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+--- Thread: Old timer back on skates (/showthread.php?tid=1472)
Old timer back on skates - Beech Creek Gary - 11-29-2017
Hi all,
I'm a 71 year old that recently got back on wheels. I learned to skate on the sidewalks of Brooklyn when I was 8 years old. The skates were a pair of metal clamp ons with steel wheels. My dad took my sister and I to a rink for the first time when I was 10 or 11 (1956 -1957). I think the wheels on the rental skates were made of either wood or clay based. I skated on rink rentals until I was 32 when I got married. Life caught up with me at that point & I never seemed to find time to skate until now.
All of the rinks I skated back then had wood floors. I was shocked to find that the three rinks local to me have painted concrete floors. I bought a pair of Rock GT-50 skates to get rolling again & I'll probably get some Bonts once I find my balance again. I'm having a hard time with the grippy wheels that are prevalent now. At 300 lbs even Bones 103s are too grippy. I ordered a set of Fo-Mac Premiers & got 2 wobbly wheels out of the 8 and Sure-Grip is dragging their feet about replacing them under their warranty. If anyone has a contact at Sure-Grip customer service please shoot mena PM.
Didn't mean to get sidetracked....it's good to be rolling again and very nice that there is a friendly forum to participate on.
Gary
RE: Old timer back on skates - "okie"1 - 12-03-2017
Hi there Gary I am a old guy that skates too (76) I am a little confused about the grippy descriptions. Are you say-in that they will not roll because of the grip or the grip to much/strong in the turns push off etc. All grip when you push.
And what >>>>wheel bearings are you using at your weight?
Thanks will help if I can.
RE: Old timer back on skates - Reserector - 12-04-2017
Hi, Gary. I'm only 54, but I feel like I've hit an "age spurt". Hopefully I'll get past my current problems and get back on wheels myself.
Welcome to the site, and welcome back to skating!
I can understand going with wheels that you are familiar with. Go with what you can work with. Did you do any dance or figure skating back in the day?
RE: Old timer back on skates - Beech Creek Gary - 12-05-2017
(12-03-2017, 08:49 PM)okie Wrote: Hi there Gary I am a old guy that skates too (76) I am a little confused about the grippy descriptions. Are you say-in that they will not roll because of the grip or the grip to much/strong in the turns push off etc. All grip when you push.
And what >>>>wheel bearings are you using at your weight?
Thanks will help if I can.
I have a set of RollerBones Team 101A w/ Bones Super Reds bearings and a set of RollerBones Art Elite 103A w/ Neal Swiss bearings. These wheels a too grippy for me. Zero slide & can't do a T stop without a lot of chatter. I have a set of Qube 8 bearings for the Fo-Mac Premiers if Sure-Grip ever gets around to replacing the bad wheels. I might just bite the bullet & buy another set.
RE: Old timer back on skates - Beech Creek Gary - 12-05-2017
No, I never did any figure or dance back then. I was happy to go round and round frontwards mostly & was getting the hang of skating backwards a bit.
Old timer back on skates - Reserector - 12-05-2017
He reason I asked is because most skaters who choose the old school wheels want them because you can change the direction of your skate without having to lift it off the floor.
I skaters on Premiers on the 70s. Had some Ranalli wheels after that.
Sent from my SM-G900R7 using Tapatalk
RE: Old timer back on skates - "okie"1 - 12-05-2017
(12-05-2017, 11:08 AM)Beech Creek Gary Wrote:Ok thanks for the updates. At your weight and the Bones art wheels do not slide. We need to ask about the floor >SURFACE.(12-03-2017, 08:49 PM)okie Wrote: Hi there Gary I am a old guy that skates too (76) I am a little confused about the grippy descriptions. Are you say-in that they will not roll because of the grip or the grip to much/strong in the turns push off etc. All grip when you push.
And what >>>>wheel bearings are you using at your weight?
Thanks will help if I can.
I have a set of RollerBones Team 101A w/ Bones Super Reds bearings and a set of RollerBones Art Elite 103A w/ Neal Swiss bearings. These wheels a too grippy for me. Zero slide & can't do a T stop without a lot of chatter. I have a set of Qube 8 bearings for the Fo-Mac Premiers if Sure-Grip ever gets around to replacing the bad wheels. I might just bite the bullet & buy another set.
Your comment about concrete that is painted. When rinks quit using maple hardwood because of the cost and upkeep they moved onto a EPOXY floor covering applied over the top of the paint and concrete. It must cure/harden with age. It does have a catalyst mixed to accomplish this. Trade name is "Roll ON" They have a website.
Usually this type of floor covering provides A > huge amount of grip for the first month of service and degrades overtime from dirty wheels and the amount of cleaning done to remove the abrasive dust after sessions. etc. Even a >Art wheel will have grip if the floor has been recently recoated.
At your weight: Recommendations are usually. A 62mm X 44mm 95A/97A duro number and a ALUMINUM HUB< Only. One other design quirk also is if you use any plastic,nylon substrate wheel hub at your weight the hub will distort and add a huge amount of grip. Wheel goes flat on the floor surface.
Roller skate design manufacturing (plates and wheels) practices use a standard skater profile. 180lbs. 5 ft 9" tall. Max skater weight 220lbs. When you go out of these parameters you must do as you say ,experiment etc what will work for you.
Tell us about your floor surface etc. Please.