Regarding the salesdroid advice that you don't need a brake: if you skate
only indoors and totally flat surfaces...MAYBE. But otherwise, it's pretty
bad advice, from my experience. Those salesdroids aren't doing anyone any
favors by saying you don't need a brake.
If you plan to ever skate outside on the street or road, or even the
sidewalk, I very strongly encourage that you get skates with a brake and
learn to use it.
Inline skates have brakes for a reason. You don't have to use a brake as
your main stopping technique. But you want to be able to use it, if you
have to. In some situations it's the ONLY safe way to control your speed.
Sure, people skate outside without brakes. Is that smart? Well, I only
hope they wear all their gear. They'll need it. Not today and maybe not
tomorrow, but someday.
Anyway, this is not to say that hockey inlines are bad. It's just that they
are specifically designed for hockey. They'll work outside, but they're not
what I would consider 100% suitable for outdoor general skating. (Some
hockey skates may come with brakes that you can add on though none come
immediately to mind, but I think at one time they may have been offered).
Also, hockey skates do not have more support that normal recreational
skates. If anything, they have less. The leather hockey skates are meant
to flex some so that hockey players can bend to reach down. Rec skates
have several straps and/or laces that lock your ankles down. Try both
kinds out and see which ones you think have better support for you.
Is there a specific reason you want ABEC 5's and an aluminium chassis?
You'd be hard pressed to break the normal polyurethane frames that come on
most skates. Many frames will already fit 80mm wheels. Just take your
ruler in and measure the skates.
As for ABEC 5's, you might check out the ABEC = Hype? article first, before you drop some extra money on them. Not
that you should avoid ABEC 5's, but I wouldn't spend significantly more money
just because they're marked 5's.
Anyway, hope that helps!
-Tony
Jan 29, 2000
Hi Tony,
How's it going? I have a buying question for
you that you probably can not answer fully but I could
use any input that you may have. I read through your
buying guide and have decided to buy a pair of in-line
skates.
I will probably spend about $250 CDN ($160US). From reading
the article, I am looking for a skate that can take up
to a 80mm wheel, at least ABEC 5 and an aluminum chassis.
The skates are for recreational purposes. A couple of the
salespeople have suggested to buy hockey style in-line skates
because of ankle and overall support that I will need
(I am about 6ft and 250lbs). Also, I used to play ice
hockey (about 10 years ago) so the salespeople said
that I would get use to in-line skating quickly and
probably do not need brakes.
Is this correct about the support and the not needing
brakes? I know it sounds crazy to not have brakes but I
see people on the bike paths with hockey-style in-line
skates and no brakes.
Basically, I do not know if I should buy hockey-style,
soft-boot, or molded plastic style (like the Roller-Blade
skates)?
I have tried on some soft boots and hockey style
in-line skates. The soft boots are very comfortable but
not as much support as the hockey ones. Do you have any
skates that you like or heard other people like around $150US?
Thanks in advance and if you have other suggestions about
in-line skating, please let me know.