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I did consider trying blades once upon a time, but never followed through, however I did buy a longboard a couple of years ago. Tried riding it, and because of my shonky left knee, and me being goofy-footed, I just couldn’t keep a steady stance on it, my knee kept wobbling and making me feel really unstable and unsafe. 🙁
I’ve now taken up archery, that just involves me standing in one spot, no danger of falling over and causing myself any more damage than I already have.
I started blading because we suddenly started a magazine about it. I bought skates, pads and guards and loved it.
The guys who taught me encouraged me to throw myself onto my knees and just slide to see how easy it was to get low and slide to a halt.
Once I felt confident, could steer well enough and could control my speed he dragged out some hockey sticks and a ball and we played VERY slow hockey. That was a real eye-opener as you were focussed on the ball and playing hockey, NOT on trying to skate. That just came as part of the deal...
Hi Eddie, was that called ‘skatermag’?
I used to roller hockey too, loved it, even if I was rubbish lol I still have my sticks somewhere too.
I bought a set 2 years back to teach myself the skills I would need for ice skating as my wife and kids can all skate. Decathlon, pads, wrist guards, they've sat unused hidden in my shed the entire time
Long time inline skater here, 20+ years.
Mines the "aggressive" version though i.e. skateparks etc.
Love it, though hard work making time.
I'm from the town that was discussed in that lancs telegraph online news article listed on the previous page and I can confidently say nobody else here does it (anymore).
Used to be loads in this town when I was a kid. Not generally a good look for somebody in their mid 30s but so what.
It's hard on the body and when I was doing it regular I had a very stable and strong core and lower body. So much so that when I first started going to a gym I managed to get a 100kg squat for several repetitions within maybe 2 months of going. I stopped after that as it was boring.
Use wrist guards as that's the first thing to break for most skaters. Helmet and kneepads also being my main forms of protection.
If there's ever anybody in the northwest doing something then get a post up here, wouldn't mind joining any sort of social roll about.
There's an element of freedom to blading that doesn't exist on any other form of sport. Being attached to you, they are a direct extension and the possibilities for movements are almost endless.
@poolman yeah I normally park up next to happy mount park and skate all the way down til the hill, the first bit and later bits are wonderful but the red section in the middle is pretty awful, I'm just hoping that it'll all get redone when the eden bit is built!
@smudge cheers makes sense.
I bought a DJ bike recently not really knowing what I would use it for.
Turns out it's great for the same sort of thing.
Can just go and cock about on it for an hour at the pump track or attempting/failing to manual.
A good mess about when no time for a proper ride.
smudge
Free Member
Hi Eddie, was that called ‘skatermag’?
I used to roller hockey too, loved it, even if I was rubbish lol I still have my sticks somewhere too.
Yep, Inline (in small type) SKATERMAG
@keefezza - it’s the adults only skating at Wigan rink on Wednesday 27th from 7 - pm.
I quite fancy getting skating again if you fancy it?
Anyone else interested in that? @MrSparkle - are you up for that?
@eddiebaby wow congrats, that was a brilliant magazine 👌👏 nothing really replaced it.
I wasn't aware of the Wigan rink so might try to get over soon if I can blag an evenings dog free pass.
I'd need to arrange something for my son to not be home alone, shouldn't be too difficult to do though.
Now try adding in hockey to the roller mix and it's a recipe for extreme fun.
smudge
Free Member
@eddiebaby wow congrats, that was a brilliant magazine 👌👏 nothing really replaced it.
I can't take credit for it. That was all down to Aldie Chalmers (the editor) and his missus.
Just out of interest I had a look on a Facebook marketplace for skates. The amount of decent sets of Bauers for sale with the ‘only used once’ tag suggest many have been this way before 😂
Check out the stuttering skater on YT.
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Just out of interest I had a look on a Facebook marketplace for skates. The amount of decent sets of Bauers for sale with the ‘only used once’ tag suggest many have been this way before 😂</span>
I got mine off ebay 'used once' probably by some other old duffer who broke his wrist. Not stopping me tho
Nah mate, go for it. Pat took up MTB at 60 something and still going down race tracks at 80, you're never too young to start a new hobby!
The 360 cameras bring a new viewing dimension to the films.
Once you get addicted the N=N+1 becomes a S=S+1 🙂
Update: they're arrived. And only took a week... thanks Yodel. :0/
I've already progressed from falling over in two steps in the living room (hard surface) to not falling over in the bedroom (carpet). I think that as long as I confine myself to skating in bedrooms I am going to smash this!
Its all progress, my friend 🙂
I was just about to revisit this thread actually as I'm going to head over to Wigan Rink tomorrow night (7-9) for their twice-monthly kid-free session
Anyone else fancy joining me? I've had a straight 'NO!' from Mrs Binners
This is great to hear.
My girlfriend and I made an impulse purchase at Decathlon. Our main intent was to blade down the sea front on Puerta Pollenca, north Mollarca in the summer holidays. We found roller blading the best way to get around in the 35deg heat. Lots of breeze generated for very little effort.
We purchased our blades in June and went to the local muga to practice (the cage is great for those out of control moments). We also found the pitch markings great for practicing turns, stops etc.
She used youtube, I used my experience as a kid from the 90s, I can't believe what came back to me after 20 years!
Really good fun.
I’ve got some second hand Decathlon blades (and all the pads) on their way to me so please give me some tips and some encouragement.
Just to follow up own experience, I've just changed last week from Decathlon skates to a more solid shell skate made by FR and they feel a lot more stable and easier to control. Still struggling with T braking at anything more than a jogging pace but they feel much better connected to me rather than something I am wobbling on top of
Noted. At this stage I'll stick with the ones I've got but I will upgrade if I am keen enough to keep on with it. The skates and pads only cost me £23.
So far I haven't ventured outside on mine - I'm still wobbling across the kitchen floor!
Oh this is awesome - looking forward to the updates 😀
I decided to (try) to learn to skateboard last year and quickly progressed from carpet 🤣 to balance exercises in the kitchen and then on to kick turns in the unfinished basement of our US home. Unfortunately a (bicycle related) ACL incident last Christmas put paid to my Tony Hawk aspirations but I still wonder what might have been and indeed if it's feasible to skate in a knee brace 🤔
Good luck!
The skates and pads only cost me £23.
I started with some Bauer skates from ebay like that. In retrospect they were terrible and should have gone straight in the bin as they were destroyed but I didn't know it. Then got some Decathlon ones and they were miles better just because they weren't dead. Don't be afraid to move on quickly if you are having a good time.
Merci, m'dear.
Interesting thread. I had regular skates in my teens. Bought some cheap blades later in life. Never really stuck at it till I turned 50 & got back in to it. Upgraded to some Seba FR1’s & the difference was night & day. If you’re starting out don’t go for 3x110’s. You are pretty high up & they carry a lot of speed. 4x80 is the ideal beginner set up. Game changer for me was going 4x90 on Endless frames. They have very slight “rocker”, where the centre wheels sit a mm lower. You wouldn’t think it would make much difference but the difference in manoeuvrability is amazing.
Boot fit is critical, take time to get it right. It will hurt at first, you’re working muscles you may not have worked before.
Stsy low, your knees should be over your toes. Staying upright will seem difficult at first but it soon comes.
Unlike some activities, you have to put the hours in to get even a basic level of ability on skates. Watching Ricardo Lino, Sean Unwin, Nico Torelli etc on YouTube, it looks so easy. It’s not.!! Your basic stop is a drag stop, a T-Stop as it’s otherwise known. Get it right & it’s effective at losing speed but it is limited. Powerstops & slides take a LOT of practice.
But get a bit of confidence & nothing comes close.
There’s a group in London called Friday Night Skate, who run a proper marshalled ride on you guessed it… But they do a gentler Sunday ride. My lad was down in London for a show so I joined the Sunday “Stroll” as they call it. Took some guts to meet 100 others in Hyde Park but I can thoroughly recommend it, I learned a lot by watching & asking others.
Get out there & give it a go. !!
Upgraded to some Seba FR1’s & the difference was night & day
FWIW it's the FR3s that I bought and yes they seem to really make a difference. I haven't done the rocker thing yet but I'm still trying to go in a straight line :). My aim is to be able to do the Brussels version of the Friday night rollers when it starts up again next summer, it always looks great fun
As Binners has said, I've skated a lot and I'm 50. Been on the things non stop for 13 years now, played roller derby for 3 teams at one point and played in the European Championships.
Roller skating was the end of my biking career, no driving hours to get to a trail or cleaning bikes, £3 for 3 hours of exercise, fun, and on the basis that 12 years of the 13 years I've skated has been with women I've met at the rink, it's a shag palace too 🤣🤣
Used to have a pair of Bauer quads BITD. There were four of us and we used to play hockey.
Saw this the other day..... Something to aspire to perhaps?
Something to aspire to perhaps?
No, never. He has an unbelievable amount of control but that is like watching Rampage with even more fingers in front of my eyes.
It's a funny thing.
As an adult were often self conscious or mocked if we're on a skateboard or skates, but it's perfectly 'normal' for middle aged people to glide about the ice rink.
One's seen as adult and ones seen as something for kids.
Maybe it's just the time these sports have existed. But who cares - you just cannot beat the feeling off coasting over smooth tarmac.
Anyone that's never skated is missing out on one of life's good things.
I have been inspired to give it a go (at 54).
Some quick questions as I take size 49/50 trying them on instore is going to be pretty much impossible, what kind of buying decisions is worth while.
How much difference does wheel sizes 80 84 90 make for a beginner?
Is fastening systems like boa worth it?
Anything else I should look out for?
Then I just need to find a flat smooth carpark away from prying eyes, once I get used to it, there are quite a lot of nice wide shared pedestrian/cycle paths alongside rivers that go on for miles around here that would be really pleasant skating in summer.
As others have said, pad up well.
Wrists, knees and a lid minimum
Learn to fall properly - forwards if you can.
If you're going to go, get low!
Oh and stuff what anyone else thinks
Those that can, understand, those that can't, can't and probably wish they either could or that they had the bottle to 👍🏻
Have fun
Those that can, understand, those that can’t, can’t and probably wish they either could or that they had the bottle to 👍🏻
It's pretty cool that despite being older, you're willing to give it a go. Don't worry about people think or that they're judging you.
However I would genuinely cut my feet off rather than go rollerskating (skated for 37 years. Proper skated, as in skateboard). So I'm judging you.
At least it's not a scooter though.
Wheel size can make a difference, bigger wheels means taller skates, which means more leverage. I'm used to 60mm wheels max on my aggressive skates so they are really low, I've skates 84mm in the past and they felt tall but amazing. Also some frames (the bits that hold the wheels) may be longer with bigger wheels. Longer wheelbase is more stable as per bikes.
There are some great shops about, locoskates or slick willies are both super helpful and experienced.
I need all the stability I can get! Keeping it old school with ACS-651’s. 😃
Oil’s Skate Shop built mine. Bauer Nexus, playmaker plates, ACS-651’s and Sims Street Snakes. I love ‘em
These are mine, though I have some others on pre order, and another set stashed away if some different ones, and I've just sold 2 sets of skates, and there are others I want. Yes I have a problem.
There's an old guy, about 82 according to the GF, who lives in the same block as the GF's folks. Everyday he goes out, fully kitted up with helmet, knee, elbow and wrist pads on his I line skates. Oh, and his Walkman. He cruises around the area for an hour or two.
Cool AF.
Where are you @alpin? I’ve mentioned him before but before our local rink sadly shut, there was a guy like that used to go to the midweek, kid-free skating sessions. He was in his 80’s and would skate round all night with his headphones on, listening to classical music. Chatted to him a few times and he was a lovely bloke. Like you said: Cool AF!
If I ever make it that far, I want to be like that
How much difference does wheel sizes 80 84 90 make for a beginner?
As I understand it the bigger wheels are faster and you might not want that :). I opted to start with 80s
Some quick questions as I take size 49/50 trying them on instore is going to be pretty much impossible, what kind of buying decisions is worth while.
I ended up buying online as I couldn't find a store with different sizes apart from Decathlon. Fortunately I got the size right and they fitted well
Is fastening systems like boa worth it?
I don't know. I opted for a skate with two ratchet straps as I wanted something that was solidly attached. They seem easier to tighten than laces and work well but I don't really know if that's necessary
Where are you @alpin?
Right now? Mont Alpet bike park in Piedmont... But I guess that's not what you meant.
OAP skater dude....? the suburbs of Munich.
inline skating is pretty popular in Germany. Lots of nice smooth bike paths through forests or along rivers,separated from the roads.
Lots of folks doing the summer nordic skiing thing with sticks.