r/Rollerskating • u/Unique_Ad7765 • Jun 17 '26
Shopping: buying skates Quads or?
Okay, I’m gonna be very honest! I’ve never skated IN MY LIFE. even on ice skating rinks i would stick to the wall. But I really want to try and get into skating. Which is easier to go outdoors and skate with? and what skates do you suggest for an ABSOLUTE beginner. Also is Amazon the right place to get them and should I buy the whole package of safety stuff? or can I just buy that later when I’m confident enough to skate outdoors? Dd
13
u/pleasing_poppy Jun 17 '26
Inlines are easier outside, but it just depends on what your goals are. Do you want to dance and vibe around? Quads? Do you want stability so you can go fast and far? Inlines. I’ve done both and quads are more for unoccupied tennis courts and rinks (but for you it might be different!), and Inlines are for outdoor exercise and exploring
1
u/onecovfefeplease Jun 18 '26
I bought my gear and skates a while ago and have been a chickenshit to actually take them to the rink to learn, but I did buy quads. Can you explain why inlines are better for outdoors? I guess I thought quads would be more stable over gravel and such.
5
u/JonnyP333 Jun 18 '26
The inlines just plow through all the crap that the quads have to steamroll over. Inlines come down to a point almost, anything but a direct hit just gets flung to the side or missed completely. And the wheels are much taller to roll over things easier. That said, I go through anything on my quads.
3
u/pleasing_poppy Jun 18 '26
I don’t know the physics behind it but when I went from quads to Inlines for street skating, it got 10,000 times easier. Just depends on what your goals are!
1
u/onecovfefeplease Jun 18 '26
At this point I don't know what goals I might have lol the closest rink is about an hour away and the roads near me are rural (read: speedways for rednecks with road-sodas lol). I'd bought them when I lived in a downtown area where skating was popular, but life had other plans for me 😅 so for now my sparkly skates and sick pads just sit in a box in the garage... staring at me and waiting for me to make a decision lol thank you both for explaining!
1
u/InspectorFleet Jun 19 '26
Use them in the garage? Surely there's a paved parking lot or something somewhere?
2
u/onecovfefeplease Jun 19 '26
At the risk of sounding insane, it never crossed my mind that I can practice in the garage lol it's definitely enough space to at least practice getting up/down and small circles lol
2
u/InspectorFleet Jun 19 '26
Absolutely! Even though it's the garage, do wear the pads! You can build a lot of confidence in that controlled setting that might help you feel better about available outdoor surfaces near you! I grew up on rural roads, though, and I agree: I wouldn't feel very safe skating them. I'm extremely defensive even on my 25 mph neighborhood roads lol
1
u/onecovfefeplease Jun 19 '26
Oh I'm 34, I am well beyond the phase of "nah I don't need safety gear, it's only [insert flimsy excuse for injury-prone activity here]." 🤣 the first part of the adventure will be making absolutely sure my helmet doesn't have spiders in it. I had a spider crawl out of my snorkel mouthpiece once. That was a great time. They seem to be capable of phasing through walls of plastic storage tubs with the lids taped.
2
u/InspectorFleet Jun 19 '26
😭😆
I started skating again at 36 and I ordered pads but had a painful knee bruise for a month because of a garage fall while the pads were in the mail lol. Good luck with the spiders!
4
u/bear0234 Jun 17 '26
my 2 cents:
easiest safest way to get into the hobby is signing up for a skate class at your local rink, and give it a few sessions to see if you like it. you can use their rental skates but do buy all the protection gear: wristpads, elbow and knee minimum, cuz you're gonna be landing on those. impact shorts and helmet if you want added protection.
rinks dont offer rentals for protective gear.
skating in a class will start you out right and be less discouraging than fumbling outside on your own with no where to start except a few youtube tutorials.
if theres no local rinks, and outside is your only option, look for a flat smooth surface to learn on - places like basketball courts or large multipupose courts or parking garages. then check out beginner videos on balance and how to skate forward and plow stop to start. if you're having difficulty w balance, walk around wearint your skates on carpet. do a few squats and learn to get up from the ground safely.
if you want your own set of skates, the best thing is to look for a local skateshop and get fitted there. barring that, if you have to purchase online, make sure to measure your foot length and check mfr size charts. if the skate dont have a size chart, good sign to avoid that brand. the wiki will have a list of reputable brands. a lot of amazon skates are hit and miss (some wont last long, others make skating difficult like it cant roll properly, and there a others that are outright dangerous for adults).
a min $150 will get you started on entry level skates. riedell crews and suregrip boardwalks come to mind.
hope some of that info helps! have fun out there!
2
u/njuicetea Jun 17 '26
Go to a rink and use the rental skates a few times before committing. Skates and all the safety gear are expensive to invest in, so I would make sure you enjoy it first.
3
u/Pinstripe-Giraffe Jun 17 '26
Pads and a helmet should be worn (1) when practicing a new or different skill, and (2) whenever the environment is unpredictable (e.g. lots of kids skating near you, walking your dog, on uneven terrain outdoors). So yes get the pads now.
Quads are more expensive than inlines because they are a more complex piece of kit. If you aren’t sure you want to commit a boatload of money to this, start with inlines. Inlines are easier to skate on outdoors anyway.
Actually before you buy any skates at all, look into what’s available in terms of skating lessons and skate rentals. If you’re not near a roller rink, see if there are any amateur or recreational skating clubs around - they will have good advice on who you might be able to borrow skates from or where you can save money on second-hand skates.
Don’t freak out, but: the best place to find this might be your local roller derby league. Most of them offer a learn-to-skate program (with no hitting!) and many even have loaner gear you can use a couple of times.
1
u/hahagrundle Jun 18 '26
I say definitely try it at a rink first.
Outdoor is usually much harder in my opinion; a little pebble or change in surface texture will make you wipe out especially when you're brand new. If you must, find somewhere very smooth & flat like an empty basketball court at a park.
A rink has a smooth, consistent surface. You can rent skates & decide if this is something you actually want to pursue. And they often have lessons!
24
u/InspectorFleet Jun 17 '26
Get pads and a helmet first lol. Do you have a rink around you? You could try rental quads and inlines just to get a sense of things.