Returning To Inline Skating After 20 Years

seanof30306

Hi All,

Thanks for the ad. 20 years ago I used to skate 10 miles or so a day, but my knees and hips started hurting and it kept getting worse no matter what I did (except seeing a doctor. lol). I ended up quitting and time passed and passed, but I've never forgotten that feeling of freedom I had skating along (once I got in good enough shape to skate for awhile). You know those dreams you have where you can fly? Closest I've ever come to that is inline skating.

I'm retired now and want to get back to skating. I found out all that knee and hip pain I had was osteo-arthritis. I've learned to manage it, and hopefully I'll be able to continue to do that as I start skating again.

I've got a couple of equipment questions:

The first question is about knee, elbow, and especially wrist pads. I want good ones, but I don't want to break the bank, either. I broke my right wrist 10 years ago and had to have a plate and a bunch of screws put in. I have limited motion in that wrist and it hurts all the time. I don't want to re-injure it, so I will splurge for some high class writs guards! Can y'all make some recommendations?

The second question is about skates. I've had a pair of Switch-Its for 30 years and I love 'em. If you're not aware, Switch-Its allowed you to switch between inline skating blades and ice skating blades. What I love about them is they have a hard shell exterior with three adjustable buckles ... no laces. Once you know which settings on the buckles work, you just snap 'em on and go.

The problem is, my arches have fallen, and I've gone from a size 13 to a size 15. My Switch-Its don't fit anymore!

I found a set of no-name skates from China on ebay. They were the only skates I could find in my size that had a hard shell and buckles. Better yet, they were cheap. I didn't want to invest 300 bucks in a pair of RB XLs only to learn my arthritis can't take it. My plan is to dive back in slowly with the cheap skates. If my arthritis cooperates, I'll buy a better pair of skates, even if all I can find are ones with those cursed laces! Does anyone know of any inline skates in size 15 with a hard-shell outer and no laces?

Thanks

sevenspirals

Hard shell outer and no laces: sorry, that's a tough one. The closest I can think of would be a FR1 80 from FR. They have two buckles and the laces are pretty perfunctory but they are there. Same with the Rollerblade Twister series. They have just a few laces but they don't really matter much, it's the ratchet-action buckles doing the work. They are short laces and don't do much except tighten the toe-box (which I don't need/want any tightness on).

Now on protection. I have used just about all brands at this point. It's clear to me that the best wrist guards for just about everything are the neoprene style with long metal inserts. Dakine makes the highest quality ones I've used. They market them toward snowboarders but they are perfectly great for skating. The only drawback is that they can get funky pretty quick. I recommend using "Sink the Stink" which is made for wetsuits and works perfectly on these wristguards and other skating gear to de-odor. The reason these guards are superior is that the metal protection is stiffer than nylon inserts and offers better protection. It's also longer and protects the entire wrist and lower hand. They are more comfortable, yet flex less so than say a Triple 8 set of wrist guards (the worst crap quality except Burton). Even the Dakine wrist guard Chinese clones are halfway decent compared to the traditional "tri fold" skate wrist guards but the neoprene is lighter and the insert isn't as long (a key feature in the Dakines). I've taken two extremely hard wrist impacts on these guards and they saved me from an ER trip for sure in one case.

I do not know of any current skates which allow switching out your wheeled frame with an ice blade. However, I do know of inline ice blades which allow you to mount an ice blade in between your inline wheel-frame. That might be close to what you are wanting. The only drawback is that they tend to ride a little higher than a normal ice blade, but not by much. Those ice blades require special spacers to stabilize the blade. They do work, though. I've seen experienced skaters using them.

A note on knee pain. I had severe pain in my knees when I started skating. It lasted about 1.5 months and almost made me quit. Eventually my body adjusted and it went away but I don't have arthritis, that sounds like a complicating factor. Hopefully, the doc has you on something to help your joints.

sevenspirals

Also, I guess there is Marsblade and their roller frame kit for ice skates. That does sound like your "SwitchIt" skates a bit.

seanof30306

So, it wasn't the fact that you can switch back-and-forth between ice and street skates that I liked about my Switch-Its. it was the hard shell liner and the three-buckle closure. My ankles always felt very supported and once I knew what the proper adjustment settings for each of the three buckles per skate were, they were super-quick and easy to get in and out of and the fitment was always perfect.

Winston

I love how the multiple elastic straps conform to my knees, elbows, and wrists without being too constricting. Each strap is fully adjustable and is suitable for users of different sizes and girths. I recently had a bad wipeout while cruising and can attest to the durability and efficiency of this JBM protective gear set. The exterior plastic shells absorbed all the impact and pressure after landing on my knees. 

iristhomas1299

Rollerblades can range in price from $20 to $200, depending on the brand and model. Professional rollerblades, on the other hand, can occasionally cost more than $500.

counterpoise

I don't know if ice skating is gentler on the body than inline, but I ice skate fast almost every day and I have no injuries at all. I guess it's more expensive though as it costs me $7 each time while inline would be free.

motosk8ter

Hey Sean

Nothing like starting anew! Rollerblade made a series of exoskeleton boots in the 90's, perhaps before, using the three straps. I use them almost exclusively as the support and ease of use are excellent. The dirty secret behind these boots are they lurk in garage sales, second hand stores and even on eBay. They are cheap as folks bought them wanting to do inlines and decided the sport was not for them. You can score some decent used examples for little money. The drawback is the limiting of wheel size with 80mm being the most common. Returning to the sport a smaller size wheel is recommended for control and building your skating muscles and technique. I'd recommend a decent wheel with an 84A or so rating. Once you upgrade the wheels take a hard look at the bearings, I use Swiss 6 but there are other less expensive bearings that can give you ample performance. The better the bearing the faster and easier the skate. I don't ice skate so cannot speak to that. Armor and helmet are important. I use my bicycle helmet and have even strapped a bicycle light onto it for early darkness in the fall and winter. Decent armor can be purchased online, at Big 5 and almost any sporting goods store. I don't use the wrist guards as they make it difficult to use my technology, iPhone and ear buds but do use weight lifting leather finger gloves. I see you posted this in 2021 but you are retired and having temporal narcosis is not unusual at that age. good Luck, Phil