Roller skates - roller skates (end). How to choose the right roller skates for a child: useful tips What wheels are on roller skates
Almost all modern roller skates are equipped with polyurethane wheels. This material tends to wear out, so the wheels are the most consumable part of roller skates.
Wheels need to be changed over time, acquiring new ones, but which ones to choose? When buying new wheels, first of all, you should pay attention to 2 important characteristics: stiffness and diameter, and not to the color and pattern on them. What wheels exist, and what they are for - you will learn in this article.
Wheel diameter: from 40mm to 125mm
The diameter of the wheels often determines for which direction these wheels were created.
The larger the diameter of the wheels, the faster and more you can develop speed, as well as hold it longer. While on wheels of a smaller diameter, it is much more difficult to gain more speed: more time and effort will be spent.
Most fitness, freeskate and freestyle slalom skateboards have wheels ranging from 72mm to 82mm in diameter. And also wheels of this diameter are suitable for roller hockey. The profile of such wheels is oval, which provides a smaller contact patch with asphalt.
For aggressive rollers, the wheels come in the smallest diameter, from about 40mm to 60mm. This is explained by the fact that when riding on a ramp and sliding along the railing, high speed is not needed, but stability is important. Stability is ensured by the smaller diameter of the wheels, as well as the square profile of the wheels.
The largest wheels in diameter from 90mm to 125mm are used by athletes who are engaged in speed skating (high-speed roller skating).
Large diameter wheels allow you to quickly pick up high speed and allow you to hold it for a long time. The profile of these wheels is much narrower than the smaller diameter wheels.
Wheel stiffness: soft or hard?
All roller skate wheels are marked with the hardness of the polyurethane from which they are made. Rigidity is indicated by a number of two numbers and the letter A. For example, a wheel with a diameter of 80mm and a stiffness of 84A will be marked as “80/84A”. This characteristic is relative, you just need to remember the number that characterizes the stiffness and choose new wheels in accordance with this number.
Soft wheels are those whose hardness is 72A-82A. These wheels are ideal for beginners and children. They are standardly installed on all fitness rollers and rollers for children.
The softness of these wheels allows you to smooth out uneven surfaces for riding, which directly affects the comfort of riding.
Wheels of medium hardness - 83A-85A. These are versatile wheels that are suitable for hockey, freestyle slalom, freeskate, jumping and slides. The wear of such wheels is much less, which prolongs their "life" with active skating and training. They are not too soft and not too hard, which allows you to perform certain tricks without slipping on the surface or vice versa without clinging unnecessarily.
The hardest wheels are marked from 85A and above.
Wheels of such rigidity are usually large in diameter and are used for high-speed roller skating. Hard wheels are also used in aggressive skating.
In general, this is everything you need to know about choosing wheels for inline skates before buying.
See you on the streets of the city and training, friends!
Roller skates, like any other sports equipment where there is an element of rotation, need good bearings. Roller bearings are the key to good acceleration and rolling. So let's figure out how roller skate bearings differ and how to choose the right ones for your skates.
Which bearings to choose for roller skates?
In total, there are 16 bearings per pair of roller skates with 4 wheels. There are many offers on the market, but we recommend giving preference to quality brands bought in specialized stores, for example: Twincam, K2, Seba, Powerslide and others.
Each conscientious manufacturer marks the bearings with a special number indicating the accuracy of the mechanism setting. A more precise mechanism is faster, but less durable. Therefore, it is important to find a middle ground here.
Most often, roller bearings are marked with the abbreviations ABEC or ILQ. All together it looks like this: ABEC 5 or ILQ 7.
Also, bearings are made of different materials and alloys. Of titanium - the most "indestructible". Ceramic - the fastest, almost not afraid of moisture: but the most fragile.
Bearings for children's rollers
Why do you need roller skates with three wheels? How do they differ from four-wheeled ones, what advantages do they have and is it worth buying them?
Let's find out in this article!
How did tricycles appear?
For the past few years, 3-wheel inline skates have been creating a buzz around them.
It all started in 2015, when Powerslide (a German manufacturer of quality inline skates) introduced the first three-wheeled model that could be used for speed skating, freeskating or just moving around the city with special comfort.
The manufacturer simply removed one wheel, and increased the rest to a diameter of 125 mm!
This is about 2 times more than the wheels in the classic children's model.
Powerful? Still would! To date, this is the largest wheel diameter for roller skates.
Literally immediately after the release of this model, a real “boom” began in the modern history of roller sports.
- All scooters hunted and still hunt in order to buy rollers only of this model
- One out of every three filmed reviews on YouTube
- The International Speedskating Federation even allowed marathons on wheels with a diameter of 125 mm (before that, skates with wheels up to 110 mm were allowed).
By the way, the winner in the first marathon with the “new rules” was an athlete on 125s from Powerslide. Naturally, other manufacturers also began to produce similar models.
Roller skates SWELL
Today there are a huge number of innovative models and most of them from the same guys from Powerslide.
They have developed a whole series of high-speed and comfortable, which is considered one of the best on the market:
- excellent comfort;
- high speed;
- the possibility of molding the boot individually for the foot in a special oven;
- the most stylish colors.
Benefits of tricycles
Let's move on to the main differences and advantages:
- Speed. This point cannot be disputed. With just one coasting, you can easily overtake a four-wheeler, which is vainly trying to maintain its speed.
- Maneuverability. The center of gravity is located on the middle wheel, which means that the rollers feel the slightest movement. This is very helpful in slalom driving around cones and for improved “double push” or “double push” technique.
- Trinity. All tricycle novelties from Powerslide feature the Trinity 3-point system - a frame that has not 2 mounts, but 3, which are located in places of increased sensitivity of the foot to get maximum control.
- Low center of gravity. With the help of a new frame and boot, the wheels were moved as close as possible to the boot and to each other. As a result, 125s feel like 110mm.
- Savings on spare parts. Fewer wheels - fewer bearings and wheels will have to be changed in the future, incl. and due to higher quality and abrasion resistance.
- perspective. Powerslide is so passionate about this topic that they tirelessly develop not only the brand, but also improve models by leaps and bounds from season to season.
Literally every month new tricycles come out in different colors with new accessories, including frames, bags and wheels.
Advantages of four wheel casters
What are the good old four-wheelers good for?
- The control. The center of gravity is between the second and third wheels, which means that the leg will not react so much to the slightest movement. This point is a big advantage, first of all, if you choose children's videos or a model for beginners, and not for professionals.
- Slides. 4 wheels are also good for this, especially until 2015 this type of skate was the only option for slalom.
- Comfort. On four-wheel rollers, vibration is better "quenched" when riding on uneven surfaces.
- Price. Still, four-wheeled models are more affordable, but every season they are more and more inferior in technology and innovative "chips" to tricycles.
Should I buy skates with 3 wheels?
There is no single answer to this question.
4 wheels is a classic that has gathered millions of loyal fans around the world in its circles, the history of which stretches for several decades!
At the same time, 3 wheels today is not just a novelty, but a trend, technology and the future, which is preferred by more and more amateur and professional skaters.
Being the official representative of the Powerslide manufacturer in Belarus, we supply and sell all possible models of only high-quality and durable rollers, incl. and for children.
Or ask our consultants by phone:
- +375 33 3 641 880 ;
- +375 29 1 641 888 .
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Install and "it's in the bag." When you first buy new wheels for rollers, your eyes immediately run up from a wide range in size, color, thickness, hub.
All inline skate wheels are consumable items and how durable they are depends on the hardness of the wheels and the surface you are skating on. The stiffness is indicated on the side of the wheel (on the “meat”) and is indicated by the letter “A”. For example, 85A or 82A, etc. Another parameter is written next to it in millimeters (mm) - this is the diameter of the wheel, it looks like 72mm or 80mm, etc., depending on the size of the diameter.
When riding on asphalt, the wheels wear out faster than on paving slabs or concrete, marble or granite, and wheels on laminate, parquet or linoleum wear out even more slowly. Harder wheels (86A and above) will wear out more slowly, which is very practical for experienced riders who practice a lot and do tricks, wheel braking, slides. However, the soft feel when riding around the city on such wheels is inferior to the lower “A” rating. Therefore, for beginner skaters, and even advanced skaters who skate for pleasure, I advise you to purchase wheels with a stiffness of no higher than 84-85A. They wear out slowly, but much softer than 86A (and above). Of the brands, I would recommend Hyper, Matter, Undercover, Seba.
If you choose a certain style of skating and decide to master freestyle rollerblading (freeskate, slalom, slides, aggressive), then in this case the choice depends on personal preferences and habits. Absolutely all professional riders single out "favorite" wheels for themselves throughout their development in a particular discipline. They ride the wheels they think are perfect for their individual riding style.
Choosing wheels for inline skates for different or specific styles of skating?
Slalom wheels. For slalom, 84A wheels are ideal. Some people prefer to take 85A for regular training on asphalt. Hyper Concrete, Unbercover Tiger, Matter juice, Seba Street Invider are the most frequent choice of experienced slalom skiers. They have the highest quality, strong hub and tenacious polyurethane.
Freeskate wheels (fsk wheels). Soft landings when jumping and good rolling are the wheels of Hyper Concrete and Hyper Create. The most unkillable wheels for jumping. This will be confirmed by free skaters all over the world!
Wheels for slides. Slides are one of the most expensive disciplines if you train on asphalt! Fortunately, the Spaniards came up with the idea of “rubbing” the asphalt with paraffin in order to make the coating less rough and tenacious. However, if you still decide to go into slides, then I advise you to take more wheels and at a lower price. There are budget wheels with a hardness of 85-86A, which do not wear out so quickly, they are made specifically for slides. Characteristic features of such wheels: sharp profile, high rigidity and slippery polyurethane. I recommend you Rekil slide wheels (85 A) (Russia), Slide wheels (88 A) (China), Freezy slide wheels (90 A) (China),. These are the best wheels for beginners and professional sliders. There will still be "squares" (the wheels become "square" during use), but in small quantities and not as significant in comparison with other wheels.
Do you want to buy quality wheels at a good price?
Go to site site. There you will find a wide range of wheels and other accessories for all types of roller skating! The store offers club cards, discounts, promotions and interest-free installments on all products - everything for roller skaters for the 2017 season.
Have fun riding on high-quality wheels for rollers!
