Genuine question…
Just wondered if there is anyone else who skates, in-line or quad skates. Nothing serious, but I quite enjoy it. Just something different to do to get out for some fresh air.
Rarely see anyone skating these days. Bought some new skates recently, larger wheels certainly liven things up. 🙂

Used to skate everywhere in 80’s (including 5 miles to school) and would love to do it again but living rurally doesn’t make that possible.

I’ve fancied a pair of roller boots for ages but figured at nearly 50 I’d look a bit of a prat?
Was on the seafront at Littlehampton yesterday thinking how fun it would be just to cruise down it on skates, when a guy did just that.

I occasionally break out a pair of boots for a wander down Weymouth seafront.

I don’t (and in my childhood had a silly dislike of inline skates as I was a skateboarder), but I massively enjoyed this documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DArRi_PooDc

Mrs has quads to relive her childhood.
Also just got an ebay bargain of some crazy Nordic things – 2ft long, two 6″ pneumatic wheels per skate and a proper brake. Can handle gentle off road so seem much more appropriate to the conditions of UK roads and paths.

Used to be mad for it in my teens and early 20`s. Still got a pair but not used them in 10 years. Occasionally tempted to put on my bike pads and helmet and head to the local skate park but would have to be 6am or a school day to avoid embarrassment. Too hilly and bumpy where I live to go for a recreational cruise ☹️

I got some cheap inline skates some time back, but like skiing I could not go head on. Give me a skateboard or snowboard any day.

I did inline speed skating for a few years about 10 years ago – London inline marathon, Goodwood Inline and did the Inline 111 at St Gallen in Switzerland. Fortunately, there’s a closed tarmac circuit just under 1 mile near Aldershot that you could use, or I used to head over to Eton Dorney early in the morning – the problem is that members of the public aren’t appreciative of the fact you don’t have brakes and they’ll quite happily walk in front of you when you’re doing 40kph! Drafting bikes at Dorney was fun. Stopped going to Dorney after they closed it for the 2012 Olympic preparations and after getting getting deliberately tripped by a pedestrian who took umbrage to the fact he couldn’t walk unimpeded on the bike track and tripped me up. He got a fat lip for his troubles. There’s still a bit of a ‘scene’ in Europe – the Berlin Inline Marathon is huge and very quick. St Gallen was great – closed roads and descents at over 50kph.

On the subject of skates, I’d love to try a pair of the latest 3 x 125mm inline skates – 4 x 110mm was as good as I got – winning time at the Berlin Inline Half-Marathon was 30mins 30 secs – just under 60kph! I’ve got a pair of Nordic inlines too – 2 x 6″ pneumatic tyres on a 2 foot long frame – use them like XC skis with poles – great all-over workout – surprisingly capable offroad – took them around some of the Army vehicle test tracks and they roll well on fire roads etc, plus they’re quicker than XC roller skis too. Mine don’t have brakes, so downhills can be interesting!

I’ve still got and occasionally use my K2 250cc’s (the red and black ones) although I don’t have nearly as many grinds in my bag of tricks as I used to.

We’ve got a great local rink opened a couple of years ago. I used to do loads of skating BITD, so started taking my daughters, who’ve got right into it, but both on blades

Used to have Bauer Turbos with Tracker mid-track and Santa Cruz OJ2’s, so recently treated myself to these babies. Bauer Nexus, now on ACS 651 wide-hangers and Sims Street Snakes. Keeping it old school 😃

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RwfzEF]New Bauers![/url] by bin lid, on Flickr

I may look a prat skating at nearly 50, but I couldn’t care less. I bloody love it! And a couple of hours skating gives you a proper workout

Just started taking my 7 yo to a local roller disco every Saturday. We’re loving it

Attempting but not really getting on with them. Bauer Vapour with the HI-LO wheel set up. Quad skater by heritage, Bauer turbos with bel-air hockey back in the day. Now rolling another pair of vapours modded to fit a quad plate and sure grip twisters. Little chance of finding even repro bel-airs let alone genuine 80’s or early 90’s versions.

You should buy a pair, plenty of skaters older than me still going to the local rink.

there’s a closed tarmac circuit just under 1 mile near Aldershot t

Any clues as to where that is? I take my children to the old airship hangar in Farnborough with their rollerblades, which is good fun.

Ben – you can still pick up Bel Air Hockey wheels on fleabay.

Any clues as to where that is? I take my children to the old airship hangar in Farnborough with their rollerblades, which is good fun.

There’s Eelmoor circuit, although I’m sure there’s another I just can’t remember it or find it on google maps, part of it’s a big old car park near a kids playground?

Re Aldershot circuit – marked as Eelmoor Plain Road on the north side of the A323 between Aldershot and Fleet. MOD have now installed a fence all around the Long Valley area so access to Eelmoor circuit so only really suitable for pedestrian access by climbing over the fence. Not the smoothest of surfaces plus lots of pine cones and debris – negotiating the bottom 180 degree bend at full-speed on inlines can be fun. There’s also a tarmac circuit on Rushmoor Arena but it’s gated / fenced off.

OK thanks for that, maybe we’ll stick to the airship hangar 🙂