quad skate question

[peanutskates]

What should I look for in quad skates that I need for recreational activity as well as practicing off-ice elements such as xos, 3s, waltz jump etc? Since summer is coming up, I will use them regularly. Also, what type of boot is more suitable - figure skate or trainer type? Does it matter?

Thank you!

[Sessy]

You need wheels you can pivot with (you need that for spins and 3-turns), so that automatically makes it the more expensive kind.
Also, the lighter the frame is, the better. Also pay attention to how much is left of those stopping thingies at the front if you're buying second hand and what the wheels are. Some wheels are only fit for inside (parquet-like) floors, others are good for outside (concrete) floors. Depending on where you will be practicing, that's an issue.

I have got skates with wheels that don't pivot and a very high frame. They're perfectly fine for spirals, crossovers and jumps (well, as long as you do the jumps from mohawks or crossovers, not 3-turns) but they're no good for 3-turns and spins. They're also okay for practicing edges.
Of course, this type of quad skates are MUCH cheaper than the good ones.

[Zoomana]

I have Atlas 2000 plates which are mounted on an old pair of Reidell Silver Stars that were too broken down to continue to use for ice freestyle but are perfect for roller. Good plates are very expensive but worth every cent. For the boots, I suggest something softer than you are used to on the ice (if you are using something stiffer at this point) - something that has a little support (if you were buying new, I'd suggest something like a Reidell Bronze Star). Outdoor and indoor wheels are very different. Outdoor wheels are softer and have more give to them to avoid getting yourself killed when tripping over a rock or whatnot. Indoor wheels are harder and "stickier" to help with landing jumps, etc. You also need to get bearings (I love the Red Bones, not sure if they still make them/a lot of people like the Bones Elite, but I found them draggy).

Also, you need a toe stop if you want to do jumps like toe loop (called a mapes in the roller world), flip and lutz. I also stop with the toe stop (a lot of roller skaters do t-stops, but I find that flattens out the wheels over time). If you aren't interested in jumping/don't like the size of the thing in the front of the skate, you can get a dance button to put in the place of the toe stop. All I can say is that no matter how good a roller skater I feel like I am, that toe stop is like the emergency brake to me and has saved my behind (i.e., little kid shooting in front of me or speeding car and you panic).

The amount of pivot under the wheel is important. It's probably why my roller skating isn't as good as my ice. Every time I loosened the pivoting action a lot so the wheels would pivot, it freaked me out. I'm used to a nice, solid, non-moving ice blade. However, without a lot of pivot or "action" as the roller people call it, three turns can be quite jumped and spins are very difficult.

Like ice skates, it really pays to go to someone who fits boots and mounts plates who is an expert. If there are any roller rinks in your area with artistic skaters, someone could direct you to an "expert." I was lucky enough that my regular ice skating place (Cooke's in Wilmington, MA) had experience with the roller world as well and could mount them for me.

Skating outside is great for endurance, etc., but I found I couldn't do much in the outdoor wheels due to the draggier quality and my fear of landing on pavement. However, doing a spiral or a shoot the duck in the summer on the sidewalk next to the beach = priceless.

One really cool thing is that the roller is so much more difficult for me, and the roller skates are so much heavier, that when I go back to the ice rink, I feel like anything is possible!

[peanutskates]

hmm, this has set me thinking... yesterday my coach was like, "you need new skates if you're going to skate more seriously, because these are as soft as paper." so I guess they'd be OK to mount some wheels on?

[peanutskates]

Heya, can any quad skate xperts say if these quad skates are good or bad?

http://www.skateasylum.co.uk/acatalog/stateside-rio-roller-skates-pink.html#a352

thanks

[Sessy]

I don't think those wheels are gonna be able to pivot but I'm not an expert.

[Team Arthritis]

Boy I don't know Peanut! only 33 euros I doubt that they have enough support for jumping etc. Some of the Pic skaters have said that a good pair of skates cost the same whether figure, Quad or Inline. As for the pivot, you can see the front and back pivots in the picture (the silver parts with the black rubber above). Good Luck and keep us posted about what you learn.
Lyle

[Sessy]

What I noticed at the roller skating club was that they all had like stops in front that you could screw up or down.

Mine don't have it obviously. But I think it must be pretty handy for the jumps

[Lark]

Uhm, they look like a Jetsons-ized version of the ones I wore 30 years ago! :??

I did not read the specifications, but are these specifically for jumping and performing?

I might get a pair of normal skates and use them for exercise. Those darn roller blades hurt my ankles reallllly bad!

[dbny]

Something like this (http://www.netskate.com/proddetail.asp?pname=The+Patriot&fproductid=1911&catalog_type=quad&catagory_type=rec&page_type=complete&detail_type=product) is what you would want if you were a serious quad artistic skater. Since you probably don't want to spend nearly that much, have a look at these (http://www.netskate.com/proddetail.asp?pname=Sure+Grip+Fame&fproductid=2335&catalog_type=quad&catagory_type=rec&page_type=complete&detail_type=product) instead.

[kayskate]

Sounds like Zoomana and I have about the same set up. I bought new Reidell silver stars and had Atlas plates mounted. I used them for outdoor rink skating and distance skating on a paved jog trail. I also recycled a pair of custom Harlicks for indoor roller dance.

Roller lessons and floor time, in my exp is not as expensive as ice, so lessons would be a good investment b/c there are diffs. If you are looking for working on basic skills, Pics might be better b/c they are more like ice. However, quads will benefit you too.

Kay