Ancient Inline Skate Questions

[DocZ]

Hello to all,

I'm brand new here and hopeful that I can learn from you all.
I've been skating in the same skates for about 30 years. My original Bravo Blades have held up very well, but are now making all kinds of rattling noises, which I think are due to the worn pivot points on the skate with a brake. For those who have never seen these skates, they have hard plastic boot and a rear brake that descends when you push your right foot forward. This feature is one reason I've never gotten new skates; I like being able to keep all my wheels on the pavement when I'm braking.

Unfortunately, the noise is just getting louder and I'm forced to consider my options. If I could get these repaired I would leap at the chance, but I suspect that parts would be nearly impossible to find. Does anyone have any suggestions about this?

Or I could try another skate with a rear brake. I've tried dragging one foot and even when younger it didn't go well. At this point I'm not enthusiastic about trying to master that skill. Any suggestions about the kinds of skates that would be suitable? Any chance that some company in the world makes skates like the Bravo Blades?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Doc

[Mort]

Depending on yout foot size, maybe rollerblade twister 80s.(243 mm frame) if you have a larger foot maybe fusion 84 or RB90'S.

Depends on what wheelbase you got right now.

Dont bother fixing those olde skates, i got some older rollerblade E pros, and wont buy them again.

[DocZ]

Thanks Matguy,

I'll look into the skates you mention. I wear a size 12. I'm thinking of going to a roller rink to try out some skates with a simple rear brake to see how I do with it. I appreciate your input

DocZ

[TimeZone3]

Hey Doc,
It sounds like your old skates use Rollerblade's ABT system. I had an ABT skate once, and I just used it like a normal brake. I don't think you can get the same amount of braking power from ABT as you can from a traditional fixed brake. But if you're truly stuck on the ABT system, it does look like Rollerblade's Bladerunner line still includes a skate with this kind of brake:

Bladerunner Performa

Speaking of vintage braking systems, though my favourite was the one I had on my old Oxygen skates. When you put pressure on the brake pad, the brake pad also swivelled and put pressure on the rear wheel. So the brake pad pushed against the ground to slow down, as well as slowing down the rear wheel. I could stop super fast on those things by putting all my weight on that one foot, and lifting the other one while I stopped. All my weight was on the brake pad and the rear wheel of the braking skate. It was great!

TZ

[Mort]

The ABT braking was developed to put the pad down while maintaining stability by keeping the entire skate on the ground (all wheels down) while moving the braking foot forward slightly, there was an adjuster nut IIRC on the back to dial in the engagement for a users preference, and as the pad wore down. This increased stability, and as a result for almost all skaters, helped with stopping faster when using a heel brake.

In reality, heel brakes are slow at stopping. They cannot produce the same results as a hockey or spin stop. This presumes that a skater is skilled enough to ise these stops with proficiency.

Hockey stopping can even be done on 110 frames, I skate with people that can do it indoors and out. Its all up to the skaters skill level if something is possible or not.

[projecttoday]

Have you tried ebay?

[MANY_SkatingDave]

Hi,

First of all I am almost 68 and my first RollerBlade InLines were bought from Play it Again Sports for 100$ someplace in the early 90s. They retailed at the time at 200$ plus. I guess that is almost 30 years ago, and they sound similar to the ones you describe. They got stolen out of my truck. I did love them.

Anyway, the skates I see InLiners including some young people I skate with are so so much better now, I feel like "Staying Ancient is Bad". I mean my one buddy I have skated with for 8 plus years (30s maybe now) recently bought some Roller Blade model from Dicks Sporting Goods, and I just want to own the same as him.

Anyway I am sure that other Newer InLines are as good, yet I would consider Ancient Downsizing, or Youth Reconditioning for a Skating Life UpGrade. Hey trying to be clever with words. DocZ Version 2.2

Keep Skating,

Yours in Skating, MA/NY Skating Dave

[shesk8]

Just a word of caution re: using old, old skates.
We've witnessed 2 unrelated incidences where skaters plastic shell boots just cracked and gave way. One of the skaters was simply standing at the time, and fortunately not rolling, herirse things could have been worse. Plastic is subject to lose material strength when subject to heat (like being stored in hot garage or attic space), and just over time plastic materials lose original strength, and become brittle. Always a good idea to check your gear, and look for hairline stress cracks on old skates.

Sometimes it's just time to retire the old and replace with new.