Amiga Plus 1995 #2/Amiga Plus CD - 1995 - No. 2.iso/internet/faq/englisch/rec.skate-inlineproductreviews

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   Rec.skate Frequently Asked Questions File: Part 5
     _________________________________________________________________

   Skate and Product Reviews *

   (last changed Feb 1, 1995)

    NOTE: Some of these "reviews" are simply articles pulled from alt.skate
    (now defunct) and rec.skate, some even dating from May 1991. While these
    articles include many facts and first-hand experience, much of the text
    here is necessarily opinion. Also realize that the in-line market is
    changing rapidly, so prices and specifications are likely to be out of
    date.



   The newer standardized review format (a copy is attached at the end of
   this file) will be used for most of the new reviews from now on.

   -Tony Chen ([e-mail])
     _________________________________________________________________

Table of contents

     * Hop Up kits
          + Hyper Hop-up kit (1)
          + Hyper Hop-up kit (2)
          + Lazzy Legs X-treme Pro Hop-up kit
          + Lazzy Legs Speed Demons Hop-up kit
          + Cyko HurricanZ hop-up kit
          + J&J Titan aluminium rocker inserts
     * Bearings
          + GMN ABEC-3 bearings
          + YAK ABEC-3 bearings
          + Black Hole Rocks bearings
          + Powell Swiss "Bones" ABEC-1 bearings
     * Wheels
          + Cyko HurricanZ 72mm 82Awheels
          + Kryptonics VR series wheel
          + Kryptonics PowerPlay hockey wheel
          + Kryptonics Rampage wheel
          + FR Progressors
     * Miscellaneous products
          + CDS boot grind plates (2 reviews)
          + Lazzy Legs grind plate
          + Lazzy Legs heel straps (2 reviews)
          + Rollerblade Powerstrap
          + Jofa Speed Puck
          + Paragon Bearing Guards
          + The Grip cable braking system
     * Protective gear
          + Bell Image helmet
          + Rollerblade protective pads (knee, elbow, wrist)
          + Rector Fat Boys kneepads
          + Bones Bone Guardz (wrist guards)
     * Skates
          + Rollerblade Lightning TRS
          + Roller Derby BX-5000
          + Bauer XS-5's
          + Bauer H3's
          + CCM RH555 Tacks
          + Rollerblade Racerblades
          + Rollerblade Coolblades
          + Rollerblade Macroblade EQs
          + Rollerblade Aeroblade ABT
          + UltrawWheels Zephyr/Neon
          + K2 Extreme Workout skates
     * Shops
          + Don Thomas Sporthaus (Detroit, MI)
          + The Skate Shop: (Youngstown, OH)
          + Millennium In-Line (mail-order)
          + Team Paradise (mail-order)
          + Hudson Bay Inline (mail-order)
          + Inline USA (mail-order)
     * Older reviews
          + K2 skate(s)
        Performance skates
        Ultra Wheels
        Metroblades
        Rollerblade Aeroblade (pre ABT model)
        Racing skates
        Bauer Xr10's


     _________________________________________________________________

  HOP UP KITS

From: William Bradley ([e-mail])
Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 13:23:53 -0400

NOTE: you'll need to calculate the purchase date from the mail date (May 3)

1)   Review by: William Bradley ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:  Accessory (hop-up kit)
3)   Brandname:  Hyper
4)   Model name/number:  "Hyper Hop-Up Kit"
5)   Purchase price:  $20
6)   From local store or mail order:  Local sports chain
7)   Purchase date:
8)   How long have you used it:  1 year +
9)   Pros:    o Aluminum spacers *do* have internal hex hole for axle removal
              o Includes two slightly longer axles to account for
                brake mounting (Rollerblade, for example)
              o Each axle has a loctite patch for safety
              o Kit also includes washers, if you need them
10)   Cons:    o Aluminum spacers...supposedly these deform easier
                during extreme skating (I wouldn't know)
              o Loctite...no star washers, if that's your bag...
11)   Additional comments:  I've had no problems with these
12)  My personal rating:  9


 1. Review by: Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Axle Kit
 3. Brandname: Hyper
 4. Model name/number: Hyper Hop up kit.
 5. Purchase price: $25
 6. From local store or mail order: ISA (Mail order)
 7. Date purchased: June 13, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since June 13, 1994
 9. Pros:
   - Comes with:
       8  Red aluminun threaded spacers w/ hex lock.
       16 Regular length, small headed axel bolts.
       16 Washers
       2  Brake wheel length small headed axel bolts.
       2  Hex tools.
 10. Cons: None to report.
 11. Additional comments:  I would recommend these over the Lazzy
     Legs Speed Demons.
 12. My personal rating: 9


 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: hop-up kit (accessory)
 3. Brandname: Lazzy Legs
 4. Model name/number: X-treme Pro
 5. Purchase price: $25.90 for 8 wheels.
 6. From local store or mail order: mail-order, don't recall where though.
 7. Date purchased: 3/94
 8. How long have you used it: 5 months.
 9. Pros: Made of steel.  Most hop-up kits are made of aluminum.  Steel
                is a lot more durable.
 10. Cons: Steel is a little heavier than aluminum but the weight
                difference isn't even noticable so I wouldn't worry about it.
 11. Additional comments: If you're looking to upgrade your skates, a
        hop-up kit is probably the best place to start.  You will certainly
        see a speed increase, it will cost you a little over twenty bucks,
        and it's a one-time cost.  Once you install it, you won't have to
        worry about it again.  The Lazzy Legs X-treme Pro is the Cadillac of
        hop-up kits.
 12. My personal rating: 10


 1. Review by:  Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Axle Kit
 3. Brandname: Lazzy Legs
 4. Model name/number: Speed Demons
 5. Purchase price: $21
 6. From local store or mail order:  Play it again sports. (Local store)
 7. Date purchased: May 24, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: 1-1/2 Months
 9. Pros: Comes with:
       8  Aluminum threaded bearing spaces with hex locks.
       16 Normal length small headed axel bolts
       2  Brake wheel lenght small headed axel bolts.
       1  Hex tool
 10. Cons: Easy to strip the threaded spacers.  The axel bolts would actually
     loosen up and fall out during normal skating sessions.
 11. Additional comments: I was not impressed with these.  All three sets that
myself and friends
     have owned have had the bolt loosening problem.
 12. My personal rating: 3

----------

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)
2)   Product type: Accessory-Axle Hop Up Kit
3)   Company: Cyko
4)   Model name/number: HurricanZ
5)   Purchase price: $20.00
6)   From: Millennium In-line
7)   Length of use: 4 months; 1993, Discontinued
8)   Size: 8 Wheel set
9)   Pros:*Aluminum-speedy
          *Threaded
          *Hex lock
          *Comes with instructions-really no need
10)   Cons:*No frame spacers
          *Aluminum-bad for extreme
          *Threads are lost after time
          *Bolts too big-huge profile
          *Bolts slide like CDS Detroit Grind Plates, but in this case, it is
           a disadvantage-gives new meaning to power slide
          *Bolts get scuffed and flattened easily
          *No tools provided, though a Torx T25 helps, as I prefer handled hex
           wrenches over hex keys
          *Brake bolts aren't big enough for my brake
11)  Additional comments: The guy who sold me these practically forced me into
     these over the Blading Edge-should've bought the Hyper, it sounds/looks
     good
12)  My personal rating: 3-better than plastic, seems like any other, but
     Roces, Hyper, Mogema, Sure Grip, and other race frames are better

-----

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: aluminum rockers (accessory)
 3. Brandname: J&J Titan
 4. Model name/number: Aluminum Rockers
 5. Purchase price: $20 for all 8 wheels (16 rockers)
 6. From local store or mail order: some mail-order house.
 7. Date purchased: 6/94
 8. How long have you used it: 2 months.
 9. Pros: Aluminum rockers won't crack or warp like plastic ones will.
          They may increase your speed a little, especially if you
                have plastic ones that are already broken or warped because
                they touch the bearing more preciley and won't rub up against
                it.
 10. Cons: $20 is a little expensive for 16 little pieces of aluminum but
                they're pretty much the only place that I could find that
                makes these things.
 11. Additional comments: I'm not sure what skates these things fit.  I'm
        pretty sure they're made for the Rollerblade line.  I know Roces makes
        their own aluminum rockers, specifically for their skates.  I would
        recommend consulting your dealer to make sure that they'll fit on your
        skates.
 12. My personal rating: 9


     _________________________________________________________________

  BEARINGS

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: bearing
 3. Brandname: GMN
 4. Model name/number: ABEC-3, greased, tin-shielded
 5. Purchase price: $1.25/bearing
 6. From local store or mail order: Some mail-order place.
 7. Date purchased: 6/94
 8. How long have you used it: 2 months
 9. Pros: Very inexpensive.
 10. Cons: Shields aren't removable so you have to pry them open to clean
           them.
           They pretty much felt like my old ABEC-1s to me.
 11. Additional comments: I bought these because they were inexpensive
        but I'm sorry I did.  They didn't do much for me.  If I could go
        back, I would have probably spent a little extra money on a better
        set of bearings.  If you're looking for a cheap set of bearings
        to replace a set of ABEC-1s and aren't really looking for a speed
        improvement then these will suit you fine.
 12. My personal rating: 4

---------

1)   Review by: William Bradley ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:  Bearing
3)   Brandname:  YAK
4)   Model name/number:  YAK ABEC-3
5)   Purchase price:  $2 per (normally)  $1 per (on sale)
6)   From local store or mail order:  Inline USA
7)   Purchase date:
8)   How long have you used it:  3 months

9)   Pros:    o Removable Shields
              o Very nice bearing, no wobble, blah blah blah
10)   Cons:    o Greased (you might be able to order oiled sets)
              o Having to listen to "DA YAKMAN" rant about them  :-)
11)   Additional comments:
        Some people gripe that these aren't much better than ABEC-1s.
        I noticed a marked difference, though.
12)  My personal rating:  7

----------

1. Review by: Rob Remus ([e-mail])
2. Product type: Bearings
3. Brandname: Black Hole
4. Model name/number: Rocks
5. Purchase price: $21.95 for 16
6. From local store or mail order: Wildcountry in Normal, IL.  (No joke, the
      name of the town is Normal.)
7. Date purchased: Sometime in April '94
8. How long have you used it: About 3 months
9. Pros: (list good features) The bearings are faster (better) than the ones
      that came in my Macro EQ's.  That however is the only thing about them
      that is better.
10. Cons: The bearings get dirty VERY quickly.  The bearings came lubed with
       grease and within one day of skating they were dirty enough to start
       making noise.  I then replaced the grease with oil, which made them even
       worse.
11. Additional comments: Spend a little more money and get some good
       bearings.
12. My personal rating: 5

----------

 1. Review by: Tony Chen ([e-mail])
 2. Product type:  bearings
 3. Brandname: Powell Swiss "Bones" bearings
 4. Model name/number: ABEC-1's
 5. Purchase price: $2/bearing
 6. From local store or mail order: Skates Off Haight (mail-order)
 7. Date purchased:  Fall 1991
 8. How long have you used it:  3 years (review dated: Nov 12, 1994)
 9. Pros: For a long time the Bones bearings were rumored to be ABEC-5
          quality, but in the end the company said they were only
          ABEC-1's. Doesn't matter. These bearings spin like crazy. They
          are one-sided bearings, with only a plastic snap-cage to
          secure the ball bearings.  The ones I ordered were in sets of
          8 and came with a small plastic pouch of Bones speed cream.

          In an extreme case of laziness and negligence, up until
          last week I had only relubed 2 out of the 16 since I first
          bought them 3 years ago.  My main laziness stemmed from the
          fact that they still spun like crazy, and still sounded clean.
          I have since cleaned and relubed all of them, out of guilt 8-)
          but they're all in amazing shape still.

          I even had 2 of them sitting around for a long time (about 1
          year) because I've been trying out other bearings.  These
          bearings got pretty crusty, either with a tad bit of rust,
          or really gunked up residue from lubes and dirt, or combo of
          all of the above.  Anyway, as a lark, I tossed 'em to be
          cleaned with the other bearings (Bones and others) that I was
          relubing.  Lo and behold.  Sparkling clean, super-spinning
          bearings again.  They spin better than my Yak ABEC-3's which
          are fairly new, lemme tell you.

          I bought the Yaks for my Bont racing setup, but now I think
          I'm switching to all Bones (plus 4 Yaks, since I only have 16
          Bones at the moment.).

          In terms of maintanence, the Bones are very easy to clean and
          handle because they have only two parts:  the bearing and the
          snap-cage.  With most of the two-sided bearings (like Yaks,
          TwinCams, etc.) you have to pry off the C-ring on each side
          and you end up with 2 rings, 2 shields, and the bearing.

          Also, when you take the snap-ring off, the balls inside aren't
          constrained by a brace of any kind, so you can really clean
          out the whole inside pretty well.  This also means you can
          apply your lube easily as well, since the balls are in full
          view.

          Putting the snap-cage usually takes longer than putting a
          C-ring and shield back on (on the other bearings), but it's
          still pretty simple for the most part.

          In any case, I have noticed ABEC-5 rated Bones for sale in
          some mail-order places now.  1 or 5, I don't think you can
          go wrong with Bones bearings.

 10. Cons: Nada.  They're more expensive than most bearings, but you
           definitely get more than what you pay for.
 11. Additional comments:  (See Pros section)
 12. My personal rating: 10 (compared to NMBs, Yak/TwinCam ABEC-3s)



     _________________________________________________________________

  WHEELS

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)
2)   Product type: Accessory-Wheels
3)   Company: Cyko
4)   Model name: HurricanZ
     Model year: 1993; Discontinued
5)   Purchase price: $20. for 8-$2.5 each (on MI-L sale), usually $40. for 8
6)   From: Millennium In-Line
7)   Length of use: 2 days-sold them-not hard to review them though.
8)   Size, Hardness, Radius: 72mm, 82A-Flat 22
9)   Pros:*Reinforced fan-blade core makes it fast and light-hard wheel-
           nice wear, nice cooling
          *Black color is nice, no prints or other obstructive stuff
10)   Cons:*Real bad on hard surfaces and on any extreme skates
           *Dull wheel-no laminated gloss surface (tread, sidewall)
11)  Additional comments: In my opinion, it's just like any other wheel
                          but it's fast and cool.
12)  My personal rating: 5-Not good, not bad

-------

 1. Review by: Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Wheels
 3. Brandname: Kryptonics
 4. Model name/number: VR Series 72mm/78A Narrow radius, tri spoke core.
 5. Purchase price: ~$40
 6. From local store or mail order: Play it Again Sports (Local store)
 7. Date purchased: June 28, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since June 28, 1994
 9. Pros: Nice wheel, with decent wear.  Hub fits the bearings tightly.
 10. Cons: Not made for quick turns.
 11. Additional comments: I don't have a lot to say about these wheels,
     because the narrow radius isn't very useful for the kind of skating I do.
 12. My personal rating:  8

-----

 1. Review by: Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Wheel
 3. Brandname: Kryptonics
 4. Model name/number: PowerPlay 72mm/82A w/ Krypto hockey radius, tri spoke co
re.
 5. Purchase price: Came stock with skates (CCM RH555 Tacks).
 6. From local store or mail order: Tam-O-Shanter, Sylvania Ohio (Local Store)
 7. Date purchased: July 31, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since July 31, 1994
 9. Pros: Nice even wear, even with heavy usage.  Great stability at high speed
s.
     Can really hold tight turns, I have yet to have them slip out on me
     while turning.
 10. Cons: None to report
 11. Additional comments: My favorite wheel by far.
 12. My personal rating:  9-1/2

 1. Review by:  Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type:  Wheels
 3. Brandname: Kryptonics
 4. Model name/number: 72mm/82A Rampage Full Radius, tri spoke core.
 5. Purchase price: $32 for 8
 6. From local store or mail order: ISA (Mail order)
 7. Date purchased: June 13, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since June 13, 1994
 9. Pros: Nice wide radius, nice for turning and such.  Good even wear (with
     proper rotation).
 10. Cons: Hubs do not have a nice tight fit around the bearings, which causes
     the wheels to wobble from time to time.
 11. Additional comments: These are good wheels, I am not sure if the bearing
     problem above is a problem with just my set or found with all Rampages.
 12. My personal rating: 8.5

-----

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: wheel
 3. Brandname: FR Progressors
 4. Model name/number: 60mm/88A
 5. Purchase price: $7/wheel
 6. From local store or mail order: mail-order (don't recall where)
 7. Date purchased: 7/94
 8. How long have you used it: one month.
 9. Pros: Nice size/hardness for street skating.
          Solid core.
 10. Cons: Difficult to find.
           I expected them to be a little flatter on the bottom (a la
                Hyper Midgets) but they were shaped a lot like your generic
                wheel, only smaller.
 11. Additional comments: For 88A, they seem to be a little soft.  It
        seems that Hyper's version of an 88A wheel is harder.  And for a
        little tidbit:  I've heard that FR stands for "Fuck Rollerblade".
 12. My personal rating: 8



     _________________________________________________________________

  MISCELLANEOUS

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)
2)   Product type: Accessory-Boot grind plates
3)   Company: CDS Detroit
4)   Model name/number: Boot grind plates,  Size: 4 plates, 1x3 inches
5)   Purchase price: $9.99 or so for a set of 4, bought 1 set
6)   From: Millennium In-Line, sold many places
7)   Purchase date:
8)   Length of use: 2 weeks, then got kinda sick of it, and one plate fell off
                    -just starting to use them the right way now
9)   Pros:*Great if you can get it to work-helps with power stops, other boot
           grinding maneuvers
          *Very versatile-use for other stuff
10)   Cons:*Hard to attach velcro lanyards, for me at least
11)  Additional comments: Works better on CLEAN surfaces; unscathed ones
     recommended. All CDS products are probably good when used correctly,
     but I didn't really need the boot plates-my boot was screwed from the
     start. It works best on boots of the leather type probably.
12)  My personal rating: 3 if you don't apply correctly, 10 if you do


 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Grind plate (accessory)
 3. Brandname: CDS Detroit
 4. Model name/number: Street Line Frame Grind Plates
 5. Purchase price: $5.99 for two.
 6. From local store or mail order: some mail-order house.
 7. Date purchased: 6/94
 8. How long have you used it: 10 minutes.
 9. Pros: They're made of plastic and plastic slides a lot better than
                steel does because there's a lot less friction.
          Inexpensive.
 10. Cons: When I power-slide, I slide on the grind plate because it
                sticks out so much and since it's so smooth, I keep on
                sliding.  Sometimes, I'll even do a split.
           When I cut sharp turns, I will sometimes hit the grind plate
                on the ground and since it's so smooth, my legs just slip out.
 11. Additional comments: They are a good idea.  They'll protect your
        frame and they'll slide better than any metal grind plate could ever
        dream.  But I just couldn't sacrifice maneuverability and power-slides
        for it.
 12. My personal rating: 5

-----

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Grind plate (accessory)
 3. Brandname: Lazzy Legs
 4. Model name/number: Steel Bridge Grind Plate
 5. Purchase price: about $20
 6. From local store or mail order: random mail-order house.
 7. Date purchased: 6/94
 8. How long have you used it: 2 months.
 9. Pros: It's made of steel so it's strong.
          It's thick so it will last a while.
 10. Cons: The largest wheel size you will be able to fit on a skate with
        a bridge grind plate is around 65mm.
 11. Additional comments: If you put a steel grind plate on your skate,
        it will slide nicely on metal but grinding a curb is a little more
        difficult because there's a lot of friction.  There are many different
        ways you can outfit your skate for grinding.  With this plate, you can
        skate with all small wheels or you can skate anti-rocker.  I still
        haven't discovered the perfect grinding combo.
 12. My personal rating: 8

-----

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)
2)   Product type: Accessory-Heel tighteners
3)   Company: Lazzy Legs
4)   Model name/number: Heel tighteners
5)   Purchase price: 12.99
6)   From: Performance Bicycle-they don't sell it anymore, but many MO shops
          have them
7)   Length of use: a month, until I came to my senses and thought "Why did
                    I buy this?" Started using it again.
8)   Size: standard, 2 to a set
9)   Pros:*Great for: reducing road vibration at high speeds
          *Reducing heel lift due to weak instep area
          *Tightening boot fit
          *Protecting side of boot from crash-not intended use though
10)   Cons:*Mainly useless on unflexible boots such as plastics
11)  Additional comments: It seems to be more intended for racing, to prevent
                          heel lift, but for some reason I look in Inline
                          magazine issues, and many extreme skaters are wearing
                          it.
12)  My personal rating:8-nothing else to compare to.

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: arch and ankle tighteners (accessory)
 3. Brandname: Lazzy Legs
 4. Model name/number: Arch and Ankle Tighteners
 5. Purchase price: $20 (can be had for less)
 6. From local store or mail order: Blades in Manhattan.
 7. Date purchased: 6/94
 8. How long have you used it: 2 months.
 9. Pros: They really give you a lot more support.
          Nice price.
          Durable.
 10. Cons: None.
 11. Additional comments: These aren't really meant to tighten your boot
        more around your foot.  They're meant to hold your foot in place.
        The arch tighteners can be used as a replacement for laces but I
        would recommend leaving your laces on.
 12. My personal rating: 10

-----

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Heel tightener (accessory)
 3. Brandname: Rollerblade, Inc.
 4. Model name/number: Power-strap
 5. Purchase price: $8
 6. From local store or mail order: Herman's Sporting Goods
 7. Date purchased: 12/93
 8. How long have you used it: 8 months.
 9. Pros: Give you a lot of support.
          Inexpensive.
          Very durable.
 10. Cons: None.
 11. Additional comments: They come with a little patch of velcro that
        you are supposed to attach to the heel of your skate.  When you put
        them on, a piece of velcro on the heel strap sticks to that to help
        it stay secure, under your heel.  I just thought that was a nifty
        idea so I mentioned it.  I used a hot glue gun to keep that little
        patch on.  The Lazzy Legs heel straps look a little thicker and they
        look like they might be a little more secure so you might want to
        check those out before purchasing these.  But, on the other hand,
        for $8, you can't really go wrong.
 12. My personal rating: 8

-----
 1. Review by:  Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Hockey Puck
 3. Brandname: Jofa
 4. Model name/number: Jofa ISD Speed Puck
 5. Purchase price: $10.95
 6. From local store or mail order: Tam-O-Shanter, Sylvania Ohio (Local Store)
 7. Date purchased: August 7, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since August 7, 1994
 9. Pros: Puck comes installed with 12 (6 per side) nylon runners for textured
     surfaces.  Also includes 12 runners for smooth surfaces.  I have only
     tried the puck on parking lot type surfaces, were it works really
     well.  Feels like puck, handles like a puck, etc...
 10. Cons: It doesn't get on the edge too often, but when it does, it doesn't
     like to lay back down.  The runners are not easy to remove.
 11. Additional comments: The puck is wieghted around the edges and is spoked
     in the center, it is completely made of rubber with the exception of the
     runners.  This is the puck used by the RHI.
 12. My personal rating:  9

-----

 1. Review by:  ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: wheel/bearing accessory (bearing guards)
 3. Brandname: Paragon
 4. Model name/number: bearing guards
 5. Purchase price:  $4.99 for 20 guards
 6. From local store or mail order: Paragon Products, Inc.
    690 Industrial Circle S., Shakopee, MN 55379 [phone]
 7. Date purchased:  March 25, 1994
 8. How long have you used it:  (used it only for one month)
 9. Pros: They DO keep the grit out and off of your bearings, and
          they're plenty cheap.
 10. Cons: The price for keeping the grit out is that you increase
           rolling resistance by a very substantial factor.
 11. Additional comments: The guards do their job well, but the way the
                          work requires that they rub slightly against
                          the wheel hub.  This makes for very, very
                          slow skating, compared to w/out them.
 12. My personal rating: 8, if you don't mind the large rolling friction
                         caused.  A rating of 1 if you do! 8-)

-----
From: [e-mail] (Matt Hicks)
Date: 12 May 94 16:20:40 GMT

Thomas A. Creedon  writes:
>Does any inline skater out there have any experience with or information
>about a hand held hydrolic braking device for inline skates?  I beleive
>the device is called The Grip.  I saw it demonstrated on that "Why
>Didn't I Think Of That" invention TV show with Wil Shriner as the host.
>It was my understanding that it was just about ready to go to market.
>I'd be interested in the price, purchase source and any other
>information you may have.

I meant to post this a long time ago.  The Grip has been around for about a
year. It was invented (and I believe it is manufactured) by a company here
in Boulder. My opinion: Don't bother. I tried these things out at a demo
last year. Yes, they do stop you. Are they quicker than heal brakes? Maybe,
slightly. Are they clunky, annoying, cumbersome, and generally inconvenient?
You betcha.

The brake works like this: You have a handle in each hand (kind of like
those Dymo label makers that use the adhesive tape). Each handle has a cable
running down the back of your leg, secured about half way down by a velcro
strap. The cable runs through a couple of guides mounted on your skate's
frame and running almost it's entire length (on the outside of your skate).
When you squeeze the handles (you pretty much have to use them both at the
same time) a couple of pieces of "automobile brake material" are pressed
into the inside of the hubs of their specially produced wheels. (Are you
starting to see how this setup could be a pain in the ass yet?)

The problems with this setup:

1. Your arms and legs move away from each other on each side. Having your
   hand and foot connected by a cable sort of limits your stride length/arm
   swing, unless...

2. You've got a lot of cable. Well you don't really (see problem 1) but it's
   enough to be a hassle.

3. The hardware runs along the bottom of the frame. I pointed out to the guy
   who was demoing (one of the company partners) that I kept scraping the
   hardware against the ground when I tried to do crossovers. "Oh, that's
   okay," he said, "That's why we made it out of metal, so it would stand up
   to that." "But, you don't seem to understand," I replied, "when I'm
   leaned over into a turn with my legs crossed, I want nice grippy polyure-
   thane in contact with the ground, not hard, slippery metal." "Whatever,"
   he said.

4. You still have to adopt the one-foot-forward braking position or you'll
   get dumped on your head. Having the braking force originate at your
   wheels leaves your feet stopped and the much greater mass of your body
   still in motion.

5. You _have_ to use their wheels and those wheels have to go in the two
   middle slots, so your rotation pattern is completely screwed.

6. ~$80; more in some outlets. And replacing 4 wheels is definitely going to
   cost more than replacing one brake pad.

7-10. I'm sure someone can think of drawbacks to fill these slots; I
   probably could if I spent a few more minutes.

Good points?

1. Keeps all your wheels on the ground.

2. Probably lasts longer than a brake pad.

3. Technoweenie bonus points.

This product was much hyped locally. I thought it had dubious merits before
I tried it, and found much more to dislike after trying it. My advice is to
stay away.




     _________________________________________________________________

Protective Gear Reviews


1)   Review by: William Bradley ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:  Safety gear (helmet)
3)   Brandname:  Bell
4)   Model name/number:  Image
5)   Purchase price:  $80 (normally)  $40 (on sale)
6)   From local store or mail order:  Bike Nashbar
7)   Purchase date:
8)   How long have you used it:  2 months
7)   Pros:    o Well-vented
              o Light (sub-8 oz.)
              o Easy to fit (adjustable pads/straps)
              o Microshell (compromise between hardshell and foam)
8)   Cons:      (none, really)
9)   Additional comments:  **insert typical helmet rant here**  :-)
10)  My personal rating:  8

----------

1)   Review by: William Bradley ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:  Safety gear
3)   Brandname:  Rollerblade
4)   Model name/number:  Standard Pads (knee/elbow/wrist)
5)   Purchase price:  $15-$25 per set
6)   From local store or mail order:  Local sports store
7)   Purchase date:
8)   How long have you used it:  1 year +
9)   Pros:    o They work very well
              o Wrist guards have velcro pocket near right thumb
10)   Cons:    o They're somewhat bulky, sometimes get in the way
              o Velcro pocket won't hold car key
11)   Additional comments:  **insert typical pad rant here**  :-)
12)  My personal rating:  6

----------

 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: knee pads (safety gear)
 3. Brandname: Rector
 4. Model name/number: Fat Boys
 5. Purchase price: about $50
 6. From local store or mail order: Skates Off Haight (I think)
 7. Date purchased: 4/94
 8. How long have you used it: 4 months
 9. Pros: Nice and big with about an inch of padding between the plate
                and your knee.  Your knees will survive any fall.
          Instead of a tube, it has four thick straps.  These straps work
                as well (perhaps better) than any tube and you don't have to
                take off your sneakers or skates to get them off.
          Cheaper than Boneless Knee Pads.
          When you fall, the plates are made to slide across the ground
                instead of sticking.  I found that some pads like the
                standard ones that Rollerblade, Inc. makes stick to the
                ground when you fall so all that momentum you have forces
                you to roll on the ground.  With these pads, when you hit
                the ground, you just slide on your knees for a few feet
                instead of rolling.  Does that make sense?
          Goes well with any wardrobe.
 10. Cons: You may find that your knees don't bend as well as they might
           with a smaller knee pad but as far as "extreme" pads go, these
           are the least cumbersome.  You'll get used to them very quickly.
 11. Additional comments: None.
 12. My personal rating: 10

--------

1)   Review by: William Bradley ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:  Safety gear (wrist guards)
3)   Brandname:  Bones (???)
4)   Model name/number:  Bone Guardz
5)   Purchase price:  $12
6)   From local store or mail order:  Local bike shop
7)   Purchase date:
8)   How long have you used it:  1 month +

9)   Pros:    o Comparable to most every wrist guard in existence
10)   Cons:    o Somewhat smaller than the rest, though
              o No velcro pocket to not hold your car key  :-)
11)   Additional comments:  Well, my wife likes them
12)  My personal rating:  6



     _________________________________________________________________

New skate reviews



 1. Review by: Scott Weintraub ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: skate
 3. Brandname: Rollerblade, Inc.
 4. Model name/number: Lightning TRS
 5. Purchase price: $180 (can be found for less: $150-$170)
 6. From local store or mail order: Herman's Sporting Goods.  They agreed
        to match the price of any local skate shop.  I don't believe they carry
        this skate anymore though.
 7. Date purchased: 11/93
 8. How long have you used it: 9 months
 9. Pros: Incredibly durable.
          Most accesseries are made to fit it.
          Priced nicely.
          Great for almost any kind of skating:  street, vert, hockey,
                recreation/fitness, transportation, etc.
 10. Cons: A little heavy, but not too heavy.
           Fits well, but not as well as some of the other skates on the
                market.
           Kinda ugly.
           A friend of mine owns a pair of '94s and I noticed that the
                plastic between the wheels is a little thinner.  Looks like
                Rollerblade, Inc. cut back a little bit.
 11. Additional comments: The Lightning TRS comes with rather low-grade
        components (ABEC-1 bearings, plastic rockers, no hop-up kit) but
        you're really paying for the durable boot and frame.  The bearings,
        axels, and rockers can all be easily upgraded.  So, if you put a
        little more money into them, they can potentially be one of the best
        skates out there.  If you want to get into street or vert skating,
        this skate has pretty much become the industry standard (Although
        two new skates, the Tarmac CE from Rollerblade and the Moscow Ramp
        from Roces, might change that).  If you want to get into hockey, this
        is a fantastic, low-budget skate to look into.  It sure can take a
        beating.
 12. My personal rating: For street/vert: 9
                         For hockey: 8
                         For recreation/fitness/transportation: 7


1)  Review by: Ana & Rick Langlois  [ [e-mail] ]
2)  Product type:        In-line Skates
3)  Brandname:           Roller Derby
4)  Model name/number:   BX 5000
5)  Purchase price:      $149.00 + tax, (U.S.)
6)  From local store:    MC Mages Sporting goods store.
                                 (13 Chicago area locations).
7)  Date purchased:      March, 1994

8)  How long have
    you used them:       12 weeks.

9)  Pros:                Comfortable fit, quality construction and components.
                         Large brake, good styling, fast, GREAT price.

10)  Cons:              Boot shell not hinged.  Some may not like the black
                        w/pink color scheme.

11) Additional comments: Very, very good skate for the price.

12) My personal rating
    1 to 10 (10 = best): * 9 *

Product Description:
          Shell: One piece, ventilated, 'BASF Elastollan' polyurethane.
                   Front entry, 3 buckles (screwed on; not riveted).
                   High gloss black finish w/flat black "scuff areas".
                   Removeable insole.

          Liner: Foam interior (single or dual density?) w/ removable
                 insole.  Ballistic nylon lower, vinyl cuff and bottom.

          Frame: Bolt-on (2 bolts; 1 heel, 1 toe) 'DuPont Zytel' nylon resin
                 in two halves.

         Wheels: 80mm 78a Team Labeda MDI Race Series.

       Bearings: SKF brand, ABEC-3 (made in ITALY).

  Axles/Spacers: 2 piece, steel axles (bolts) w/Allen heads on both ends.
                 Can not be over tightened.  Steel spacer between bearings,
                 plastic bushings on the outside and through the bearings.
                 Wheel 2 & 3 rockerable via replaceable spacers (supplied).

                   (see diagram)



                                                        *BOOT*
       \           ______                                              /
        \          \____/  <  Screw                                   /
         \        \_|__|_/ < "Washer"                                /
          \_________|__|____________________________________________/

                {   |__|   }
                 {        }                          (other frame-)
                  {frame }                            rail & rockering
                   {    }                             spacer omitted)
 __                {    }                                           __
|  |               {    }[] ______                     ______ []   |  |
|  |               {    }[]|      |    ___________    |      |[]   |  |
|  |___          []{----}[]-------|_ _|__ _ _ _ __|_ _|------|[]_ _|  |
|      ///////// []{    }[]|      |   |           |   |      |[]      |
|   ___///////// []{    }[]|      |_ _|__ _ _ _ __|_ _|      |[]_ _   |
|  |             []{----}[]-------|   |___________|   |------|[]   |  |
|  |             []{    }[]|______|                 ^ |______|[]   |  |
|__|               {    }[]                ^        ^         []   |__|
     ^             {____}      ^           ^        ^    ^
 Allen head      ^        ^  Bearing    Steel       ^ Bearing ^      ^
 Bolt            ^   ^    ^             Spacer   Through      ^  Through
                 ^ Frame  ^                       Bolt        ^   Bolt
                 ^       Plastic                            Plastic
             Plastic     Bushing                            Bushing
             Rockering
                 Spacer


1)   Review by: amy ([e-mail])
2)   Product type:    Skates
3)   Brandname:       Bauer
4)   Model name/number:   XS5's.  (street skates)
5)   Purchase price:      $129.99 first new pair
                          $ 30.00 second used pair
                                  (before getting your hopes up.. everything
                                  on these skates were shot except the boots
                                  and laces)
6)   From local store or mail order:    Johnston's Sporting Goods
                                        University Ave
                                        downtown Champaign IL

                                        Pelican Ski and Pool Shop
                                        Route 22
                                        East Brunswick NJ
7)   Date purchased:     July 1993, July 1994
8)   How long have you used it:   Just over a year (except snow)
9)   Pros:  made in small sizes** in the 1993 line
            decent wheels (hypers 72mm 78A dur.)
            rockerability (3 wheel model.. front and back move
                horizontally, middle goes up and down)
            brake foot is swappable for lefties and righties
            comes with 72 mm wheel, can hold upto 76 mm
                with the rockers adjusted
10)   Cons:  1994 line doesn't come in very small sizes
            NMB bearings.. not exactly quick
            slow skates.
            all laces
            new bauer brakes wear out easily

11)  Additional comments:  I added a top buckle for ~$25 dollars.
                           this was a tremendous improvement on the skate.
                           I also added a hopup kit, speed increase was
                           incredible
                           the smaller sizes (atleast < 4) have 3 wheels

*** I purchased a second pair of these skates because the chassis
of the first pair cracked by the front wheel.  Although, the first skates
broke, I still feel confident in Bauer and bought an identical pair.
I am sending the first pair in to be looked at by Bauer.  They said
they may be able to replace the broken chassis.  If you are buying ANY
skates, please look carefully at the chassis before purchasing it.
Remember you need a stronger chassis for grinds, slides and jumps
than you do for casual skating. My rating for these skates hasn't changed
because of this problem.

12)  My personal rating:  1 to 10        8 for regular skates
                                         9 for small feeted persons

 1. Review by: Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Skate
 3. Brandname: Bauer
 4. Model name/number: H3 (Hockey 3)
 5. Purchase price: $149.99
 6. From local store or mail order: Play it Again Sports,
 7. Date purchased: April 29, 1994
 8. How long have you used it:  3-4 months
 9. Pros:
    - All laces, nice fitting boot, includes toe guards, rockerable chasis,
      solid feeling while skating, nice beginner skates (was for me anyhow).
      Stock equipment:
          Narrow radius, vented core, 72mm/78A wheels.
          ABEC-1 Bearings (China)
          Aluminum Threaded Spaces
          Big headed axel bolts.
          Bauer Super-Light Chasis
 10. Cons:
    - The stock wheels are narrow radius, and cheap.  The wheels started
      to seperate from the hubs after 2 months of everyday usage.  The
      wear on the wheels was ok.  The chasis is easily deformed by over
      tightening of the axels, and the bearing spacers fit too tightly
      into the bearings, to the point that they are hard (or in two cases
      impossible) to seperate.  The chasis only accepts 72mm wheels.

 11. Additional comments:
    - Other than the problems with the frame and the stock equipment I
      really like this skate.  I used these to learn how to skate in,
      so thy have taken quite a bit of punishment from falling and such,
      but have held up well.  I would recommend these to someone looking
      for an all-purpose mid-range skate.  Look to upgrade the wheels
      and axels sooner than later.

 12. My personal rating: 7


 1. Review by: Jim Kiraly ([e-mail])
 2. Product type: Skate
 3. Brandname:CCM
 4. Model name/number: RH555 Tacks
 5. Purchase price: $260
 6. From local store or mail order: Tam-O-Shanter, Sylvania Ohio (Local Store)
 7. Date purchased: July 31, 1994
 8. How long have you used it: Since July 31, 1994
 9. Pros:  Reebok Insta-Pump, provides a nice firm fit around the ankle.
    All lace.
     Stock Equipment:
         Kryptonics Tri-Spoked core, 72mm/82A Powerplay Wheels
         German GMN ABEC-3 bearings
         Non-threaded aluminum spacers.
         Small headed axel bolts.
         Aluminum frame spacers.
         Slightly rockered frame nylon/glass-reinforced frame.
     The frame is easily removable for easy maintanence.
     Frames will take 82mm wheels.

 10. Cons: Axle holes in the frame will not allow for axel kits such as the
     Hyper Hop Up Kit to be used.  The frame is non-adjustable
     (rockered/unrockered).

 11. Additional comments:  I like these a lot.  I would recommend these skates
     for anyone looking into rec/hockey skates.

 12. My personal rating: 9.5


1) Review by: [e-mail] (William W. Thigpen - RC)
2)   Product type:  skate
3)   Brandname:  Rollerblade
4)   Model name/number:  Racerblade
5)   Purchase price:  Free
6)   From local store or mail order:  Rollerblade (Blade for Breath award)
7)   Date purchased:  Sometime around March of '93
8)   How long have you used it:  I skate between 50 and 200 miles/week year
     round

9)   Pros:  There are a number of things I like about this skate, however,
I've only had the TRS's to compare them against.  I like to commute on skates
(12.5 miles each way), so I need a skate that is comfortable and has good
speed to it.  From the first time I put on the Racerblades, I was able to go
several hours in them.  I upgraded the bearings to bones and upgraded the axle
system... before I used them the first time, so I can't speak to the off the
shelf quality of the running gear.  For me, the brake is an important feature
and it seems like most five wheel skates don't have that as an option.  I'm
still working on my form, so I'm not very competitive in races yet, however,
I did notice a significant differance on who I could keep up with on these
skates.  They hold a good line on downhill portions with no wobble. Overall, I
like these skates and would recommend them.

10)   Cons:  They are a little heavy, you can't change the position of the
frame, and they are a little high on the ankle

11)  Additional comments:  I think that this is a good entry level race skate,
however, I am already ancy  to upgrade to a different skate...I guess you
could say that 5000 miles is enough for any skate, however, my wife thinks
under two years is not long enough.

12)  My personal rating:  9.5

-----------------

1.  Review by:  Marianne Sedacki ([e-mail])
2.  Product type:  Skate
3.  Brandname:  Rollerblade
4.  Model name:  CoolBlade
5.  Purchase price:  $249 + tax
6.  Purchased from Sportmart in Orland Park, IL  Rte 45 (LaGrange Rd)
7.  Date purchased:  6-9-94
8.  How long have I used it?  Since June 9, 1994
9.  Pros:  3 buckles--good fit.  Vented boot--niice.  80A hardness on
    the wheels that came with--perfect hardness for me.  ABT brake easy
    for beginners, didn't feel like I was going to fall down when
    braking.  I like the fit...after I broke them in, that is.  The ABT
    brake is good for beginner's, altho many fellow skaters complain
    that the ABT is a money making gimmick--I've tried the regular brake
    and I prefer the ABT.  The vented boot is nice for those very warm
    days, altho it isn't as wonderful as walking in sandals!  :)
10. Cons:  The ABT brake sometimes gets in the way doing backwards
    cross-overs with the braking boot.  The ABT brake can be cumbersome
    when doing any maintenance on the wheels.
11. Additional comments:  Overall I'm quite happy with my investment.
12. Personal rating:  8.5

--------------

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Timothy Chen)
2)   Product type: InLine Skate
3)   Brandname: RollerBlade
4)   Model name/number: Macroblade Equipes
5)   Purchase price: Something ridiculous like 220$ or something with
     a lifetime warranty on everything above the wheels (basically if
     straps/buckles break)

6)   From local store or mail order:    Nuvo Colors, San Mateo, CA

7)   Date purchased: June 19th, 1994
8)   How long have you used it: 'bout a year
9)   Pros:  Easy in, convenient carrying straps, easy out, high
     ankle support

10)   Cons:  High ankle support prevents you from doing high jumps...
     at least for me.  There are also kind of heavy, and cannot
     accelerate as quickly as other blades I've noticed.

11)  Additional comments:  Great Blades, love 'em.
12)  My personal rating:  1 to 10      -> 9.

--------

1) Review by: Robert Schmunk ([e-mail])
2) Product type: Skate
3) Brandname: Rollerblade
4) Model name/number: 1994 Aeroblade w/ABT
5) Purchase price: $299 - 10% NYRSA discount + 8.25% NYC sales tax
6) From local store or mail order: Local, Blades Second Ave., New York, NY.
7) Date purchased: Dec 29, 1994
8) How long have you used it: 1 month, avg 3 times per week
9) Pros:
  Compared to my 1993 Lightning TRSes, lighter in weight, vented,
  and holds larger wheels. All of this means that the Aeros are a
  *lot* faster, and even when I'm standing still, I almost feel
  like dancing around.
  The three-buckle system allows quicker entry and exit, handy
  during shopping or other intermittent non-skate activity. I now
  consider myself an advocate of buckles in the buckles-vs-laces
  argument, provided one is not engaged in radical skating activity
  which might destroy the buckles.
  The pump used to inflate the liner for a snugger fit around the
  heel seems fairly useful, although once I'm out on the road, I
  don't particularly notice whether I "pumped up" or not.
Cons:
  I removed the ABT brake before I took the skates out for the first
  time, so I can't comment on how (non)useful it might be. However, just
  trying the skates out in the store, the ABT mounting got in the way
  when I tried some forward/sideways/backwards transitions. I skate
  brakeless, but two friends of mine who also got Aeros in the past
  month, have replaced the ABTs with the brakes from their older
  Rollerblades. (Give Rollerblade credit for not re-designing this
  capability out of the skate.) New skaters probably won't even
  realize that there's a "problem".
  The frames aren't as rigid as on my TRSes and seem to be putting a
  little sideways pressure on the axle of the second wheel (from the
  front) so that those the axles put up a small fight when you're
  trying to remove them for wheel rotation.
  After the second day of skating on the new skates, I had one bearing
  start to lock up on me. I had skated for about five blocks on a
  slightly moist street on that second day, but all the other bearings
  were okay, so I can't quite decide if it was a bad bearing from the
  get-go or just bad luck.
  The Aeros are definitely narrower than my old TRSes, so that people
  with wide feet may find them unwearable. (Macroblades seem to be
  even narrower, but I understand that Bravoblades are a bit wider.)
  I've had a little trouble around the bottom of the rear half of my
  feet, but this seems to come and go depending on if I've been dinking
  around with the liner.
  After one month of mixed slalom and street skating (no stair bashing
  or curb grinding), one of the stock (77mm/78A) wheels is showing
  signs it will come apart *very* soon and I have ordered my first of
  replacement wheels (80mm/82A).
Additional comments:
  An excellent skate for slalom skating and for tooling about town,
  especially group skate activities, in which I found they make a
  noticeable difference in whether you're at the front or back of
  the pack. Also a good exercise skate for those who have not moved
  up to 5-wheel or long-frame 4-wheel skates.
  There are a few features which suggest that they could not handle
  serious abuse (note my comment above about the non-rigid frame),
  but they can apparently sustain quite a bit, as I have one friend
  who does occasional stair bashing and curb grinding in his 1992
  or 1993 version of this model.
  Be sure to test out the pump system thorughly when purchasing a
  pair, as one friend who purchased a pair found that one local
  store had several pairs with one or both pumps somehow screwed up.
  My rating below would be a 9/10 if I hadn't had to replace a
  bearing and my wheels so soon.

My personal rating:  8 / 10


--------

1)   Review by: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)
2)   Product type: Skate
3)   Company: UltraWheels (this specific model made by Atomic)
4)   Model name: Zephyr/Neon, Size: 11-allows for at supposed most size 76mm wh
eels
5)   Model year: 1993; Discontinued on UltraWheels' Line
6)   Price: sale for $139.00-usually $189.00-now $139.00
7)   Purchase date: July 1993
8)   From: Herman's-out of business-Grind Zone has it 139
9)   Approximate length of use: 1 year
10)   Pros:*Wheels are okay for extreme, bearings were mixed-Rocks, GMN, etc.
           good though.
          *Frame inside like TRS I think-never saw TRS-but it has walls
           seperating the wheels-better frame stability
          *Monocoque boot and frame construction supposedly for better stabilit
y
          *Liner is no big deal-like a shoe interior with no footbed
          *Rear entry is nice & easy, but not special
10)  Cons:*Hot rod style axles bent-needed a wrench and two hours to take out
          *Plastic frame & bearing spacers sucked
          *Frame is okay, but bends easy
          *Probably a result of hard wheels-but much vibration
          *Hard to get good fit-no instep strap or buckle, and...
          *No way to tighten fit from top buckle down-only one buckle
          *Brake sux, as do all other standard brakes
          *Only way to rocker is to wear down front and back wheels :)
          *Sometimes even if I didn't put the buckle on tight, I got blisters
           and the tongue, not movable, put a dent in my skin and caused odd
           bone growth in that area
          *Forward flex is the only thing available, rest of boot is steel rigi
d
          *Regardless, the boot scraps up real easy-probably PE or PU-
           it's softer than my grind plates!
11)   Additional comments: Buy the Lightning TRS instead-more likely than not,
          it's better.
12)  Personal rating: against other companies-1, for advanced-1, intermediate-
           4, beginners/lazy careless people-10-(not to imply they're the same)

-----

1) Review By: Marty Gold ([e-mail])
2) Product Type: Skate
3) Brandname: K2
4) Model Name: Extreme Workout
5) Purchase Price: Approx. $300

6) Purchased From:
     Emilio's Ski Shops
     112-32 Queens Blvd.
     Flushing, NY
     [phone]

7) Date Purchased: June 1994
8) Have used skate approx. 6 weeks/200+ miles

9) Description: mid-cuff 4 wheel skate convertible to 5 wheels with the
     purchase of additional axle and wheel assembly.

     Wheels: Hyper Wheels: Cross-Trainers X-360 [77.5MM],
     Durometer 78-A
     Bearings: Twincam ABEC-1, Serviceable Spacers: Aluminum
     Frame: Glass composite


10) Pros:
1 - A reasonably priced entry-level racing skate with the addition of
     the 5th wheel.
2 - Can be used with only 4 wheels which is helpful when getting used
     to the longer frame (5th wheel can be added later).
3 - The sneaker-like construction (no liner, padding and boot are one
     piece) provides added comfort especially when utilized as a
     cross-training skate. Yet solid construction provides greater ankle
     support than other racing skates.
4 - Combined laces and upper buckle closure allows greater adjustability.
5 - Heel brake can be worn on either left or right skate by moving bracket.
6 - Axle is the screw type which prevents over-tightening.

11) Cons:
1 - Skate is on the heavy side, especially with the addition of the
     fifth wheel (wheel, axle, spacers and bearings.
2 - The heel brake and bracket are long and can be clumsy when
     attempting cross-overs.
3 - The brake is extremely soft and requires frequent replacement. My
     first replacement was necessary after approx. 5 weeks. When speaking
     with K2 they informed me that the break was designed soft to provide
     extra stopping power.
4 - The bearings were ABEC-1, for the price one would expect 3's
5 - The buckles/laces have a tendency to loosen up once in a while.
     skating. (Laces are unwaxed-nylon and can be replaced with waxed to
     hold better)
6 - The axles are removed via an allen/hex key (provided) but while
     attempting to reposition the wheels to accommodate the fifth wheel the
     key caused the screw-head to round out requiring a new axle.

12) Additional Comments: At the time of this writing, replacement parts
     had not yet been shipped to local dealers due to backlog, but K2 was
     very accommodating about mailing the replacement parts directly to me.

     I would like to stress the comfort aspect of this skate. I have been
     preparing for a long-distance marathon, skating on average of 20 miles
     a day/6 days a week and have found the skates to be extremely
     comfortable and provide strong ankle support. Although, I have been
     considering the addition of ankle straps since road workouts are
     stressful on the ankles (potholes, traffic, etc.).

13)  My Personal Rating: 8



     _________________________________________________________________

Inline shop reviews


From: [e-mail] (Martin Sripan)

Don Thomas Sporthaus: Detroit
  * "Whatever makes you happy, we'll do". I'll go with that!
  * Sell classy women's clothes and ski stuff.
  * Carry many skates from Atomic, Roces & Rollerblade.
  * Have a whole ton of models from last year at like 30% off.
  * Help you a LOT-especially Tom Adams (I think that's his name)
  * Real skaters too, most knowledgable.
  * They sell many wheels, accessories, CDS, protective gear.
  * Roces ATL CDG MOW R, Rollerblade Pro Bravo Cool and others.

The Skate Shop: Youngstown, OH
  * Owned by a lady who has a son who skates (quad, inline, board).
  * Sell little stuff
  * The only in town
  * They sell only UltraWheels, Cyko, Flyaway and other boarding stuff.

Millennium In-Line
  * Has a *great* selection
  * OK service-I call the guy practically every day, so he hates me.
  * Messed up my shipping twice! (probably because I changed it
                                  both times)
  * Everytime I order (if they don't have something I'm looking for)
    They're VERY quick to point me to a replacement-a product I know
    nothing about-but obviously he knows what he's doing because
    it always ends up I get a better product.
    When I just ordered my stuff from them, I said:
    "...I would like to have the CDS Detroit 57mm Grind Stones..."
    and the guy said something like:
    "I don't have those because they sell slow.
     So that would be the 52mm you're getting" Of course, lucky me,
    I didn't need to use the 57mm anyway.
  * Have a long-distance tech support line-they should have a
    secret exception for kids whose parents would get totally
    phissed if they called long distance (me). Or they could get
    on the Internet-seems everyone's doing it.
  * They're usually missing something I want (could be coincidence)
  * I saw ABEC-3 Bearings for 17.60 for 16-you saw me type this in,
    with a warning that it could be a typo-turns out it was-they're 1.
  * This was only in my experiences, YSituationMV greatly cause the
    guy knows and doesn't really like me.
  * One time I asked to speak to the owner, and since I had called
    many times earlier, I knew his voice. Turns out I had been talking
    to the same person every time. But, today I called twice (at least)
    and it turns out that there are more people there that sound just
    like him. Odd ain't it?

Team Paradise
  * GREAT!!! No I wasn't paid to say this, I'm serious.
  * 20.00 minimum-perfect excuse for buying something totally
    senseless for my application.
  * Changed my order several times, and...
  * Called them many times, and...
  * Verified my order twice, and...
  * Added stuff to my order-they didn't get mad
  * No crap
  * No pushing
  * Not too many missing products and typos
  * Knowledgable
  * Internet Connections (Great, so we can get good advice)

Hudson Bay Inline
  * I'm pretty sure that they run on a "what's good" basis
   :) I asked to buy Mearthane RollerEdge Starlight 77mm/84A wheels
      but he said he wanted to hear if it was good first. Then he says:
      "What did you hear?" So I told him something like:
      "I just want to buy them, I'll tell you if they're good."
   :) So...You should probably tell them whether or not certain
      wheels are good so he can bulk order blems and you can order
      them. Especially good when you want a wheel no one sells, like
      DA Bump. He had 4 left, which I bought. Dang cheap too.
   * Good service, I called them many times without them getting
     mad and I even reserved my wheels for a day (turned out to
     be useless, I ordered my wheels the same day).
   * Great selection

Inline USA
   * Internet Connections (Great, so we can get good advice)
   * Great even though I haven't ordered from them yet.
   * 1-800 tech support
   * Carpet testing
   * Skate assembly with free stuff
   * Price beating
   * Nice support and people will go out of their way to help you.
   * Great selection of skates but not enough products (I think)
     or not as many as MI-L, but that's ok.
   * They seem to have gone to more race than extreme skating
   * I called them 5 times and asked for a catalog/catalist-
     I only recieved their 93 catalog, and for months it hasn't
     come out. Please contact me if you're reading this Jack. :)

I think it's nice that Inline USA cut the crap out of their
catalogs, but I also miss it because I like to see what certain
products look like before I buy them-how are we supposed to
know if we like a product if we've NEVER SEEN IT? Someone or some
company should make a color catalog of products for inline skates-
or how about another FAQ section?-:)

Need non-mail-order addresses or phone #'s, e-mail me.
More to come as I order more and more (if I do).

--------
K2 skates
---------
From: [e-mail] (Patrick Lee)
Subject: REVIEW- K2 Power Extremes
Date: 12 May 94 13:00:46 GMT


        Seeing as nobody has posted a review of the new K2-Exotech skates
yet, I guess I will.

        I just bought a pair of K2 Power Extremes, and they're pretty
good skates.  For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they're the
new skates that use a sneaker-like boot with an external hinged cuff for
ankle support.  As such, they're pretty comfortable and really breathable.

        Anyway, some points that you wouldn't be able to tell from the
Inline buyer's guide issue...

        The bearing spacers in the Power Extreme (and presumably the
Extreme Flight and the Extreme Z) are nylon, not steel as stated in the
buyer's guide.  The Skate uses an axle system similar to the Roces type
in which the axle is threaded on the inside of one side and the bolt
screws into that, preventing over-tightening.

        The rockering spacers are really neat, but have some potential
problems.  They're hexagonal, giving one six positions for each wheel.
(much more flexible than the RB system).  Now for the tricky part.  On
one side, the spacer has a hexagonal hole, on the other side, a hold
slightly smaller than the axle.  The axle itself has a hexagonal bit next
to the head that fits into the spacer and a slightly thinner bit a the
end, which fits into the other spacer.  The net effect is that one only
needs one wrench to remove the wheels (kind of like the wave, but
without the annoying wavy bits).  Unfortunately, I have no idea how you
could put a hop up kit on these skates.  They don't seem like they'd need
it (except for aluminum spacers, which I installed) but doing so would
require getting another set of rockering spacers (in order to get a
complete set of either hex or circular holed spacers).  In addition to
this, the spacers are pretty easy to mix up.  One can substitute a hex
spacer for a circular one (but not vice-versa) if one doesn't look too
hard, in fact, this was the case on my skates out of the box, so I'd
advise that anyone buying a pair of these skates check the spacers to
make sure that they're correct.

        On a better note, the skates come with servicable Twincam
Abec-3's, pretty decent hyper wheels, and possibly the nicest
wrench/bearing pusher I've ever seen come standard with a skate.  The
brake pad is plenty big/effective, and uses the same size hex bolt (so
you only need to carry one tool).  The skates will take up to 82 mm
wheels with no modifications (in size 9), rather surprising for skates
with RB Lightning style crossbars between the wheelwells on the frame.

        As someone mentioned before, the skates are a bit tight in the
ankle for some people.  In my case, I had to have the store expand the
ankle using a heat gun before they were comfortable.  The combination of
laces (covered by a flap) and buckle/straps is very supportive, with much
much more fore/aft flex than any other skates I've owned.

        Anyway, in general, a really nice pair of skates, though I
wouldn't really reccommend it for someone who's not comfortable with the
front/back flexibility.  Otherwise, very comfortable/breathable, nice
standard bearings, flexible wheel options, and an interesting but
potentially annoying spacer system.

-Pat


From: [e-mail] (T Robert)
Date: 21 May 1994 15:07:04 -0400

In article ([e-mail]), [e-mail] (Thomas
Darling) writes:

Tom,  I bought a pair of K2 Extreme Power skates several weeks ago
and I am very happy with them.  I'm new to inline skating but I
didn't want an entry level skate that I would have to upgrade to
enjoy.  Theses skates are much more comfortable than ANY of th hard
shell skates I tried on and I shopped at 8 or 10 different stores and
tried on maybe twenty different pairs of good skates.  The Power
Extreme is pretty high tech.  The closure system combines laces over
the lower part of your foot ( not very quick but an excellent way to
"wrap" the soft lower boot around your foot to achieve a good fit)
with a velcro instep strap that covers this laced portion.  Higher
up, where the boot becomes a hard plastic piece again there is a
ski-boot style buckle and another velcro strap above that at the
cuff.  These skates take me a few minutes to put on but I have no
chafing, movement or DISCOMFORT.  They come standard with ABEC3
bearings, an excellent rockering capability built in, Hyperwheel 78A
wheels in 76mm and a very convenient mounting/ dismounting tool.  I
paid $239 plus tax here in Massachussetts and I think they're worth
it.  I don't play hockey, I skate recreationally and for fitness.
People seem to be concerned about the soft portion of the boot but I
haven't had any incidence of scuffing or tearing yet...I haven't
fallen very much either.  The toe end IS hard plastic and the brake
seems to be fine, it is big and easily replaced using the same tool
that mounts the wheels.  The 78A wheels seem a little soft however, I
weigh 183 lbs and have been practicing T-stops so that may explain
the seemingly quick wear.  I'm going to try switching to 80mm 80A or
82A wheels when I need to replace them.  Just this afternoon I
started disassembling the wheels and bearings, cleaning the bearings
in acetone and relubing them with a fine grade machine oil.  It's
time consuming!  Anyway..if you can try on a pair of K2's I think
you'll end up buying them.    Good luck,   Tim


From: [e-mail] (Patrick Lee)
Date: 21 May 94 22:00:22 GMT

[e-mail] (Thomas Darling) writes:

>I'd avoid them.  I tried out K2's "Rock Ice" model at a local ski shop.  On
>the plus side, they were pretty comfortable.  Unfortunately, they had little
>else going for them.  They have a "gimmicky" upper with velcro and such that
>does not look like it could possibly stand up to the kind of abuse
>associated with outdoor skating.  The frames are big, cheap-looking plastic
>affairs.  The boot is thin and would probably shred pretty quickly.

        Well, I've been skating for about 5 years now, and the K2 Power
Extremes are pretty much the best recreational skates I've had. (Before
that I had a pair of Macros, and then a some Aeros).  The upper actually
isn't all that gimmicky.  That big velcro-flap is there to keep the laces
from coming untied and getting jammed in your skates.  The integral Power
strap helps keep your ankle anchored.  As for the boot, it's well
protected in the places where it needs to be (the toe, the sides of the
toe, and the heel) where shredding tends to take place.  The frames are
big, yes, but they're also one of the few recreational skates I've seen
that will take 82mm wheels with space to spare, in most sizes (80's were
pushing it on the Aeros, had to scrape some brake off before they'd
fit).  As for the cheapness, it's probably just the textured plastic
that's throwing you off, they're the same material that most high end
rec. skates use for frames, glass/carbon reinforced nylon. Just because
they bothered to put some texture on it doesn't mean it's vinyl.

  One final thing.  As a skater, one of the _primary_ things I look for
in a skate is comfort.  If it's a great technical skate, but it kills
your feet, forget it, it's not worth the pain.  These skates are comfy
and probably the best ventillated I've seen.

-Pat



From: [e-mail] (Stephen J. Okay)
Date: 23 May 1994 01:13:38 GMT

In article ([e-mail]) [e-mail] (Thomas Darling) writes
:
>[e-mail] (Michael Koop) writes:
>
>> Does anyone out there know anything about the range of K2 range of
>> in- line skates?   They are about to be released here in Australia and
>> information about how good/bad they are is scarce.  I have seen a couple of
>> pairs and they look  pretty soft and comfy but how do they skate?
>
>I'd avoid them.  I tried out K2's "Rock Ice" model at a local ski shop.  On
>the plus side, they were pretty comfortable.  Unfortunately, they had little
>else going for them.  They have a "gimmicky" upper with velcro and such that
>does not look like it could possibly stand up to the kind of abuse
>associated with outdoor skating.  The frames are big, cheap-looking plastic
>affairs.  The boot is thin and would probably shred pretty quickly.

I tried on a pair about a month or so ago and found them to be pretty much
the opposite. For starters, they were the most comfortable skate I'd ever
tried on. They fit quite well around my foot and there were no gaps or
spaces I could feel in the fit.

As for the frame, I don't think they're all plastic. I believe they're
a carbon composite reinforced plastic frame. I just can't see K2 putting
out an all-plastic skate. Even RB uses fiberglass reinforcement on their
low end models. I could be wrong and you're entirely free to correct
me, but I don't think I am.

Despite this, I would have to agree with Tom on the durability issue.
These are a line of racing or cruising/distance skates.
These are *NOT* street/thrash skates.  I would be more than a little
hesistant to take a pair of these out on my usual rounds, esp. given the
boot on them and that they are more than a little pricey($200 seems to be
the floor for a decent model).
If you are looking for a good race skate or cruising/path skate, these
are great!. I almost bought a pair but couldn't promise myself I'd stay
off stairs and walls and stuff.


From: [e-mail] (Joshua James Roman)
Date: Sat, 21 May 1994 16:52:05 GMT

I, too, tried out the K2 skates at a local ski shop and talked to
the rep for a while.  My observations...
1.  The Power Extremes are comfortable, with plenty of forward lean-
        too much if you are used to TRS type boots.
2.  The Rock Ice is a solid boot, and very comfortable, but I wouldn't
        trade my RB's for them.
3.  The only solid paaart on the front/sides of the skate is the plastic
        toe cup, which the rep swore was the same thickness as TRS.
        Looking at the many srapes and scratches on my skates
        made me realize that the K2's toe cup was woefully inadequate
        to protect the soft 'exotech' shell from most toe drags or
        slideouts.  The stuff may be touch, but 'gorilla mesh' isn't
        plastic!
4.  K2 is having problems with some of their higher-end racing skates,
        They are having problems with the factory in Taiwan.

5.  Their convertible 4-5 wheel skate (cool concept!), was, in the rep's
        words, 'An inexpensive introductory racing/workout skate'.
        As it is a well put together and good looking skate, I expectantly
        asked the price-- $329.99!!!!!!!!!!    I almost choked!

From: [e-mail] (George Robbins)
Date: 23 May 94 17:34:13 GMT

In article ([e-mail]) [e-mail] (Thomas Darling) writes
:
> [e-mail] (Michael Koop) writes:
> associated with outdoor skating.  The frames are big, cheap-looking plastic
> affairs.  The boot is thin and would probably shred pretty quickly.
>
> I'd heard about the new K2 skates for a long time, and was really looking
> forward to them, but I found them highly disappointing.

I think you may be jumping to an overly broad conclusion.  While the boot
design might not be well suited to the abuse of hockey or street tricks,
it might be quite adequate for more ordinary skating.  You don't need any
more plastic than required to provide the needed footbed and ankle support
and don't want anymore weight tied to your foot than neccessary.  If these
boots perform well and are as cool as the "ventilation" suggests they might
be a real improvement over the RB style klunkers.

I had some reservations about the rails too - they're just parallel slabs
of 1/4" thick fiber-glass reinforced plastic.  While they're probably pretty
strong, the attachment to the boot looked pretty wimpy and they just screamed
for some kind of cross-bracing.  One intersting feature was that the 5-wheel
frames were also drilled for an alternate wide-space 4-wheel arrangement if
you preferred that.  I guess you could also get creative with super-rocker
or other odd wheel setups if you had a drill-press to insure that your
holes were square though all the rails.

I don't know if I would buy these, but I wouldn't rule them out.  The local
ski shop had 3-different models of the ~12 shown in the brochure,  but not
the high-end ones.



Performance
-----------
From: [e-mail] (Jerrold Comm/GI)
Subject: Re: deciding between Performance brand in-lines

Douglas V Roberts (Doug) ([e-mail]) wrote:
: Howdy All,

: I've decided to decide between the Performance brand of in-lines for my
: first pair of skates.  They offer the Attack and the Vector-II models.
: I intend to use them primarily for recreation and exercise and have
: no particular desire to learn stair-bashing or other "fancy" stuff.  The
: difference between the two boots appears to be that the Attacks have
: ABEC-3 bearing, a slightly higher boot, and 3 buckles.  The Vector-II's
: have ABEC-1 bearings and one buckle + laces.  Both boots appear to be
: well-ventilated.  My question is: for my intended use, and being a first-
: time in-line skater, should I shell out the additional $30 for the Attack
: model??  Any and all opinions welcome (as long as they're constructive!!).

: Thanks!
: Doug

--
I chose Vector-II's because the lower buckles on the Attacks were
uncomfortable and the Attack boots were too high for my ice hockey-
accustomed calves. I am only one week into this sport, but offer these
comments:

1) Changing wheels is difficult.  Instead of a through bolt with nut,
there is a threaded insert inside the bearing.  Wheel bolts are inserted
from each side of the frame.  When I tried to remove the bolts to
rock the wheels (like my ice hockey skates), the first bolt came out
easily, but the one on the other side just spun.  I had to tighten
the one I just removed enough to allow the stuck one to come off, then
hope the original one would come out.  ugh! I called the store (retail)
and they said "We never have that problem!"  Anyone else?

2) The buckles seem a bit flimsy, but are attached with screws for
easy replacement.

3) I have nothing else to compare them to, but in the 3 hours I have
spent on them here in Phoenix where I am traveling, they  have been
quite comfortable.  I managed to learn how to use the brake, and they
seem to stop adequately even on some pretty steep roads here at
South Mountain.

4) I got some wobble on high speed descents.  Could this be a
consequence of rockering them?

5) For $110, they seem like a pretty good way to get introduced to
this sport.


ULTRA-WHEELS
------------
From: [e-mail] (Kevin C. Brown)
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1993 23:37:38 GMT
Subject: Re: One-buckle UltraWheel skates -- Impressions ?

In article ([e-mail]), Benjamin Werner (werner@cs.c
ornell.edu) writes:
>Has anybody tried out the UltraWheel skates with only one buckle and
>rear-entry ?  What are you're impressions ? There is at least one model
>("Zephyr" I think) and the boot seems to be made in Austria.

I have the Zephyr's, I got them from Damark ( a mail order
catalog) for about $90.00. They are really cool looking.
When I skate by everyone looks down at my skates because
they are so different looking. They pretty comfortable but
you should try them on first if you can. They tend to be
slightly narrow in my opinion but I bought them a half
size larger than my shoe size 9.5. (they don't come in half
sizes. The chart on the box says that men should pick
their shoe size. If you are a 9.5 like me than you go to
the next full size. When I wore the skates for the first
time I wore socks that were too thick and I tightened the
buckle to tight and lost some skin on my lower shin just
an inch above were the foot starts. There is also a rivet
on the inside of the shell that can give you a nasty blister
if your inside ankle rubs on it. But otherwise they are OK
skates for the price I paid. I think they retail for about
189.00. My two buddies who also have this skate have no
problem whatsoever.

-----

From: [e-mail]  COMPUTER BLUE
Subject: Re: One-buckle UltraWheel skates -- Impressions ?

In article ([e-mail]), [e-mail] (Kevin C. Brown) wri
tes...
>>Has anybody tried out the UltraWheel skates with only one buckle and
>>rear-entry ?  What are you're impressions ? There is at least one model
>>("Zephyr" I think) and the boot seems to be made in Austria.

I have serious reservations about rear-entry, one buckle boots.
IMO, they will only give  good fit for a minority of people.
One buckle doesn't provide much adjustment (alone) and  what
about the rest of your foot?  Npt all people have the same width
or shape foot.  Although /I have never tried on a rear-entry
boot, I can make some comments on other  types.

All lace:  Good fit for many different feet.  Hard to compromise
between ankle tightness and lower boot tightness.  Tend to loosen
after extended skates, may tend to break laces often.

Lace & Buckle (on upper cuff):  My favortie type.  goo d comfort,
Fits a wide variety of feet, and provides independent adjustment
of ankle tightness and boot snugness.

3 Buckle:  No laces to break, fast on/off time.  Independent
adjustment of ankle and lower boot.  Downside:
uneven pressure due to only 2 buckles on lower boot.  Has a
"pinching" effect.

My advice: try on many different types of nboots to see what you
find most comfortable.  If you like the rear entry, then fine,
but just be sure to try out all your other options before
deciding.

-----

From: [e-mail]
Date: 25 Nov 91 13:09:38 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I test drove my new Gretzky Wings this past Saturday in a hockey game.
They roll very smoothly and the boot is quite comfortable.  The lower part
of the skate laces and the upper part has the ski boot style buckle. This
makes for a very snug ankle fit.   I would recommend these buckle styles
for any skaters that really like a snug fit.  One of the things I didn't
like about my last pair of skates was that it was hard to pull the laces
very tight with the plastic boots.  I like my hockey (ice) skates very
tight and snug (like they're a part of my feet), and the buckle really
allows for that feel on the inline.

Since I'm still pretty much a greenhorn at inline skating, I've got a few
things to learn about stopping in a hockey game!  Especially now with
skates with very fast bearings.  I love the fact that I can corner much
better with the Wings than my older skates, and the speed and
smoothness is much closer to ice now too, but ya just can't hockey stop
in an inline like you do on ice (and I keep forgetting that!).  Any other
inline hockey players have comments on stopping style?

I also removed the brake from my skate about midway through the game,
and it made turning around to skate backwards much easier.  I kept
catching the brake sometimes when I'd turn around.  I don't recommend
skating without a brake around town (hills and such) but on a flat surface
during a hockey game, not a bad idea.  I also found that I could turn more
easily by pivoting on the front wheels instead of the whole skate.  Might
be able to retain the brake if I perfect this technique more.

The liner in the Wings is also very comfortable.  Pretty thick foam so
even when the skate is tight, you don't feel like it is digging into your
foot.  I'm pretty happy with the skate so far.

Oh yeah, we were playing hockey on a tennis court.  Great surface, pretty
smooth (although ours here at Carnegie Mellon have some major cracks
in them) so you roll nicely, and don't shred yourself when you fall, but
rough enough that you can really hug the surface on turns.

--Tom

P.S.  The Wings are also on sale now at the Great Skate for $170.  This
       is a *GREAT* price.  I paid $183 at Sabreland for mine, which is
        the best "regular" price I found.  I didn't get my Great Skate
        sale catalog until a few days after I had already ordered them
        from Sabreland.  If anyone is interested in a fast, comfortable
        skate, I'd recommend looking into these.  Enjoy!

P.P.S.  They also give you this really cheezy video of them making an
        UltraWheels video with Gretzky.  A real selling point!  (HA)

-----

The Reviews section of the October issue of Outside has an excellent article
about in-lines. The writer reviews skates he likes from Ultra Wheels,
SwitcHit, Bauer, Riedell, and Rollerblade.

He also describes the nature of learning new things on skates: you often will
find that you learn new skills instantly -- or will find that you already know
how to do something, but won't discover it until The Moment of Trial. I won't
spoil the stories he tells, but I do think he embellished his Boulder Creek
Trail story a bit--I don't think I've ever hit 40MPH on the section of trail
mentioned on my Racers. Perhaps 30. That's fast enough. It is a fun little
section of trail, provided that few other users are around.

The writer strongly states that lateral support is mandatory. This is not
necessarily true. Good racers prefer to have their ankles free for more power
on the stroke. World-class skaters -- both quad and in-line -- will use
boots that are cut very low. However, substantial lateral support is very
useful for almost all non-racing types.

My other gripe, a small one, is that I view the RacerBlade as an excellent
commuting skate, not necessarily as only a beginner's racing skate. If you're
mainly interested in getting from Point A to B and already have some
experience, don't ignore the "Racer".

All in all, an excellent article. Some good ideas for folks who want to try
something other than Rollerblade skates. Check it out.

Phil Earnhardt          [e-mail]
Netwise, Inc.           Boulder, CO  [phone]



From: [e-mail] (Tim Rice)
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1992 15:15:42 GMT

I owned a pair of the Micron hockey skates back around '80.  I grew up on
Bauer skates (Black Panthers, 92's, etc.).  When I got into my 20's my feet
were too wide for Bauer's anymore (to much trouble with in-grown toenails).
The Microns are the urethane (plastic) boot with an ICM blade.  They were a
nice skate except that motion side to side was too restrictive.  The boot
didn't pivot enough in that direction so I would "often" lose an edge and
wind up on my butt.  This finally happened once during a game where I got
hurt, I went head first into the boards.  The skates were retired just after
that.

Other than that the boot was great.  It provided many advantages over a
leather boot.  One I didn't see you mention was that it distributes the
shock from a puck much better than leather.  Again this is speaking from
experience since I had some toes broken in this fashion.

After experimenting with different skates I'd buy leather because it is
still the best all around.  The only real disadvantages to leather are the
break in and down aspects.  They provide the most control.  The next problem
is in finding a leather skate.  I stay away from synthetics as much as
possible.  I prefer GRAF skates.  The break in period is very short.  The
break down period is also short (downside).  It is a very comfortable boot
and provides the most control I've found.  They are rather expensive 200+
for a hockey skate, considering they won't last 3 years.  An active high
school type player may only get one year out of them.  For someone my age
they're perfect, I get 3 years out of a pair.  It's about time for my third.


MACRO BLADES EQ/ES

From: [e-mail] (Gary W. Mahan)
Subject: MacroBlade Equipes Review

I recently bought a pair of Macroblade Equipes(the new model).  I thought I wou
ld give a little review on them as I have not seen any yet.

My main reason for buying the Equipe was shoe size.  I really wanted the AeroBl
ades (for weight savings) but the biggest size was a 12.5 and I have a size 13
foot.  Several people in this group recommended that I try the Aeros.  Well I d
id and they were way too narrow.  The Equipe boot will accomodate wider feet mu
ch better. I ended up getting the Equipe in a 30.5 (biggest size available).

I have seen several postings comparing Aeros to Equipes.  From what I have read
, most seem to think that Equipes are not rockerable like the Aeros.  Well the
Equipes I have seem to have the same rockering combinations as the Aeros. Also
the Equipes have ratcheting buckles like the Aeros.  The buckles on the Equipes
 seemed a little better.

The largest wheel that will fit is supposedly a 77 mm as opposed to 80 for the
Aeros(Supposedly). The skates were equipped with 76mm 76A hyper wheels (Small h
ub).  The bearings were ABEC1 made in singapore (same as on my lightning TRS's)
.

The Equipes have a cuff which allows some forward movement.  However it is not
hinged like a Aero.  This is still hard to get use to.  I almost fell backward
several times because of this (although this may have been for other reasons (w
heel positioning)).  I consider the ankle support to be excellent compared to m
y lightnings.

The Equipes also seem to have wheel positioning similar to the Aeros (i.e the f
ront whell is more forward).  The front axle is lined up with the front of the
boot.

The liners are very comfortable although memory foam is not used.  There are ho
les in the liners for ventilation but these do not extend all the way through t
he foam.

The skates are vented like Aero's although not as much.

The skates have tremendously increased my skating ability (as opposed to lightn
ing TRS's).  I seem to be able to go much faster now.  At high speeds I do not
seem to have the skates wobble as much (eventhough the wheelbase difference is
less than an inch).  My gliding ability (1 foot) has also increased dramaticall
y, allowing more efficient strokes.

The price on the Macroblades was $279 (Aeros were $289).

METROBLADES
-----------

From: [e-mail] (James Garvey)
Subject: Re: MetroBlades - review requested

In article ([e-mail])
[e-mail] (Jeffrey Ray Thieleke) writes:
>
>I'm looking for people's opinions on MetroBlades - good and bad.  Specifically
,
>I'm interested in performance and comfort.
>
I sent out a request for info on metroblades about 2 months ago and really
didn't get much of a response.  My friend is getting ready to buy a pair in
New York City and he told me that the big problem is support around the
ankles.  Rollerblade puts them in their "sport" category which is supposed to
be for "thrashing".  I'm not sure how much trashing you want to do in a boot
like the Metroblade.  Anyway, the general consensus was get a pair of sandals
or lightweight shoes and buy a pair of skates with buckles.  Then buy a
fanny pack or something like that to carry your shoes while you skate.  Get
yourself a ski boot strap (handle with a loop of nylon) and carry your skates
like ski boots.  Most sports stores will give you a ski boot handle for free.

Here's a few of the replies regarding the Metroblade.  (Tony, I'm not sure if
you'd want to include these or not, but here they are for your review).

(original post)
>I have a friend that is getting ready to buy a pair of inline skates and is
>considering buying Rollerblade Metroblades.  This is the skate that has a
>built in boot inside of it that lets you "walk" out of the skate.  He's
>not planning on doing a lot of heavy duty skating, just to and from work.
>I would say that stalling and rail sliding would definitely be out!
>
>His main concern is not having to carry around a pair of shoes when he
>skates.  Does anyone know anything about these skates?

I own a pair and am very happy with them, commuting to and from university
and generally around town.  _I_ might recommend them, but they're the only
skates I've used for extended amounts of time (i.e., non-rentals), so I
don't have much to compare them with.  I've heard other skaters (on this
board, in person, and in Inline magazine) complain that they're not really
up to snuff... that Rollerblade made too many performance degradations to
get the design to work.  The design _does_ work, though.  The shoes are
comfortable both inside the skates (though it hurts for a few days getting
used to how tight it needs to be to minimize wobble) and outside them (I've
hiked in the shoes.. no problem.  They look like they'll last quite a while
too).  Getting into and out of the skates is fast and easy.
        On the other hand, even folded up the skate shell is heavy and
unwieldy, perhaps not as much as whole blades, but they can't be stuffed in
a backpack unless the backpack's pretty empty (btw, Rollerblade is offering
a free backpack -- a $50 value! *snort* -- to purchasers of Metroblades.  I
haven't gotten mine yet, but I suppose the pack could be designed to carry
the blade shell easily).
        If your friend is planning to use the skates for organized
recreation (i.e.  hockey or half-pipes), or even for getting a bit radical
during the commute, probably a one-piece skate and a light pair of shoes
would be a better idea.  I'm happy with my pair, and wouldn't trade them in
for anything, but then I always wished I had a pair of key-roller-skates or
a fold-up-bike when I was younger.  I like to be portable.

-eh

------------------------------------------------------------------
erik hilsdale                                   [e-mail]



Word is that these are a clever idea, but the compromise is that you
may not get the best skate for the money you pay.  It they guys is fixed
on it it's probably survivable.  Is he an experienced skater, or just a
beginner trying to plan his fate?

The alternative would be a good 3-buckle skate that is very quick to
pop on/off and pair of really lightweight shoes he can carry in a fanny
pack or other tote.  There are some lightweight (soft sole) cycle shoes
and some that are even lighter for swimmers or something like that.

George Robbins - now working for,     work:   to be avoided at all costs...



>The alternative would be a good 3-buckle skate that is very quick to
>pop on/off and pair of really lightweight shoes he can carry in a fanny
>pack or other tote.  There are some lightweight (soft sole) cycle shoes
>and some that are even lighter for swimmers or something like that.

This has been my solution - I have a pair of Teva sandals that I wear
when I'm off the blades, and they work pretty well - I carry them
around in my fanny pack.   I also have a loop of nylon cord with a
handle on it for carrying the skates when I'm wearing the sandals.
There's also an over-the-shoulder carry strap that you can get for
rollerblades, but I haven't tried it, so I don't know how well it
works...

                               _MelloN_
--
[e-mail]                                          uunet!lupine!mellon
Member of the League for Programming Freedom.   To find out how software
patents may cost you your right to program, contact [e-mail]


From: [e-mail] (Erik Hilsdale)
Subject: Re: RB Metroblades:  good, bad, or ugly?

In article ([e-mail]) [e-mail] (James Andrew Garv
ey) writes:
>I have a friend that is getting ready to buy a pair of inline skates and is
>considering buying Rollerblade Metroblades.  This is the skate that has a
>built in boot inside of it that lets you "walk" out of the skate.  He's
>not planning on doing a lot of heavy duty skating, just to and from work.
>I would say that stalling and rail sliding would definitely be out!
>
>His main concern is not having to carry around a pair of shoes when he
>skates.  Does anyone know anything about these skates?

I own a pair and am very happy with them, commuting to and from university
and generally around town.  _I_ might recommend them, but they're the only
skates I've used for extended amounts of time (i.e., non-rentals), so I
don't have much to compare them with.  I've heard other skaters (on this
board, in person, and in Inline magazine) complain that they're not really
up to snuff... that Rollerblade made too many performance degradations to
get the design to work.  The design _does_ work, though.  The shoes are
comfortable both inside the skates (though it hurts for a few days getting
used to how tight it needs to be to minimize wobble) and outside them (I've
hiked in the shoes.. no problem.  They look like they'll last quite a while
too).  Getting into and out of the skates is fast and easy.
        On the other hand, even folded up the skate shell is heavy and
unwieldy, perhaps not as much as whole blades, but they can't be stuffed in
a backpack unless the backpack's pretty empty (btw, Rollerblade is offering
a free backpack -- a $50 value! *snort* -- to purchasers of Metroblades.  I
haven't gotten mine yet, but I suppose the pack could be designed to carry
the blade shell easily).
        If your friend is planning to use the skates for organized
recreation (i.e.  hockey or half-pipes), or even for getting a bit radical
during the commute, probably a one-piece skate and a light pair of shoes
would be a better idea.  I'm happy with my pair, and wouldn't trade them in
for anything, but then I always wished I had a pair of key-roller-skates or
a fold-up-bike when I was younger.  I like to be portable.


From: [e-mail] (Dailene Wilson)
Subject: lots of info

I have things to say to Matthew, Bill, Stephen, Koop, and Chris...

Matthew: Yes the Roces have good standard features but their frames (the
part of the skate on which you should base your purchasing decisions) are
terrible. Their plastic frames leave much to desire compared with the
glass reinforced nylon frames the Rollerblade Lightnings (and up) give you.
I skated on the Paris skate and the steel (yes, steel) frame bent in at
a strong angle.I haven't seen any RollerBlade frames bend! They saw this
potential problem years ago when they redesigned the ZetraBlades! I would
rather feel comfortable and safe with a strong frame than worry about
the color of the buckes/liner/boot. Also, the liner of the Paris was
awful. It moved around and was no where near as comfortable as the liners
in my TRS or RacerBlades. Some people say that not everything makes a
difference when buying skates. Not true. The frame should be a one-piece
frame (for stability and rigidity), not to mention the bearings, wheels,
liner, boot, wheel kits. About the only thing that does not make a
difference is the color. You can change that and be creative at the same
time. I don't trust the Roces frames, but the rest of the skate seems
pretty good, especially for the price. But what a price to pay for plastic
frames!

Bill: The MetroBlades are very sturdy considering the flex factor at the
ankle. Whoever said that the sole of the shoe would wear out is probably
right. If you did get these, I would walk on the shoe as little as possible.
Good comfy skate nevertheless.

Stephen: To get buckles on lace up skates, go to your local ski shop.
Any ski shop that does repairs in skis and boots should be able to rivot
some buckles onto your skates..

Koop: The IISA has worked with several cities to reverse the bans on
in-line skating and they should be able to help you out too. Call them
at 1-800-FOR-IISA. Good luck!

Chris: Right on with your comment on the best all around 4-wheel skate
on the market- the Lightning TRS! While you can make some modifications
on this skate, it still provides you with a very strong frame and the
durability to outlast even the craziest skater out there (that's what Chris
Edwards wears!). If you want some more ventilation, drill some holes in
the boot and go crazy! Avoid the seams though, just in case. You can
probably cut holes in the liner where you drilled the holes to give you
the "Aeroblade" effect.
I have tried the Rollerderby Shadow (my 1st pair, I know, really bad), the
MacroBlades, the TRS, the AeroBlades, the CoolBlades, the Macro ES and EQ,
the Racerblades (toughest 5-wheel on the market!), the Bauer XR10 (liner
wore out before anything else and cannot be replaced- bad move on Bauer's
part), Roces Paris (bad), Roces Atlanta (bad!), and the Problade. The
best ones in this group are the TRS, the RacerBlade, and the ProBlade
(leather). You have to not only consider ones options available on the
skates, but to remember that everyone has different feet and one skate
that fits terribly for one person may be the answer to another person.
My main point is look at the hardware after you found a skate that fits
your foot well. If the hardware is poor, go to another skate or you'll
be sorry later.

--Dailene Wilson  [e-mail]       RollerBlade!!
--UNCCharlotte                            Skate Safe, Skate Smart


AEROBLADE REVIEWS
-----------------

From: [e-mail] (Todd Biske)
Subject: Re: AeroBlades vs. Roces Barcelona model

[e-mail] (Simon Handley) writes:

>Does anyone know what the difference is between Aeroblades and the
>Roces "Barcelona" model?

The Barcelona and the Aeros are actually quite a bit different.  Roces used
to manufacture all RollerBlade boots, but this is no longer the case.
RollerBlade boots are now made my Nordica.  Anyways, here goes:

Similarities:
        Both boots are vented
        Both have Memory Foam liners
        Both use a three buckle system on the boots
        Both come with 76mm 78A wheels

Differences:
        Aeroblade boot is vented much better.  The vents are larger and more
          numerous.
        The Aeroblade boot is made from BladeLite (tm) while the Barcelona
          uses the same material as the CoolBlade (polyurethane?) which
          results in a 15% heavier boot.
        Aeros have a graduated brake, can also accept older style RollerBlade
          brakes.
        Barcelona uses a custom Roces brake, not commonly available for people
          in the cornfields of the midwest like myself.
        Barcelona tends to run $30-$40 cheaper than the Aeros.

I just purchased a pair of Aeros from Courtesy Sports in Los Altos (before I
drove back to Illinois for school) and did a lot of research on the Roces vs.
RollerBlade debate, and I think I bought the better skate.  That's an
opinion however.  My final decision was made when I tried on BOTH skates at
Courtesy.  Then my mind was made up.

-----

By the way, I love my new Aeros.  Much better glide than the Lightnings I had
been using (rental loaners).

Something I thought was extra neat, although I haven't taken advantage of it
yet, is that the rockering SLOTS are offset.  This allows a flat blade, a
shallow rocker, a deep rocker, and combinations.

What do I mean?  This is the flat blade setup.

   ---               ---
   | |   ---   ---   | |
   |x|   |x|   |x|   |x|
   ---   | |   | |   ---
         ---   ---

I don't know, maybe this is an old idea, and the Aeros aren't first, but I
*love* this kind of design detail!

-----

I have a pair of Aeroblades.  Here are my comments:

On the plus side:

* Boots very lightweight as mentioned.
* Ventilation good.
* Allows you to bend forward a lot.  (And not side to side, fortunately.)
* Boot positions shin tilted forward more than some other skates --
  encourages you to bend knees more -- a good position for skating
* Big wheels (76mm)
* ratchet buckles are pretty good
* lightweight but strong frames (runners)

End-on view of frames (very schematic):
 Aero     Other
_______  _______
\#   #/    | |
 \   /     | |
  | |      | |


Cons:

* The buckles don't "remember" your previous setting when you remove them
  like the Macroblade ones do.  But you can always mark it with a felt tip
  pen I suppose.

* The brake is like that on the lightnings and macroblade, but it is made
  of "a new composite material" that SQUEALS LIKE HELL WHEN YOU BRAKE.
  Scares the daylights out of unsuspecting pedestrians.  Rollerblade told me
  this would stop when the brake pad was broken in, but it hasn't.  I just
  bought a lightning replacement pad -- I hope this cures the problem.

* I've had some trouble with the fit to my feet.  These seem to be narrower
  than my old rollerblades.  They should really offer both D and E widths
  like Bauer does.  It may also be that three buckles and a very thin boot
  can't support the whole foot all that well.

* The place where the tongue overlaps with the rest of the liner digs two
  ridges into my foot.  Also the footbed (insole) they come with is fairly
  uncomfortable and non-anatomically-shaped.

* They seem to have missed some places that need ventilation. the areas under
  the tongue and and the front and back of my ankles still get quite sweaty.

* On some skates the two parts of some of the buckles do not line up quite
  parallel -- this could lead to premature wear or slipping.

* Some were shipped with wobbly wheels (non-true) -- but your Rollerblade
  dealer should replace them for you if you bring them back in.  Also
  the wheels are not centered with respect to the bearings, and they
  have a cheap-looking part on where I guess they were cut out of their
  mold during manufacturing.  Makes me want Hyper Wheels.

* Wheels aren't as light as the newer wheels from Hyper and Kryptonics.

* I've decided I like softer wheels, to handle those bumps more gracefully.
  Aeros are 78A so maybe my old Zetra 608s had 74A?  But I don't know of any
  inlines that come with softer than 78A nowadays.  Maybe I'll splurge on
  some new wheels.

* Front wheel is further forward than on other skates.  This is okay for
  the experienced skater but I don't recommend it for a beginner because
  this can make the skate unstable if you put your weight forward onto it.
  This may make the skate faster for racing, but it also makes more leverage
  that tends to lift your heel inside the boot, so proper fit becomes even
  more important.  I think they should have moved all four wheels back a
  little (maybe 1/4 inch), since having the back wheel back a little improves
  stability.

* I don't like the color options -- can't they offer something more low key so
  people outside of California aren't embarrassed to be seen in it? :-)

* NMB 608Z bearings (made in singapore).  I have heard that these are not as
  good as the GMN 608Z german bearings that at least used to come in the
  Lightnings.  Not that I've noticed any difference in performance myself.

* Back of the brake sticks out a little more than I think is necessary, which
  can get in the way of crossovers if you're not careful.

* The frame spacer / bearing spacer / axle system is poorly designed.  It does
  not hold the wheel quite straight, and it seems to bind the bearings a little
  when you tighten the bolts a lot, which you have to do to prevent the wheel
  from slipping up and down a little during skating.  Before tightening there
  is too much play and the frame spacer does not properly meet the bearing --
  one of them starts to slide off of the the other on one side.  I don't know
  why, but the one pair of Lightnings I looked at were better than the Aeros in

  this respect, even though they *appear* to have the same parts for this.
  Phil Earnhardt says Reidell has a superior spacer system.  I used to have the
  old metal-runner Zetra 608, which held the center of the bearing via metal
  washers and spacers, and worked much better in that way.  They should make
  the inner diameter of the frame and bearing spacers smaller to match the
  axle, and the frame spacers and the inner part of the bearing spacers (which
  holds the two bearings apart) should be made of aluminum instead of plastic.

I hope somebody at Rollerblade reads this.

David B Rosen, Cognitive & Neural Systems         Internet: [e-mail]

-----

David B. Rosen writes:
>I have a pair of Aeroblades.  Here are my comments:
>
>* The brake is like that on the lightnings and macroblade, but it is
>made of "a new composite material" that SQUEALS LIKE HELL WHEN YOU
>BRAKE.  Scares the daylights out of unsuspecting pedestrians.

It is pretty effective, though, at getting those dim-wits who don't
know what "on your left" means to move off the path... :-)

>* I've had some trouble with the fit to my feet.  These seem to be
>narrower than my old rollerblades.  They should really offer both D
>and E widths like Bauer does.  It may also be that three buckles and a
>very thin boot can't support the whole foot all that well.

Same here.  I've got relatively wide feet, and I'm just hoping that,
over time, my liners will compress a bit and my boots will stretch just
a bit to fit my feet better.

>* The place where the tongue overlaps with the rest of the liner digs
>two ridges into my foot.  Also the footbed (insole) they come with is
>fairly uncomfortable and non-anatomically-shaped.

Of all things, my heels are uncomfortable in my Aeroblades.  It feels
as though I'm putting far too much pressure on them.  Has anyone else
experienced this?

>* I don't like the color options -- can't they offer something more
>low key so people outside of California aren't embarrassed to be seen
>in it? :-)

Ditto!  I'm all for basic black...

-JC, [e-mail]

-----

The only suggestion I have is buy the best skates you can possibly
afford--and maybe even a pair that you can't REALLY afford, but by
scrimping somewhere else you can do it.  Or, alternatively, buy
a cheaper pair of skates but outfit them with high performance
wheels and A-grade bearings before you even hit the pavement (that
is probably the best solution, if you haven't got a lot of money).

I bought a pair of Rollerblade Zetra 303s in May on a whim.  They
cost $150, and I didn't want to "spend to much on something I might
not stick with."  Well, I didn't know it at the time but those skates
were inhibiting me, and within 20-30 miles the el-cheapo C-grade
bearings had melted down and left me with an inoperative pair of
blades.  Two months later I finally got around to calling the shop
where I got the skates to find out about getting them repaired under
warrantee.  They said it would take 8-10 weeks while they shipped
them to Minnesota, determined if it was really a warantee repair,
and then shipped them back--and there was no guarantee they wouldn't
charge me for the repair if they thought it was "my own fault."

Well, in 8-10 weeks there will be snow on the ground up here,
so I was a little upset.  I went out and bought a pair of AeroBlades
($300) in a fit of pique, and man I should have done that in the
first place!  All I can say is, for twice the money you get three
times the blade.  The fast wheels and bearings have a lot to do with
it, but the buckle (as opposed to lace) closure system is a dream.
A medium-priced alternative are the Lightnings, which have
buckle closures but not the fancy chassis.

I'll shut up and let someone who really knows what they're talking
about advise you, but I'll stick by the "best you can afford"
recommendation.

Andy, [e-mail]


END AEROBLADE REVIEWS

RACING SKATES


Bauer XR10's
------------

From: [e-mail] (JDGilardi)
Subject: Re: 5 wheel foot/skate break-in
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 17:17:11 GMT

In article ([e-mail]), [e-mail]
(Mark Steph) wrote:

> I bought a pair of Bauer XR/10's a little over a month ago and
> have been in severe pain ever since.  I'm a (reasonably)
> experienced and (reasonably) fast skater on 4 wheels and was
> looking forward to an upgrade.  Now, even after several weeks of
> skating almost every day, I still am not nearly as fast on the
> Bauers as I was on my 4 wheels.
>
> I also have terrible blisters (and have to tape my feet up
> everytime I skate).  Skating on the Bauers is sort of a chore.
>
> At this point I'm trying to decide if:
> a) my feet still need a break-in to get used to the boot.
> b) the boot still needs a break-in.
> c) the size/style/whatever of the skate just doesn't fit
>    me and I should hang them up/try something else.
>
> Any clues?  Anyone want to make me an offer on slightly used
> XR/10's?

The unfortunate fact is that Bauer XR10's are about the most poorly
designed skate ever made, despite the flashy looks.  One thing you might do
is call Bauer on their 800# and give them a rash of shit, but I doubt
they'll do a thing - they really don't stand behind their products well at
all.  Basically, the boot offers no flexibility in the ankle, making it
impossible to lean forward or bend the knees.  If you want to skate in an
upright position, they might be OK, but this is a racing skate.  One thing
you might try is to not tie the laces through the top two eyelets.  This'll
give you some forward flexibility, but will cut back on your lateral
support as well.  You'll also have to work on voluntarily keeping your heel
down as the boot does a poor job of this as well.  The lacing thing is
definitely a temporary measure, and I would suggest that if you cant take
them back to who you bought them from, to just buy new boots.

Do not attempt to break in your feet, you can do permanent damege to them
and plastic boots do no break in themselves!  I managed to get out of the
XR-10 nightmare by getting lucky and having one break on me (heel bolt
pulled out).  I sent them back and Bauer replaced them with a new pair
which I traded in for a different skate.  The same thing could happen to
you.


From: [e-mail] (Kimon Papahadjopulos)
Subject: Re: Performance 5-wheelers

[e-mail] (Carl Castrogiovanni) writes:

>I'm considering Performance Bike Shop's 5 wheel high tops (alternative to
>Racerblades).  Anyone have experience with these (and can share opinions)?

I happened to be in a Performance Bike shop the other day, and I must say
I was not impressed by either their high end bikes, or their high end
skates.

The 5 wheelers were a high top plastic boot with an I-5 frame.
Ick.  I didn't check to the weight, but for that set up it had better
be pretty cheap.  Reasons?

1.  There is not much point in getting hightops with 5 wheels unless you have
some sort of ankle problem.  It's sort of like getting a racing road bike
with mountain bike tires.

2.  The I-V frame is a bargain basement frame (costs about $45 for the
frames alone, I think).  Superior Skate Co. has made improvements since I
had a pair, but when I used them they bent very easily and were a royal
pain when it came to switching wheels.

> Any other high top 5 wheelers out there besides these two brands?

Take a look at the Baur 5-wheeler.  It seems to be one of the better
cruiser skates.

Kimon

--

In article ([e-mail]) [e-mail] writes:
>Can anyone give me information on brands of 5-wheel skates, besides
>racerblades, that are available?  I'd very much appreciate any info at
>all.
>
>M. P. Bunds, U. C. Davis

The good news is that there are models from many different manufacturers.  I
have heard of models from Bauer, SwitcHit, Riedell, Rollerblade (Racerblade
plus the Pro Racer), Viking (A very good European ice speed-skating
manufacturer), Bont (Australian ice), etc.  There also is a movement for
manufacturers to sell racing boots with a pair of threaded bolts to attach
either blades or runners for wheels. Yeah! Standardization!

The bad news is that I've never seen anything other than the Racer in retail
markets.You're going to have to either travel to someone who sells the skates
or do it via mail-order. Marty Hill of Built for Speed sells stuff out of his
house in Syracuse, NY. Dave of SMR sports ([phone]) does the same out
of Riverside, IL. SoH ([phone]) was planning to sell the SwitcHit
5-wheeler when it became available.

If at all possible, I'd go in person to one of these stores and make sure you
find someone knowledgable about the long skates. You might be leary of SoH,
since they appear to have a pretty cozy arrangement with SwitcHit.

Have you tried the Racer? It's a bit on the heavy end for a 5-wheeler, but is
very robust and probably a good skate to start out on racing. (Heck, any of
the faster 4-wheelers are fine, too!) Some Rollerblade demo vans have the
Racer available; you can try a pair there. Some very good racers are winning
races on the Racerblade.

One other piece of good news: Rod Murillo, a member of Team Krypto, is now
reading alt.skate. Welcome! He's far more qualified to talk about racing
than I am; he might have some suggestions for you.

Phil Earnhardt          [e-mail]

-----

From: [e-mail]
Date: 13 Nov 91 23:06:25 GMT

I got some new racing skates about 2 months ago. I love them!!! I tryed
on Zanstras and Racerblades. Looked into Bauer and leather boots (from
Built for Speed). After all my looking...I bought Ultras from Sventech
in Seattle (sold by Ultra).

Here are thoughts that might help others who are looking at racing skates.

Zanstras

There are three problems with Zanstras, from my point of view. Firstly,
the bearings "seem" really cheap. They aren't as smooth as I would like
and they make too much noise. Secondly, the boot is really
uncomfortable. A number of racers have complained that they bind the top
of their feet too much. In fact, some people cut out the sizes of their
boots. I found this true when I tryed them on. Finally, my size (6-6
1/2) only comes with four wheels....great why buy racing skates. The
good thing about Zanstras is that they are pretty light.

Racerblades

The Racerblades are really comfortable! It's like riding in pillows.
However, it's also like using a limo in a road race. They felt too
big and heavy (though I don't really remember their weight). Once I felt
the weight, I knocked them off the list...so I can't comment on the
bearings or wheels.

Bauer

As with the Zanstras, the Bauers don't have 5 wheels in my size.
However, the boot looked really comfortable. I knocked them out as soon
as I heard about the wheel limit.

Leather Boots

Sorry...I may be into skating....but I would like to try and stay out of
the poor house. I was looking at spending $700 to $800 for leather
boots. Maybe if I ever get close to beating Karen Edwards or the other
top women skaters, I'll think about it...but I think that will take more
than just new skates.

Ultras

The Ultras have a titanium frame. The lengths come in 13, 14 and 15
inches. The boots are very comfortable (I can usually keep them on for
three hours before they bother me). The boot fit is like the Racerblades
with a buckle and wide fit, but the shell is very light. The boot can be
molded to your foot with a dryer or hot water. In a rough estimate,
with 5 wheels they are about the same weight as my 4 wheel
Rollerblade 608s.

I guess what finally made the sale..was Bancroft hill in Berkeley. I can
jam down Bancroft without any shaking. The ride is very smooth. The
bearings are smooth and fast. By the by...they come with Hyper Wheeles.

The only problem is...no brake. So, I may not need it for racing....but
I would like one for working out. Berkeley drivers don't know what to do
with a skater.

I guess my advise is...try on everything (in your price range). Some
people swear by skates I rejected. What everyone is looking for in a
skate is different. I wanted good low weight racing skates.

Still plowing down hills....

betsy

By-the-by, does anyone know of something to put on road rash (second
skin or the likes)?

-----

From: Donn Baumgartner, [e-mail]

I can recommend the Xandstra Skeelers, which are available locally from
Riedel, without hesitation.  I have used these skates on the OMRA circuit
for the last two years and am very pleased with them.

I have the Xandstra 6000 - but got it directly from Walter Xandstra a few
years ago when he came to the New York race.  I use the Hyper 80mm wheels...
and prefer the harder (82A) wheels, but many racers prefer the 78A's and
even the 75A's.  Personal preference... but the harder wheels hold up a
little longer.

There are many shops nationally that carry this (and many more) inline
skates... such as:

        Competition Skates                Trailways Skate Rental
        c/o John Skelton                  c/o Tom Sehlhorst
        501 Springville Cr.               611 Palm Bluff
        Birmingham AL 35215               Clearwater FL 33515
        [phone]                    [phone]

        Montrose Skate                    Shop Skate Escape
        c/o John McKay                    c/o Janice Phillips
        1406 Stanford                     1086 Piedmont Ave
        Houston TX 77019                  Atlanta GA 30309
        [phone]                    [phone]

I've done phone/mail/direct business with every one of these shops... they
are all reputable.  Competition Skates and Trailways Skate are both run by
active members of OMRA (Outdoor Marathon Rollerskating Association), and both
John and Tom are racing 'experts' (in some sense).

And a final comment... get a subscription to Speedskating Times... for $15/year
it's the best thing going.  Dave Cooper, Eddy Matzger, and Marty Hill regularly
write articles in it.

-----

From: [e-mail] (Michael Peters)
Message-ID: ([e-mail])
Date: 10 Mar 92 13:41:32 GMT

las writes:
>I'm planning to buy a pair of speed inline skates. Need advice as
>to which brand I should purchase. Would like a skate under $350.00.

For under $350.00, if it's a racing skate you want, I would check
out the Bont skate packages that Special Equipment C0. has to offer.
(Phone:[phone])  They have Bont Sharkie boots with Zandstra
frames, wheels and German bearings for $315.  These are leather
boots with fiberglass counters that you heat and mold to your foot.
This is a much hotter setup for speed than buying a citizen racing
skate, that has gobs of padding inside, i.e. Racerblade or Bauer
XR-10, besides they're cheaper too.  The last I heard the XR-10 may
go for $385 and the Rollerblade Pro-Blade $450.  The Rollerblade
Racerblade is in your range, but it's a bit heavy, though if you
don't skate that much, you may like the additional support that the
Racerblade gives.

[e-mail] ...!uunet!ncrcom!wtcp!mpeters



From: [e-mail]
Subject: re: Racing Boot/Frame questions
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1993 12:39:21 GMT


In article ([e-mail]) [e-mail] (Shawn Gramm
er) writes:
>I'm gonna get into racing and I have the following questions:
>
>1) What is the net opinion of the Bont Bluebottom/Powerline frame combination?
>2) What is a good price for each of these items?
>3) I was recently talking to a racer who had this combination, and she was
>showing me how her boot is angled slightly on the frame.  That is, if her left

>frame is pointing straight up, her boot is pointing slightly off center to the

>left (relative to the frame).  She said that it improved power.  To me it
>would seem to decrease the power.  What is the opinion of orienting the boot
>this way?


My son used the Bont Bluebottom for 1/2 a season of indoor racing, the boot
broke down before the end of the season.  He bought it used, which could be
the problem.  I've seen a lot of racers using the PowerLine and they like
it.  You may want to check into the new suregrip frames....

On the offset.... she is an indoor racer right????? they will offset that
for the power ... they get a better edge on the corners... both my
son's and the vast majority of our team do this.... They skate for
the Waterbury Skate Club in CT.



From: ([e-mail]) David Lowe
Subject: Re: Inlines:  Aspiring racer wants 5-wheeler info
Date: 17 Nov 1993 18:48:58 GMT

I find your questions much the same as some of mine but I can tell
you what I have found out and believe in.  First about the bearings issue.
I have found that a bearing contructed with a solid outer face as
hartfords tend to resist the buildup of dirt a dust much better than an
open face bearing like most fafners.  I beleive that bones make a fairly
well selled bearing which is considered one of the best for durability
in the speed skating community.  Hartfords are usually found in low end
or rentals and are durable but probably not a good competitive bearing.

For plates I have found that most skaters perfer the extend 5 wheel
plate which will accomodate wheels larger than  a 76mm.  Most people I
have talked with find little difference perforance wise between the
availible inline plates.

For boots I can only tell you what ive seen.  I personally have found that
about half of the top skaters I know of skate on bonts.  Most do not
get the blue bottom bonts because they seem more likely to crack
under pressure.  Most are skating on the yellow bottom huster boot by bonts

I have the yellow hustler bont boot, labeda extreme edge plate, bones
bearings and a soft hockey wheel for training purposes.  I have yet to
purchase wheels but am likely to get the green ones comprable to
cherry bombs.



From: [e-mail] (David Lowe)
Subject: Re: Racing Boot/Frame questions
Date: 17 Nov 1993 19:18:36 GMT

>From: [e-mail] (Shawn Grammer)
>Subject: Racing Boot/Frame questions
>Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1993 19:00:28 GMT

>I'm gonna get into racing and I have the following questions:
>1) What is the net opinion of the Bont Bluebottom/Powerline frame combination?

Bont Bluebottoms have been known to crack due to stress over a peroid of time.
The Bont Hustler boot (yellow bottoms) seem to be stronger and less likely
to crack.  They also usually cost less and come predrilled ( a big plus).


>2) What is a good price for each of these items?

Shop around you can usually get the best deal buy buy all your parts at once.
rember that if you purchase your skates non-local then don't expect your local
dealers to help you much if you have problems.  Your best bet is to find
the best price then ask your local dealers to match it if you can.


>3) I was recently talking to a racer who had this combination, and she was
>showing me how her boot is angled slightly on the frame.  That is, if her left
>frame is pointing straight up, her boot is pointing slightly off center to the
>left (relative to the frame).  She said that it improved power.  To me it
>would seem to decrease the power.  What is the opinion of orienting the boot
>this way?

I think she is right on the money.  By moving the right foot plate left of
center you but your center of gravity on the ball of the right. So when
you are stroking in a tight corner your can step easier and further with your
left foot before having to but it down.  With the right plate in the center it
seems that the right skate trys to get out from under you before you can
step out with you left foot.  Most everyone I skate with has their right plate
adjusted as your friend does  :-)

David Lowe [e-mail]



From: [e-mail] (Kimon Papahadjopulos)
Subject: Re: Racing Boot/Frame questions
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1993 03:59:39 GMT

[e-mail] (Shawn Grammer) writes:

>1) What is the net opinion of the Bont Bluebottom/Powerline frame combination?

Acceptible for competitive racing.

>2) What is a good price for each of these items?

Off the top of my head, $200-$250 for the frames, $300-$350 for the boots.

>3) I was recently talking to a racer who had this combination, and she was
>showing me how her boot is angled slightly on the frame.  That is, if her left

>frame is pointing straight up, her boot is pointing slightly off center to the

>left (relative to the frame).  She said that it improved power.  To me it
>would seem to decrease the power.  What is the opinion of orienting the boot
>this way?

Its personal preference.  Some people like their frames inset.  I personally
think inseting your frames unevenly is usually to compensate for bad form,
but there are some pretty good racers (Steve Carr for one) who do it.

Kimon


From: [e-mail] (Joseph P. Cernada)
Subject: Review: Performance Competition Skate


Well, I finally got tired of waiting for someone else to order these
skates so I figured I'd order them and see if they were worth keeping.

So, here's the long awaited review of the Performance Bicyling
5-wheel racing skate:

Low cut leather boot, glove leather in the ankle area, ankle stiffener, padded
tongue, laces.  Seems like a typical Performance brand item: well
made, attention to function, but not cosmetically pretty.

76mm, 78A wheels (look like Hypers).  Long wheelbase I-5 frame
(13.375" ?).

Too many parts to the Axles: bolt, nut, metal tube, small tubular
spacer, and two washers (go between the frame and the bearing).

GMN ABEC-3 bearings.  I think they're oiled (either that or they're
using real low temp grease, since it seems to be dribbling out of the
bearings :).

I also got the brake since I do a lot of hills and don't like trashing
my wheels to stop.  The brake frame seems fine, but the stopper itself
seems pretty lame.  Made out of very soft rubber and looks like it
belongs on the bottom of a piece of furniture.  Also, when taking long
strides/strokes, the side of the brake would scrape on the ground.

Weight: 2 7/8 lbs for a size 9.  For comparison, my Ultrawheels
Gretzky Wings weigh 3 3/16 lbs with the same type of wheels.  This is
for one skate, without the brake.

My Gretzkys are the only other skates I've ever used, so I don't have
a lot of reference points.

Took me a day to really get used to skating on these things.  The
weight positioning is very different.  I can put my weight much
further forward than with my 4-wheelers.  Great traction on the turns.
That brake sticks waaaay out; have to be careful on the cross-overs.
The low boot is taking some getting used to.  I have to consciously
think about keeping my ankles straight.

Turning is pretty slow.  I did some cone slaloming (one foot, two
foot, and spread-eagle; 6 foot cone spacings) and maneuverability was
way down.  Tried to do some short stairs, and mostly tripped my way
down.

--
--
Joseph P. Cernada       AIT, Inc.
914/347-6860            50 Executive Blvd.
[e-mail]         Elmsford, New York 10523


From: [e-mail] (Gary W. Mahan)
Subject: Perf. Comp Skate Review

I bought a pair of Performance Competition skates about three months ago
and would like to present a review of these:


I was in the market for a pair of speed skates.  Prices ranged consideribly
from ~300 on up.  As I was not completely sure if I would like speed
skates, I opted to target the lower price range.  I also required a brake.

Last but not least I needed a size 13 (this is always a problem!) and
I wanted to try them on before purchasing.


So I went out and purchased a set of Performance Competition skates:

Price $299 for the skate (Seen on sale for $249)
      $19 for the brake pad assembly

Wheels: Performance Brand (look EXACTLY like hyper 76mm 78A's to me).

Bearings: ABEC3 Nonservicable (unless you remove a shield).
          They really used a light grease or oil on these as
          they spun forever right out of the box.

Frame: I-5 (adjustable positioning) one of the lower priced frames
       but to be expected in this price range.

Axle: 2-piece Aluminium spacers/axle retainers with one long bolt going
      through the center.  This system is comparable to the
      axle kits/hopup kits available.  No reduction in bearing
      spin if the axles are too tight (I really tested this one!)

Boot: Leather, some ventilation, all laces, plastic inserts/liner in boot for
      ankle support and lower foot support.

Brake: Metal assembly which bolts to frame.  Repacement pads are
       ONLY available through mail order and are ~$5 a piece.
       Toe stops from Quad skates may also be used is one
       so chooses (they bolt right on).
       The original brake SEEMS to last forever.

Initial Problems: Wrench supplied was not correct size.
                  The bolt and nut supplied with the Brake assembly were
                  mismatched causing me to stip both.  I went down to
                  the local hardware store and bought replacements (Cost $1).


My initial skating sessions with these skates were very painful.  The boots
did not fit quite perfectly to my feet eventhough the seemed fine in the
store.  A hair dryer was used to soften the plastic liner in the appropriate
places.  This worked very well.

The lack of ankle support took a while to get used to (compared to my Macro
EQ's).  Once my ankles strenghtened, this was not a problem.  I initially
compensated for this ankle problem by adjusting the chassis to the outside
of the skate (so my skates would angle inward).  This provided some added
stability.  I have slowly moved the chassis inward as my ankles and
technique improved.  Ankle support straps (Lazy Legs) could be used to help
with the ankle support.

The brake for this skate works quite well once it is broken it.  It can be
really scary before it is broken it (as most brakes are).  The Pad seems
to last a VERY long time compared to my RB pad on my macros. I think I don't
brake quite as much as I used to so this might be the reason.  The overall
braking performance is not as good as my macros but still acceptable.
Because of the lack of ankle support and longer wheelbase, braking required
more ankle muscle than with my macros.

Overall, the transition to the skates was tough (for me) but well worth the
effort.  These type skates REALLY force you to use good technique which has
trickled down to skating on my macros.  The added flexibility at the ankle
is actually much more comfortable once you get used to it.

As a side note, the bearings never seem to get dirty on these skates.  I
guess this is because the open frame chassis allow lots of air circulation.
The washer used between the wheel and the frame might also limit dirt
accumulation around the bearing.


From: [e-mail] (Anthony Chen)
Subject: INLINE:  difference between frames? boots, wheels, etc.
Date: 18 Feb 1994 06:48:01 GMT

Okay, hope this post provides some break from the olympic traffic.
Should be enough questions here to generate a few in-line posts
hopefully 8-)

1) What's the main difference between all the tiered frames?  Is there
   any significant differences?  I'm just curious, from looking at the
   Raps Edgemaster, Mogemas, LaBeda Extreme Edge, and Powerline frames.
   I know some of these vary in material, Al vs. Ti vs. Mg or whatever.
   Is one preferrable to the others?  There are various grades of
   each material, I know that much.

I'm looking to get some low-end 5-wheelers, so probably I'll start
out with some cheapo I-5 frames, but eventually I may want to move
up to a better frame.  Is the drilling/mounting incompatible if I
want to switch from a flat frame to a tiered one?

I'm not intending on doing competitive races (not yet anyway), mainly
long distance trips.  In particular, I'd like to do the Athens-Atlanta
race/trip this upcoming October (anyone have a specific date?) so I
figure I better start getting ready right now 8-)  I don't figure to be
real fast.  I just wanna finish 8-)

2) Also, any opinions on the Airlite XL boots?  These are molded
   polyurethane boots, laces with a small cuff buckle.  Low cut.

   I was told the Riedell 201TS boot doesn't fit very well.  The
   401TS's fit very well apparently, but for much more money.  Can
   anyone confirm about the 201s?  This is from the guys over at Inline
   USA.

   I'd get some Bont Sharkies or Hustlers except I was told they're not
   as comfortable over fairly long distances?  (Bluebottoms have a rep
   for cracking under pressure, correct?)

3) One other thing, I notice Hyper Redlines come in large and small hub
   versions.  Is it a significant difference, the amount of cooling you
   get from a bigger hub?  I assume you get more wear out of the small
   hub wheels, of course.

4) Also, how much diff between ABEC-3 and ABEC-5?  I'm skating on ABEC-1
   Bones which already seem darn fast.  A good idea to jump to ABEC-5s
   for the 5-wheelers?  I do have some cushion money wise, so if I can gain
   some significant performance I'm willing to pay for it.

5) One last thing, how do the varying axle types vary?  I notice that
   Mogema style axles are apparently different enough to warrant Airlite
   frames to have a specific model for those type of axles.  The racing
   axles are similar to hop-up kits, no?


From: [e-mail] (Michael Peters)
Subject: Re: INLINE:  difference between frames? boots, wheels, etc.
Date: 21 Feb 94 17:49:32 GMT

In article (2k1ob1$[e-mail]) [e-mail] writes:
>   I was told the Riedell 201TS boot doesn't fit very well.  The
>   401TS's fit very well apparently, but for much more money.  Can
>   anyone confirm about the 201s?  This is from the guys over at Inline
>   USA.

An acquantance of mine said that her 201's were very uncomfortable.

>3) One other thing, I notice Hyper Redlines come in large and small hub
>   versions.  Is it a significant difference, the amount of cooling you
>   get from a bigger hub?  I assume you get more wear out of the small
>   hub wheels, of course.

Hyper's latest racing wheel is the 'Shock'.  The top three finishers at
Athens-Atlanta were on Shocks.  I just picked up some 80mm-81A Shocks
last Sunday, but I haven't had a chance to try them outside yet.


>4) Also, how much diff between ABEC-3 and ABEC-5?  I'm skating on ABEC-1
>   Bones which already seem darn fast.  A good idea to jump to ABEC-5s
>   for the 5-wheelers?  I do have some cushion money wise, so if I can gain
>   some significant performance I'm willing to pay for it.

Personally, I think ABEC 3's are the way to go.  The ABEC-5's are pretty
expensive and after a little wear and dirt, that fine precision is gone.
At the speed that our wheels are spinning, I had heard that the 3's are
all that we really need.
>
>5) One last thing, how do the varying axle types vary?  I notice that
>   Mogema style axles are apparently different enough to warrant Airlite
>   frames to have a specific model for those type of axles.  The racing
>   axles are similar to hop-up kits, no?

The Powerline axles are similar to the Mogema's (me thinks?).  They are
aluminum with a slotted end that locks into a counter sunk hole on the
outside of the frame.  An aluminum spacer slides over the axle between
the bearings.  The aluminum axle sinks into the inside of the opposite
frame wall.  They are held into place by a counter sunk allen head type
of screw.  The axles are solid, other than the drilled and tapped end.


From: [e-mail] (Plant a tree today! ---;*] )
Subject: Re: INLINE:  difference between frames? boots, wheels, etc.
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 1994 03:47:47 GMT

Anthony Chen ([e-mail]) wrote:
: I'm looking to get some low-end 5-wheelers, so probably I'll start
: out with some cheapo I-5 frames, but eventually I may want to move
: up to a better frame.  Is the drilling/mounting incompatible if I
: want to switch from a flat frame to a tiered one?

If their prices haven't gone up much, try the suregrip airlites.  When I
bought mine, they were only $30-40 more than the bendable I-5s.

:    I was told the Riedell 201TS boot doesn't fit very well.  The
:    401TS's fit very well apparently, but for much more money.  Can
:    anyone confirm about the 201s?  This is from the guys over at Inline
:    USA.
The fit depends on your foot type.  The 201s are more forgiving if you
have a medium to wide foot.  I have some good info for anyone trying to
break in a pair of 201s.  I'd post, but I don't want to was bandwidth if
nobody is interested.
:    I'd get some Bont Sharkies or Hustlers except I was told they're not
:    as comfortable over fairly long distances?  (Bluebottoms have a rep
:    for cracking under pressure, correct?)
Heard the same.
: 4) Also, how much diff between ABEC-3 and ABEC-5?  I'm skating on ABEC-1
:    Bones which already seem darn fast.  A good idea to jump to ABEC-5s
:    for the 5-wheelers?  I do have some cushion money wise, so if I can gain
:    some significant performance I'm willing to pay for it.
You will realize more difference by packing your bones with some fancy
oil (everyone has their opinion on what works best).  The difference
between ABEC-1s and ABEC-3 or 5s is measured in thousandths of an inch.
Unless you are planning do over 80 mph (has been done), you won't notice
the difference.



  __________________________________________________________________________


In-line Product Review Sheet

   Fill out each question as completely as possible. There's no rush to
   turn these things in, so if you have to wait a couple days, couple
   weeks, a month, whatever, then take your time. The goal here is to
   provide as much information and informed opinions as possible. Thanks.


   If you're reviewing a skate, please try and cover all features, like
   wheels, bearings, braking systems, wheel-rockering systems, liners,
   fasteners (laces, buckles, combo), chassis (the shell and runners),
   plus any other neat/adjustable features.

    1. Review by:
    2. Product type: (skate, safety gear, wheel, bearing, clothing*,
       accessory**)
    3. Brandname:
    4. Model name/number:
    5. Purchase price:
    6. From local store or mail order: (name the store too, with the
       address and phone number if it's a local store, otherwise just
       name the mail-order shop)
    7. Date purchased:
    8. How long have you used it:
    9. Pros: (list good features)
   10. Cons: (list not-so-good features and possible improvements it
       could use)
   11. Additional comments:
   12. My personal rating: 1 to 10 (10 being the best)



   *any sort of fanny/water packs go here; more luggage-sized stuff goes
   in accessories.
   **use accessories as the catch-all, when it's none of the previous
   types
     _________________________________________________________________



   -Tony Chen ([e-mail])

   *This image is Copyrighted - 1994 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission is
   granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as this
   copyright notice is included as either an HTML comment alongside the
   invokation (IMG SRC or HREF or otherwise) of the logo, or in the
   visible text.

   The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
   documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
   copyright holder.


     _________________________________________________________________

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