wheel size

[silverfish]

hi there,

i used to skate 20-25 mile distances around 8 years ago and consider getting back into skating as i used to do.

looking into nowadays inlineskates there are different wheel sizes. what are the criterias to decide for which size?

so far i have those items on my list of options:
K2 EXO 6.0
K2 Athena 6.1
K2 VO2 MAX

what model would be the best choice for me and for what reasons. i also think that salomon has some pretty decent models. any recommendation which salomon would fullfill my need?

thank you very much!

[chaosdsm]

It depends on the type of skating you want to do. There are some trade-off's but basicly, the larger the wheel, the faster you may be able to go.

I say may because larger wheels require more strength & stamina to achieve higher speeds than smaller wheels, but IMO, once you get up to speed, it's easier to maintain your speed on larger wheels. Larger wheels also put a little more stress on your ankles which is why some skates like Solomon's have a 3/1 wheel setup. I.E. Salomon Motion 90 Pro uses a 90mm - 84mm - 90mm - 90mm (front to back) setup which lowers the boot (reducing ankle strain) while still allowing you the speed advantage of 90mm wheels. Of all the Solomon's available here, the Motion 90 Pro (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=SM9P) may be the best choice for you, if you decide you want to start with 90mm wheels.

Here is a general breakdown of size usage:
4 wheel skates
80/84mm - recreational / casual - serious fitness
90mm - serious fitness / marathons
100mm - marathons / racing

5 wheel skates
84mm - serious fitness / marathons
90mm - marathons / racing

This, buy by all means, is not locked in stone. I know people with 4x100 skates who only skate recreationaly, & people with 4x80 skates who skate marathons & other races. For some people, a 5x84 skate can be as fast or faster than 4x90 or 4x100 skates

Of the skates you listed, I would say the K2 VO2 MAX because they can use both 84mm & 90mm wheels. If you haven't skated at all since you were skating 20-25 miles 8 years ago, 84mm wheels would be a good starting point.

the VO2 MAX comes with 90mm wheels, so you may want to get a set of 84mm wheels (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/styleproducts.html?styleref=37655) & extra bearings (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=K2ILQ7), at the same time... if it's within your budget.

You might also consider the Rollerblade Lightning 4 (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=5L4M) which comes with 84mm wheels & can acomodate 90mm wheels when you decide its time for a change...

[silverfish]

thank you for the reply. i figured that all your suggestions are boots for men, i am a girl. do you have any other models in mind for me?

thank you,

sabine

[chaosdsm]

Most of the major skate manufacturers have both mens & women's versions of their popular skates. For Salomon, there is the Salomon Siam 90 Pro Skate Women's '05 (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=SS9P) which appears to be the women's version of the Motion 90 I mentioned earlier. Rollerblade also has a women's version of the Lightning 4 (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=4L4W) but comes with 82mm wheels Vs. 84mm for the mens version.