Speed skates are special inline skates, which enable skating techniques such as double push to be better implemented and more energy to be transferred to the road.
Speed skating is the fastest way of skating. Flat cut carbon half shoes, the big wheels and the fast speed bearings allow the speed skaters top speeds of
up to 70km/h and a record marathon time of 56:48 minutes!! This reached Bart Swings, 2015 in Berlin.
What to look out for when buying new inline speed skates and other useful tips to help you get started or change to speed skating can be found in our buying advice for speed skates.
With our information about speed skating, our entire skating knowledge is at your side.
This makes it easier for you to choose the right speed skate.
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
Spacers
MOUNTING SCREWS & AXLES
So far so clear, but the construction and the materials used for speed skates differ considerably.
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:
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.
START INTO SPEEDSKATING
In order to make the introduction to speed skating not too difficult, it makes sense to look for either an experienced skate partner or a club in your area.
You can find a large selection of clubs with speed skating teams in our club list. These clubs are supported by us and as a club/team member you can buy from us permanently at special discounted rates.
The right skates for the introduction to speed skating
It makes sense to choose a skate that facilitates the transition to speed skating, so-called "semi-speed skates".
These "Semi-Speedskates" have a higher shaft and support your muscles optimally. Furthermore, the danger of twisting and the risk of injury is lower overall.
If the skates are too flat in the beginning, there is often the risk that the skating technique is not properly learned and that what does not fit properly at the beginning has to be painstakingly corrected later.
Below we have compiled the best inline skates for beginners to speed skating:
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, 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.
THERMAL ADAPTATION OF SPEEDSKATES
Many speed skates offer the option of thermal adjustment. However, moulding is only recommended if the shoe causes pressure points or the fit needs to be adjusted.
If the shoe fits as delivered, an adjustment is not necessary. However, if this is necessary after a certain running-in period, you will find a general guide to the thermal adjustment of speed skates below.
thermal adjustment of speed skates.
We recommend that you leave the rail (without wheels) on the skates and work in a sitting position. Do not stand with your full weight on the skates!
Remove the wheels and undo the laces and buckles on the shoe
Preheat the oven to 100°C to 110°C (max. 120°C)
Place the shoe in the middle of the oven
Leave the shoe in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the upper of the shoe has softened perceptibly and can be squeezed easily
Caution: Do not get into the hot shoe. You could burn yourself. The metal eyelets and the metal strap of the buckle are also hot!
Let the shoe cool down a bit if necessary and check first with your hand whether you can get into the shoe
Lace the shoe tightly and also close the buckle tightly
Make sure you have the correct skate position. The knees should be above the toes
Wait until the shoe has cooled down
Tip: You can use the head of a screwdriver to press out pressure points on the shoe
Now repeat the process with the other shoe
You can repeat this process as often as you like if the desired result is not achieved immediately.
ADJUSTING SPEEDSKATES WITH A INDUSTRIAL HOT AIR DRYER
You can also process your speed skates with the help of an industrial hair dryer.
This is especially useful if you only need to adjust a few spots. When using an industrial hot air blower, keep a safe distance of approx. 20 cm from the upper leather of the shoe.
Otherwise there is a risk of damaging the upper leather. Then heat the area to be fitted and check regularly that the material softens.
Then put the shoe on as described above or work the material accordingly.
These instructions apply to most speed skates. The time spent in the oven and the temperature to be selected may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Please follow the manufacturer's recommendations. If you have any questions, our customer service will be happy to help you.
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.
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