RollerSkating/RollerBlading

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Today was my first time skating outdoors in 45 years, since i was about 9 or so.
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.

[farrellcollie]

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]

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

[Miranda]

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.

I was the disco ball roller skating queen when I was younger. 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. 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). 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]

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.

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:

[Miranda]

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.

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:

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.. 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).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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..

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-...-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-70m...ls-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.