INLINE SPEED SKATES

BASICS: THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SPEED SKATE

SPEEDSKATE vs. INLINESKATE

Speed skates are essentially constructed in the same way as a "normal" inline skate. A speed skate consists of:

• BOOT
• FRAMES
• WHEELS
• BEARINGS
• MOUNTING SCREWS & AXLES

SPEED SKATE BOOTS

Speed skate Boots have a lower cut and sometimes even end below the ankle. Thus speed skate boots offer less support and stability in the ankle area, but in return you get more freedom of movement to be able to use the right skating technique.

The lack of support provided by the shoe means that both the muscles and tendons have to get used to the holding power and stress of speed skating. There are various training possibilities for this, which we have compiled in the section Entrance into speed skating.

Most speed skate boots are either made of 100% carbon or a composite materials in which glass fibre or basalt is mixed in. Carbon boots can be thermally deformed and thus adapted to the individual foot shape. Composite shoes are either more difficult to fit or cannot be deformed at all.

SPEEDSKATE FRAMES

Compared to other inline skate frames, speed skate frames are usually a little longer in order to achieve the highest possible level of running smoothness even at high speeds. Nevertheless, it is important to stay agile and agile, especially in competition situations, in order to be able to react quickly, e.g. in pulk rides.

With the development of the 3-wheeled Speedskates the frames could be constructed shorter without losing speed. The current most popular frame length in speed skating is 12.8"/325mm for a 125mm setup. For a 4x110mm setup the minimum track length is 13.2"/335mm.

Speedskate frames are mainly made of high quality aluminium alloys (6061 or 7050), but magnesium or carbon rails are also not uncommon. The common mounting distances are 195mm, 165mm and Trinity exclusively from Powerslide.

WHEELS FOR SPEEDSKATING

Basically, the wheels have the greatest effect when it comes to the performance of an inline skate. In speed skating, however, the wheels are a science in themselves. Actually it's just a little bit of "rubber", but it's not quite that simple ;)

The really good racing wheels usually consist of several layers of polyurethane of different hardness, which are carefully cast around each other. This technology is called differently by every manufacturer:

Matter = TR3
MPC = MTech®
ROLLERBLADE = Dual-Premium Urethane

Due to the different hardnesses of the polyurethane layers, there is a larger contact surface with the road during the push, which means that more energy can be transferred and a higher speed is the result.

SPEED BEARINGS

In speed skating, every hundredth of a second counts, and therefore every component of a speed skate. Especially the ball bearings play an important role in the free running of the wheels. In the case of ball bearings for speed skating, the material and the precision are the most important factors.

Bearing Material

A distinction is made between steel bearings, stainless steel bearings, ceramic bearings and hybrid bearings. To ensure that the bearings have the highest possible speed, it is important that the material is very hard. Therefore, steel, ceramic or hybrid bearings are often used in speed skating.

The precision

The precision of the ball bearings is specified in ABEC. In short, the higher the ABEC number, the more accurate the bearings are manufactured. Often the ABEC number is used as a quality feature, but this is wrong. Theoretically, an Abec 11 bearing can also be made of wood, but then it is not skateable. Therefore, when choosing the right bearings for speed skating, the combination of a good steel/ceramic and precision should be considered.

The 2in1 Skate - Rollerblade E2 Pro 125 & 110

The E2 Pro 125 & 110 from Rollerblade has a very special feature that makes the skate especially interesting. It has a removable shaft, which turns the skate into a flat speed skate in a few easy steps.

With the shaft mounted, the skate allows longer ridse without putting too much strain on the muscles. The perfect all-rounder for touring and speed skating.

The Rollerblade E2 is available as 125mm and 110mm setup.
In the 125mm Setup, it comes with the better Rollerblade Hydrogen wheels.

ANKLE BOOTIES: SMALL HELMPERS, BIG EFFECT!

Ankle Booties, also known as Footies, are half stockings made of neoprene and help prevent chafing and blisters. Available in different thicknesses and are therefore suitable for different purposes. They are available in 1mm, 2mm and 3mm thickness. The Ankle Booties in 1mm thickness effectively prevent chafing and blistering. In 2mm and 3mm thickness it is also possible to find a little more hold and support in the shoe, as they basically build up padding from the foot towards the shoe. Especially during the breaking-in period of the new shoe the Ankle Booties/Footies avoid weeks of breaks to cure chafed areas on the foot.

TRAINING EQUIPMENT FOR SPEED SKATING

Of course, nothing helps as much as skating itself, but this is not always possible due to weather conditions. Many exercises can also be easily integrated into everyday life, for example brushing teeth on one leg. The brushing movement will easily put you out of balance, this has to be compensated on one leg, this way you simulate the lateral forces acting on the sides when skating. Advanced skaters can also stand on a soft surface. Wobble boards, balance boards and slide boards also help to improve your performance, your holding power and your stability for speed skating.