Hello everyone,

As a former ice hockey player, I’m considering getting inline skates for my commute to work. However, I’m a bit unsure about which type to choose, especially since the pavement and roads in my area vary in quality.

Could you please recommend a suitable type of skate?

Thanks!

  • @INeedMana
    3•9 months ago
    1. Definitely a hardboot. it gives more control and a little bit of protection
      • So look in categories “urban skates” or “freestyle”. Maybe “slalom” too but these usually sit in higher price range
      • Probably not “aggressive” as these often have small wheels. There has been a trend of putting 80mm on these recently, hence “probably”
      • Definitely not “fitness”
    2. Research tri-skates
      • You shouldn’t have a problem with more ankle strength these require, as you are playing hockey. But they do behave a little bit different than 4-wheels. There are quite a few yt videos about the differences, see if there are any that convince you one way or the other. There are some frames that allow to change between the number of wheels but these are often more pricey, not sure if you want to spend on that.
      • I don’t want to say “buy tri-skates”. But I did the switch from 4-wheels to 3-wheels and IMO the latter is definitely better for the city. Bigger wheels are less sensitive to ground imperfections
    3. Don’t buy so called Wizard frames if you aren’t set on doing the gazelles etc. On rough pavement the longer frame will not be an asset IMO. The longer the frame is, the longer it rolls off curbs and bumps
    4. Please, wear at least a helmet
    • @nosefrenar
      4•8 months ago

      While “advanced” wizard frames are not the best for urban use, the “normal” ones (ie; the ones with a small, non-progressive rocker) are perfect for it - they offer more agility and reaction speed than a flat setup, while being just as stable due to the length of the frame, with the only trade-offs being requiring more energy -as any rockered setup-, and being less safe when turning at high speeds (50km/h+), which isn’t a problem unless you live in a city in Switzerland or similar.

      I live in a city where there’s a pothole every corner and poor pavement is the norm, and I can say that the Endless are much better than standard flat frames; not only does the rocker help prevent getting caught on imperfections, but the longer frame also gives you more stability.