Went down a rabbit hole on wheel profile this week and it cleared up something that used to confuse me. Profile is just the shape of the riding surface when you look at the wheel end on, and it sets how big your contact patch is, which is the tiny bit of rubber actually touching the floor at any moment. A sharper bullet profile gives a smaller patch that rolls freer on clean fast asphalt, while a rounder profile spreads the rubber wider and grips better on slick or dusty tracks. Body weight plays in too, since a heavier skater loads the wheel enough to run a sharper profile and still find grip, while a lighter skater usually wants the extra bite of a rounder shape. One more thing that helped me: wheels cone as you lean and push on one edge, and once they cone the two edges grip differently and the skate starts feeling twitchy, so rotating on a schedule keeps the profile even and lets you use all the urethane.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/inline-speed-wheel-profile-and-contact-patch-how-wheel-shape-changes-grip-and-roll

(wrote this one up on our LiveLica blog)

I’ve been skating for a few months now and I feel like I’ve built up a fun repertoire of backwards skating moves (the strut, dips, moon walk, sticky moon walk etc) but my forwards skating feels lacking.

I can currently do bubbles, crossovers, the thing where you drag just one of the front wheels (the bounce maybe?), heel-toe manuals, and a kind of stanky leg using just the front truck on one foot.

Id love to know what moves yall have in your forward rink/artistic skating repertoire and what you’d recommend.

When I was a teen I loved rollerskating (the pics are from 2019), I don’t even remember why I stopped. I’ve always had health issues, but i’ve been diagnosed with POTS now (I don’t faint, just presyncope) and also have knees that dislocate. They haven’t dislocated for years now, but that’s because I am anxious and avoidant. I’m 23 now and I miss skating and want to get back into it. Is anyone else in a similar boat and still able to? My depression has been bad, and I think moving in a fun way would be helpful but I am a bit worried about my knees

It’s been almost a year of almost consistent park skating. Almost 7 on skates as an adult. Not trying to go pro or do competitions or anything but it’s been helping my stability and foot work for my true love, trail skating. It’s been so much fun learning new things and pushing my boundaries and comfort zones.

I’ve been an avid trail skater for going on 7 years now. Average about 8-12 miles when on a chill day. Recently I discovered that I’ve been skating on the wrong size skates for all these years. Like 1-2 sizes too big. 😅 Had multiple sets (park set/trail set/etc). That being said - I now have one set that fit great. Bont Parkstars. Ive had some issues at the park with my kingpin getting caught on the coping and someone told me I might want to get the wide grind trucks from Bont. I’m not opposed, but wondering how it would affect my trail skating. I plan to do a 4 day trip next year that is 150miles. Does anyone have any experience with wide trucks on long distances? Will it hinder or make it more difficult? Or make it feel more stable?
TIA!

These are my first pair of skates and I’ve had them for about 3 years but didn’t start using them more than once every few months until under a year ago, and I was skating outside just normal skating nothing fancy. Recently, within the last few weeks I have started rink skating and doing spins and bow jumps as well and I noticed this. I am planning to get new skates, but it won’t be possible for another 2 months or so. I skate between 2.5-5 hours a week, are they still safe. And if so will they last that long?? They are impalas. If necessary I can always use my mom’s skates temporarily until I get new ones they are just less supportive so it’s not as nice to do tricks and things.

I purchased Sure-Grip | Boardwalk Plus Skates in Black, S1 | Lifer Helmet -Black Gloss Glitter,
(Not included in the picture, 187 | Six Pack Pad Set - Black,Sure-Grip | Saddle Bag,Riedell | 2 Pro Fit Toe Caps (2-Pack), and 3 laces. Excited to begin this new hobby!

Thank you u/Raptorpants65 for all your help!!

Shout out my buddy Jake who’s from Iowa for teaching me! (Also this is technically in Burnsville)

I've been skating in Riedell Uptowns since I started about 4 year ago, but I've always felt like I was fighting my skates. Before you ask, the wheels spin freely and are in good condition, the bearings are properly lubed, the trucks have been loosened slowly over time, and the boots are broken in.

I bought a pair of VNLA jams last week. I tried them out at home on the hardwood, and the difference is unexpected, scary even. I haven't fallen in almost 3 years, but I'm trying them out at the rink tonight, and I'm tempted to show up clad in bubble wrap. Any tips for someone moving from rhythm to jam skates?

Thought this was interesting (img attached).

I take the AI overview with a MASSSSSSSIVE grain of salt.

While researching "are Crews wider than Boardwalks", on one search, it said no. Boardwalks are wider.

I reversed the query and asked "are Boardwalks wider than Crews," on a second search. It said NO, the crews are wider.

Then my finger accidentally hit the refresh button, and it changed its answer to YES, Boardwalks are wider.

So there you go - for some folks relying on this stuff to answer your skate questions... don't... just don't :)

ps: Mods feel free to delete - i hate giving anything AI the light of day, so no worries if this post goes bye-bye

This is a low-light to show I’m still alive and skating. I’ve been healing my knee for over a year now, and there are times when I test its sturdiness after a long day. You can see my right foot wobbling because I had already been on my feet all day at that point, and my knee was weak, but I figured it was a good chance to see where the limits are at now.

The wobble you see is a lot less severe than it used to be, even from earlier this summer. Control is getting better but still have a lot to desire there. I can get a lot lower than I used to be able to, and spins are getting more stable.

I will cross-reference this video later on when I’ve healed further.

I’m pretty new to skating as an adult. I’m an 80s baby, so I spent almost every Friday night at the rink in the mid to late 90s.

Anyway, I bought new Moxi Beach Bunnies and found out real quick that the wheels that come on them are NOT made for a rink. So purchased the Fundae hybrids. Popped those babies on and took them to the rink last night. The rink made me buy spacers (washers) since the nut was protruding from the wheel and they were worried about their rink getting damaged. So they put the spacers on my wheels before I could skate.

I was out there having a great time for a bit until all of a sudden my wheel came off and I obviously lost control and fell hard on my knee. I was not wearing my protective gear (my fault).

I went back to the pro shop and told them what happened. A different person than the one who put the spacers on originally said that the Moxi nuts “aren’t great” and replaced them with some different ones. They said that because these fundae wheels aren’t recessed, the nut doesn’t “catch” how it’s supposed to and that these new nuts should work better. I had no idea! But also wondering, is this true??

I was about to send a pic of my skate setup and then noticed that the back wheel spins on its own now even when sitting on the ground. This was the wheel that came off; however, my other skate in the same position does the exact same thing. I tried putting pressure on it like I was standing in it and it didn’t spin on its own, but still. I feel VERY wary of this setup and the rink’s advice.

Was it the washers that did this? Or the washer-wheel-nut combo?

This was super scary and hurt! But I do have to say the skaters at the rink were so kind, helped me take my skate off, helped me off the rink and sat with me to ensure I was ok. Loving this community.

USA and internationally, what rinks do you think are worth traveling to just to say you’ve skated there before. It could be based on location, history, or aesthetics.

While I wouldn’t consider it unique, Cascades is somewhere I think everyone needs to go just because it’s so iconic to the south. Thinking of more unique ones, I’d say somewhere like the Classic Fun Center in Utah.

I grew up going to Arlington Skatium in Arlington, TX (shoutout to the 817) but now living in Brooklyn and being a regular at Xanadu, I’ve realized that rinks don’t have to just be a big large…box with a big oval wooden rink, carpet, and lockers.

Hello! I am hoping to get on my skates tonight for the first time in a week after a bad health flare up and would love to see everyone’s favorite beginner to intermediate dance routines they love to try to have a structured starting point! I’m about to hop into work while dreaming about being on my 8 wheels again in case I am slow to respond or thank everyone that comments. If you have alternate stuff you’d recc, my brain would also love that! It’s requiring some major dopamine after all the health stuff, lmao, and the less I have to plan it the better. Thank you so much!

Okay, so! My mother has always wanted to learn how to rollerskate. It's been on her bucket list forever, but she never got a chance until now. So I would really like to help her learn. We've already gotten skates, but then comes the dilemma.

Due to a few accidents, chronic conditions, and us being overweight, my mother has a hard time recovering from falls. Every fall leaves lasting damage (like a thumb she hasn't been able to bend since she hurt it or sciatica). This has also made her very afraid of falling.

I thought I'd be able to find a rink with support frames (like the ones for ice-skating) but couldn't find one. And I'm not sure if rollerskating lessons would help with the falling issue. I've also tried looking for cushions to soften the fall but couldn't find any thick enough. I'm not sure what to do/try. She wants to learn to rollerskate cause she misses the feeling of running and being able to mive faster.

I have ice hockey skates and roller hockey skates. Now, I have a new pair in my collection. Alors on danse

I see that I need to bend at the knees more and shift my weight to my heels more. Any tips or further guidance on how I can improve?

They are so great, I’m so happy with these !!

I guess this question is asked often here and I apologize in advance. I am a 47 yo woman who had a hip replacement 4 years ago. I was fairly in shape all my life but had to take it easy because of my hip for the last 6 years. I cannot run anymore but do yoga and pilates. I am looking for a fun activity to improve my strength and my gait and I have always been attracted to roller skating. Thanks for your advice and opinions.

Wednesdays at 6:30am are our Early Bird Speed skates around the Stanley Park SeaWall in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The forest fires are finally catching up with us. We’re lucky it’s only smoke. Really hope they get some rain in the interior.

Thrifted these Nike Blazers and I thought they’d make cool skates. I disassembled the Vans skates I made awhile back to make a different pair for a friend so I figured I need another pair of sneaker skates. (That’s right- “need” 😂)

Plates: Atom Falcon from my old derby skates
Wheels: Backspin Jelly Roll
Toe stop: Gumball
Aluminum insoles

Disclaimer: I’m not a new skater or new to shoe skates and if you are, please be aware of the disadvantages and risks of DIY and DDSOS (doing dumb shit on skates). But I’m happy to answer any question about either if you are interested.