Quote Originally Posted by Miranda View Post
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.