Help me commute on inline skates!

February 1, 2008 9:32 AM

I'm a 24-year-old guy thinking about making a 5 mile/8 km (one-way, usually-non-rush-hour) commute...on inline skates. And I have some questions.

I'm looking for your ideas regarding:

1) Specific skates which can hold up well to the rigors of commuting rather than occasional recreational use. I'm a competent ice skater and I remember loving inline skating as a pre-teen, so I'm not really a "beginner," but it's been a long time and I think having the brake on the back would be a good idea. Wide availability in the Los Angeles area would be nice - I'd like to try some on and check for fit in a shop when I'm home in April rather than order online, and it'd be great if they were less than $150.

2) Speed. I don't really need to go fast, per se, but would like to get to work in less than, say, an hour. Is a speed of 10 mph/16kph possible/sustainable/normal? (And not that I'm really looking for this, as I'm already kind of scrawny, but what sort of fitness impact can I expect to see? Will all my pants become too big?)

3) Weather. On rainy days, is inline skating still possible, or will I run into trouble with rusty bearings and other maintenance/safety issues? I grew up in Los Angeles and only really skated on sunny days as far as I recall, but that was a good dozen years ago. (Also: I'm starting this in early April once the spring gets going [no use trying to skate in the rain/ice here now], but I thought I'd just ask now as it's on my mind.)

4) Route. 90% of it would be through the dead-flat Soviet-built suburbs of Riga, Latvia (population a little less than 1 millionish), which are covered with huge (though perhaps not always well-maintained) sidewalks. There'd be one incline/downhill bit - a bridge over some railway tracks. None of my route would have to be on the street or in a bike lane, and I wouldn't be riding at night as I'd be getting a speedier-than-skating minibus home. This all seems pretty tame - perhaps even ideal! - but is there anything I'm not seeing here?

So then: are you an inline skating commuter? Are my distance goals too ambitious? Will I need a shower when I get to work, or will I be good just changing shirts in the bathroom? Anything else I need to read/know?

Thanks!

posted by mdonley to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

I find these skates to be uncomfortable after wearing them for some time. One thing that relieves the discomfort is a pair of insoles. I like Superfeet, which are available at REI and online.
5 miles/day in skates would seems like it would be hell on your joints. Give yourself a couple days off each week to recover from the shock.
posted by HotPatatta at 9:47 AM on February 1

I used to commute to and from work by rollerblading, about 15km each way. You're going to lose a LOT of weight! My best time ever was about 25 minutes, but that was after doing this for about two months. So yeah, you can get up a good head of speed once you're in the zone.

Don't try skating in rain though. Rusty bearings aren't the worry--being able to stop is.

Take a change of clothes. Once you're really hammering out the speed, you're going to get sweaty. A shower at work would be super if it's available, but a towel followed by a quick rubdown with baby wipes also works. Don't forget your deodorant. A sealed bag for putting your skates in would also be courteous to your coworkers--skates can get stinky. Or I just have Feet of Doom.

Be courteous of pedestrians; they're not usually on the lookout for someone zooming towards them. If you don't know how already, learn how to fall safely. Sometimes it's the only way to prevent a crash.

I was always very irresponsible--never wore safety gear. At the minimum, I really should have worn wrist guards--it's very, very easy to get compression fracture of the wrist.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:12 AM on February 1

One summer I made regular inline-commutes about 10 km. I used to split: I took bike one way, skated back in the evening and switched next day. I did it for perhaps... A month and a half, on and off.

A couple of things I noticed: God, I love my bike. It was such a pleasant experience to use the bike after skating in the morning/evening.

You've got to take it easy and be prepared for the first commutes to last above the hour.

About eating: Eat a while before skating, and then again when you're at your destination. It seems obvious, but I forgot a couple of times and I nearly fainted at work after morning-skating.

Do massage your legs after skating, and do treat yourself to a hot foot-bath in the beginning. The pressure you put on your soles are quite excessive (if you're unused to skating).

Absolutely do use helmet and elbow/knee-pads. On a commute anything from foxes to drunk driver can (and will) cross your path. Be prepared or sorry.

Can't recommend or dissuade and specific inlines.

Take care and roll easy.
posted by Rabarberofficer at 10:16 AM on February 1

I used inline skates to get around Montreal quite a bit. I'm not sure how much my experiences apply to your situation, but here goes anyways:

1) I was pretty happy with a pair of K2 skates that I paid about $110 for. I was not impressed with a pair of Rollerblade ones that I used for a while. My main recommendation would be to buy a lot of spare bearings and spare wheels (eBay is good for getting these cheap) because you'll wear things out pretty quick. I've never used them, but you can also get 5 wheel skates, which speed skaters use to train in the off season, that are faster than 4 wheel skates (but slower to turn, of course). Do get a pair with a brake in the back, but learn to brake by dragging one foot perpendicular behind you. It is much more stable.

2) Your speed depends a lot on your fitness, the surface, the traffic, and the traffic control. On a smooth bike path 20km/h+ is possible. On rough sidewalks, in traffic, stopping every block to cross the street, you'll be below 10km/h. I probably averaged about 12km/h for longer trips with some traffic and stop signs on relatively smooth roads.

3) You can skate in the rain, but it really isn't a good idea. Yes, your bearings will seize up quite quickly, but more importantly, it will be quite slippery. If you get caught out in the rain a few times, it isn't the end of the world, but I wouldn't plan to skate on rainy days. I skated all winter as long as the roads were dry, but I used my bike when it rained.

4) Sidewalks suck at any sort of reasonable speed because of the little expansion joints in the concrete and because they don't tend to be wide enough to use a long stride on. Poorly maintained sidewalks sound like a terrible idea. If you are on the sidewalk, you'll have to get off the sidewalk at every cross street: is there a cutout to allow you to do this easily, or will you be jumping? You also won't be able to and shouldn't travel at any significant speed if there are pedestrians nearby. If you skate on the road, you'll probably be able to go faster, but you'll need to pay attention to traffic and to doors opening on parked cars. The roughness of the road has a significant effect on your speed. You can go twice, if not three times, as fast on smooth pavement as you can go on very rough pavement (not to mention that rough pavement will wear down your wheels in very little time). If your commute is all on rough pavement, don't even bother because you'll be travelling near walking speed.
posted by ssg at 10:28 AM on February 1

I never commuted on inline skates, but back in the heyday of them, I did more than my fair share. I can address some of these issues:

1. Bigger wheels maintain speed much better. Get the largest wheels your skate can handle, my old skate could handle 80mm wheels. I would recommend keeping the brake on - even though it's not as stable as t-stopping, when used properly it slows you down much, much faster. Plus brakes are cheaper than wheels.

3. Rain is bad, especially for recreational skates, since the wheels will pick up all the water and grime from the ground and put it on your feet through all the ventilation holes in the skate. Your feet will be really wet and cold and traction will be terrible. Don't bother with fancy bearings in the winter; just use some cheap ones with grease. It is nearly impossible to prevent water intrusion in the rain.

The one thing I noticed when I started riding my bike after skating was how little respect I got as an inline skater. Cars would routinely stop to let me cross the crosswalks if I had a bike, but if I was in skates (and not moving) I looked just like a pedestrian - so they didn't even slow down.
posted by meowzilla at 10:41 AM on February 1

Hypno skates with removable wheels. Turns from inline skates to somewhat comfortable shoes in less than a minute.
posted by PowerCat at 10:56 AM on February 1

You'll have a great time -- 5 miles isn't that far once you're used to doing it, especially if the road surface/sidewalk is in good shape. I used a pair of Rollerblade TRS Lightnings for years in college and they could take a beating. I threw them out when I graduated, since they were held together by duct tape and fiberglass by then.

Spend the extra money on a pair of serviceable bearings -- I had some great ABEC-5 bearings that I cleaned every couple of weeks. You could eke out more time between cleanings depending on how dirty/wet the road is... Spend the money on good wheels, as well, with a ventilated hub (not solid rubber all the way to the axle). The solid ones will melt and the rubber on the ventilated ones was (in my experience, I'm sure it varies) harder, so they'd roll faster. I always t-stop, but it's hell on the wheels. Rotate them often.

Helmet and knee pads would be my top choices, with some good leather palm gloves. Get some glasses too.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 11:08 AM on February 1

I think this is a great idea! I did in Chicago last summer with a slightly shorter commute.

1. You should definitely wear wrist guards because those will take all the force when you fall (and you will eventually fall).

2. Don't skate in the rain! Everyone else already said this but it does get really slippery and dangerous.

3. Bearings come in different ranges, from slow to very fast. You will need some control so don't get the very fast ones. I used the medium fast bearings and I thought they were perfect- smooth enough that I wasn't struggling to skate, but just enough resistance that I felt in control in crowded areas.

4. In the beginning it will be harder on you than you expect. I would alternate skating and public transportation- skate to work, leave the skates there and take the bus home, then take the bus to work the next morning and skate home from work. Your joints and muscles will eventually adjust enough to do both legs in one day.

Have fun!
posted by ohio at 11:12 AM on February 1

I also love my K2s, soft skates are far more comfortable than all-plastic, but make sure you get at least some ankle support or you'll be in a world of pain the next day.

What ssg says about the narrow width of sidewalks is entirely true. Remember that most of your propulsion comes from your feet going sideways, so what feels like an enormous sidewalk while walking or biking becomes horribly tiny when skating.

Additionally, consider if you get any kind of trash... gravel, crisp packets, twigs and leaves, anything like that on your sidewalks... those kind of things are deadly for skating, forget walking speed--if you even managed to avoid wiping out (unlikely) you'll be going at a crawl to try and get around a small patch of leaves.

I would add wrist guards to the knee pads and helmet, saved me from many a seriously sore (if not broken) wrist, plus prevents the palm scrapes. Stretchy fingerless glove types are some of the most comfortable while staying in place (as opposed to the kind made entirely of ripstop nylon, which have zero give and tend to chafe), but make sure the supporting plastic is exposed on the heel of your hand, that area has a high level of wear and tear.
posted by anaelith at 11:56 AM on February 1

I've done a similar length of commute before, and - looking back - I should have used a bike.

But yes, I think your commute distance/time/etc. is plausible, given time to get used to it.

nth-ing everyone re: rain. You can't stop! Yikes!

You can replace your bearings easily and cheaply enough [ebay] that you shouldn't worry about rust or dirt or whatever. And they have the most direct bearing on your speed / ease of travel.

Other than that, get the most comfortable boots you can find, bring deodorant, wear a helmet, and wear those wrist thingers. And be aware that nobody on a car or even any pedestrians will have the ability to judge your speed accurately. If you practise one thing, it should be hopping up and down curbs.
posted by Acari at 12:00 PM on February 1

There's a guy where I live who rollerblades to work -- the opposite direction of my bike commute, so I don't know him, but have observed him. I can't say much to skates or anything, but I have noticed that he has what look like either ski poles or hiking sticks. They seem to help him with the odder bits of terrain. Oh, plus a reflective jacket (vest?) -- which is a particularly good idea if you're going to be out in anything other than 100% daylight.

He seems to skate in about the same weather that I ride -- nothing too rainy or cold.

Depending on the street quality & traffic, you might be safer on the street than on the sidewalk, since sidewalks are often pretty lumpy, have seams, etc.
posted by epersonae at 5:50 PM on February 1