Inline skates

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Rhythm Thief

Legendary Member
Location
Ross on Wye
Ages ago, I saw a pair of inline skates in one of Ross's many charity shops. I was so amazed that they fitted me (I'm a size 12) that I bought them, with no clear idea as to what to do with them. (I'm 38, for crying out loud!) Anyway, I thought they were worth three quid. Yesterday I realised that I spend a significant proportion of my time at work sitting in a lorry in the dark on a large flat expanse of tarmac, with very little to do while I wait for a load. So tonight I took my skates to work with me.


Bloody hell! I know I haven't been on roller skates since I was a kid, but even so I wasn't expecting it to be quite so tricky. I managed to graduate from "tottering around" to "skating in a straight line", but the knack of turning corners remains elusive. And I'm not exactly grace personified yet: all I can say is, I won't be practising in the dayulight anytime soon, and I only hope the security cameras aren't picking up my clumsy efforts and broadcasting them to the gatehouse.


So ... do any of the <ahem> more accomplished skaters of this parish have any advice to offer me? Including "what the hell have you bought those for?" which was what Ms RT said. I'm beginning to wonder if she was right ...


Although all that said, it was fun.:stop:
 

bauldbairn

New Member
Location
Falkirk
What the - did you just think this and accidentally type it? :biggrin:

Not like one of you're usual posts at all - I fully expect some CCTV footage on YouTube "Skating lorry driver at a truck-stop" with Balero edited in! :birthday:

On a more serious note, as an ex-roller skater(not inline) I would imagine the only way to turn would be by crossing one foot over / in front of the other - speed skater stylee. Due to a lack of turning mechanisms like the trucks on roller skates. Maybe it's a bit more like iceskating?

Good luck RT - let us know how you get on? :smile:
 

Gromit

Über Member
Location
York
Cool good on you, I thought about buying myself a pair of roller boots last year, I used to be quite good at it when I was little.
 
Go for it! I have a pair and I am 49!

Car parks are good but best when you start out is the local tennis court as it has a nice fence to stop you and will be unused this time of year.

Try youtube for a demo of how to skate - it is just like ice skating in that you push back to get going and lean into a corner with one leading foot and one behind (Crossover comes later). It is very different from old style skates as you can lean them.

Most people tend to wear hand, knee and elbow pads when they are starting up. Cheap ones are OK it is just really to stop you grazing if you fall rather than to pad the fall.

You will not find anywhere to get lessons but if you need some then have a couple of ice skating lessons if you have a local rink. In line skates were developed from skates for practice in the summer and the techniques are very similar but ice is much faster.
 

Panter

Just call me Chris...
Oh dear.

I keep contemplating the same (I'm 36 FFS.)

My Daughter is getting into it, and I keep getting this crazy idea to buy some Decathlon cheapies.

My only experience of skating, in my whole life, was a couple of times on the ice rink as a kid.
Once I'd been violently pummelled into the ice for the second time in as many minutes, I limped off it and vowed never to don skates again.

But, as I say above....
 

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
Over The Hill said:
Go for it! I have a pair and I am 49!

Snap!

Had a few goes on mine over 10 years ago now, indoor sports hall (no gravel rash when you fall over!) They have been gathering dust in a cupboard since. :birthday:
 
OP
OP
Rhythm Thief

Rhythm Thief

Legendary Member
Location
Ross on Wye
bauldbairn said:
What the - did you just think this and accidentally type it? :birthday:


Nope, it's all true. Ms RT thinks I'm daft ... and she might not be wrong.:biggrin:
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
Can't help RT but here's some online skates

Skate_Fish_Ray_From_Chile.jpg


p.s. You might be better at it after a few pints;)
 

nigelb

New Member
A few things, firstly consider how you're going to fall. Blades tend to have more front/back stability than quads, but its still well worth while padding up and practicing falling over - stand on grass to start with (not muddy grass, on an old bit of carpet?) and practice the transition from standing to not standing. Kids are in much closer communion with the ground, grownups tend to have further to fall, tend to weigh more, and tend to be less resilient to damage. If you think you are going to fall, bend your knees - the extra control you get may stop you falling, but even if it doesn't if you've halved the distance you're falling, you've reduced your terminal velocity hugely.

If you're moving fast, aim to roll when you go down, not slide (roadrash!).

On quads, you can lean one way or the other, and the trucks which support the wheels pivot, and steer the skates. Blade skating is different, think in terms of short straight lines, which overall give the desired effect. To start with, small steps.
As you're skating forward, and want to turn left, transfer your weight mostly onto the right skate and put your left skate further left than you would need to skate straight, with the toe angled out SLIGHTLY. Bring the right skate back in to parallel, and then repeat. Aim to geet momentum going slowly, and turn very gently. A lot of this is about keeping your weight in the right place. With time, this can evolve into crossovers, where you lift the right skate and put it down to the left of your left skate, but until you've controlled your balance, and where your weight should be, don't try crossovers - blades stick out a long way forwards and backwards, and it is so so easy to catch a heel on a toe (or the other way round).

Overall, the single most important thing is to bend your knees, but key the skate upright, and inline with your ankle/calf/knee/thigh. Don't have the skates over at a huge angle, putting pressure on ankles/knees, or you'll do yourself a lot of hurt even if you don't fall over.

Depending on where you are, there are clubs which will help you learn in a sports hall.

Nige
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
Go for it!

My kids got skateboards this year. No one could work out why Father Christmas left 3 boards in stead of two with a "to the three biggest kids in the house" on the card stuck on the box.

Been too wet to use it much. But my kids were impressed I could jump straight on and ride an easy ramp. Fell off the next time I tried it though.
 

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
ChrisKH said:
My kids got skateboards this year. No one could work out why Father Christmas left 3 boards in stead of two with a "to the three biggest kids in the house" on the card stuck on the box.

Been too wet to use it much. But my kids were impressed I could jump straight on and ride an easy ramp. Fell off the next time I tried it though.

I was so tempted by a cheap Spiderman skateboard in TK Maxx the other week, managed to resist but I bet the 'old magic' is still there! :birthday:
 

nigelb

New Member
Oh, btw, I also say go for it, I didn't learn to skate until I was 30, but ended up playing skater hockey, training kids etc - great fun, good exercise, absolutely go for it!

(In a hall, hard plastic wheels may be too slippery, beware, but softer wheels will wear v fast outside)

Nige
 
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