Indoor quad transition for outdoor suggestions?
Hello.
I have a pair of sure-grip sliders and I'm looking for suggestions to transition these skates from indoor to outdoor street/park skating.
Is that possible?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Comments
I've never skated in a skate park, but for street skating you'll want to get a dedicated pair of wheels for outdoor use. They should be soft wheels so they don't get torn up on asphalt or rough concrete. I think advice is generally to go below 85A durometer. That's the hybrid indoor/outdoor mark. I'd expect that a larger diameter wheel would help a bit with bumpiness and vibration on roads and paved greenways. Get a second set of bearings to use outdoors, I generally use my bones reds (or even abec rated) bearings for this and my bones swiss ceramics for indoors only. You'll still need to make sure you clean your bearings regularly, but that way you won't risk ruining nice bearings with grit and moisture from outside. I would get a good quality toe stop, not the terrible plasticky kind that comes on most prebuilt skates. It should feel firm but rubbery. I personally use the roll-line ambra hockey but the round ones would be fine too I'm sure. You'll also want toe covers to protect your skates in the most likely scrape areas. I know many skaters who use their skates in parks add slide rails to the plates so you may want those as well.
Always use wristguards and a helmet for outside skating because the little rocks will trip you eventually. The helmet should be a hard foam helmet that's impact rated like an S1 or similar. NO SOFT FOAM HELMETS. They don't protect your head. A mouth guard would also be a good idea. I use the pro-tec thin style that's prolific in roller derby. It's the easiest to speak and drink with, but any kind would do. If you're going park skating then you'll also want to add knee and elbow guards.
I'm part of a discord server where a bunch of them are rolling at skateparks. Here's the link to join if you want to talk to them. https://discord.gg/wUzuSGc
Sporting the right set of protective gear can significantly reduce the risk of sustaining injuries and can even save lives. It should be mandatory for every to wear a reliable and highly protective helmet no matter how skilled or experienced they are. Aside from a helmet, beginners can boost their confidence and secure themselves with knee and elbow pads as well as a trusty pair of wrist guards.