Inline skates

Ed3 is a bit behind the times, on the World Inline Cup (int'l
marathon circuit) the top skaters and the top rankings are held by
Fila using 4x100mm wheels.

There is an optimum length for inline frames, but depending on the
size of the foot is not nessassarily the "longest length".

Women on the WICup circuit just beginning to see 100mm's, recent 3rd
place finish by a 15 yr old girl weighing 46kg with size 37 feet,
(3x100mm 1x 84mm, short frame), and last sundays victory in a WIC
42km by 2003 marathon world champion Theresa Cliff wearing 3x1001x84mm
prove that 100mm can be used fine by women.

(Bragging a bit here, my wife at 43 yrs old wearing 3x1001x84mm,
finished 39 seconds behind the winner of a high level 24km in Korea 2
weeks ago-woman's winner was 1:16:03.

Men's winner (Fila) was on 4x100mm, 42km time 1:01:30.

As for the first inline victories on 100mm's, they were on 100mm
wheels by Xenan w a plastic core-but the next set of victories and
testing by major talant was on soft (78a) heavy (160gr) scooter
wheels.

Now many high quality 100mm inline wheels in the 120-130gr range, with
prices of
around $10 usd each.

If you are going to try them for rollerskiing on a 2 wheel setup, I'd
recommend trying the 135 gr Hyper mach2, 84a hardness, or some of the
Ultimate (hyper owned company) 85a .

Available at www.swatskates.com

100mm wheel chart at
www.racereports.net

Pictures of various carbon frames and boots at
racereports.net

inline frames try www.inline-house.co.kr

many frames now weigh in at 170gr.

By the way, Serge is known on the inline boards as a guy who knows
what he is talking about (unlike me)

Ultra, what are you doing on a ski board anyway?

Has it been snowing in Korea?

You'd be awesome XC-skier with your legs and all if did not get
bribed by various tropical governments to coach their budding
skating teams for world cup.

How wide are these 100mm wheels? What is the range of
softness/hardness? For training, rollerski wheels usually need to be
soft, or slow.

Gene Goldenfeld

Jonathan Seutter wrote:
...
As for the first inline victories on 100mm's, they were on 100mm
wheels by Xenan w a plastic core-but the next set of victories and
testing by major talant was on soft (78a) heavy (160gr) scooter
wheels.
///
If you are going to try them for rollerskiing on a 2 wheel setup, I'd
recommend trying the 135 gr Hyper mach2, 84a hardness, or some of the
Ultimate (hyper owned company) 85a .

Available at www.swatskates.com

100mm wheel chart at
www.racereports.net

Pictures of various carbon frames and boots at
racereports.net

inline frames try www.inline-house.co.kr

many frames now weigh in at 170gr.

By the way, Serge is known on the inline boards as a guy who knows
what he is talking about (unlike me)

They are standard 22mm wide 100mm wheels.
Almost all of them way too fast, but he has some in stock,
not shown the site, that could be used (like rubber Eagle w/alu hub.)

Jonathan Seutter wrote
. . . a bit behind the times, on the World Inline Cup
the top skaters and the top rankings are held by Fila
using 4x100mm wheels.

I did not get 100mm wheels for one reason: I have not yet seen a heel-brake
that fits with them.

I'm a road-skate tourer, not a racer, so I need all the help I can get for
handling sudden unexpected vehicles or obstacles or animals in uncontrolled
complicated situations outside race-courses. And for long or steep
downhills that end in intersections or sharp curves.

100mm wheels are attractive to my touring, for making coarse-stone pavement
easier and more fun. But a heel-brake has to be part of my configuration.
Looks to me like either Powerslide or Miller could easily modify their
heel-brake designs to handle 100mm wheels -- but so far they have not.
Please let me know when you see a compatible heel-brake, and I'll stop
skating "behind the times".

Actually just moving up to a 5-wheel frame gives me difficulties with
heel-brake performance. But fortunately other serious road-skaters have
been there before me and come up with some creative approaches, like
http://brakes.ipfox.com

Anyway, I'm so glad I've found something more fun and more stoppable and
maneuverable than rollerskis.

Ken

"Ken Roberts" wrote in message
...
| Jonathan Seutter wrote
| . . . a bit behind the times, on the World Inline Cup
| the top skaters and the top rankings are held by Fila
| using 4x100mm wheels.
|
| I did not get 100mm wheels for one reason: I have not yet seen a
heel-brake
| that fits with them.
|
| I'm a road-skate tourer, not a racer, so I need all the help I can get for
| handling sudden unexpected vehicles or obstacles or animals in
uncontrolled
| complicated situations outside race-courses. And for long or steep
| downhills that end in intersections or sharp curves.
|
| 100mm wheels are attractive to my touring, for making coarse-stone
pavement
| easier and more fun. But a heel-brake has to be part of my configuration.
| Looks to me like either Powerslide or Miller could easily modify their
| heel-brake designs to handle 100mm wheels -- but so far they have not.
| Please let me know when you see a compatible heel-brake, and I'll stop
| skating "behind the times".
|
| Actually just moving up to a 5-wheel frame gives me difficulties with
| heel-brake performance. But fortunately other serious road-skaters have
| been there before me and come up with some creative approaches, like
| http://brakes.ipfox.com
|
| Anyway, I'm so glad I've found something more fun and more stoppable and
| maneuverable than rollerskis.
|
| Ken
|

100mm may well be the popular set up for world cup skaters, being fully
sponsored they get paid to do stuff. And like Lance, a top skater will do
well on any wheels.

Observations at local races will show lots of 5x84, using HYPER +G wheels on
the podium; almost a universal set-up.

As the 'perfect' wheel size evolves, with various wheel/ frame makers
discovering and marketing the ultimate truth about once a month now, I
expect to also see 88mm, 90mm, 94mm, showing up on the pro's feet.

Depending on the nature of the event, different size wheels may prove more
effective...100mm for an outdoor time trial/ road race, vs. 80-84mm for
indoor.



Ken,

As to a brake for 100mm frames, I suspect there is little to no demand, as
well as the physics involved in leveraging the brake pad(similar to the
problem you discuss on the skate ng). The Miller, or Powerslide brake on 84s
may be the best off the shelf current option. (However, Uwe's contraption
could probably accommodate carrier landings).

Larger wheels (84 vs.80mm) make a significant difference in negotiating
stones, rough pavement. 100mm would probably be better yet, but the 4x100mm
set-up looks to be significantly taller than the 84mm...less stability,
earlier fatigue.
As I still have many, many sets of 80mm wheels to use for training, and the
current 'size of the month' equipment introductions, it will be a while
before I shop for a new wheel size, throwing a third size into my supply.

As crazy at it appears, I frequently skate roads at cycling speeds, and
really haven't needed a brake. I will confess to having to bail about once
a year... a fast roll out on the grass, or hockey stop in the gravel... I do
pick and choose my routes, so I don't needlessly drag my wheels doing
t-stops. Were there a simple, more effective brake, I would probably get
one. I have thought about installing an old Miller brake I have, simply to
say I have one, were someone to make an issue of my presence.

Finally, while I don't roller ski(but have thought about starting later this
summer), be aware that inline skating must have some significant differences
in technique that show up. I frequently get picked out as a 'skater' while
on skis.
ED3

Edward Dike wrote
. . . inline skating must have some significant
differences [ from rollerskiing ] in technique that show up.
I frequently get picked out as a 'skater' while on skis.

I don't care if I get picked out as an "inline skater" too -- because I am
one and happy for it.

I'd like to try to catalog the different technique tendencies on inline
skates:

(A) higher speeds with lower push-force intensity -- because harder wheels
on smoother pavement are faster, multiple wheels give stability that makes
speed feel comfortable, and inline race courses tend to be less hilly than
snow-skate courses.

I think this tends to result in longer range-of-motion and lower turnover
frequency. Importance of aerodynamics at higher speeds rewards low body
position, deeper knee bend, low butt.

Causes loss of interest in the all-important activity of poling on pavement.

And the slowness of snow comes as a big shock for the first couple of weeks
in winter. (this could be counteracted by switching to slow rubber wheels
during the late Fall season).

(B) wheels can push propulsively from any edge-angle: inside-edge, flat, or
outside-edge. Again rewards longer range-of-motion. Make possible
technique variations which make no sense on snow -- but feel cool and look
cool.

(C) shorter wheelbase. Makes it easy to get a long range of side-push
motion starting from underneath, without being forced to step up forward to
make room for the ski tail. Makes it easier to stop quick and turn quick --
have more fun.

(D) more wheels. Makes inline skates less likely to produce injuries from
hitting a rut or pothole. Makes them more predictable in maneuvering,
because ground-surface irregularities are "average" over more points of
contact. More fun.

I think many of these differences can be avoided once you're conscious of
them. The irreparable recurring flaw with inlines is having too much fun.

Fun which snow-skating has trouble matching. Which could lead to not
_caring_ enough about avoiding the differences from snow.

I think that's how I'll get picked out on snow as a "skater".

Ken

I agree with Edward.

I feel little need for heel brake and it is a big liability for
crossovers. Traveling at 20MPH there is no brake, however efficient,
that will stop you reliably. I skate on roads where there are no stops
and little traffic.

Somehow I find rollerskis much better touring tool than skates:

1.You can walk in to buildings in boots, try that on skates, ha-ha.

2.Some hills that I do on my rollerskis I would never try on skates
-they pick up too much speed.

3.Going with a "broken" rhythm on skates is no good for anything, but
on
rollerskis you can do V1, V2, turning, shifting from left V to right
V,
climbing short, steep hills and alike.

4.Bad pavement is so much more manageable on 100mm rollerskis than on
skates.

5. You don't have to bend over and actually carrying a hip pack or
even
a backpack is not so bad, comparatively.

6. If you get a short 2-100mm wheel Eagle rollerski instead of clunky
4-wheel Jenex, your maneuverability will improve drastically. You can
do
a T-brake and snowplow too.

7. You finally learn to rollerski.

Cheers.

Serge wrote
Somehow I find rollerskis much better touring tool than skates:

So if rollerskis are so good, what road-skate tours have you done on them?

Anything like Albany to Lake George (NY)? Garrison station to Manhattan?
How about skating around on the major streets of New York City?

2.Some hills that I do on my rollerskis
I would never try on skates -they pick up too much speed.

Could there possibly be a connection between that and the fact that you do
not have effective use of a heel-brake?

I feel more secure taking steep downhills on 4-wheel skates -- with an
effective heel brake -- more than rollerskis.

but on rollerskis you can do V1, V2, turning,
shifting from left V to right V, climbing short, steep hills and alike.

I've been doing all those things on inline skates no problem.

Ken

Somehow I find rollerskis much better touring tool than skates:

Um... somehow I don't buy this one.


1.You can walk in to buildings in boots, try that on skates, ha-ha.


OK. Agreed

2.Some hills that I do on my rollerskis I would never try on skates
-they pick up too much speed.

You can T-brake (almost) any hill on skates... ruins your wheels
though. Does not work on rollerskis at all.

3.Going with a "broken" rhythm on skates is no good for anything, but
on
rollerskis you can do V1, V2, turning, shifting from left V to right
V,
climbing short, steep hills and alike.

Can be done on skates just fine.

4.Bad pavement is so much more manageable on 100mm rollerskis than on
skates.

This one actually made me post this response. Skates defitinitely roll
over pavement imperfections bettter, since they have more wheels, and
the spacing between wheels is minimal. With rollerskis you can easily
catch a bump wth the ski's frame. Done that several times. The
undeneath of my rollerski frames don't have any paint left.