Need Help no Stores in my area!

[clk]

Okay
I just started in-line skating about 3 weeks ago. Went to the Academy store
and purchased a pair of skates. I take them to a paved trail we have here.
here are my problems. Why is it so hard for me I find my self so tired and out
of breath. I'm a runner so I think I'm in good shape I spend 4 days a week in the gym and do allot of cardo. So what is it???
And my ankle is so sore at the inside bone I mean sore!!
Anyone with some tips??

[GhostRider]

First off, what kind of skates did you get? Also, what type of wheels do they have?

[clk]

I'll tell what is typed on them

Rollin'on Express abec5 and the wheels are 76MM

I have know Idea what any of that means.

[GhostRider]

Is there a durometer rating on the wheels? Example, 78a, 80a, 82a.. something along those lines? Also, are they 4 or 5 wheeled inlines?

[clk]

no nothing else just the 76MM and their are 4 wheels

[GhostRider]

What did you pay for them?

[clk]

about $40
and the next pair up is about $60

[GhostRider]

Are you looking to get a good work out or just recreational skating? Do you want to go fast or at a leisure pace?

[clk]

A good work out!

[GhostRider]

Dont take any offense but it sounds like you picked up a cheap set of K-Mart type skates. The problem with this is that they will likely not give any real performance, comfort level will be low, quality of components will be probably poor.. which is sounds like what your already experiencing. You might want to look over this page;

http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/FitSkateMens.html

Check out skates with 4 wheels, 84-90mm. If fitness is your goal and not high speed then a 4 wheel skate with medium sized diameter wheels will likely work for you. K2 and Rollerblade brands make comfortable and good quality boots for fitness skaters. Take a look around on that page, check out various prices that fit your budget and then drop some questions on here based on what you find interesting to you.

Thanks.

[clk]

Thank you
I did get a cheap pair of skates. I wanted to see if I liked it, I am surprised at just how cheap they are. I will look at the page a get a knew pair thanks for
all your help.

[GhostRider]

No problem.. good luck and never hesitate to ask questions. Buying a good pair of skates that work for you does take a little homework. The guys at IW are very good about customer service and you can get them on the phone and talk to them as well. Top priority however, be safe and wear protective gear.

[IW Staff]

The size of the wheels at 76mm are a bit smaller than the average skates on the market now. 78 at the beginning level, with 80mm being intermediate. The bigger the wheel, the faster you'll go.

The bearings at ABEC5 on a cheap skate like that may spin like an ABEC1 as well. The boot itself, frames all may contribute to not so well performing skate.

The biggest reason for your being fatigued, is that you haven't skated in a while. Being a runner and in decent shape, jumping on skates is just different. Until you are comfortable enough to relax on your skates, your body is going to be very very tense and rigid. Being tense and tight for any length of time, wears you out without eve noticing. Once you skate a few times and your muscles start knowing what they are supposed to do, you'll last longer and longer.

If you enjoy being on skates and I think you will, you should definitely consider another pair. You don't have to go crazy, but there are some great quality skates in the $120-150 range that are soft boot, comfortable, breathable and offer you quality bearings, frames and wheels. Check out our closeout section for great deals or simply go up to the size finder after clicking on men's/women's skates and click on your size to see what is available. Take notice of the MSRP price and then our price. You'll see some drastic in difference as prices have come down tremendously on some. You can pick up great skates at a great price. I don't recommend jumping on 84mm or 90mm wheels from the start. Cruising at 80mm sounds good and you'll get a great workout while HAVING FUN!

Hope this helps. Thanks for the post.

Stan @ IW

[GhostRider]

Stan makes some good points but I would add to the following,

"The size of the wheels at 76mm are a bit smaller than the average skates on the market now. 78 at the beginning level, with 80mm being intermediate. The bigger the wheel, the faster you'll go." -- I would add; The larger the wheels the more control and precision will be required. Smaller wheels, in most cases, give more maneuverability and control but less speed.

The only part that I might slightly disagree with is the move up to 84mm. Jumping up from 76mm to 84mm is not that much of a leap. If you get skates that can take 84mm wheels you can always try 80mm wheels on them first and then move up to 84mm if you prefer. The main reason I mention this is in case you find a good set of skates within your budget that can take 84mm wheels as that would save you money down the road from buying 80mm skates and then having to buy 84mm skates later if you decided to try out the 84mm sized wheels. 84mm wheels in comparison to 80mm wheels will give slightly better speed but minimal loss of control or maneuverability. 90-100mm wheels are more recommended for intermediate to advanced skaters looking for greater speed but that are also capable of good precision.

Stan was dead on about the skate costs.. IW has some very good rigs for under $200 that will give you good recreational and fitness skating fun.

Thanks.

[chaosdsm]

Just thought I'd throw my 2 Cents in...

If you're a serious runner, you should be able to easily add skating to your excersice. One of the guys in our local skate club is a marathon runner & only started skating 4 months before skating in his first full marathon & did so in under 2 hours IIRC.

The wheels can make a HUGE difference in how well you can skate. My mom & I used to skate every weekend & at the time, I was only skating that Saturday or Sunday that we would go skating. I skate a lot more often now (up to 5 days a week), but at the time I was wondering why I was getting so much "better", so much quicker than mom was. At the time, she was doing 30 minutes of excercise 5 times a week besides the skating & I was only doing the skating.

Durring my first inline half marathon at the Disney World Inline Marathon in 2004, I lost a wheel due to a loose axle. At that time she wasn't skating but about every other weekend due to my step dad's failing health, so I put her wheels on my skates so I would have a full set when I went skating the following weekend & I instantly noticed that it seemed like the wheels were made of sily putty. Not only was it harder to skate in those wheels, but I was a LOT slower with them, got fatigued faster with them, & was unable to skate as far. They were the wheels that came with her skates when my step dad bought them for mom at Sears for X-Mas. Some cheap no-name skates with basic wheels that didn't even have any writing on them.

I wound up giving her a $100 gift cert to Sports Authority for her next birthday so she could trash those skates & get better skates with better wheels. She instantly noticed the difference the first time she skated in the new skates. Not only did she increase her overall distance by nearly 3 miles, she did it in less time because she didn't need to stop every half mile to rest.

I'm no pro (but I'm working on it & have the $1,500 fully customized skates to prove it!!!), but I have learned a lot over the past 5 years since I started skating. I pretty much agree with the jist of the info that both Stan & Ghostrider have provided. I would highly suggest not skimping on your skates if you even think you might be serious about skating. $150-$200 for a decent pair of skates is cheap compared to a lot of other sports.

If you can afford it, I might suggest something like the Rollerblade Crossfire 90 '06 skates, or if you have a wide foot, the K2 VO2 Max or Salomon Motion 9.0 skates. Rollerblade skates are the narrowest of any major manufacturer, K2 is average width, about the same as your average running shoes, I've owned both Rollerblade & K2's & can attest to this. I've heard Salomon's are a little wider than K2's so if you have a really wide foot like me (I wear 9 1/2 4E dress shoes) Salomon may be your best bet. I've never owned Salomon brand skates, but if I hadn't gone with full customs, my next skates would have been Salomon's.

When going with a major brand like the 3 mentioned above, a general rule of thumb can be applied, the more expensive the boot (MSRP), the better the boot. Meaning, better fit, better support, better comfort, better technology, better R&D, better ride, better experience.

[chris kane]

clk- you mentioned the Academy store. Are you by chance refering to Academy drive in Albuquerque, NM?? If so I can relate to not having ANY quality inline stores in the area! if you are in Albuquerque there are several treasures for skating! Respond and hit Tramway or the Bosque. Both are awesome for skating. I am dying to build a skating community throughout Albuqerque. Chris Kane