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Post by Kitten on Apr 17, 2007 4:01:46 GMT
@ Jeremy: thanks for posting so much good info! i can't find much info locally, and I'll be rereading this thread alot in the days to come! i think my old monitor might handle a vid, I'll check it out (really hopes so!) shame your not in Washington state! we have very little in the way of teachers here, which kinda sucks. i think Seattle gets them all, and as of yet, the train system don't run often enough to go down and back. neither does the transit bus systems (though the three seem to be getting better on connecting between Bellingham, Mt. Vernon and Seattle) and i don't fancy going Greyhound alone. one thing i must say: learning how to avoid three cats and a dog while on skates, is funny! you mentioned the Chicago brand...is only that one a problem or are all? cos I've been told that it is a good brand to go with.  can give you the details on mine, if you want. and how does one actually stop without falling down? I'm having trouble with that, esp when one f the cats, or the dog, gets in the way unexpectedly. i do have full gear, but i think i sized it wrong, it don't seem to fit right, anymore. @ Belle: it's cool that you're working to set up a skate picnic like that. shame i can't come and join ya! *heads off to check out the links and the video(s?)* |
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Post by jeremy on Apr 17, 2007 12:35:33 GMT
as far as quality over all Chicago brand has repeatedly disappointed. They have a wide selection, and a diverse inventory...but almost all their skates have flaws in them.
"A wide variety of suck"
If all you are doing is rink skating, around and around the rink...they are fine. But pressure from tricks, ramps, and rocky pavement usually cause axle breakage, wheel divits, and stoppers to just well...fall off.
the boots are usually man made materials,plastic, or plastic lined foe leather. making the boot uncomfortable, and easily prone to causing fungus, , prickly heat, and athletes foot.
If you have chicago's I recommend oder and bacteria absorbing pillow insoles.
and definitely wear all safety gear just in case they break.
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Post by Kitten on Apr 19, 2007 5:38:15 GMT
thanks, I'll keep that in mind, Jeremy! so far mine's seems to hold up good. *goes back to watching the video*
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Post by wandering on Apr 20, 2007 15:47:58 GMT
I got roller skates for christmas from John Lewis. They're very bulky but good for just skating up and down in.
How exactly do you stop? I put one toe-stop down if I'm going at a normal speed but I just end up tripping as my other leg goes skating off! I've also tried the 'T' thing. Putting one foot in a T shape to the other but that makes me trip too! Help!
Also, how do you skate backwards?
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Post by Ceri on Apr 20, 2007 16:31:46 GMT
*cackles evilly* My buying skates persuaded my friend to dig his out and start skating...then persuade my other friend to buy some...and now my friend and I have been skating around her road, two more girls have gotten their skates out to join us...
The craze is spreading! ^.^
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Post by Wrench on Apr 21, 2007 14:02:01 GMT
I got roller skates for christmas from John Lewis. They're very bulky but good for just skating up and down in. How exactly do you stop? I put one toe-stop down if I'm going at a normal speed but I just end up tripping as my other leg goes skating off! I've also tried the 'T' thing. Putting one foot in a T shape to the other but that makes me trip too! Help! Also, how do you skate backwards? Have you tried pigeon toeing? I find it works pretty well, as long as you've got time. You keep you feet more or less parallel, but start to push your ankles out so they end up pointing towards each other. Keep them apart though! The friction should be enough to slow you down enough that you can toe-stop. I think a lot of stopping has to do with how rigid you can hold your thighs - the wheels on your feet don't want to stop turning, so if you drag one along sideways behind you to build up friction it'll want to fly off to one side or the other. So you've got to hold your leg as still as possible and not let the wheels win! Not that I'm an expert, I only know what I've worked out myself. Jeremy can probably give you better advice. As to skating backwards... I started learning by not taking my feet off the floor. This is the easiest thing to do backwards as well as forwards. Stand up in your skates, turn your feet out a bit and push. Then pull them back together(before you hit box splits...), and you should have moved forwards making a <> shape. It takes inner thighs, but once you can do it forwards(It's quite fun really<><><><><>) you can easily start by pushing your heels out first. It gets your body used to the idea of going backwards, but in a safe-feeling way that's easy to stop at any moment. |
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Post by Ceri on Apr 22, 2007 13:16:47 GMT
I've been skating with my friend again...she's on inliners with plastic wheels, I'm on quads with rubber wheels. We were wondering what it is that makes my skates go faster--is it the wheels or the fact that mine are quads? We switched skates for about ten seconds--she couldn't stop and I couldn't go! But she's thinking about getting a new pair, and I was wondering if getting skates with rubber wheels would help her out at all  |
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Post by Belle Pullman on Apr 22, 2007 13:24:35 GMT
what surface are you skating on? your quad wheels might be designed for skating inside on nice smooth floors.
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Post by Ceri on Apr 22, 2007 13:28:07 GMT
Skating on tarmac, for the most part, either on the road outside her house or on the pavement between mine and her's (that's about as far as we've dared to go so far ^.^)
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Post by jeremy on Apr 23, 2007 15:56:07 GMT
I got roller skates for christmas from John Lewis. They're very bulky but good for just skating up and down in. How exactly do you stop? I put one toe-stop down if I'm going at a normal speed but I just end up tripping as my other leg goes skating off! I've also tried the 'T' thing. Putting one foot in a T shape to the other but that makes me trip too! Help! Also, how do you skate backwards? John Lewis skates. (shudders) Okay John Lewis makes their quads with the same boot they craft their roller blades in. This is a problem, because while blades require stiff ankle support, Skates require loose ankles.  your skates probably look like the above photo. Note the location of the toe stops is set a bit further back then most Skates. This makes it especially hard to stop when the fact that the stops are made of a hard plastic is added into the configuration. You will need to keep your knees loose, and keep close to the ground. As you skate, TAP the stopper to slow to a stop. If needed drag it a bit, and lift your foot up if it catches gravel. The main point is to not pull into a sudden stop. Make sure you try to stop before you come to where you need to. If an emergency stop is needed, get close to the ground, and using you knee pads,slide to the dirt and roll out of the way. unfortunately, rollerskating backwards uses a LOT of ankle control, and the skates you have would, and will, make learning that trick incredibly difficult. The best way to learn skating backwards is with a partner you trust. Have them skate forwards, and gently and slowly guide you backwards. once you can move well backwards, try pushing of backwards using a toe stop. "Figure hourglass" or moving your feet in and out together to gain friction, is the first basic backwards move. (wrench already described it above)Make sure to look behind yourself at all times, and check constantly for sticks, gravel, or divits in the road, before skating. ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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can give you the details on mine, if you want. and how does one actually stop without falling down? I'm having trouble with that, esp when one f the cats, or the dog, gets in the way unexpectedly. i do have full gear, but i think i sized it wrong, it don't seem to fit right, anymore.
