Doug Glass weighs in on quad plates.

[Rogzilla]

http://atomwheels.blogspot.com/2011/...d-present.html

Who wants to bet that these quad plates they're working on will be 19-degree ones? ;p

[Amefyst]

I have to admit, it makes me question my love of da45s! But then I skate them and know why I love them.

[rufusprime99]

It seems like his timeline is off. First was xk-4 single action, then xk-4/magnum DOUBLE ACTION. Then he says, THEN in '85..... I thought DA45 was NEW around the END of 2009, not pre 1985.

He also states that certain plates were made with a longer wheelbase for stability in the turns. Really? A longer wheelbase gives stability on a straight, not in a turn.

I like this quote: "For roller derby it is imperative skaters are first and foremost stabilized on their skates."

Yeah, if you want to be the one BEING hit. Be stable, sit there and wait. If you want to be the one DOING the hitting, the hard leaning quick turning 45 plate is a better choice, IMHO.

[Salamanda]

Hmm doesn't Atom have a quad plate in development? I wonder if it's going to be the 'optimal 19 degrees'. What other plates on the market are 19 degrees? And squirrelly action. Umm then tighten up the action or put on firmer cushions. See, no longer squirrelly..

[Poobah]

Next thing he'll try to convince us to spend $90-100 for a set of wheels with plastic hubs. Oh wait...

[VioletBuckle]

Originally Posted by Poobah

Next thing he'll try to convince us to spend $90-100 for a set of wheels with plastic hubs. Oh wait...

I was starting to think I was the only one who felt this way. I crush nylon hubs and pop the hubs out of the Atoms. For $10-$30 more, I can get a solid aluminum core or fanjets that are far superior.

I am intrigued by the idea of a 19 degree plate.
I've never been one to get on the da/45 train with everyone else. Fantastic for people who love them, but not for me.
I find them squirrely. I don't want my plate to do all of the work for me. I use my foot position, body, and excellent cushions/bushings to take care of the action I need. My feet, knees, shoulders, hips and toes are my steering wheel.

I look at the da/45 as an automatic shifting transmission...vs a da/10-15 which is to me more like a manual or stick shift transmission.
Personally I think a race car driver gets more control out of a vehicle with manual transmission vs robot car automatic. I think this is why I favor the Roll Lines over the Snyder da/45. I feel like my my body action controls the skate more than the skate is controlling my movements and body.

Then again I plan on buying the new SG Avenger in magnesium so I may eat my words here in a couple of months.

I would like to try this 19 degree plate. I like to try everything.

I'm hoping it will have a little more action than a 10-15 degree kingpin, but not nearly as much twitchiness of the da/45. I will say the da/45 Snyders are quite lovely and I may love them if I spent the big bucks and learned to tune them. Still a bit twitchy for me.

I don't like the idea of a longer plate. Longer plates are supposedly great for large oval or long outdoor track, but long plates do not equate to more agility and less skate lock scenarios in derby.

Interested to see what Atom has in store, however

[Gorilla]

Originally Posted by rufusprime99

It seems like his timeline is off........ I thought DA45 was NEW around the END of 2009, not pre 1985.

There were Imperial based speed designs in the mid-1980s. I don't remember them catching on.

[Kennedy]

Like I posted in the quad forum, but with less sarcasm....

Yes, speeds have increased over time. Reading the article, he correlates the increase of speed relative to the king pin angle and only the kingpin angle. He fails to comment about other areas of improvement over the years. Bearings got better, floor coatings dramatically improved, and lets not forget about all the huge improvements in skate wheels over the last few decades.