Inline Skates
Yesterday we talked about the various kinds of quad and inline skates and some of the differences. Lets continue that discussion with some of the unfamiliar roller skate terms that you will encounter when you start seriously skate shopping. Let’s deal with durometer today.
Durometer – this rather daunting word refers to the hardness of a skate wheel. A low durometer represents a softer wheel and a high durometer represents a harder one. Generally you can go on the premise that the higher the durometer the faster the wheel and therefore the faster the skate. Low durometer wheels grip the skating surface better while high durometer wheels tend to be slicker.
Those who intend to use their skate outdoors should try to hold to a durometer of 88A or less. Most indoor or rink wheels will have a durometer of 94A or higher. The experts consider a 94A wheel as being “grippy” while a wheel of 95A or higher is “firm”
Most recreational indoor skates come with wheels of 95A durometer. This gives them a good roll but they tend to have poorer traction on turns. You need to decide which of those qualities is most important to you.
Tomorrow we’ll get into “ABEC”. See you then.