New Riedell 965 Minx! Derby! - Page 3

8-Ball · September 25th, 2008, 12:58 PM

Ya know... just not sure on that Roll Line vs. Reactor..

I have never skated a Varriant.. so I am not about to lay comments about it..

But I have skated a driver.. and I have to say its a toss up.

The Reactor is much lighter then the Driver.. BUT.. the driver just flat out turns better... and has very smooth transitions..

The Reactor vs. a Navigator.. is a no brainer... the Nav wins flat out, but at basically DOUBLE the cost.. brand new....

Anyone here Skated the Varriant and Reactor?

BTW.. 225 shipped for reactors at BSI.

Fresh Eddie Fresh · September 25th, 2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrydk

Also, for the amount of money that Labeda Proline plate costs, I would go with a Reactor.

I fixed that for you.

A-Town Sk8er · September 25th, 2008, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Ya know... just not sure on that Roll Line vs. Reactor..

I have never skated a Varriant.. so I am not about to lay comments about it..

But I have skated a driver.. and I have to say its a toss up.

The Reactor is much lighter then the Driver.. BUT.. the driver just flat out turns better... and has very smooth transitions..

The Reactor vs. a Navigator.. is a no brainer... the Nav wins flat out, but at basically DOUBLE the cost.. brand new....

Anyone here Skated the Varriant and Reactor?

BTW.. 225 shipped for reactors at BSI.

I know you LOVE your Navs but like ive said in the past the only difference between a Driver and a Nav is the weight. You could get a Driver machined (like i did) and id be willing to bet my Drivers are lighter now than your Navs

. BTW Roger (ogfarmskater) had his Variants machined also and i think hes review was quiet good on them also! When you type comparing the two you always seem to make it like its a night and day comparison when in reality .... its not!

With this being said ... if i bought brand new... id go with a Variant and then get it machined if i thought it was to heavy.... You just cant go wrong for the price...

8-Ball · September 25th, 2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Town Sk8er

I know you LOVE your Navs but like ive said in the past the only difference between a Driver and a Nav is the weight. You could get a Driver machined (like i did) and id be willing to bet my Drivers are lighter now than your Navs

. BTW Roger (ogfarmskater) had his Variants machined also and i think hes review was quiet good on them also! When you type comparing the two you always seem to make it like its a night and day comparison when in reality .... its not!

With this being said ... if i bought brand new... id go with a Variant and then get it machined if i thought it was to heavy.... You just cant go wrong for the price...

Thanks for reminding me...

Here is something strange..

I just have the wife set up on TWO skates..

1 a 695 and and Red Driver.. ( I beleive I Have been told that the Red Driver is lighter then the standard Driver)

1 a 695 and Navigator..((if it matters.. these are the older Chromed Drivers)..

Now she SWEARS.. that the Nav.. skates better... they have the exact same clear blue cushions... is this a figment of her Imagination... or could there be some reason for this???

bilboa · September 25th, 2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Thanks for reminding me...

Here is something strange..

I just have the wife set up on TWO skates..

1 a 695 and and Red Driver.. ( I beleive I Have been told that the Red Driver is lighter then the standard Driver)

1 a 695 and Navigator..((if it matters.. these are the older Chromed Drivers)..

Now she SWEARS.. that the Nav.. skates better... they have the exact same clear blue cushions... is this a figment of her Imagination... or could there be some reason for this???

Are the drivers and navs the same length?

Also, when I switched from Reactors to Drivers the weight bothered me for a while, especially when doing any sort of dance moves where I swing my feet around a lot, even though overall I like the drivers better because of how they turn. So I can easily imagine someone feeling like the navs handle better just due to them being lighter.

Iggy · September 25th, 2008, 05:49 PM

If the wheels are narrower on one pair maybe. I know between my wide Sure Grip wheels and my narrow Roll Line wheels there's a good bit of difference. Other than that, I dunno. As far as I know the "Red Driver" is just a regular Driver with red trucks and shouldn't be lighter than any other Driver. Then again I could be wrong on that.

A-Town Sk8er · September 25th, 2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Thanks for reminding me...

Never a problem

Quote:

1 a 695 and and Red Driver.. ( I beleive I Have been told that the Red Driver is lighter then the standard Driver)

Iggy said exactly what i was gonna say....

Quote:

Now she SWEARS.. that the Nav.. skates better... they have the exact same clear blue cushions... is this a figment of her Imagination... or could there be some reason for this???

Id be willing to say she probably says that because of the weight difference as bilboa said .... and id also be willing to bet that they arent setup 100% exact ... to a T ... the same

The Notorious DGD · September 25th, 2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatalieBreaux

Thanks so much for your reply Fresh Eddie, but I am looking to buy new boots! I will definitely pass this information on if needed though!

To FanJet8: what is the difference in skating with heels vs. no heels and why do you prefer to skate with no heals?

Those boots have never been mounted or used, and the leather quality is much better than on the newer ones. You'd be a fool to pass 'em up, especially at that price.

Just sayin'.

Personally, I have 595s, old 265s (which have higher heels than any speed boot out today), and just about everything in between, and I don't find the heel difference to be *that* noticeable. I do feel like I have to adjust my stance for the 595s, but I think that's largely because they're the boots I skate in the least.

8-Ball · September 26th, 2008, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Town Sk8er

Never a problem

Iggy said exactly what i was gonna say....

Id be willing to say she probably says that because of the weight difference as bilboa said .... and id also be willing to bet that they arent setup 100% exact ... to a T ... the same

Ahhh there were the factors I wasnt taking into consideration.. but not with the results youd think

RED Driver.. is a 140... skating Narrow Zodiacs..

Navigator is a 150.. Skating OLD SCHOOL RED DEVIL RAYS...

Now with that.. id say that the driver should skate better..

but with even wider wheels.. and.. a longer wheel base.. the nav skates better..

Hmmmm

larrydk · September 26th, 2008, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by larrydk
Also, for the amount of money that Labeda Proline plate costs, I would go with a Reactor.

I really meant the Matrix (roll-line), not the reactor.

My opinion of the Reactor is low, I've scrutinized the design and do not think Riedell is offering anything innovative in this case. I know these are just opinions, but the roll-line is a superior design, as well as superior materials.

When buyng upper end stuff, it's too bad skaters can't try things out before commiting.

Iggy · September 26th, 2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Ahhh there were the factors I wasnt taking into consideration.. but not with the results youd think

RED Driver.. is a 140... skating Narrow Zodiacs..

Navigator is a 150.. Skating OLD SCHOOL RED DEVIL RAYS...

Now with that.. id say that the driver should skate better..

but with even wider wheels.. and.. a longer wheel base.. the nav skates better..

Hmmmm

Are the Devil Ray's perhaps harder than the Zodiacs? I've noticed that makes a noticeable difference too. Other than that, I can't think of anything. Really in the end it comes down to personal preference. I mean it's completely possible someone somewhere would prefer to skate something like a Nova over a Matrix

A-Town Sk8er · September 26th, 2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

Ahhh there were the factors I wasnt taking into consideration.. but not with the results youd think

RED Driver.. is a 140... skating Narrow Zodiacs..

Navigator is a 150.. Skating OLD SCHOOL RED DEVIL RAYS...

Now with that.. id say that the driver should skate better..

but with even wider wheels.. and.. a longer wheel base.. the nav skates better..

Hmmmm

Must be that she likes longer plates....

The Notorious DGD · September 26th, 2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Town Sk8er

Must be that she likes longer plates....

With wider wheels.

Fresh Eddie Fresh · September 26th, 2008, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dayglodivine

With wider wheels.

...and silver trucks!

The Notorious DGD · September 26th, 2008, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fresh Eddie Fresh

...and silver trucks!

Yes. Size AND color matter.

Doc Sk8 · September 26th, 2008, 03:44 PM

If you look back through the Roll Line discussions earlier this year, the Variant and Driver are the same bare plate...other than plating.

The Navigator is the same alloy as the two previously mentioned...but machined like an Energy so all else being equal, it is lighter.

Same color cushions is no guarantee of the exact same durometer.... I have measured +/-2 Shore A. There is more possibility of suspension variation with use...

Same boot, same wheels and bearings, same suspension, same plate length and identical mounting. Then you could make a call as to what the plate does.

Roll Line trucks are the same (except Matrix and Ring which we have all grumbled about the cheezy angle chop for the change in pivot geometry.) All the colored regular trucks are just plated differently than the silver ones. The only "lighter" Roll Line truck I know of are the set on my Giotto, polished like Snyder trucks...

I have owned 3 Variant sk8s. All 3 lasted me maybe a month before I got an offer I could not refuse. The stock rubber suspension on a Variant has a different "feel" than the Driver, Navigator, etc.

The Reactor is not a quantum leap in plate design but is is more than satisfactory for Derby. The suspension parts leave something to be desired but that is easily rectified....

Boots?? The 965 does not look like it breaks all that much new ground to me. Looks a lot like a Euro quad hockey boot. http://www.slapshotuk.com/boots.htm Scroll down and look at some of the stuff if you have not already. I like what I see in the new Bonts but I don't beat 'em hard enough to tell if they have the necessary durability...

Recommendation.... Get a Variant. If it's too heavy, machine it. Upgrade the suspension if ya want...

Sorry for the ramble

roller_dudette · September 27th, 2008, 11:21 PM

so do others who beat sk8s up hard find the bont derby holds and works well? i think if i ever get a new boot, i might have to go with those since i have ridiculously narrow ankles and a boxy toe box so even the 265s pinch my toes on the side. i was thinking a 595 w/ a heel, 1/2 size up and narrow heel but those sound like they would hurt and would be costly. or maybe now a 122.....

Metallikat · September 29th, 2008, 11:41 AM

My Bonts are looking a bit beaten up around the heel, and are only 2 months old. I got the derby leather rather than the carbon, and the heel area (which is fibreglass with a shiny coating on it) has quite a few chips and scrapes on it already. It's just cosmetic though. The toe protection is utterly useless and mine wore straight through on my first knee drop, leaving a lovely big black streak on the floor behind me

Nothing than a few layers of cloth hockey tape can't fix.

After a bit of re-heat-moulding, mine fit me very well now and are very comfortable. I never have sore feet when I skate anymore.

roller_dudette · September 29th, 2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metallikat

My Bonts are looking a bit beaten up around the heel, and are only 2 months old. I got the derby leather rather than the carbon, and the heel area (which is fibreglass with a shiny coating on it) has quite a few chips and scrapes on it already. It's just cosmetic though. The toe protection is utterly useless and mine wore straight through on my first knee drop, leaving a lovely big black streak on the floor behind me

Nothing than a few layers of cloth hockey tape can't fix.

After a bit of re-heat-moulding, mine fit me very well now and are very comfortable. I never have sore feet when I skate anymore.

well, hopefully he will rework this. sounds good but not as sturdy as i would like in a good boot. i dont like the 265s but they dont fall apart either.

Jawbreaker · September 30th, 2008, 02:19 PM

Hi
just a quick word on the 965/minx. The boots I skate currently LOOK like the minx/965 but they are in no way the same construction. Here's how mine are different from the stock version:

no lace cover
no elastic holding the tongue in place, I've got lace bars instead.
595 style wedge heel rather than the 265/695 heel
and 3x the counter in the right foot only. ( I destroy boots and must have a stiff counter)

The caribbean colored ones that 8Ball posted are the originals, the first ones I tried, prototypes from what Riedell told me. I suggested changes and Riedell made my boots exactly as requested. I skated the black/red ones in the roll line ad for approximately 6 months and now I'm in another new pair that is exactly the same, only with blue accents. My black/red ones are pretty trashed. btw, 6 months is the longest any boots have lasted for me.

But yes, stock minx/965 are great derby boots and will hold up will for most skaters.

These are the "prototypes." Notice how low the lace cover is and the tongue also. I would have skated these more but they were actually too big for me. I skated these like 3x then requested changes.

Version 2, with requested changes.

Version 3. Same as 2 only blue.

September 25th, 2008, 05:49 PM	#46
Iggy DGS Racing Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: PITTSBURGH, PA Posts: 3,398	If the wheels are narrower on one pair maybe. I know between my wide Sure Grip wheels and my narrow Roll Line wheels there's a good bit of difference. Other than that, I dunno. As far as I know the "Red Driver" is just a regular Driver with red trucks and shouldn't be lighter than any other Driver. Then again I could be wrong on that. __________________ Skate Drama Free "Ultimate V - Like a skate mullet." -dvw

September 26th, 2008, 10:17 AM	#50
larrydk Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chicago burbs Posts: 223	my mistake Originally Posted by larrydk Also, for the amount of money that Labeda Proline plate costs, I would go with a Reactor. I really meant the Matrix (roll-line), not the reactor. My opinion of the Reactor is low, I've scrutinized the design and do not think Riedell is offering anything innovative in this case. I know these are just opinions, but the roll-line is a superior design, as well as superior materials. When buyng upper end stuff, it's too bad skaters can't try things out before commiting. __________________ Simmons w/Simmons frame - awesome Quads: 595 - roll-line Energy/Ti- Sure-grip purples, swiss, Bikes: Cinelli, Gios, Speacialized

September 26th, 2008, 03:44 PM	#56
Doc Sk8 Yankee Catfish Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Big hill on Mars Posts: 12,135	Fascinating discussion. If you look back through the Roll Line discussions earlier this year, the Variant and Driver are the same bare plate...other than plating. The Navigator is the same alloy as the two previously mentioned...but machined like an Energy so all else being equal, it is lighter. Same color cushions is no guarantee of the exact same durometer.... I have measured +/-2 Shore A. There is more possibility of suspension variation with use... Same boot, same wheels and bearings, same suspension, same plate length and identical mounting. Then you could make a call as to what the plate does. Roll Line trucks are the same (except Matrix and Ring which we have all grumbled about the cheezy angle chop for the change in pivot geometry.) All the colored regular trucks are just plated differently than the silver ones. The only "lighter" Roll Line truck I know of are the set on my Giotto, polished like Snyder trucks... I have owned 3 Variant sk8s. All 3 lasted me maybe a month before I got an offer I could not refuse. The stock rubber suspension on a Variant has a different "feel" than the Driver, Navigator, etc. The Reactor is not a quantum leap in plate design but is is more than satisfactory for Derby. The suspension parts leave something to be desired but that is easily rectified.... Boots?? The 965 does not look like it breaks all that much new ground to me. Looks a lot like a Euro quad hockey boot. http://www.slapshotuk.com/boots.htm Scroll down and look at some of the stuff if you have not already. I like what I see in the new Bonts but I don't beat 'em hard enough to tell if they have the necessary durability... Recommendation.... Get a Variant. If it's too heavy, machine it. Upgrade the suspension if ya want... Sorry for the ramble __________________ "The difference between good skates and great skates comes from knowing where to get the numbers."

September 30th, 2008, 02:19 PM	#60
Jawbreaker skategeek Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 15	Hi just a quick word on the 965/minx. The boots I skate currently LOOK like the minx/965 but they are in no way the same construction. Here's how mine are different from the stock version: no lace cover no elastic holding the tongue in place, I've got lace bars instead. 595 style wedge heel rather than the 265/695 heel and 3x the counter in the right foot only. ( I destroy boots and must have a stiff counter) The caribbean colored ones that 8Ball posted are the originals, the first ones I tried, prototypes from what Riedell told me. I suggested changes and Riedell made my boots exactly as requested. I skated the black/red ones in the roll line ad for approximately 6 months and now I'm in another new pair that is exactly the same, only with blue accents. My black/red ones are pretty trashed. btw, 6 months is the longest any boots have lasted for me. But yes, stock minx/965 are great derby boots and will hold up will for most skaters. These are the "prototypes." Notice how low the lace cover is and the tongue also. I would have skated these more but they were actually too big for me. I skated these like 3x then requested changes. Version 2, with requested changes. Version 3. Same as 2 only blue. __________________ [FONT="Arial Narrow"][COLOR="DarkRed"]Jawbreaker #86 TEAM AWESOME USA Minnesota Rollergirls[/COLOR][/FONT]

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September 25th, 2008, 12:58 PM	#41
8-Ball CERTIFIED ANTI CRONIE!!!! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Frozen Tundra.. Posts: 3,848	Ya know... just not sure on that Roll Line vs. Reactor.. I have never skated a Varriant.. so I am not about to lay comments about it.. But I have skated a driver.. and I have to say its a toss up. The Reactor is much lighter then the Driver.. BUT.. the driver just flat out turns better... and has very smooth transitions.. The Reactor vs. a Navigator.. is a no brainer... the Nav wins flat out, but at basically DOUBLE the cost.. brand new.... Anyone here Skated the Varriant and Reactor? BTW.. 225 shipped for reactors at BSI.

September 27th, 2008, 11:21 PM	#57
roller_dudette skate addict! Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,332	so do others who beat sk8s up hard find the bont derby holds and works well? i think if i ever get a new boot, i might have to go with those since i have ridiculously narrow ankles and a boxy toe box so even the 265s pinch my toes on the side. i was thinking a 595 w/ a heel, 1/2 size up and narrow heel but those sound like they would hurt and would be costly. or maybe now a 122.....

September 29th, 2008, 11:41 AM	#58
Metallikat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 161	My Bonts are looking a bit beaten up around the heel, and are only 2 months old. I got the derby leather rather than the carbon, and the heel area (which is fibreglass with a shiny coating on it) has quite a few chips and scrapes on it already. It's just cosmetic though. The toe protection is utterly useless and mine wore straight through on my first knee drop, leaving a lovely big black streak on the floor behind me Nothing than a few layers of cloth hockey tape can't fix. After a bit of re-heat-moulding, mine fit me very well now and are very comfortable. I never have sore feet when I skate anymore.