The sizing run for inline hockey skates is usually between a half size and two sizes smaller than a shoe size and all sizing is done in male. This is simply to allow some room for growth over the course of the season. Wear your new skates on the sofa while you are watching your favourite show for a few weeks. Whatever the skate and the type of wheel, the axial tightening is done on the inner race of the bearings. Flex your knees and move your ankles in as much circular movements as you can and focus on your feet and how they feel. However, most non-professional or non-competitive skaters will not need anything above standard skate wheel bearings. Quad skates are four-wheeled roller skates that have two wheels in the front, and two in the back. Give them some use and the grease should loosen up and it should spin more freely. We are a skater owned and operated business and love sharing the joy of skating to as many people as we can. You should reach a point where your board resists leaning any further without contacting the wheels. Mild ‘pins and needles’ may be normal after a little while. In this position, your shin bone is supported by the front of the boot. Available at FROM SKATELOG FORUM HOST KATHIE FRY IN MARCH OF 2020: So, let’s go into this a bit more and explain the difference between tri-skates with big wheels (110mm), the skates with four big wheels (90-110mm) and the standard skates most people have with four wheels (around 80mm). Create a SkateDebate Forum User Name, I was just wondering, should I have my wheels bolted down so that the bearings are doing all of the work, or should I loosen them up so that the bearings turn on the axles as well? They have no heel brake and are not designed for any speed. If it stops after counting to 8, check to make sure it doesn't wiggle. If the wheel stops before counting to 8, the wheel is too tight. I run mine tight enough so I dont get a "click" everytime i put my foot down, but loose enough not to bind the bearings. cause that spin is just slop spin. Those 20-year-old skates tucked in the attic? You want to put the hex key in … To rotate wheels on a 5-wheeled skate, you will reposition the wheels in spots 1, 3, and 5. Neon Combo Skates 2-in-1 are perfect for beginners who have a passion for adventure. I've found on both pairs of my skates, this level of spin works good. If it … HiLo Wheel Configurations: Some K2 Inline Skates have two different size wheels therefore they require a slightly different rotation pattern. If so try on slightly larger skates. Bearings and wheels are essentially linked by a tight adjustment between the outer race and the hub. Skates that are a little small can be easily fixed. *** The SkateLog Forum Has Been Replaced by SkateDebate Dot Com ***. Try to relax as best you can, bend your knees and breathe. NEW OWNER AND ADMINISTRATOR: Jessica Wright Re: your thread title, how tight should your skates be.. (disclaimer, I'm not a profession skate fitter, but can only speak from my experience)... it should be tight enough that your entire foot can lay completely flat, without being squished, but with zero addition space in the boot. Roller skates consist of a boot attached to a "truck" that contains four wheels with ball bearings. Generally, the higher "rated" the bearing the better the bearing. An inline hockey skate should feel snug but not painfully tight. some people only need to work their wheels once a year, others (like yours truly) needs to do so after every bigger skating session or street skate. You do not want your foot to be sloshing around like your wearing clown shoes. Low cut boots allow for easier maneuverability and tight turns and are generally offered in “speed” skates… A few tips on adjusting your wheels and taking care of your skates. They are adjusted by tightening/loosening the four 9/16” bolts or hex nuts between the wheels on the underside of your skates. Unless the wheel doesn't free spin at all I wouldn't worry about it. They have a ‘grind plate’ for sliding and performing tricks. If you use the above method, it'll always be where it's supposed to be. To tighten down your wheels, put the skate on it's side, and flick the wheel as fast and as hard as you can with one hand. As far as counting revolutions, that is too bearing dependant. "Both sell skates at great prices and they have free shipping back if they don't fit," she says. Make sure they are tight enough so that they don't slip. Neon Combo Skates give you hours of fun, glowing wherever you go. This new forum is 100% owned and operated by Jessica. You can have a wheel loose enough to spin freely and the bearing may not give you the spin you want. Fresh out of the box, your wheels may be too tight to spin freely, which will make learning how to skate much, much harder. The Skate Ditch the old skates. If the spacer is too big, there will be play between the hub flange and the two bearings, and the wheel will be loose. Inline Skate Buying Guide. Skating muscles are very different from those used in our everyday lives so strengthening those muscles if you go to the gym is also beneficial. Indoors, roller skates really shine. If the wheels are not spinning freely you should check for damage, or buildup from dirt or other debris. This should to be tight enough for you to bend your knees and then feel supported by the strap. POS and Ecommerce by Shopify. It’s back in a big way. Bad skating technique will pull and squeeze all the wrong muscles not only in your feet but in your back, neck and shoulders too. They have 4 wheels, a heel brake on one skate and many different styles and models. If they are simply dirty, take the time to remove and clean the wheels as necessary. Stand up with both feet parallel, hip width apart (Ready Position), and bend your knees so when you look down your knees are just over the boots. forum, configured like the SkateLog Forum, but with a new name and a new Web Site. The spacers must be a proper size match to the hub, and are best if purchased with the wheels, and from the wheel manufacturer. This has made skating large wheels easier and suitable for a wider skill range to enjoy. or something like that. Feet swell during exercise so its best to measure your foot or try on skates in the afternoon or after some exercise. ... tight-fitting skates that respond acutely to a skater’s demands. your bearings do all the work. Too loose, and your knees will never make contact with the strap when you bend them. On the other hand, it is best to do what is best for you. The best remedy for this is simply to take those skates off for a few minutes and give those toes a good rub. Speed Skates have 5 wheels (or a longer than usual 4 wheel frame), larger wheels and no heel brake. so it's sort of skidding them along. And I don’t mean like a couple of people rediscovered Whip It (2009) and decided to become roller derby athletes, I mean people out skating … Quality and price are on the high end of the spectrum due to the extreme demands put on these skates. i like mine (rollersk8 or sk8brd)to spin the same with or without the nut.so as tight as i can get it w/100% no lag.... free spinning wheel. When you try on a pair of skates, try your own shoe size (and not the size bigger, as some other skate shop assistants may suggest). If they are worn and look asymmetrical then rotate them before you put your skates away. If so try on a slightly smaller pair of skates to make sure they are the best fit. While it's spinning, count to 8.....1,001, 1,002, 1,003, etc. A skate may seem more comfortable if it is too big. This is the first step that you would want to do. The heel area is the part of the foot that controls the skate and it is essential that the heel is kept in place during skating. If you lock 'em down so tight that the bearings are doing ALL of the work, you could dent (or completely, totally and utterly ruin) the bearings. These should be tightened until there is very little play in the wheel but does not hinder the wheel from spinning freely. Of course, this may vary with each skate a little bit. If there is wiggle room? Remember your feet are not used to wearing skates yet. Some other things that might help is taking your skates to a podiatrist or to get an insole. Why Should You Use Roller Skates/ Quad Skates? However when you move your feet you want the movement to translate into the boot. You need to make sure your heel is all the way into the back of the skate so tap the back wheels hard into the floor to get your heels into the back of the boot as much as you can. This can be quite an art to get right. Trish Alexander, the director of Skate Journeys, an inline skating school in the Seattle area, has two favorites — Inline Warehouse and Zappos. While it's spinning, count to 8.....1,001, 1,002, 1,003, etc. However if your circulation gets cut off quickly you may need a larger size or it might be that the strap is too tight so adjust and try again. when there is weight on the skate the bearing wont spin on the axel. Take your skates off for a while. • Step 1: Skates with 5-wheels will be a bit tricky, so please pardon the confusion that you may have, as we will try to explain as best we can through text and illustration.