so what's faster...?

[hralis]

85mm x 5 wheel skate or 100mm x 4 wheels???

[IW Staff]

Darn good question.

I would go with the 4x100mm. Probably pretty close though to be honest. The 100's would take a little more to get up to speed, but I think they may beat out the 84mm.

Stan @ IW

[hralis]

so i guess in '06 we'll get the 88 or 90mm x 5 wheel models
and in'07 we'll get 100mm x 5 wheels finally?

just a prediction ;)

actually there are already some 88/90mm x 5


thanks for your time

[IW Staff]

I don't know. The bigger the wheel the tougher it is to get up those hills.

We'll see.

[GhostRider]

As you know I dont agree about the going uphill thing. ;)

However, I have found the 4x100 to be much faster then my older 5x84 rig. Now of course its not that simple of an equation for everyone. Most of what Im reading on various forums however are reports of the high end skaters moving to the 4x100 rigs and that 80+mm rigs will be dwindling before too long. I dont think this is just a trend just for the sake of bigger wheels.

All I know is that I bought my 4x100 RB 10s and Ill never go back to 5x84s again. I am that impressed with them.

Thanks.

[LIRTSAskater]

I don't know. The bigger the wheel the tougher it is to get up those hills.

We'll see.


What's the reason that wheel size should make a difference on hills?

[IW Staff]

Has a lot to do with the stride I have on skates. I can do shorter quicker strides with a smaller wheel than I can with a larger. When taking longer strides I tend to slow too much. Again, you'll get a different opinion from each skater you speak. Not a right or wrong thing, but a preference.

[GhostRider]

There is some stride adjustment when moving up to larger wheels, but, I have found that with minor adjustments in position and stride that I could do everything on 100s better then I could on 84s. Its like any other tool in your arsenal.. if you get used to it, pay attention to your technique, and experiment then you can make better use of new equipment. As I took more time to experiment with the 100s I found that I could easily adjust how I skated to make better use of their capabilities.

Now I will state that Im a 5' 10" skater and I train more for speed and endurance then recreational or fitness skating. If your a smaller skater then 90mm would be a consideration.

A critical note.. its not about what skate is faster.. its about how fast you can go with the skate. If it doesnt work for you then speed is the last thing you need to be worried about. ;)