ROLLERBLADES???

[naughtoj]

Ok, this may be a long shot, but do any of you have rollerblades and rollerblade very often??

I am looking for advice from someone that knows general stuff about rollerblades. I purchased a pair of K2 Flight ALX womens rollerblades many years ago..say 1996?? Anyway, I have gotten way over my moneys worth in those skates, they originally cost over 300.00 back then!!! I have upgraded them many times, buying new harder and bigger wheels and faster bearings. Right now they have Abec 5 bearings, a WHOLE LOT of speed gel in 'em, and 78 durometer ( I mean the hardness) and 77.5 MM in size wheels, which I think was as big as I could cram in the wheel holes.

I am looking into buying new skates and am considering the K2 Catalyst. These skates have microbearings. I am wondering if I should just purchase my old skates (the K2 Flight now has a much newer frame) and upgrade them to what I have now, or go with the Catalyts.

My main concern is comfort and SPEED. My wheels right now are almost gone but are loaded with speed gel so that when you spin them they don't stop for approx. 2 minutes. NO KIDDING!! Maybe they are over lubed!! I am just hesitant that although I will get a much newer up to date frame that I will sacrifice speed. But the Catalysts also come equipped with the biggest wheels (80A), so they are supposed to fly.

If anybody knows enough to give me good advice about this I would be appreciative or maybe someone can recommend a really fast skate that they have that is comfy?? I am biased to K2,as that is all i have ever owned.......Thanks for any help you can give.....Janice

 

[Connie1]

I can't give you any advice, but before I found Cathe at the end of 2001, I used to rollerblade 1-2x a week for 60-90 minutes on a pair of Rollerblade Spirit blades. Your post makes me want to get new skates. Wow, my wheels stop way before yours! LOL

Do the Catalysts have 4 or 5 wheels? Have you ever tried 5 wheels and what are they like?

How far do you go, when you skate?

I got my skates from "Play it Again Sports" for less than $100, I think around 85 bucks, in 1995. I've upgraded wheels and replaced wheels three times I think.

Good luck, Janice, with getting some input from others.
-Connie

 

[honeybunch]

Trevor, aren't you a rollerblader?

 

[naughtoj]

Hey Connie..

Thanks for the reply. I have only had skates with 4 wheels, although I know 5 wheels are considered speed skates, but I am scared to go too fast because my stopping skills are not that good. As it is, I fly, and if I were to fall.....well, it would be all over for me.

I just skate all around. Estimating distance would be impossible and remarkably, I never have. Usually I would go out for 1-2 hours, skating pretty hard the whole time. I try to go on less busy residentials where I can just get in the middle of the street and skate..just like the speed skaters!!! Skating is great for leaning out the legs though and AWESOME for the buns...if you squat deep enough.

I am going to be ordering my skates online because I don't think there are any good skate shops in AZ with a great variety. I would like to find a skate shop with people that really know something about skates, but all the ones I have been to have people working there that know nothing. World Wide Sports. com has a online CSR to help you, I was just afraid that they would try to sell my the highest $$ blade no matter what.

Yeah, Connie, I was not exaggerating with the wheel spin. They go on forever!!! But the aluminum frame intrigues me with the Catalyst ( I still have the old plastic frame) as do the microbearings, although I am interested to know how these compare to Abec-5 or even 7 bearings. You got me thinking, but I think the Catalyst has 4 wheels, the MOD 7, I think it is called, is the next higher skate from K2 and I believe that has 5 wheels. Little too fast for me I think.

As fall approaches, I am getting the need for speed so any more advice would be great. And Connie, bust out those skates and start burnin' up the road!!!!!

 

[trevor]

Hi Honey,
Yup I do rollerblade as a crosstraining thing. I have a pair of Rollerblade brand blades from about 1997. However, I am not into going absolutely as fast as I can on those since it's difficult to find decent long stretches of pavement to do that on. I instead go slower and power my way along as opposed to drifting along. My wheels are actually made for roller hockey so they are harder than most wheels out there and hold up better under heavy cornering and such.
Incidentally my skates have 4 wheels whereas the really nice skates for higher speeds have 5 wheels.
Rollerblading is a great sport and I highly recommend it to anyone here looking for crosstraining sports. I use rollerblading in conjunction with mountain biking since they both work the quads.
Trevor :-jumpy

 

[naughtoj]

Thanks for the reply Trevor!! I went shopping on the net lastnight and discovered that you can get skates much cheaper if you buy a older model, say last years as opposed to this years. You get mostly all the same good stuff, maybe sacrificing a few advances in boot fit or something. I am thinking K2 Mod 8 right now....still with 4 wheels. The 5 wheel ones are 300.00..too much. I am also looking to get my husband some skates so we are shopping smart. All I really need is the same as what I have now which are Abec 5 bearings and big wheels. Anything in addition is an upgrade. Hell, clean bearings are an upgrade!! That is the only reason I am buying new skates now..I need new wheels and bearings, which will ultimatly be as pricey as BRAND NEW skates!!!!