Vertical Rollerskating

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Message 1780 (23. Jun. 2006 04:14) (Tree)

RollerSkater Dave
Skate advice
Hi Rob,

I'm 47 and just got into ramps and things a couple of years ago, so you're not too old.


: I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.

Not really.

: I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?

Most people still build their own, but you can buy ready made vert quads at http://rollergirl.ca


: I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?

It depends on the trucks you are using.

: I will break out the skates tomorrow and would like some advice on equiptment. I don't need anything too great, just something that is comfortable and works. Any suggestions? My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years? Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.

I hope to be a skating old man too. I'm a grandfather who skates ramps sometimes. I guess that's close.

: The inline thing just does not do it for me. The skates are uncomfortable and you can't stop going down a steep hill.

I didn't like the $300 crappy molded plastic inlines I saw being sold. Plus I have larger than normal feet and have to build my own. It's easier to build quads, sorry for that term Bernhard :), than it is a set of inlines.

RollerSkater Dave
Webmaster
http://quadskating.com
  Write reply

Replies

Robert: Skate advice (22. Jun. 2006 05:45)
 Hi all,
I am 37 years old, which means I should probably not be skating. It has resurfaced and I want to do it again. I switched to inline about ten years ago and got sponsored and did that for a few years. I have recently put on my inline skates and they kill my feet. I just bought a new pair and I just did not like it. I want to go back to my old school roots. I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now. I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances? I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels? I will break out the skates tomorrow and would like some advice on equiptment. I don't need anything too great, just something that is comfortable and works. Any suggestions? My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years? Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing. The inline thing just does not do it for me. The skates are uncomfortable and you can't stop going down a steep hill.

Thanks,

Robert
  Write reply
RollerSkater Dave: Skate advice (23. Jun. 2006 04:14)
 Hi Rob,

I'm 47 and just got into ramps and things a couple of years ago, so you're not too old.


: I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.

Not really.

: I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?

Most people still build their own, but you can buy ready made vert quads at http://rollergirl.ca


: I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?

It depends on the trucks you are using.

: I will break out the skates tomorrow and would like some advice on equiptment. I don't need anything too great, just something that is comfortable and works. Any suggestions? My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years? Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.

I hope to be a skating old man too. I'm a grandfather who skates ramps sometimes. I guess that's close.

: The inline thing just does not do it for me. The skates are uncomfortable and you can't stop going down a steep hill.

I didn't like the $300 crappy molded plastic inlines I saw being sold. Plus I have larger than normal feet and have to build my own. It's easier to build quads, sorry for that term Bernhard :), than it is a set of inlines.

RollerSkater Dave
Webmaster
http://quadskating.com
  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (23. Jun. 2006 05:05)
 : Hi Rob,
:
: I'm 47 and just got into ramps and things a couple of years ago, so you're not too old.
:
:
: : I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.
:
: Not really.
:
: : I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?
:
: Most people still build their own, but you can buy ready made vert quads at http://rollergirl.ca
:
:
: : I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?
:
: It depends on the trucks you are using.
:
: : I will break out the skates tomorrow and would like some advice on equiptment. I don't need anything too great, just something that is comfortable and works. Any suggestions? My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years? Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.
:
: I hope to be a skating old man too. I'm a grandfather who skates ramps sometimes. I guess that's close.
:
: : The inline thing just does not do it for me. The skates are uncomfortable and you can't stop going down a steep hill.
:
: I didn't like the $300 crappy molded plastic inlines I saw being sold. Plus I have larger than normal feet and have to build my own. It's easier to build quads, sorry for that term Bernhard :), than it is a set of inlines.
:
: RollerSkater Dave
: Webmaster
: http://quadskating.com

Thanks Dave,

I think it is great that you are taking up vert skating at your age. I have been skating the last two days and can only go a few blocks. I guess my body is not used to it. It's weird because I seem to have the same skills, but my feet kill and I am winded quickly. I am still torn between inline and quads. Next week I will pull out my forteen year old Ridells and see what happens. I am pretty sure that I can get all of my old tricks back, but I am afraid my body won't handle it. I really want to skate with my bestfriend and his six year old son. He told me that his son who skateboards is dropping in. That is pretty cool. I would love to skate with my godson and show him some old school stuff. I don't know if I can do it or not. I am taking everyday very slowly and hope to build up to vert skating. I don't know where you are from, but quad skating in the U.S. has been obsolete for over ten years. I would love to help bring it back. I don't see any advantage to inline,but I spent a lot of time getting used to them, it will be hard to go back. Maybe I will put my old skates on next week and see what happens. I am guessing it will be really strange. I feel compelled to go back to quads just because they are my roots and I was doing it before inlines ever existed. As to the question about wheels, can I buy normal skateboard wheels or do I need something different? As far as trucks, I always skated on the really small standard ones. I was never into grinding. I was all about flips in every direction. Even in contests with inline skaters, I would do old school tricks and all kinds of flips, but never did the big airs. I guess I am a creature of habit and like my own tricks.
  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (23. Jun. 2006 05:43)
 Hi Dave, I actually have been selling software for years, but I am technology challenged. I went on your site or your friends site and could not navigate. I went to see the videos and could not see anything. I went to the shop and saw nothing. I am sure that I am just not doing it right. It is so cool that there are other quad vert skaters out there. I did it for ten years and only cam across a few. There was a time about twenty years ago where I came across some amazing skaters. Does anyone remember Paul Votavo? He taught me and was amazing. Then there was Jamie Ide who was the best at that time and his skills would probably keep up with anyone now. I did not know him, but this guy ripped. Has anyone ever heard of Fred Blood? He was amazing about twenty years ago. He did the side style and ripped so hard. I met Martin Broice in Germany who ripped and also was good on a skateboard and I met Toto Ghali in Marsaille France. He ripped on a skateboard and on skates. He borrowed my inline skates and had no problem doing a 520 with now pads. I respect those guys. Not only cool, but very good. Not that you care, but I will share a pic in marsaille France. This bowl was so small, but so fun.




Hi Rob,
:
: I'm 47 and just got into ramps and things a couple of years ago, so you're not too old.
:
:
: : I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.
:
: Not really.
:
: : I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?
:
: Most people still build their own, but you can buy ready made vert quads at http://rollergirl.ca
:
:
: : I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?
:
: It depends on the trucks you are using.
:
: : I will break out the skates tomorrow and would like some advice on equiptment. I don't need anything too great, just something that is comfortable and works. Any suggestions? My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years? Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.
:
: I hope to be a skating old man too. I'm a grandfather who skates ramps sometimes. I guess that's close.
:
: : The inline thing just does not do it for me. The skates are uncomfortable and you can't stop going down a steep hill.
:
: I didn't like the $300 crappy molded plastic inlines I saw being sold. Plus I have larger than normal feet and have to build my own. It's easier to build quads, sorry for that term Bernhard :), than it is a set of inlines.
:
: RollerSkater Dave
: Webmaster
: http://quadskating.com
  Write reply
zorg: Skate advice (23. Jun. 2006 11:41)
 Hi Robert,
You are not old at all for quadskating (my mother learned at 35). I think you are one of the youngest on this forum!!!
I came back to vert skating at 36 (3years ago) and recovered my skills and greatly improved them far beyond I could imagine then. At the begining I used my old skates, so please take yours, pad yourself and enjoy!!!!!! Maybe upgrade your bearings if they got rusty, or the bushings.
15 years old wheels in good condition are still very good (and high priced on the used market)
For vert, some improvements have been done for having hard and grippy wheels (Powell parc formula).
Here in France, many quad skaters have also used inlines and come back to their roots, so you are not alone!!!!
(Some videos use divx codec)
  Write reply
RollerSkater Dave: Skate advice - website problems (23. Jun. 2006 15:16)
 : Hi Dave, I actually have been selling software for years, but I am technology challenged. I went on your site or your friends site and could not navigate. I went to see the videos and could not see anything. I went to the shop and saw nothing. I am sure that I am just not doing it right.

Hi Rob,

I've had a couple people tell me they had problems on the site. It must be a setting in your browser that needs to be changed. It's just bare bones PHP with nothing special set up.

Dave
  Write reply
RollerSkater Dave: Skate advice - website problems (23. Jun. 2006 15:19)
 : : Hi Dave, I actually have been selling software for years, but I am technology challenged. I went on your site or your friends site and could not navigate. I went to see the videos and could not see anything. I went to the shop and saw nothing. I am sure that I am just not doing it right.
:
: Hi Rob,
:
: I've had a couple people tell me they had problems on the site. It must be a setting in your browser that needs to be changed. It's just bare bones PHP with nothing special set up.
:
: Dave


Zorg mentioned the codec problem. Sometimes upgrading the media player can fix that.
  Write reply
RollerSkater Dave: Skate advice (23. Jun. 2006 15:29)
 : As to the question about wheels, can I buy normal skateboard wheels or do I need something different? As far as trucks, I always skated on the really small standard ones. I was never into grinding. I was all about flips in every direction. Even in contests with inline skaters, I would do old school tricks and all kinds of flips, but never did the big airs. I guess I am a creature of habit and like my own tricks.

The standard 2 inch wide rollerskate trucks cannot take skateboard wheels. Standard quad wheels have the bearings basically flush with the back of the wheel. Skateboard and longboard wheels have a recessed bearing seat with the wheel sides sticking out beyond the bearing face. This causes the wheel to rub against the bridge of the truck. I got around this by removing the axles and replacing them with threaded rod and putting nuts on either side to hold the rod in place and also make the truck wider. This allows me to put whatever wheels I want on them.
  Write reply
Bernhard: Skate advice (24. Jun. 2006 22:50)
 : I am 37 years old, which means I should probably not be skating.

If you had been to Woodward in 2004, you had been one of the youngsters. Even at your current age. I'd say: You should be skating but you shouldn't hurt yourself.

: I want to go back to my old school roots.

Some years ago I never would have thought that roller skaters who switched to inline would return. I tried inlines myself, but back then there weren't decent inlines skates for ramp skating and so I sticked to roller skates. There is one thing were I prefer inlines to roller skates, however, and that's hockey.
: I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.

Vertical roller skates always have been different since there are probably more different set ups than skaters. ;-)

: I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?

There have been lots of attempts to design base plates for vertical roller skating. Tracker actually produced some. The most recent attempt at this subject is the one by WildBean in Australia.

A very different attempt is the VSkate. The web site wasn't available when I tried just now, so I don't know if they are still there.

: I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?

It's no problem to use skateboard wheels when you are using skateboard trucks like most vertical roller skaters do (Tob Reif has collected a lot of info on the subject of trucks). On roller skating truck you may find that the axle isn't wide enough to accomodate a skateboard wheel.

: My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years?

I was lucky to find some Kryptonics Shadows some five years ago. I am very happy with them because they replaced some wheels which were too small for me. My suggestion: Try to find some wheels with a big diameter (60 mm onwards). In my experience, for ramp skatung diameter is more important than hardness.

: Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.

Welcome at the old farts vertical roller skaters. Well, not only old farts. Gaston Smith isn't an old fart.

  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (25. Jun. 2006 23:05)
 Thanks for the information. I actually came across the Vskate about three weeks ago. The manufacturer is located in my county. I tried getting in touch with them through their website and was unable. I called the manufacturer and did talk to someone. He said they are redeveloping them because certain problems were found. He said they should be out end of summer. I definitely want to check these skates out. As for trucks, I use the standard rollerskate ones. I tried some wide trackers many years ago, but did not like them. I skate parellel so they don't work well for me. It's great to know there are so many old farts skating. I am happy to be part of the club.

Take care,

Robert





: : I am 37 years old, which means I should probably not be skating.
:
: If you had been to Woodward in 2004, you had been one of the youngsters. Even at your current age. I'd say: You should be skating but you shouldn't hurt yourself.
:
: : I want to go back to my old school roots.
:
: Some years ago I never would have thought that roller skaters who switched to inline would return. I tried inlines myself, but back then there weren't decent inlines skates for ramp skating and so I sticked to roller skates. There is one thing were I prefer inlines to roller skates, however, and that's hockey.
: : I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.
:
: Vertical roller skates always have been different since there are probably more different set ups than skaters. ;-)
:
: : I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?
:
: There have been lots of attempts to design base plates for vertical roller skating. Tracker actually produced some. The most recent attempt at this subject is the one by WildBean in Australia.
:
: A very different attempt is the VSkate. The web site wasn't available when I tried just now, so I don't know if they are still there.
:
: : I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?
:
: It's no problem to use skateboard wheels when you are using skateboard trucks like most vertical roller skaters do (Tob Reif has collected a lot of info on the subject of trucks). On roller skating truck you may find that the axle isn't wide enough to accomodate a skateboard wheel.
:
: : My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years?
:
: I was lucky to find some Kryptonics Shadows some five years ago. I am very happy with them because they replaced some wheels which were too small for me. My suggestion: Try to find some wheels with a big diameter (60 mm onwards). In my experience, for ramp skatung diameter is more important than hardness.
:
: : Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.
:
: Welcome at the old farts vertical roller skaters. Well, not only old farts. Gaston Smith isn't an old fart.
:
  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (25. Jun. 2006 23:20)
 Thanks for the information. I actually came across the Vskate about three weeks ago. The manufacturer is located in my county. I tried getting in touch with them through their website and was unable. I called the manufacturer and did talk to someone. He said they are redeveloping them because certain problems were found. He said they should be out end of summer. I definitely want to check these skates out. As for trucks, I use the standard rollerskate ones. I tried some wide trackers many years ago, but did not like them. I skate parellel so they don't work well for me. It's great to know there are so many old farts skating. I am happy to be part of the club.

Take care,

Robert





: : I am 37 years old, which means I should probably not be skating.
:
: If you had been to Woodward in 2004, you had been one of the youngsters. Even at your current age. I'd say: You should be skating but you shouldn't hurt yourself.
:
: : I want to go back to my old school roots.
:
: Some years ago I never would have thought that roller skaters who switched to inline would return. I tried inlines myself, but back then there weren't decent inlines skates for ramp skating and so I sticked to roller skates. There is one thing were I prefer inlines to roller skates, however, and that's hockey.
: : I am guessing it will take a while till I am comfortable enough to hit vert, but I am wondering if skates are different now.
:
: Vertical roller skates always have been different since there are probably more different set ups than skaters. ;-)
:
: : I have a pair of low cut Ridell skates from many many years ago. Any suggestions about skates or is there any new advances?
:
: There have been lots of attempts to design base plates for vertical roller skating. Tracker actually produced some. The most recent attempt at this subject is the one by WildBean in Australia.
:
: A very different attempt is the VSkate. The web site wasn't available when I tried just now, so I don't know if they are still there.
:
: : I am most curious about wheels. I have some old Kryptonic wheels and wonder if you can still interchange skateboard wheels?
:
: It's no problem to use skateboard wheels when you are using skateboard trucks like most vertical roller skaters do (Tob Reif has collected a lot of info on the subject of trucks). On roller skating truck you may find that the axle isn't wide enough to accomodate a skateboard wheel.
:
: : My old skates should work, but want to know about wheels and if there have been any advances in the last 15 years?
:
: I was lucky to find some Kryptonics Shadows some five years ago. I am very happy with them because they replaced some wheels which were too small for me. My suggestion: Try to find some wheels with a big diameter (60 mm onwards). In my experience, for ramp skatung diameter is more important than hardness.
:
: : Damn, I am old, but want to start skating again and want to retire doing what I grew up doing.
:
: Welcome at the old farts vertical roller skaters. Well, not only old farts. Gaston Smith isn't an old fart.
:
  Write reply
Bernhard: Skate advice (26. Jun. 2006 11:35)
 Glad to hear something new about the VSkates. I got a pair of them myself (actually, I gave them to a fellow roller skater), but am still interested in trying them with decent wheels.

: As for trucks, I use the standard rollerskate ones. I tried some wide trackers many years ago, but did not like them. I skate parellel so they don't work well for me.


Did you look at the trucks of David Horwath from Czechia? Those are really wide and he skated parallel (don't know of he is still skating).

: It's great to know there are so many old farts skating. I am happy to be part of the club.

I'm happy to to see you here. It's a big pleasure to see new roller skaters drop in every now and then.

  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (27. Jun. 2006 03:08)
 Hi Dave,

It seems you have very thin wheels and your trucks are not too wide. That may be a good option for me. If I were to buy a skate from scratch could you tell me how I might set it up. You wheels look as thin as inline wheels. You trucks don't look that wide and that might work for me. How do you go about setting up a pair of skates? I am not very industrious when it comes to putting things together. I like the low cut boot and am wondering if I can pick a boot, plate and wheels and put something together? Any advice would be appreciated.

Robert


: : As to the question about wheels, can I buy normal skateboard wheels or do I need something different? As far as trucks, I always skated on the really small standard ones. I was never into grinding. I was all about flips in every direction. Even in contests with inline skaters, I would do old school tricks and all kinds of flips, but never did the big airs. I guess I am a creature of habit and like my own tricks.
:
: The standard 2 inch wide rollerskate trucks cannot take skateboard wheels. Standard quad wheels have the bearings basically flush with the back of the wheel. Skateboard and longboard wheels have a recessed bearing seat with the wheel sides sticking out beyond the bearing face. This causes the wheel to rub against the bridge of the truck. I got around this by removing the axles and replacing them with threaded rod and putting nuts on either side to hold the rod in place and also make the truck wider. This allows me to put whatever wheels I want on them.
  Write reply
RollerSkater Dave: Re: Skate advice (28. Jun. 2006 00:00)
 Hey again Rob,

On that particular setup I did use inline wheels. I'm constantly experimenting. That setup with the 4 nuts on each side gave me a truck width of 3 inches. For longboard wheels (with the recessed bearing seats) I use 2 nuts each side for a truck width of 2.5 inches. With standard rollerskate wheels (with the bearings flush with the back of the wheels) I use 1 nut each side for a 2.25 inch wide truck. I build all my skates from stuff I pick up for next to nothing in charity stores. Inline wheels work OK but they wear out in no time.


  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (28. Jun. 2006 05:34)
 Hi, can you tell me what you thought of the vskate? You obviously gave them away, but what did you think? It seems they are pretty cool for someone like me. What did you not like about the wheels? How was the grind plate and the toe stop? This skate looked too good to be true. Did it work? What was the quality? I want to get a pair once they come out again. Would you recommend them or were they junk?

Thanks,

Robert

: Glad to hear something new about the VSkates. I got a pair of them myself (actually, I gave them to a fellow roller skater), but am still interested in trying them with decent wheels.
:
: : As for trucks, I use the standard rollerskate ones. I tried some wide trackers many years ago, but did not like them. I skate parellel so they don't work well for me.
:
:
: Did you look at the trucks of David Horwath from Czechia? Those are really wide and he skated parallel (don't know of he is still skating).
:
: : It's great to know there are so many old farts skating. I am happy to be part of the club.
:
: I'm happy to to see you here. It's a big pleasure to see new roller skaters drop in every now and then.
:
  Write reply
Bernhard: Skate advice (28. Jun. 2006 06:30)
 : Hi, can you tell me what you thought of the vskate? You obviously gave them away, but what did you think? It seems they are pretty cool for someone like me. What did you not like about the wheels? How was the grind plate and the toe stop? This skate looked too good to be true. Did it work? What was the quality? I want to get a pair once they come out again. Would you recommend them or were they junk?

I wouldn't recommend them in the setup I got them for serious skating. The main reason are the wheels. They are just very slow. You also couldn't put normal inline or skateboard wheels on them because the axles wouldn't accomodate them. I suggested to change this to the manufacturer. Also the stoppers weren't good enough in my eyes. I would have preferred them made of PU. The base plate had a tendency to break at the toe, but that already had been redesigned when I talked to the manufacturer. In summary: We have to look again at the redesigned model.
  Write reply
Robert: Skate advice (28. Jun. 2006 20:44)
 Thanks. When I talked to them, they said they were redesigning so hopefully those issues will be addressed. When I watched their skate video, it looked like people put other wheels on them. Did you like being so close to the ground? They look like a good skate to learn how to do plate slides.





: : Hi, can you tell me what you thought of the vskate? You obviously gave them away, but what did you think? It seems they are pretty cool for someone like me. What did you not like about the wheels? How was the grind plate and the toe stop? This skate looked too good to be true. Did it work? What was the quality? I want to get a pair once they come out again. Would you recommend them or were they junk?
:
: I wouldn't recommend them in the setup I got them for serious skating. The main reason are the wheels. They are just very slow. You also couldn't put normal inline or skateboard wheels on them because the axles wouldn't accomodate them. I suggested to change this to the manufacturer. Also the stoppers weren't good enough in my eyes. I would have preferred them made of PU. The base plate had a tendency to break at the toe, but that already had been redesigned when I talked to the manufacturer. In summary: We have to look again at the redesigned model.
  Write reply
Bernhard: Skate advice (28. Jun. 2006 23:13)
 : Thanks. When I talked to them, they said they were redesigning so hopefully those issues will be addressed. When I watched their skate video, it looked like people put other wheels on them. Did you like being so close to the ground? They look like a good skate to learn how to do plate slides.

They had some good wheels at least on the model Brian used. I can't say that I liked being so close to the ground but maybe I didn't use them long enough. The main issue were however the wheels which I couldn't exchange for something better. I didn't do plate slides but two other skater who tried them did. So it is possible.
  Write reply
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