot relearning I am doing however. I must say it was easier to get back on a bicycle after 37 years than getting back on skates after 45 years. Maybe because bikes don't usually have the ability to unexpectedly go careening backwards under you. :eek:
This rink is pretty nice and roomy.

I agree- if neither my butt or my body touched the floor- I did not fall yet! :p :p :o

Jolt

02-02-2008, 07:34 PM

I'd have to say having just your hands touch the ground doesn't count as a fall--let's call it a near-miss ;).

liberty

02-03-2008, 10:33 AM

I am so excited to see this topic posted! A few years ago I used to do a lot of rollerblading. Then I got into biking and the rollerblades spent a few years in the trunk of my car. Lately though, courtesy of nasty winter weather and no cycling time, I've had the chance to think back over my fitness history. Way back when to a life without knee pain or lower back pain... When I would rollerblade and ride my bike during the week, I didn't have any knee problems. So lately, in addition to incorporating the old exercises I used to do (i.e. Taebo, etc), I've been going to the local park and rollerblading around for a few laps. It feels so good to have an additional energy outlet, plus my knees feel more stable. The Aline insoles from my road shoes are perfect in the rollerblades too, eliminating the numb toes the blades used to give me. All in all, it has energized my motivation and helped my riding tremendously. Balance is better, knees are better, life is good... :)

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-03-2008, 05:15 PM

Wow, Liberty, I am glad to hear that! Wonderful that you can zoom around in a park on your blades! I was hoping when i started this thread that it would bring out any lurking skate/blade fans. :p

I notice that I need to do more than one thing to keep working various parts well enough. When I fitness walk but don't bike, my heart/breathing capacity suffers. When I bike but don't walk, my hip joints suffer. Now from roller skating it seems my knees are being asked to do more, and my hamstrings and inner thighs too, so it must be working those areas and will strengthen them if I keep it up.

My knee and wrist pads should arrive soon- I hope they get here before Wed. when I go skating again.
I'm practically the only person of the 100 or so at the rink who wears a helmet (an old biking helmet that is modestly roundish), but my skull is more important to me than looking like everyone else. I don't care how dorky they might think I am with all my padding! :D

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-04-2008, 07:46 PM

There is a very cute short video here about beginner roller skate basics.... :p
http://www.rollergirl.ca/rollerskating-info.html

Ooooohhh.....(drool drool) I think when I finally decide to buy a pair, I just might go for these ubercool black suede "Voodoo Kitten" skates!:
http://www.rollergirl.ca/usdcart/product_info.php/products_id/93

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-06-2008, 06:42 PM

Well I was delighted when my skating knee pads arrived this afternoon just before I was going to go roller skating for my 3rd time. The pads themselves fit great, except I had to remove and re-sew/move the velcro about 3 inches over to make the straps be able to stretch comfortably around my giant biking quads (yeah, that's it!). Got them nicely fitting now.

So- I went skating again and borrowed the rink's gross shredded wrist protectors, had my old smaller rounded biking helmet on, and my new knee pads....and I fell bigtime for the very first time....right on my BUTT, naturally! :cool: Specifically, about 6' above and to the right of my coxsix (spelling??), which I was very happy to miss. I hit the floor pretty hard (need to work on falling by relaxed crumpling more, but didn't seem like I could do much for this time, flipping backwards like i did). It did hurt and I felt shaky, but I knew right away I hadn't broken anything, and I got up all by myself and sat down for a while and was ok....then went back to skating for another hour. I survived! I know I'll be plenty sore tomorrow though. :cool:
Earlier in the evening, I was standing watching the skating, next to this tiny little girl who was checking out all my padding and helmet, and she said "Are you afraid of falling??" :D I answered her "Yes!" and she seemed to accept that. I'm like the only person there with protective pads and a helmet on. (sigh) Oh well. Kids are falling hard and slamming to the ground all over the place, laughing, getting up, smashing to the floor again, laughing, getting up....yikes! :eek: I can hear them all around me, first smashing to the floor and then laughing.... Oh to have rubberized bones again..... :cool:

Still waiting for my wrist and elbow pads to come in the mail, and hoping they will fit and won't need exchanging.
I am a bit relieved that I have gotten my first real fall out of the way. :o

Crankin

02-07-2008, 05:03 AM

Glad you survived your fall, Lisa. You are making me think I should start ice skating again. That was my sport as a child, when girls were allowed to do 2 things: ice skate or ballet! About 15 years ago, I did go out and buy skates, but I ended up only skating once or twice. I have never roller skated.
OK, gotta get ready for yoga.

Robyn

Jolt

02-07-2008, 05:47 PM

Ice skating does sound like a good idea! Maybe I'll do that one day this weekend since there's a rink about two miles from where I live. I haven't ice skated in a few years so it could be interesting... The only thing that bugs me is that the ice rinks don't have all that much public skating time--the hockey teams etc. seem to take up most of the ice time. I'll have to see what times this rink even is open to the public.

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-07-2008, 07:02 PM

Good to keep moving by whatever means we can!- bikes, rollerblades, ice skates, skis......everything!

This morning I was hurting quite a bit from my fall on my back rear last night. But I decided to do an easy paced 5 mile walk anyway to help loosen up my leg muscles which are sore and stiff today. It felt like it helped a little.
But tonight that bruised spot about 3" to the right of my coccyx is pretty sore and i even have a mild headache- I bet my brain got shaken (not stirred) by the fall a bit too. :rolleyes:

When I first started riding my bike a year and a half ago, my wheels slid on some gravel and made me spin to a halt and hop off my saddle in a big hurry to keep on my feet. I misjudged where my saddle nose ended and my coccsyx came slamming down hard right onto the rock-hard nose of my Brooks saddle. That was so painful I felt ill and it was hard to walk at all for days. I had to sit sideways for WEEKS and it actually took a whole YEAR for it to feel better again. It's pretty good again now, but I still get achey there if I have to sit too long somewhere like in a movie double feature.
Yet aside from that fluke injury I have not had a serious fall from my bike yet in over 5,000 miles of road riding. Seems like it's much easier to fall on roller skates! :cool:

As a soon to be 54 year old woman, I do have a healthy fear of breaking my hip or tailbone in a fall. This buttock fall last night kind of scared me- if I had fallen right on my tailbone again I might easily have broken it and that would have been NO GOOD. So today I went online and ordered some padded shorts of the kind they use for rollerblading or roller derby. They are sort of like stretchy bike shorts but instead of the chamois pad they have dense 1/2" thick foam pads protecting the hipbones and tailbone areas. My skirt and leggings or knickers will mostly cover the shorts I think. I know I run the risk of being seen as nutty, using all these safety pads and helmet too, but I will feel far safer with some padding there to help disperse a hard hit to my hipbones or tailbone. If I feel safer I will certainly enjoy myself more. :) I am having such fun skating, but I don't want to break any bones! :(

sandra

02-08-2008, 02:54 AM

Lisa, maybe you should start skating in your chamois. :p I hurt my tailbone once and OUCH, it does take forever for it to get better. If I had to go anywhere and sit for long, it would get inflamed again. I went to the orthopedic doctor and after pressing on it and making me jump across the room and come close to slapping him, he told me that he could remove the end of my tailbone. It took YEARS to get totally well.

You might try Aleve (naproxen) for your soreness. The Dr. gave me prescription strength for my tailbone.

uk elephant

02-08-2008, 05:30 AM

I just read this thread about your skating adventures, Lisa. Think I will take my rollerblades out for a spin again today since it's sunny and dry out. I haven't been out rollerblading for years, but I used to do it quite a bit as an alternative means of transport instead of cycling. Going up the hills to visit my parents was a bit hard, but flying down the hills home again was great fun! And I even did a couple of long distance skating adventures. Not sure how many miles, but I'm guessing around 10 miles including hills. Great fun except for that stretch where the pavement was particularly rough making my legs go numb rumbling down the hill.

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-08-2008, 06:04 AM

Sandra- I have been wearing my chamois biking knickers all along! :p But the chamois don't come up high enough in the back to cover my tailbone unfortunately, they stop just short of it. I'm hoping the rollerblading shorts will be the solution- in addition to the side hipbone shields, they have a whole triangular shield pad covering the entire tailbone area. No one will see them under my swingy skirt. ;)

UK- I'm so glad you got inspired to get back on your rollerblades! Be careful now! Sounds like you were pretty good on them, zooming down hills and all. I want a full report of your first blading adventure!
Myself, I'm just a baby skater for now.

Happy to say that I feel much better today and will be going twice this weekend since I have 2 music gigs coming up and so will miss the next two Wednesdays skating. I'll do two weekend sessions instead. I won't progress much unless I can go at least twice a week I think. I will be pretty careful tonight. :o

Still trying to get friends to come with me, but no luck so far. :rolleyes: They probably think I'm a bit nuts.

Jolt

02-08-2008, 08:14 AM

Well, I did go ice skating this morning and it was indeed interesting! Fortunately the rink wasn't crowded, so I didn't have to do a lot of dodging; however, there was one hockey player with his coach practicing some skating drills and he about gave me tachycardia a few times with his sudden moves and all. I felt pretty wobbly, which I think had a lot to do with the skates I have being a little big for me; next time I'd better wear two pairs of thick socks instead of just one like I did today. If that doesn't help I'll have to look into getting a smaller size. After a few minutes I got into a decent rhythm (but still did not look graceful I'm sure!) and as long as I didn't try to go too slow the wobbling and swerving were kept to a minimum; the key seemed to be the momentum. I did fall down twice--once while trying to stop (sort of a slow-mo fall) and once while turning (leaned a bit too far, feet went out from under me and I slid about ten or fifteen feet on my right side, which was sort of funny!) but no injuries. I skated for almost an hour and I'm sure I'll feel it in my legs tomorrow!

uk elephant

02-08-2008, 08:38 AM

I got out skating too today. Jumped on my rollerblades as soon as I got home this afternoon, but still only managed 15 minutes of skating before it got too dark to see the potholes. But it was such good fun! only took me a few mintues to find my skating legs again and it felt great to be out. Definitely uses some different muscles from cycling though.

Crankin

02-08-2008, 04:20 PM

Jolt

02-08-2008, 04:58 PM

Jolt, when you wear ice skates, you should be wearing tights, not thick socks. You should be wearing skate boots 1/2 to one size smaller than your shoe size. That way, you won't have the problem you described.
I'd go skating with you! There's public skating at the rink in Boxboro on Rt. 111 on Sundays. It's about 4 miles off of 495.

Interesting...I didn't know one was supposed to wear tights with ice skates--seems counterintuitive given the fact that it's done in cold temperatures. (Shows what an expert I am...) I'm definitely looking into getting a smaller size, because I just didn't feel like I was in control on skates that are too big.

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-10-2008, 01:52 PM

Well I went roller skating at the rink for the 5th time today. I discovered that Sundays are great- only about 20 skaters at any given time on the floor, as opposed to about 50 on Sat's and Fridays. So, for me wednesdays and sundays are the best.
So far, I've only had one painful fall and a bruise, that was two sessions ago.

I had really GOOD session today! :)
---First- I learned that skating with my feet more in a centerline actually helped me keep my balance better than the lunging forward from side to side with a wide base. Counter-intuitive perhaps, but the beneficial effect was immediate. Now I feel more steady on my feet.
---I learned how to bend down carefully and pick up debris from the floor without falling down on my butt...this means I don't have to watch for and dodge the same stupid little pebble or candy wrapper a hundred times during the two hours. :p
---I said the H*ll with trying to stop myself by dragging one toe stop (that was taught to me on that first day and seems to be the usual beginner's way to learn to stop)...instead I learned how to do a "T-Stop" today with my feet at right angles and it was much easier to keep my balance while stopping. I practiced that about 75 times slowly, and am getting the hang of stopping in mid floor now at a slow speed. (i always first check behind me to make sure the coast is clear for suddenly stopping!) I'm still a baby skater though, have a long ways to go.

Also, my leg muscles are getting used to this skating with the knees bent thing- legs now get less tired while skating, and I don't have to rest as often.
All in all, a very productive roller day for me! :D

Poo....now I have to wait all the way til next weekend to go again. :(

Jolt

02-11-2008, 07:05 AM

Well, I had a bang-up ice skating session today--literally. It definitely felt easier now that I have better-fitting skates--no more wobbling. However, I kept catching the toe pick and tripping myself up, three times to be exact! So now I have matching (well, sort of--the right is a lot worse) bruises on each elbow from that being the area that took the brunt of two of the crash-landings. Flying forward through the air and landing on your forearms and stomach is not a fun way to fall!

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-11-2008, 07:16 AM

Jolt

02-11-2008, 07:39 AM

Ouch, Jolt! Are you sure you don't want to wear some combination of wrist, elbow, or knee pads during all this learning phase? Perhaps you can borrow some for a while?

So, did you actually get new ice skates, smaller ones? Where did you get them, what did you do? Cough up the story, girl! I love hearing about people getting new equipment.

That might not be such a bad idea, dorky as it is for ice skating (much dorkier than wearing them for outdoor rollerblading, for example). Considering I'm there to get some exercise and therefore not exactly going slowly, when I crash I can hit pretty hard! As for the "new" skates; I went to a local secondhand sports shop and picked up a decent used pair there for a good price. They even threw in sharpening for free--not bad! Now I just need to figure out how not to trip over the toe picks and take a nosedive (or come close to taking one and scare the heck out of myself). I don't remember having that problem before; maybe these skates have bigger toe picks that I just need to get used to.

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-11-2008, 08:21 AM

That might not be such a bad idea, dorky as it is for ice skating (much dorkier than wearing them for outdoor rollerblading, for example). Considering I'm there to get some exercise and therefore not exactly going slowly, when I crash I can hit pretty hard!

Wow, I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to put on some pads for the first dozen sessions or so. That ice is hard! :eek: And as cyclists, we all know enough to wear helmets despite some folks thinking they are dorky. ;)
Roller bladers on the street wear pads to protect from road rash when they skid on the asphalt. But for example roller derby skaters in nice smooth rinks still wear pads to protect the bones from impact since they crash into each other and fall a lot. Me, I can crash and fall just all by myself without even any help from doing roller derby! :D

Now I just need to figure out how not to trip over the toe picks and take a nosedive (or come close to taking one and scare the heck out of myself). I don't remember having that problem before; maybe these skates have bigger toe picks that I just need to get used to.

Aii!! That reminds me exactly of what happens when my roller skates hit some little pebble or piece of gum on the rink....BAM your skate just skids and stops right on it for a second and it's hard not to go flying forward. :( I can't imagine catching those scary toe picks on the ice. YIKES. At least with roller skates the rubber toe stops are high enough that you really can't catch them during normal skating. Maybe if you look at a current bunch of pictures of ice skates for sale on the web you will able to compare your skates to them to see if your toe picks are unusually low or something.

This doesn't have much to do with your toe pick issue, but... I was watching a little girl (about 7) roller skating the other night and she kept losing her balance badly every few seconds. On watching her for a while and trying to figure out why she was having so much trouble, I noticed that she tended to bend her knee and lift her back foot up high every time it went back at the end of a stroke, like she was walking in deep snow or something. I noticed that every time she flipped her back foot up high it caused her front foot (the one she was actually rolling on) to slip and sometimes go out from under her. The back foot flip up thing was throwing her weight balance off as she skated along. I guess I learned something from that. Skates are heavy!

BleeckerSt_Girl

02-25-2008, 12:14 PM

Woo-HOOOOOOO!!!! I just got off the phone to Canada after ordering my OWN roller skates! :D :D :D
No more funky rink rentals for me after this week!
The Canadian outfit is run by women and they recommended a certain type skate based on my long narrow foot and other factors. Here is my skate:
http://www.rollergirl.ca/usdcart/images/carrera-fugitive-red-500.jpg
Nice all leather boot and deluxe wheels and bearings. Am hoping for bright green wheels however- if they have them in stock. if not then the red wheels will be used and they'd be nice too.
I can't wait! I'm so excited! :D Haven't had my very own pair of roller skates since i was 9.
If I'm really lucky I will have them in time for the Sunday skate session. :eek:

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-06-2008, 07:13 AM

Last night at the rink I was so happy gliding on my very first new skates since I was 7 years old- it makes me feel connected once again to a happy aspect of my childhood.
Forty-five years ago, me and my best friend would skate the sidewalks in Greenwich Village- skate everywhere on my all-metal teeth-rattling "Superskates", pigtails flying back, skate in Washington Square Park, round and round the fountain where Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were all sitting and playing guitars and being beatniks....we were 7 years old and we laughed at them and all their beatniks poet friends who obviously didn't really know how to have fun....how would we know they would one day be famous?
Roller skating brings back that time to me and give me back that sense of spiritual freedom. Riding my bike does the same thing- except that I was slightly older (12) when we moved to a rural place and I got a bicycle. But same feeling- getting away from the depressing home scene and just being FREE on wheels with the wind and sun on my face, nobody to answer to, no place I had to be, all burdens lifted for the moment.... just free. Those magic feelings from childhood...it is a great gift that I can actually recapture the essence of them and feel that happy innocent freedom in my heart again.
That's what my new skates mean to me.

5515

mimitabby

03-06-2008, 07:24 AM

That is too cool! I'm glad you can get that feeling back on the skates. when you were talking about hard/soft wheels I started feeling anxious because if those wheels don't grip like you expect them to, it can be painful.
How cool that was that you saw those folks out there in Washington Sq Park!

I only remember pigeons.

Happy skating

Jolt

03-23-2008, 03:24 PM

Well, since I didn't have any big plans for Easter afternoon and it was a nice day, I decided to go rollerblading in a park in the neighboring town that has a paved loop going around the middle of it. However, it wasn't all that great because of all the cars going around said loop (it connects to the streets around the perimeter by several driveways and has some parking areas off of it). I really don't see why they have to allow people to drive around there--most of the parking areas are right near the entrances to the park, so why not let people only drive in that far but not around the main loop? It's a park--people go there to get outside, get some exercise and relax so they should be able to WALK a little bit from the parking lot to get where they want to go. How lazy are we? Not to mention that people walk (including pushing kids in strollers), run, skate etc. around that loop--it's the main path for such purposes, there are a couple of short dirt trails (good for walking/running but not for skaters and parents pushing strollers) but that's about it--and it's fairly narrow so it can be dangerous when cars are coming through. I was skating on the left side, as I should be, and at one point somebody driving through (who had plenty of opportunity to see me and didn't have anyone coming the other way) moved CLOSER to the edge rather than giving me some room to pass, causing me to have to squeeze past them and step onto the dirt with one foot and almost crash. Now, I doubt this person was intentionally trying to be a jerk and run me off the pavement--maybe they saw the couple walking on the other side before they saw me and were trying to give them more room--but it was pretty unpleasant nonetheless. Fortunately I managed to stay on my feet. I think I'll try to find somewhere else to skate next time, or at least not go to that park on a weekend day when it's busier. Dodging cars constantly in a place like that really takes away from the enjoyment.

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-24-2008, 06:49 AM

Jolt, why don't you send your letter exactly as it is to your local newspaper. I bet somebody in charge of the park will take notice and perhaps designate no-car areas and fix the situation. They probably don't want to get sued for some car running over a woman with her stroller walking on the park road that people use for recreation.

Zeek

03-24-2008, 08:26 AM

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-25-2008, 05:34 PM

Hi Lisa,
Your skates look awesome and it sounds like you are really enjoying yourself. I inline skate outdoors. I wear all the gear (helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads & knee pads). I skate aggressively (sometimes reaching 20 mph plus on the downhills). It's a great sport and it really works the muscles and cardio. It's great for cross training with cycling.

Sounds like you're having a blast--I wish you well.

I wish we had some more level or smoother roads around here...
I'm still in the rink, but I do want to maybe later this summer try out some softer outdoor wheels on my quad skates and attempt some streets in town maybe...or a rails to trails that I can drive to if I really get the fever. Can't do outside though until I get outdoor wheels.
I can only imagine the workout you are getting outdoors on those inlines. :eek: I know it is much harder to push along on rough terrain than on a smooth rink floor!
Glad to hear you are wearing protective gear.

Here is Ruby giving 'rides' to her friends on my skate....
http://harmonias.com/RubyRollerSkate.jpg

Unfortunately, it did not end well.....
http://harmonias.com/RubySkateStairs.jpg

sandra

03-25-2008, 05:45 PM

Lisa, that cracks me up. :D:D:D

Please alert me when you post Ruby pictures because I LOVE THEM! Ruby is a pistol!

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-25-2008, 05:54 PM

Please alert me when you post Ruby pictures because I LOVE THEM! Ruby is a pistol!

Don't encourage her.

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-27-2008, 07:12 PM

Went skating tonight...they had a special session open this evening at the rink, but I didn't quite realize it was a major local public school outing skate, and I wound up dodging little kid bodies for the entire 2 hours. The worst pandemonium I've ever seen there. Can't believe I didn't fall. It was lousy skating for me, hazardous and unpredictable even when going slow...but it was excellent practice, like an obstacle course. I'm a little bit better now because of it.

Some mother told me she thought I was the 'rink bouncer' with my helmet and pads on. Guess I look sort of authoritative gliding around with my black helmet, black skates, black wrist guards, and my being older (54) and all. I told her 'Good, then the kids won't MESS with me.' Truth is, whenever I politely ask some kids or wild teens to not do stuff that is dangerous (usually when it's dangerous to ME), they always seem to whip right into shape all respectful-like. Honestly I'm not used to that, I don't expect such immediate obedience and respect from strange kids. Must be the sinister black helmet....but I admit it's secretly kinda FUN. Maybe they think I have a billy club and handcuffs hidden under my skirt. :eek: :cool:

dex

03-27-2008, 07:34 PM

Must be the sinister black helmet....but I admit it's secretly kinda FUN. Maybe they think I have a billy club and handcuffs hidden under my skirt. :eek: :cool:

Maybe it's that they're not used to being asked politely. An adult not snapping at them could be startling them into good behavior. They straighten up because they're not sure what else to do...

Nah. Your black helmet/billy club theory is WAY more fun. :D

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-27-2008, 08:08 PM

Nah. Your black helmet/billy club theory is WAY more fun. :D

Yeah, that's it.
Here's my helmet:
http://img.inlinewarehouse.com/ProductImages/PBH.JPG

my wrist guards are pretty 'Robo-cop' too:
http://img.inlinewarehouse.com/ProductImages/RLPW.JPG
Maybe they think they are like brass knuckles....

:D :D :D :cool: :cool: :cool:

BleeckerSt_Girl

04-12-2008, 05:02 PM

Today was my first time skating outdoors in 45 years, since i was about 9 or so. :eek:
I use quads (the old fashioned roller skates, not blades), and have been skating only in the rink for a few months now.
I got some special outdoor wheels and went to our local fairgrounds which has no traffic and lots of paved and asphalt paths and roads.

It was way harder than I thought it would be!
My balance was all thrown off and I felt like a beginner again, ugh. I was often doing the windmill arm panic thing and leaning forward too far, losing my balance, etc.
There were some very rough paths, and other smoother paths. My skates did trip up when going over some debris sometimes, though I tried to avoid rocks and sticks and gravel.
It was way more fun on the smoother paths. Often the paths would change from smooth to rough and back again though, hard to predict. Good practice I suppose.
There was a lot of wind which didn't help either.
But despite all this, somehow I managed to skate along for 2 hours without falling. By the end of my first outdoor experience, I was noticeably better than when I started, thank goodness. It was scary but also kind of fun. I'm exhausted and sore all over from working so hard! This, I can tell, will make my legs stronger.
I'll have to go back regularly and practice more so I can leave the dork-ette phase behind as soon as possible.
But tomorrow I go back to the rink, which will seem like a piece of cake now. :cool:

farrellcollie

04-17-2008, 08:22 PM

I like to rollerblade my dog around the park (he sets the pace so we tear out at first and then settle into a nice pace) - I get bored skating without him. I look a poster for rollerblade safety with helmet, wrist and elbow pads.

BleeckerSt_Girl

05-15-2008, 05:00 PM

Just check out these cool dudes on quads.... :D :cool:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BLJ5a6aJOb8

Miranda

08-10-2008, 04:05 AM

We had our first chilly night last night, and for some reason it got me thinking about a gear question with skiing. I decided to look for an answer I thought I knew was on here, but THEN I saw this post! I know it's a bit old, but I can't help but chime in:o.

I was the disco ball roller skating queen when I was younger:cool:. Recently when my children decided they wanted to try rink skating (DD had been to 1 b-day party, I didn't skate with the fear of falling and my back issues), I joined in this time too. OH MY!!! ...what memories. AND, I could still do it:D. PLUS, the rink still has a disco ball. Guess some things never change, go figrue.

To my total disappointment, my mother has just within the last few months given away my custome made very expensive leather speed skates to charity!!! DD told me the last visit to g-ma's house, she saw them there. Now, they are gone. Gheez, they were complete with purple and yellow alternating laces too:(.

BSG... I wish I had a picture of this to post. One of my gym GFs was a roller queen too. For her b-day this summer she had a 70s theme b-day party. Everyone was to dress up. Pretty much she and I were the only two that did (well, she made her DH do it:rolleyes:). She has a tennis court in her backyard where the party was. She had just gotten herself a new pair of skates. She left me have a turn wearing the skates, while wearing my 70s retro outfit, and did some laps. What fun.

I can not do the roller blades. I hurt my ankle at the pool this summer. I just don't have the same strength to hold my foot into position with the blade wheels without pain.

Now that more indoor activities are coming soon, I think I will have to get myself a new pair of skates. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

EDIT: Btw, that video of those two guys skating just gave me the biggest chuckle with my morning coffee... what a great way to start the day.

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-10-2008, 07:15 AM

Miranda

08-11-2008, 05:39 AM

Hey Miranda,
(you know, Miranda is my middle name!)

Thanks for sharing that post. Sounds like you and your GF know how to have fun. :p

I have not been skating for a few weeks since they closed the sunday hours at the rink for the summer- I loved going on sundays. Gotta get back into it- been enjoying my new bike too much lately. :)

Here is one of my favorite clips- Gene Kelly dancing on roller skates- watch the whole thing as he gets fancier as it progresses. What an amazing man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aus1PA5-SyI

I have two identical pairs of Riedell Carrera skates. Carreras are sort of mid-range skates. I keep one set for indoor and the other pair set up for outdoor skating on rougher pavement. The outdoor setup has very wide axles and large rollerblade wheels. They cruise over pebbles and sticks really well. But still I am better skating in the rink. I am not a great skater, but I have fun.
Here are my indoor and outdoor setups:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2326/2539474589_109c360c18.jpg

BSG... Thx for posting the pic of your dual set up:)! I would have never thought of putting roller blade wheels on a traditional skate axel. I think DD would like to skate outside more, but I told her I don't think mom can handle those skinny wheel track skates:(. Now I may have an alternative. I think my GF just skates in her indoor ones. I can't see that though. Seems like it would ruin the wheels nice smoothness.:confused:. I love your safety gear too, btw. I broke a few bones as a kid and my right wrist was one of them... from rink skating. So many little bones in there, it never healed totally the same. I'm right handed too. As an adult it bothers me on and off for certain things. I looked at some simple wrist protectors for DD just at a charity resale store, but think I'd better get myself some. It's sorta like riding my bike. It's not my own riding abilities that I worry about causing a crash... it that of others around me. Those fearless little kids that dart all over are a major crash hazard (my own kids included:rolleyes:).

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-11-2008, 06:50 AM

I would have never thought of putting roller blade wheels on a traditional skate axel. I think DD would like to skate outside more, but I told her I don't think mom can handle those skinny wheel track skates:(. Now I may have an alternative. I think my GF just skates in her indoor ones. I can't see that though. Seems like it would ruin the wheels nice smoothness.:confused:.

Actually, you can't just slap tall roller blade wheels on regular quad axles- they will rub the boot sole. You'd have to buy this 'conversion kit' like I got:
http://www.skates.com/QuadLine-8482-Supreme-Truck-Wheels-p/qdl-100.htm
they comes with special WIDE axles that place the tall blade wheels outside the width of the boot instead of under it like most quads. It is wide and takes some getting used to to skate on. But the end result is that you can glide over just about any rough pavement and stray cracks and pebbles won't stop you in your tracks.
If you skate over rough surface in normal (harder) indoor quad wheels, it's not so much that your wheels will get chipped and ruined (which they will after a while) but more that any little pebble or twig or crack will bring your skate to a dead stop and you go flying forward on your face.
Roller blades go right over that rough stuff. Outdoor wheels really need to be bigger and softer than indoor wheels.
If you have some extra quad skates already and want to use them as outdoor skates, it's best to either buy big fat softer quad wheels like this (which will fit with your current standard axles:
http://www.skates.com/Kryptonics-70mm-rollerskate-wheels-p/krw70.htm
OR, get the conversion kit above with the super wide axles and use them with roller blade wheels.

Those little kamikaze kids- yes I know them well- they are the biggest hazard but I am learning to anticipate their suicide moves and swerve around them. :cool:

Miranda

08-11-2008, 06:32 PM

Thx BSG :) ...this has turned out to be a very educational thread for me, besides just the memory lane fun factor!

I don't own my own skates yet again (after mother dissed my groovy pair, boo hoo:(). But that gives me some ideas of how to set things up.

I do know what you mean about tripping on stray things. Boy, someone losing their pocket change on the rink floor is a mess. I can totally see the need for the wheel design now for outside.

Btw... the vid of Gene tap dancing in his skates was great. I used to be able to do the backwards criss cross, but well... that's a bit rusty now:o. His spiffiness reminds me of the last roller blader I saw...

It was at one of our camping parks and he had the biggest pair of monster quads I have ever seen for one thing:eek:... BUT, my gosh, his shorts were black skin tight latex/pvc/leather something or another:confused:. I kinda wanted to pull over and ask him if it was for bum protection, or merely a style preference. Maybe both?

EDIT: I have no idea how I scrolled past the pic of the dolls getting a fast skate stair ride... wheeeew, chalk that up to yet another incident of me lol at the pc like a hyena... DD says, well mom, it looks like that one made it, Ruby I assume... sometimes it's a good thing to be the one doing all the work.

Jolt

01-10-2009, 02:42 PM

I went rollerblading today with a friend and skated for about 2 1/2 hours! The rink wasn't too crowded and I managed not to wipe out once (unlike ice skating). I think I might have a sore rear end tomorrow...

Miranda

01-10-2009, 03:16 PM

Jolt

01-10-2009, 03:58 PM

I couldn't stand it and bought new skates for myself and the kids. Then, the kids don't want to go:(. I went by myself once so far. But, this week one kid has a school skating party. Looking forward to that:D. Oh, btw, we have traditional quad skates for indoors.

Have fun! As for the quad skates, good for you for being able to skate with them! I am not so good on those--they don't turn as easily which is a problem because I am not great at crossover turns.

beeluvs2speed

04-04-2009, 10:36 AM

:)Hi all. I am new on this site. I ride my own motorcycle but I miss roller skating. I do ride a stationary bike for exercise .

The thing is that I am kind of nervous to get back on the skates . I don't want to fall. I did order protective gear for the skating ring in case that I do.
Any tips on warm ups and excercise to do before skating ?

Thanks-

Bee

BleeckerSt_Girl

04-04-2009, 01:07 PM

Hi Bee!

As for protection in the rink...
even though other people seldom wear stuff, I think it's good especially for people older than 30 to wear:
Helmet (can't replace your brain)
Knee pads
Wrist protectors
and here is my secret weapon:
Crash Pads Shorts (http://www.xsportsprotective.com/crash-pads-2700.html)
I wear them under a swirly short skirt so you don't see much of the pads.
I have fallen on my butt both with and without them on - and the difference is amazing.
They are not cheap, but I tried 4 different brands and found that these were twice as good as the others all were. Amazing tailbone protection!

Don't worry about how you look- just think about how you are setting a good example for some people there.

I suggest you just take it slow and easy and don't skate faster than you feel secure doing. Take your time and enjoy the e-a-s-y feeling of skating slowly at first. Keep your knees BENT and you will usually avoid flipping over backwards. :)