Blades or skates?

June 10, 2022 8:30 PM

I want to buy roller skates or roller blades. But I don't know which one... help me decide.

I have gone a few times to a roller rink recently and had so much fun that I want to pick up a (probably second hand cheapish) pair of skates!

But I can't decide between inline and quads. I am currently most comfortable with inline because I am fairly comfortable on ice skates (hockey, nothing fancy) so it's an easy conversion. But I just tried quads and they were not so bad. I'm not sure I have a strong preference right now based on feel.

Below is more about me:
-I will probably mostly be skating on a rink and maybe a paved bike path. Probably not too much on sidewalks. I like the idea of being able to cover a decent amount of ground but realistically I would not be using this as a method of transportation too much.
-I am interested in minimizing my changes of a broken ankle.
-I think it would be fun to try to learn a few dance-y type moves.

Any other guidance on what I should be looking for welcome.

Help me make the right decision, metafilter! Thanks!

posted by geegollygosh to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

Inline are better for skating outside and covering a lot of ground and quads are better for dancing.

That's just my persona opinion as a former skater. YMMV.

If you're interested in minimizing your chances of a broken ankle, make sure your boots are properly fitted. That's where you get your ankle support.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 10:28 PM on June 10, 2022 [3 favorites]

Don't under estimate the effect of no "toe pick" or stopper on in lines - if you get used to skating with that at the rink (or its part of what you liked at rink skating), it can be very disconcerting that it's missing on inlines (anecdata: I used to Rollerblade a lot but since I have taken up figure skating I can't anymore -- I now habitually go to use my nonexistent toe pick when rollerblading and calamity ensues).

Also some of the dance-y moves may be easier with the toestop but there are certainly a lot of you tube videos with in-line skaters doing pretty cool moves, no stopper.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 11:56 PM on June 10, 2022

I picked up skating 3 years ago after a ~30 year gap from my occasional childhood experiences. As a kid I skated quads, since that’s all there was (I’m now 59,) but am skating inlines now because I had an old pair from a failed attempt back in the ‘90’s when that was the thing. I’m no expert, but over the last few years I’ve gained skills skating on the recently paved dead end street that I live on. I love skating on wood though — skating in a rink is a sublime experience, but… Covid.

I’m most interested in messing around with dance, and after a few months of skating at least 3x a week, bought a pair of inlines that are “rockered,” meaning inner wheels are larger than outer… which allows for sharper spins, etc. I also removed the heel brake, since that gets in the way of moves… and can actually be dangerous, as it will result in tumbles. You will learn to stop by a quick spin, or to t-stop by dragging your foot and applying force.

All that said, I pine to get into quads, because they look like a lot of fun and more legit in a rink — but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to mess with the skills I’ve gained on inlines.
posted by nandaro at 5:01 AM on June 11, 2022

Inlines are overall easier for traveling distances. Because of the single line of wheels, you can angle and lean easier, the way you would on ice skates.

Because quads have 2 rows of wheels you can’t just put an edge down the same way. There’s other techniques you can use instead, but they take a while to learn.

That said, quads are “cooler” right now, have a whole cult following and an aesthetic around them, and are better for dancing because the 4 wheels give you more creative options. If you google “roller dance” the info and examples are almost exclusively for quads, to the extent that “roller dance with inlines” is kind of a separate genre.

I have quads and they’re a lot of fun, though I don’t use them often. If I was going to get some skates mainly for going places, I would get inlines.

I’d definitely recommend finding a local skates shop and getting the advice of the people working there! Those shops tend to be geared towards quads so keep that bias in mind, but as long as they have both quads and inlines in stock they should be able to give you some things to think about as you make your decision. They can definitely advise you about things like preventing ankle injury.
posted by mekily at 7:44 AM on June 11, 2022 [1 favorite]