Ok, just so that this thread doesn't die I'll add something. I've checked out the ABEC 7's. They are great energy savers cause they sustain like anything and can let you roll for a long time.
On buying skates :
1) Don't bother about wheels when you buy skates. They are relatively cheap and can be bought to suit your needs. The other parts of the skate are more important.
2) This is really up to you but I would stay away from skates that have laces. Its really troublesome to get them up tight and it might loosen a little after you tie them for the first time that day cuz the friction at the turning points of the string pipes prevents even tension on the strings.
3) Somebody kill me but I wouldn't buy anything below SG$250.
4) Make sure the frame and boot is tight. Its not like shoes where they can be looser. Loose skates will leave you very tired.
5) Don't buy at east coast. They mark up their prices for everything. The cones there are ridiculously priced. Queensway has good pricing for all sports stuff.
6) Somebody kill me again. Buy high-end brands. They're worth it.
On wheels :
1) Unless you have terrible stamina, the ABEC rating doesn't matter that much really. Its just that its nice when you can roll with less effort during slaloms.
2) There are two sets of numbers on the wheel. One, which is in mm, is obviously the wheel diameter. The other, in the unit A, is the hardness. Its on a scale of 0-100 where 100 is like the hardness of a wall. I personally prefer 78A.
3) Rotate your wheels. Not just the position on one boot but also switching between the boots. Flip the wheels too. This is all because the front and back wheels take the most abrasion, wear out faster and hence become smaller. A person also tends to brake more on one foot, and braking would result in a
sort of slanted shape. Flipping it would form a more even shape.
On maintenance:
1) If you hand wash ur boot, don't use too hard a scrub. You might rip some threads.
2) Clean the insides of the frame with a dry brush and cloth to prevent unnecessary wear. Do the same to the wheel frame and the axle.
3) Lubricate the bearings.
On skating with care:
1) Avoid water as much as possible. Stay away from puddles. Cover your skates if its raining. Don't take a bath with your skates no matter how much you love them. Its not the same as ur girlfriend.
2) Try to avoid running through loose dirt or sand. Grassy areas are not as bad. The dirt might clog up in the wheels or stick to bearing.
On braking:
If you find that you somehow cannot brake properly, its probably because of one of two things.
1) Not small enough an angle.
What I mean is that the angle of the wheel from the ground is not small enought.
To be able to brake, the angle has to be small enough to produce a skid. For T-brakes,powerslides,acids and A-brakes the braking foot would end up skipping or have a bump effect if the angle is too big i.e. too close to being 90 degrees from the ground. For hockey brakes and one-foot brakes, you'll end up just rolling off. If you cannot produce a small angle, its probably because you did
2) Not lean enough
Most people have trouble when they do not bend their knees and lean enough. Its essential as it forms the basis of body awareness in skating. Skating is not all about feet. Its the entire body. Ever watched figure skaters? They use their arms, extend their legs and use their hips. Anyway, you have to lean inwards to brake properly. Remember, the direction of force can be either way but it will work if enough angling is done.
On jumping:
1) Jumping on skates is easy. Its like jumping on the spot on shoes. Don't try to jump forward. Use your speed to bring you through the distance you need. I.e. faster = more clearance
After a while you'll know how to estimate to land where you want to
2) Control the forces involved when you jump. Always know what your legs are doing, or they might go all over the place.
3) Bend your knees when you land. It lowers your CG so that you can catch your balance more easily. Its especially important when doing 180's, 360's and even more for those crazy people. Its still a challenge to catch yourself when you bend.
On doing slaloms:
1) When doing monoline-ish stuff, where your skates are somewhat in a straight line (like sidesurf or one foot), use your body weight and arms to control the motion. Using your feet alone is not enough unless you have ankles and knees of rubber, especially when you do it at high speed.
2) When doing barrelrollish, grapevine-ish stuff, don't keep looking at the cones. I mean, you have to look at them but they're kinda distracting. I dunno, I always get rather giddy from doing those.
On grinding:
1) If its a level surface (not sloping downwards), get more speed! Its easier trust me. It helps if you angle your skate too. A lot of people grind for short distances and fall off. Speed sort of helps with balance.
2) Practise one foot grinds. It helps with balancing so that the second foot can be placed more easily in tricks like soul grind.
3) If you're a guy, be prepared to fall on ur balls. That is if you are doing rails that are higher than the height of your family jewels. If you're fast you might be able to hold yourself off the rail with your hands, resulting in severe pain but hey! At least its not your balls. So, practise with low rails or curbs first. Go to a park, there's lots of them around now.
4) Don't bend your knees too early before the jump. Some people do that and produce two unwanted effects : slowing down too much and looking stupid. Looking at somebody roll looking like a constipated old man at a half-squat is NOT cool. The speed is not such a factor is doing downwards surfaces but it will have a profound effect on grind distance on even surfaces. Practise jumps so that you don't have to roll much to judge and land where you want to.
Well, that's all! I seriously did not plan to write so much. I just couldn't stop! I love skating and most of all i learnt was from experience. So, if I have made any common self-taught mistakes, somebody pls correct me.
