Sometimes a product get so popular that the brand name become synonymous with the product itself. Kleenex is actually facial tissue ("Please pass me a Kleenex?"). Xerox is actually a photo copier ("Can you Xerox that for me?"). Windex is actually glass cleaner ("Where's the Windex?"). You get the point. The biggest one probably is when people com in the store and ask "Where are the Rollerblades"? (During the late 80's and early 90's , Rollerblade Inc. a company founded by the Brennan brothers in Minnesota widely promoted Inline skating to the point that it was so successful the trademark name "Rollerblade" became synonymous with the sport.) Well, the "INLINE SKATE" wa.ll is right over there...
There are several types of in line skates. There are adjustable ones for kids. hockey boots, fitness skates, and Aggressive or stunt skates. In line skates consist of four main parts. The boot, frame, wheels and bearings.
The boot is the most important part of the skate and depending on how you plan to use your skates will dictate the fit. Fitness skates usually have a higher boot around the ankle for support and a soft boot upper (usually comprised mainly of fabric for light weight and breathe-ability) and are by far the most popular type we sell for the recreational skater. This makes them easier to skate in and offers more support. Most of the other diciplines prefer a harder boot for impact protection and or better control of the skate.
The frame is the part that holds the wheels onto the boot and is either made of polyurethane (plastic) or some form of alloy which tends to be more expensive but also more durable and solid. The frame wont flex as much when the skate is weighted and n weighted during the stride. Frame lengths range from 2-wheeled frame styles for aggressive skating to around 230mm for short framed 4 wheel skates. The max is about 325mm for 5 wheeled racing skates.
Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. The are rated on the ABEC scale which is a measure of the manufacturers precision tolerance, rated from 1 (worst) to 11 (best) in odd number increments. Since 2007 however some manufacturers have started to use their own rating systems. Rollerblade Inc. for example uses SG1 to SG9, Twincam bearings uses ILQ (In Line Qualified). The majority of bearings are produced in China and are considerably poorer in quality than ones produced in Canada, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, or the United States. Two bearings are used per wheel. They are held together in the wheel by the axle spacer which can be made out of either steel or plastic.
Wheels are now almost all made of polyurethane which is a form of durable plastic, it's cheaper and also more durable than rubber compounds, but you sacrifice grip. Their hardness is rated by Durometer, the higher the number the harder the wheel. Most skate wheels are between 78A and 93A. The lower numbers have more roll resistance but the higher numbers don't wear down as much. There are also different profiles depending on the application. Rounder wheels for stunts, elliptical wheels for speed.
When coming in to be fitted the skates should be snug, with just a tiny bit of space between the toes and the front of the skate. Also, don't forget the protective gear because nothing says ouch like road rash, and a helmet is a must as well.
Thanks again for reading. Stay tuned fr the next installment..
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