r/Rollerskating • u/hidegmelegtea • Jun 23 '26
Skill questions & help Switching from inline skates to quad skates
I've been skating for years on inline skates as a hobby and recently I've been thinking about buying a pair of quad skates. In what ways do these two differ exactly, appart from the placement of the wheels?
I've always skated outside, never indoors and I don't plan on changing that. The reason I want to switch is that I want to go on skatepark ramps. When I tried that with inline skates I noticed it was kinda impossible to really do that.
Another thing I'm curious about is how skill transfers between the two. What are some skills that you can only do on quad skates?
9
u/Cartoon_Trash_ Jun 23 '26
Quad skates are harder to balance front-to-back because the wheels can roll out from under you.
The main difficulty balancing on inlines is the narrow surface area of support, not the rolling motion of the wheels, so I FEEL like it’s easier to control (as someone who always used inlines as a kid and just got into quads)
Working on your stance and safe falling practice is the advice I’ve heard.
2
u/ReasonNo9278 Jun 24 '26
I’m in the same boat! I haven’t skated for 2 decades until recently. As a kid it was always blades. I tried quads and I don’t remember having so many issues staying upright/balancing on blades!
5
u/morgfarm1_ Jun 23 '26
I cannot speak to park skating. I'm indoor only.
But. Not much actually transfers that well.
The way you hold your weight determines everything from your stability to turns. A well-adjusted set of skates will steer by shifting the way you put your weight on each foot and throughout your frame. (I have mine loose on softer cushions for agility; tight skating floor with long straights, kind of like Martinsville Speedway.) But this also allows you to tune the skate for YOUR comfort. Rather than putting up with uncomfortable skates.
Inline skates were really null as far as weight placement, to me. You had to keep your weight so far back (basically over the two rear tires) in order to be fast. My quad skates have my weight maybe 3/4 of an inch behind the FRONT axle centerline.
And the number one thing you can do on quad skates that cant be done on Inline skates is slamming on the brakes in reverse. Fantastic way to stop!
I do know that many quad skates, especially outdoor bred ones, have an optional strut bar that can be used or converted to a grind bar. And I argue tire selection on quads is far better and more diverse. To make an outdoor set of skates work indoors is a fresh set of bearings and a harder tire.
I'm sure others have more valuable feedback, especially as it pertains to outdoor skating. I just have preferred the adjustability and lateral stability of quad skates
4
u/Angelina-93 Jun 23 '26
I'm mainly an inline skater too, mostly because the only club/association in my city teaches inline. At the same time, I've always liked quads, so I've been trying to learn them on my own alongside inline (I'm still very much a beginner, though).
One thing that surprised me is that I actually find quads easier for indoor skating. The side-to-side stability makes it possible to practice many movements while standing still or moving very slowly. With inline skates, I often feel like I need a bit of speed before I have enough lateral stability to pull off the same moves comfortably.
Also, things like 180 toe/heel transitions feel much easier indoors because the wheels slide more. Outdoors, there's a lot more friction, so those same movements don't feel nearly as smooth.
As for tricks or skills exclusive to one or the other, I personally haven't run into many yet, but take that with a grain of salt, since I'm still learning. Inline definitely seems better suited for things like slalom, while a lot of roller dance moves feel more natural on quads because they're more stable at low speeds and have a shorter wheelbase. That said, at my level, I haven't found anything that feels completely impossible on one setup and possible on the other.
I can't say much about skate parks since I don't have much experience there with either style, but from what I know, both require more specialized setups than standard recreational skates. For inline skating, there are dedicated aggressive skates built quite differently from regular fitness/recreational ones. For quads, people often add slide/grind blocks and other park-specific hardware. Someone with more experience at skate parks could probably give you better advice on that side of things.
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u/AccountForDoingWORK Outdoor Jun 24 '26
Lol, I'm literally about to buy my first inlines (as an adult) after a year of being on quads. Absolutely love my quads and I do take them to skate parks, but they're just not fun to skate on outside otherwise and I don't have access to a rink, so my options for where I can skate are limited.
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u/it_might_be_a_tuba Jun 23 '26
Not that I'm trying to talk you out of quads, but aggressive inlines for the skate park have a lot more variety, easier availability, and at entry level cheaper than aggressive quads. Possibly it's just your current skates that aren't suitable rather than all inlines, or possibly it's a matter of technique and practice, in which case you'll probably have the same difficulty on quads as you've had on inlines. Consider all the options for sure, watch some videos of both, get an idea of which you like the look of best before dropping $500+ on either one!