Rock(er)ing this metropolis...

[JustJon]

Yeah that seems logical to keep the wear even across the wheel. I don't use T-Stops at all. I've only really been slowing down a bit and then doing a spin stop, feet at 90 degrees + kind of thing. I'm probably going about everything the wrong way. haha.

[NS Jason]

If you're trying to get most life out of a pair of wheels then the best thing to do is take all the wheels off both pair skates, put the smallest 2 on the toes, the 2nd smallest 2 on the heels and the others in the middle (biggest probably want's to be the back middle one).

I'd always put them in so the slope is the opposite way to how they wear when I use them. They will be weird for a few skates but they will gradually wear to a more flat set up.

With your new ones, just remember to flip them regularly and hopefully you shouldn't have as much of an issue with them. Doing what I said above is relevant for both sets. I usually keep doing that until I core one of the wheels from a set, then replace all of them.


Dan: it's weird how they always end up in a corner somewhere. I've got a load of almost cored hyper concretes. I ended up giving a load away because an almost dead hyper concrete is still better than some of the wheels you get with some really cheap skates.

Herb: The middle to outside and new middle wheels thing is a nice idea, but I always leave it too long so when i do that I end up with a ridiculous rocker so i am effectively only skating on two wheels. I now just skate until I core one and replace the whole set. I get through about 1 set a year on Hyper Concretes although I use them a lot so am probably not a good example.

[azumi]

gummidge, evidently you ain't a slalomer. Freerider?

I usually get a rocked setup, 76-80. Once the 76s are worn down and the 80s are down as well ~ approx. to 76 I replace the middle wheels with new 80s; and so on. So I end up with a lot of 72-70s wheels? Although toe wheels wear down fastest.

[Shaw]

Skating on your outside edges might help. There are plenty of ways to set up and rearrange your wheels, but I haven't bothered with that for years simply because my wheels get worn pretty much equally on both sides. Street skating you should be on your outer edges most of the time, ditto for slalom, and most slides use the outer edge as well. If your wheels still aren't wearing evenly, you can substitute t-brakes with acid slides or simply turn your foot around and do an outer-edge t-brake. Once your wheels are small enough, simply swap them out for a new set, and keep the usable ones for later. Repeat a few times and you'll have enough old wheels for a new set!

[gummidge]

gummidge, evidently you ain't a slalomer. Freerider?

Not any more. I still do have severely rockered hockey skates that I occasionally get out to remind myself how had I am at slalom.

[gummidge]

Street skating you should be on your outer edges most of the time

Bollocks. Well, maybe not if you do a lot of gliding stride 3 style, but unless you have an inhuman double push all your wear occurs when you're on your inside edge.

ditto for slalom,

Bollocks. Well, maybe slalom is more even, but I think there will still be a tendency to wear the inner edges more.

and most slides use the outer edge as well.

Bollocks. Unless you're just counting loads of obscure impossible to execute slides and comparing them to handle of common inside edge ones. The vast majority of sliding is t-stops (inside), power slides (inside), and hockey stops (both) and soul slides (inside). And most slides that use the outside edge also use the corresponding inside edge of the other foot.

[NS Jason]

Shaw: an outer edge T-brake isn't really that stable a position and most people's hips don't bend that easy. If you can get away with an acid slide instead of t braking then you must have some ridiculously smooth roads. It's a lot easier to rotate your wheels than completely change your style of skating for a week or so.

Shaw & Gummidge: Slalom and slides are about even on edges, if you do the full variety. I can't do a lot of slides but off the top of my head: acid varients=outside, soul varients=inside, UFO/Magic=inside, Savannah= outside so I'd say pretty even.

With street skating I wouldn't say most, but maybe slightly more than half on my outside edge but only when cruising. When I am accelerating up to a speed when I can start to take big strides I am mostly on the inside edge and when I am breaking there is more inside.

[Shaw]

I don't know too much about proper skating technique and can't double push, but I remember hearing that you get better efficiency from skating (well, gliding) on your outside edges. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that my technique is wrong though.

Slalom I agree is much more even, but I still think there's a greater tendency for outer edge tricks than inner. Just from looking at basic tricks: crazy, double crazy, and volte are all pretty much completely outer edge, whereas I can't seem to think of any basic tricks which are completely inner edge.

Slides are outside edge favored. I'm a little biased since my go-to slides are J-slide, backslide, soyale, and unity, but beyond the basics it's mostly outer edge.

Inside edge: Powerslide, magic, soul slide/fastwheel, fast slide, ern-sui
Both: Parallel, cross-parallel, UFO special
Outside edge: Acid slide/acid wheel, acid cross/j-slide, mistrial/wheel barrow, soyale, porn-star/star-slide, unity/savannah, back slide, eagle

Basically any intermediate to advanced level slide is outside edge or both discounting fast slide (backslides are much more common) and ern-sui. Even if you look at obscure/impossible slides cross ern-sui is inside edge, farf is both, and 8-cross, cowboy, and V toe-toe are all outside edge.

I also agree that an outer edge t-brake isn't a great stopping option, but it's still an option for when you don't need an emergency brake (such as when you're able to do a spin stop). Acid slides aren't that unstable either, unless you're trying to brake on cobblestone or something. I've got a decent amount of practice with them (can pull off full-speed backslides and unities) and can pretty much use acid slides instead of t-braking outside of emergency situations. Note that I don't actually use any of these since I generally use stepping stops or t-brakes/powerslides/hockey stops for emergencies, but they're still nice to know, especially if your wheels aren't wearing evenly.

[Dan B]

Street skating you should be on your outer edges most of the time

Bollocks.

Is the right answer.

You can glide on a centre edge or on a slight outside edge and it won't make any significant difference to efficiency either way (centre edge is slightly less draggy, outside edge gives you a better weigh distribution and sets you up better for the push that will follow, both are second-order considerations at best for the average street skater), but as Veggie says, the wear comes from pushing, and pushing is done almost entirely on an inside edge if you're talking about straight-line skating

[gummidge]

I don't know too much about proper skating technique and can't double push, but I remember hearing that you get better efficiency from skating (well, gliding) on your outside edges. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that my technique is wrong though.

Like Dan says, they're second order considerations. And anyway, gliding doesn't wear wheels like pushing (almost always on the inside edge) and sliding (see below).

Slalom I agree is much more even, but I still think there's a greater tendency for outer edge tricks than inner. Just from looking at basic tricks: crazy, double crazy, and volte are all pretty much completely outer edge, whereas I can't seem to think of any basic tricks which are completely inner edge.

I don't see how any sequence can be done whereby you remain on your outside edges. From my observations, and (albeit limited) experience, slalom is typically a flowing sequence of transitions between inner and outer edges. The criss-cross, one footed slalom, and grapevine are the archetypal demonstrations of this. Probably more focus goes into the outside edges because that's the bit people usually need work on. I was told by many people that the secret to doing the grapevine was to do it on your outside edges; what they meant (even if they didn't realize it) was that half of it is on the outside edges, and it is those parts where you're stalling. The barrel roll is a classic exercise to learn to use more outside edge, but executed perfectly has exactly even usage of both.

Slides are outside edge favored. I'm a little biased since my go-to slides are J-slide, backslide, soyale, and unity, but beyond the basics it's mostly outer edge.

Inside edge: Powerslide, magic, soul slide/fastwheel, fast slide, ern-sui
Both: Parallel, cross-parallel, UFO special
Outside edge: Acid slide/acid wheel, acid cross/j-slide, mistrial/wheel barrow, soyale, porn-star/star-slide, unity/savannah, back slide, eagle

That is just simply wrong. The vast majority of street skate sliding is t-stopping. A small but sizeable chunk of what's left is power slides and hockey stops. Those who can slide on their outside edges on the street are usually (justifiably) showing off their skills.

Basically any intermediate to advanced level slide is outside edge or both discounting fast slide (backslides are much more common) and ern-sui. Even if you look at obscure/impossible slides cross ern-sui is inside edge, farf is both, and 8-cross, cowboy, and V toe-toe are all outside edge.

Like I figured, you're counting them based on number, and where they are in the difficulty rating. Most advanced skaters still use the t-stop a lot.

I also agree that an outer edge t-brake isn't a great stopping option, but it's still an option for when you don't need an emergency brake (such as when you're able to do a spin stop). Acid slides aren't that unstable either, unless you're trying to brake on cobblestone or something. I've got a decent amount of practice with them (can pull off full-speed backslides and unities) and can pretty much use acid slides instead of t-braking outside of emergency situations. Note that I don't actually use any of these since I generally use stepping stops or t-brakes/powerslides/hockey stops for emergencies, but they're still nice to know, especially if your wheels aren't wearing evenly.

Emphasis mine.

[JustJon]

This is turning into a great thread. . Keep going. I'm learning. .

[Shaw]

Guess I was wrong on the street skating part.

For slalom I don't mean that you're always on your outer edge, I just mean that you're on your outside edges more than your inside edges, at perhaps a 60/40 or 70/30 split or so, depending on your habits. There are purely inner-edge tricks as well (inverted sun, basic sevens, crazy leg(sorta)) but for the most part I think outer-edge dominant tricks are more common (drift/sweep, j-turn, swan, chickenleg, basic shifts).

As for slides, I think we're just mistaken on what we mean by slides. When I mention slides, I mean practicing freestyle slides where you're learning them to show off/because they're fun, not because they're a practical stopping option for street skates.

I'm not really advocating that anybody uses acid slides instead of t-brakes, but just that if your wheels aren't wearing evenly it might help to use them in addition to t-brakes for those situations where you can brake at your leisure. Personally, I haven't rotated a wheel in forever, and my wheels always end up with a pretty even profile unless I'm actively practicing slides (in which case the outer edge gets slightly more worn) instead of just occasionally showing off.

[Tanya G]

Or do what most people do, stick them in a corner somewhere and leave them there forever because you never feel quite poor enough to reuse them but can't bring yourself to throw them out either

Welcome to my house!

[gummidge]

Guess I was wrong on the street skating part.

For slalom I don't mean that you're always on your outer edge, I just mean that you're on your outside edges more than your inside edges, at perhaps a 60/40 or 70/30 split or so, depending on your habits. There are purely inner-edge tricks as well (inverted sun, basic sevens, crazy leg(sorta)) but for the most part I think outer-edge dominant tricks are more common (drift/sweep, j-turn, swan, chickenleg, basic shifts).

Maybe.

As for slides, I think we're just mistaken on what we mean by slides. When I mention slides, I mean practicing freestyle slides where you're learning them to show off/because they're fun, not because they're a practical stopping option for street skates.

Nah, you're mistaken. We were talking about slides in relation to wheel wear.

I'm not really advocating that anybody uses acid slides instead of t-brakes, but just that if your wheels aren't wearing evenly it might help to use them in addition to t-brakes for those situations where you can brake at your leisure.

Nobody disagrees with that. But what you actually said was that street skating should wear the outer edges more than the inner ones, and that intermediate skaters upwards also use outside edge slides to brake more than inside edges.

Personally, I haven't rotated a wheel in forever, and my wheels always end up with a pretty even profile unless I'm actively practicing slides (in which case the outer edge gets slightly more worn) instead of just occasionally showing off.

But then your advice really is "to avoid excessive wheel wear on the inner edges, totally destroy the outer edges first by actively shredding them in slide practice". I think the "turn your wheels around" is a more practical solution.

[Shaw]

Street skating you should be on your outer edges most of the time, ditto for slalom, and most slides use the outer edge as well.

I meant those three separately. I was wrong on street skating, but when I mention slides I'm pretty much always talking about the show-off sort, not the type you'd use on a street skate. Past the beginner level, you wear down your outer edges much faster than your inner edges for most slides.

For street skating, I still think it's not a terrible idea to use outer-edge brakes every so often. Learning them improves your overall sense of balance, and the outer edges really won't wear down that quickly unless you're braking at high speeds. I shouldn't have worded it by saying "substitute t-brakes," but I kind of thought it'd be a given that t-brakes would still be your emergency stopping method.

In any case, I'm not advising that anybody "shreds" their wheels, just that in my experience I've been able to avoid the hassle of rotating my wheels through a few changes in my skating habits. There was a time when I used to actively use outer-edge t-brakes for this reason, but nowadays I don't find it necessary and my wheels wear evenly just from normal skating (which for me is slalom practice, a bit of street skating, and the occasional slide). I probably don't get as many hours of use from my wheels as you do, but in my opinion it's worth it since I don't have to rotate my wheels ever (although of course I would have to switch for a new set more often), and I don't have to bother skating on uneven wheels.

[Dan B]

Bit of an aside, but I still find the idea of T-stopping being an "emergency" stop slightly comical. It's like using the back brake on your bicycle.

[Shaw]

Well, your emergency stop should always be the stopping method you feel most comfortable with. In theory, powerslides are better since you're pushing and not dragging, but in practice you might not have adequate time to position yourself for a powerslide. Not to mention the thought of using a powerslide for an emergency stop always gives me the mental image of sticking your braking leg out in an attempt to trip a car.

Ideally, I think everybody should use hockey stops for emergency situations, but realistically I don't think the average skater is well-practiced enough with it to use it in an emergency situation.

[gummidge]

All fair points, Shaw, but I still don't think "use your outer edges more" is a good solution to the problem of wear. It may work for you, but I have never managed to get the sliding skills up enough to be able to even out my wear. And I don't see many street skaters sliding much on their outer edges. Of the few who do it, they tend to save it for the flat and smooth where they could probably get away with no braking at all.

[Shaw]

Eh, it's not for everybody, but it's something to consider for people who don't like taking their skates apart. Braking with your outer edge doesn't require terribly high sliding skills either, I started practicing outer-edge t-brakes while ice skating in a rink, and found it transferred pretty well to inline skating. I don't think it's actually useful as a practical brake, but it's still a fun option for when stopping quickly isn't a concern. Even more fun is an outer-edge soul-slide (like a soyale traveling in the wrong direction), but that one's a little trickier

[gummidge]

I started practicing outer-edge t-brakes while ice skating in a rink, and found it transferred pretty well to inline skating.

Really? Sliding on ice is the opposite to sliding on inlines. On ice the blade slides best when completely upright, and then you gradually angle it to bite. Of course, the "gradually" can actually be so fast you might not realize that's what you're doing. Try that on inlines and you'll go straight over. Inlines slide the easiest the the greater the angle so you usually have to suddenly edge quite severely to get a slide going. Try that on ice skates and you'll pole vault out of the rink (I did, and I almost did).

but it's something to consider for people who don't like taking their skates apart.

I don't think it's actually useful as a practical brake,

Again you vacillate between thinking your suggestion was, and was not, practical. The only logically consistent reading of those two statements is that you advocate doing unnecessary outer edge slides to even out the wear from the necessary inner edge braking slides. But you emphatically denied that.

What you probably meant to say all along was that you do a lot of dicking around and showing off on gratuitous outer edge slides, so for you wheel wear is more even.