In article , wrote:

I would like to try rollerskiing, but absolutely cannot handle the
off-the-shelf ones. For various reasons, I need ones a couple of
metres long, with ratchet wheels on the front and a REAR braking
system operated by moving my calves. There doesn't seem to be
any easy way of getting components (affordably) to build my own.
I would probably use wood for the bearing member, or possibly
aluminium section - very light weight and elegance aren't needed.

Has anyone done this, or got any useful information?

I have seen someone using ones that long, or at least significantly
longer than most of the ones showing up on Google images, but have no
idea what fittings they had. (It was on holiday in France, so not
somewhere I can look out for him again and ask....)
He seemed to be using his poles for propulsion rather than skating
or ratchet wheels (fishscale/skin equivalent?), and it looked like
XC ski bindings for his shoes. But that was from just casually
seeing him pass, not detailed study. (But having now Googled the calf
activated braking systems for roller skis, I'm pretty sure he didn't
have them.)

I noticed there were used skis at Milton recycling centre the last
couple of times I've been dropping stuff off. You would have to be
slightly cautious they had been thrown out because of surface/edges
being beaten up and not structural damage, but would they be any use
as the bearing member? Or would they be much too flexible when supported
by wheels at the end rather than along their whole length?