Quads for smooth outdoor surfaces

[Kennii]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and just wanted some advise buying my second pair of skates

I bought some Rookie Classic II skates a couple of years back for £70, which I've used on and off. They we're okay when I was just starting out, but now that I'm really interested in skating, I want to save up for a better pair.

In the future, I'd love to learn artistic skating, but at the moment I don't have the time to travel further to indoor rinks, so I'll have to stick to outdoor skating for now.

I only practise skating on smooth tarmac surfaces like empty basketball courts. I never skate on the streets or even down foot paths and I don't plan to. I'm still a beginner and I'm trying to learn transitions, so nothing super complex but hopefully with practise I can learn more complicated skills.

£300 is my maximum budget. I thought about going for Moxi Lolly skates but I want to know if there are other better options out there. It would also have to be something I can buy/order in the UK.

I know some people also buy boots, plates and wheels etc separate. I really don't know much about the components of skates but I'm trying to learn. I've heard people say things like a stiffer boots is better for more support and metal plates are better than nylon, but it's still a bit confusing lol.

Also I know softer wheels are reccomended for outdoor skating, but If I only skate on smooth tarmac, is it better to go for something a bit harder?

Just wondering what my best options are. Any advise would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[fierocious1]

Originally Posted by Kennii

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and just wanted some advise buying my second pair of skates

I bought some Rookie Classic II skates a couple of years back for £70, which I've used on and off. They we're okay when I was just starting out, but now that I'm really interested in skating, I want to save up for a better pair.

In the future, I'd love to learn artistic skating, but at the moment I don't have the time to travel further to indoor rinks, so I'll have to stick to outdoor skating for now.

I only practise skating on smooth tarmac surfaces like empty basketball courts. I never skate on the streets or even down foot paths and I don't plan to. I'm still a beginner and I'm trying to learn transitions, so nothing super complex but hopefully with practise I can learn more complicated skills.

£300 is my maximum budget. I thought about going for Moxi Lolly skates but I want to know if there are other better options out there. It would also have to be something I can buy/order in the UK.

I know some people also buy boots, plates and wheels etc separate. I really don't know much about the components of skates but I'm trying to learn. I've heard people say things like a stiffer boots is better for more support and metal plates are better than nylon, but it's still a bit confusing lol.

Also I know softer wheels are reccomended for outdoor skating, but If I only skate on smooth tarmac, is it better to go for something a bit harder?

Just wondering what my best options are. Any advise would be really appreciated. Thanks!

If you are skating on smooth outdoor sufaces, I would recommend plastic hub wheels about 90 duro depending on if there are cracks or if smooth floors. About the skates, I don't do artistic so someone else will have to chime in.

[zebra1922]

You don’t need to restrict yourself to UK sites, i order from US sites and use a forwarding company like Myus.com. Not so great with the exchange rate where it is but opens up the options to more skates.

Skate Britain have the Riedell Citizen boot for less than £100 right now. oK with the supplied Thrust plate but also easy to upgrade to a metal plate when you need. If you like a boot and want leather the Riedell 120 is a good option. Try skateus.com or skates.com for some ideas.

You will probably find smooth tarmac isn’t all that smooth so a softer wheel (88a or less) is probably best, helps absorb the bumps and less risk of falling over from a small stone.

I mentioned the thrust plate, this is nylon and ok as a starter but if your heavy (I’m 90kg) you may find it flexes too much, hence I upgraded to a metal plate (falco f-16 in my case but there are loads of good options form c. £100 upwards, what is best for you will depend on the type of skating you plan to do).

[Kennii]

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'd rather go for a leather boot like the Riedell 120.
The Riedell 120 Celebrity has the nylon thrust plate and outdoor wheels (I think they are 78A).

https://www.roller.riedellskates.com...-120-Celebrity

I'm thinking of getting these. Might change the wheels for something slightly harder later. I'm around 65kg so I'm guessing the nylon plate is fine for now. I'll probably upgrade the plate at some point in the future but I'd rather spread the cost out. If I'm ordering from the US I'm sure there will be a customs charge anyway.

[zebra1922]

Originally Posted by Kennii

Thanks for the replies!

I think I'd rather go for a leather boot like the Riedell 120.
The Riedell 120 Celebrity has the nylon thrust plate and outdoor wheels (I think they are 78A).

https://www.roller.riedellskates.com...-120-Celebrity

I'm thinking of getting these. Might change the wheels for something slightly harder later. I'm around 65kg so I'm guessing the nylon plate is fine for now. I'll probably upgrade the plate at some point in the future but I'd rather spread the cost out. If I'm ordering from the US I'm sure there will be a customs charge anyway.

Similar to what I started with although I skate indoors so I went for the Riedell Uptown, purchased from skates.com for $161 after a 10% discount (eep an eye out, this discount comes and goes). As I mentioned I used an importer to reship to the UK. Had to pay postage from the shipping service (MyUS, approx $30) and VAT (no duty but you do have to pay VAT on the invoice price and the postage cost) but still cheaper than buying from a UK supplier.

After a couple of months I upgraded the wheels to Bones Elite 101a and was getting to much flex from the nylon plate so changed to a metal one, but they are a great skate, and as a reasonable quality leather boot it's not a waste of money to upgrade. As you noted at 65kg you probably won't notice the flex in the plate like a heavy fella like me does!