I started rollerblading during the last part of December 2013. I started on Schwinn skates that I picked up for $5 at Goodwill, figuring if I didn’t like it, nothing lost. If I did like it, I could always get better skates.
I told myself that if I’m still using them regularly by my birthday in April, I’ll get better inline skates. Well, Here it is, April, and my birthday has passed. I am still skating daily, so I placed my order. I knew I needed better skates for a number of reasons, but mainly, I was starting to not only notice, but be annoyed by some of the deficiencies of these used skates I bought.
The wheels did not spin freely. There are a number of reasons for that, but it’s probably a combination of the bearings getting old and the frame getting bent inward gradually every time I flip the wheels over. Another issue were the wheels themselves. I live in the desert, so there is a lot of landscaping with gravel. Gravel gets on sidewalks and when a skate hits a piece, the skate stops. Not so with the rest of your body.
These old skates have 72mm wheels, which is on the small side. The new skates have 82mm wheels, and let me tell you, the difference is enormous.
Immediately, I noticed I could go a lot farther on momentum alone. I also could go over uneven areas of the sidewalk more easily than I could with the smaller wheels. I skated faster today, so much faster, in fact, that I may need to add the third lap back into my route.
The specifics, I bought Bladerunner Formula 82 from inlineskates.com. The skate itself is a cost-effective skate with aluminum frame, 82mm wheels, and a decent fit. They should serve me well.
While I enjoyed today’s workout more than I have for a long time, there are a few areas where I will have to adapt. I occasionally lose balance where I’m used to compensating for problems with the old Schwinns. I also have to be a bit careful where I have some hairpin turns. With the new skates I am coming into those turns a lot faster than I’m used to. Today, I didn’t make a turn and ended up in the grass. Once in the grass, the wheels are effectively gone and you have to run. I did wipe out because the grassy area was fairly steep leading into a wash. No injuries, just a warning. I have a double-hairpin turn in the other direction and with less grass, so I’ll have to take that one very cautiously until I get used to the new skates.
