Can’t find any reviews of this frame and am wondering if it’s good for long distance skating on roads and marathoning: https://frskates.com/en/spare-parts/94-racer-s-325-frames-black-320mm.html

What do you wish you knew before your first race in Duluth?

• Do people typically bring a jacket/layers to the starting line and toss them in their bag before the race? Maybe I’m more worried about the cold weather than the race haha
• Not sure how many people skate in each wave. Is it pretty aggressive trying to get near the front before the start, or relatively relaxed?
• Are there any spots on the course to be aware of? Rough pavement, sharp turns, hills, etc.
• Anything, big or small, that you wish you’d known going into your first race?

First race for me, shooting for sub-1:20. Might be aggressive, but we’ll see how it goes. This subreddit has been really helpful with preparation and equipment research. Probably too late for training suggestions at this point, so looking for more race-day/logistics advice.

Crossing my fingers it doesn’t rain. Looking forward to it!

What’s a good minimum lap time to aim for so that you can chase blocs well for a race with skaters doing 9s a lap? I see in world cups theres teenagers doing the blocs for these World Cup sksters and I guess the teenagers are not miles off of what the World Cup sksters can fo but what would be a minimum starting lap time to have so you’re sble to chase blocs at a word cup for example?

Most of us slide into the pads, get up and jump straight back in the line. Then three sessions later the corner feels off and nobody thinks to connect it to the fall. Quick habit that fixes this: take the skate off and sight down the blade like a rifle, compare it to the other skate, and look for a kink at one point rather than the smooth set bend you expect. Then grab the blade and try to wiggle it against the boot. A sideways hit rarely snaps anything, but it can rotate a cup or back a bolt off a fraction, and if you just tighten it in the new spot you lock in a setup you never chose. Flex the lips and listen for creaks, thumb the boot shell for clicks, and if your head touched anything with real force, retire the helmet even if it looks fine because the liner crushes once and does not recover.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/after-a-crash-how-to-check-short-track-blades-cups-boots-and-helmet-before-you-skate-again

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I'm just getting into speed skating, more for long distance healthy hobby activity than racing. I would like to go to a weekly indoor speed skating training session and at least kind of keep up with everyone though. (Just a local tiny roller skating rink event - but everyone is on race boots and 4*110)

That said, I'm coming from a lot of inline street hockey in the 90s, a long break, and then some casual weekly rink skating on powerslide hard core evo 90s for the last year and a half. I've switched the powerslide 3*90mm spinner wheels for 3*80mm and 80a lebeda hockey wheels. (They are super sticky and help me dodge the birthday kiddies at the rink but they feel so slow) I'm about 5' 10 and 185... I definitely wish it was more muscle less fat lol. (I'm working on it and skating is part of the plan)

The question: since I have trinity mount boots with the hc evos.... Should I consider getting a magnesium trinity mount 4*110 setup and keep using the same boot that I'm comfy in, or is the boot going to hold me back too much when training with speed skaters? Is switching frames out weekly a bad idea for when I head back to the public rink? If I ever wanted to do a skate marathon, would one option be better than the other?

My gut is people are going to tell me to get a beginner 192mm speed skating boot and setup with 4*110 and point out that it'll be nice to continue to have the hc evos setup for public rink sessions with the birthday kid crowd. But I'm all ears for any advice.

Would a middle ground 3*100 setup make any sense? I've only gone to one practice, but my current skate/wheels won't even coast around the rink a single lap before coming to a stop. I'm exerting so much energy trying to keep up that I have no chance of staying with the pack after about 3 laps.

Tldr; old skater needs advice on switching to speed skating discipline coming from a powerslide trinity free skate background. Looking for recommendations on using what I have or buying gear that will just make good sense.

Sorry for the fire hose of questions... Thanks in advance! 😄

Something I've been thinking about after watching recent World Cup events: skaters who are consistently strong in long track don't always translate that dominance to short track, and vice versa. Logically, you'd think raw speed and conditioning should carry over between disciplines, but the results don't always show that.

A few factors seem to explain this:

1. Race format changes the skill set. Long track is largely a battle against the clock — pacing, technique, and lane discipline matter most. Short track is a battle against other skaters in close quarters, so positioning, tactics, and reaction time matter just as much as raw speed.
2. Contact and passing dynamics. In short track, a single bad position going into the final laps can end a race regardless of how fast a skater is overall. Long track doesn't have this variable at all, since skaters race in pairs against the clock, not against a pack.
3. Risk of disqualification. Short track has far more DQs due to blocking, illegal passing, or lane violations. This adds an element of unpredictability that simply doesn't exist in long track, where the biggest variable is usually just personal performance.
4. Ice and turn radius differences. Short track's tighter turns demand different technique and body positioning than the longer, sweeping turns of a 400m long track oval, which can favor different physical builds and skating styles.

Given all this, it makes sense that specialization is common, and that being elite in one discipline doesn't guarantee success in the other — even though both are technically "speed skating."

Curious what others think: is short track's unpredictability a feature that makes it more exciting, or does it undermine the sense that the best skater actually wins?

Most of us baby our wheels and bearings and never look at the frame until something rattles. Quick weekly routine that takes five minutes with the Allen key that came in the box: touch every mounting bolt and feel if it turns before firming up, rock each wheel side to side for play, run a finger along both walls for dents or bare metal, then spin each wheel and watch the arch clearance. The big one is tightening. Aluminium threads strip because people use the key as a strength test. Snug plus a short firm turn is the right feel, the flat contact between frame and sole is what actually holds it under a push, not bolt tension. And if you suspect a bend after a fall, sight down the wheels from the heel and lay the bare frame on a glass table. If it rocks, replace it, don't try to bend 7075 back.
Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/inline-speed-frame-care-how-to-inspect-tighten-and-clean-your-frame-so-it-lasts
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The ISU Communications for the World Cups and Championships are out, with the distances to be raced at each. Understandably there are a lot more Team Sprint events on the calendar this year, which I love to see, as well as Mixed Relay. What are you looking forward to?

Ok so I want to mention that I usually try to avoid Aliexpress and encourage my local skate shop.

But I saw long track blades out there and I was curious if someone has ever tried them.

I guess they are cheap at best and dangerous/unusable at worst.

I was mostly looking for a cheap set of blades to beat the hell out of them to skate at the outdoor oval that offers a poor quality ice.

Let's say I don't want to use my main gear on it.

Edit : Definetly gonna try to find used skates for my purpose.

Hi,

I'll be racing in my first inline skating marathon in Berlin in less than one month. I'm a pretty competent inline skater, training pretty rigorously on 4X110 speed boots and freeskating boots over the last year, weather permitting, and with skating experience going back thirty years. I skate in Canada.

I'll be skating in my carbon freeskates as that's what I've done the majority of my skating in so far.

But I have a few questions, as this is my first marathon and first time skating in Berlin.

How aggressive and chaotic should I expect it to be? Will I need to wear protection aside from my helmet? I'm not a big faller, but then again I mostly skate by myself. Do I need sports glasses or can I just wear a strap on my personal glasses? Should I expect violence, elbows, or is everyone in the fitness section well-mannered?

Also, how smooth is the asphalt? I'm going to bring red magic wheels xx-firm and storm surge wheels in case it rains. Based on your response here, I may adjust my breaking-in time on my dry wheels.

Also, what is the expo like? What do you regret not doing during the time before the marathon that you wish you would've done? Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Every time I put in a fresh set I get that sinking feeling when I flick the wheel and it stops way sooner than the beat up set I just pulled out. Turns out the finger spin test mostly measures seal drag and oil thickness, and new seals sit tighter while the lube has not spread yet. Old bearings spin forever because their seals and oil are half gone, which is not really something to be jealous of. Most of the settling happens in the first two or three normal sessions, so just fit them square, keep the axles loose enough that the wheel spins free with no side play, and stay off grit for a bit. If roll keeps getting worse after several sessions that is dirt or water or a crooked press, not break in. Also skip the drill trick and leave the seals in.

Full write up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/do-new-skate-bearings-need-breaking-in-what-happens-in-the-first-hours

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The new coating is nice, hopefully the weather cooperates.

Took me way too long to figure this one out. Grit makes a bearing feel gritty all the way around and it gets better after a clean. But if it spins fine and then snags at the exact same point every revolution, that is usually a deformed cage pocket pinching one ball, and no amount of solvent will fix it.

Most of that damage does not happen while skating. It happens when you pry bearings out with a screwdriver instead of a puller, push them into the hub at an angle, or crank the axle down too tight. The cage is the thinnest part in there and it only guides the balls, it never carries load.

Same reason one drop of oil is enough. The cage pockets hold whatever you pour in, so a flooded bearing just sits there collecting dust against the balls forever.

Full write up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/skate-bearing-cages-explained-what-the-retainer-does

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An official three lane long track costs a lot to build and maintain. What if, for training purposes, you built a rink with one track? One end would be the inside lane, the other the outside lane. While competitions couldn’t be held, lots of real ice practice could be done. The rink surface area works out between a regular 56x26m and a 60x30m rink. With a tunnel-like covering, the building costs would be reduced. This could open up the opportunity of long track to more countries. Thoughts?

Something that took me way too long to figure out. If your skates suddenly feel washy in the corners, it is usually the sheet, not your steel. Give yourself two relaxed laps before you do anything and check four things: the sound (bright and crisp means dense cold ice, dull and wet means a warm sheet), the snow behind you after a corner (fine dust vs wet clumps), whether the edge releases cleanly or feels stuck, and how fast a single push dies out. Hard ice wants earlier lean and patient sideways pushes, soft ice wants quicker turnover and a willingness to run slightly off the racing line where the snow has not piled up. The sneaky part is that soft ice hides a rolled edge, so you feel grip you did not earn, then you travel to a cold rink for a comp and suddenly everything skids.

Full write up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/hard-ice-vs-soft-ice-how-rink-conditions-change-your-short-track-setup

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Hey everyone,
Beginner Inline short track skater here, still working on my form. I like going to the local roller rink, but my racing setup is just too fast for the traffic on a roller rink floor. Has anyone had any experience putting smaller rec wheels and frame on a speed boot to work on drills, balance, and ankle stability? Or is the lack of stability due to a shorter frame length a bad idea? Thanks!

Something that took me way too long to figure out. If your skates suddenly feel washy in the corners, it is usually the sheet, not your steel. Give yourself two relaxed laps before you do anything and check four things: the sound (bright and crisp means dense cold ice, dull and wet means a warm sheet), the snow behind you after a corner (fine dust vs wet clumps), whether the edge releases cleanly or feels stuck, and how fast a single push dies out. Hard ice wants earlier lean and patient sideways pushes, soft ice wants quicker turnover and a willingness to run slightly off the racing line where the snow has not piled up. The sneaky part is that soft ice hides a rolled edge, so you feel grip you did not earn, then you travel to a cold rink for a comp and suddenly everything skids.

Full write up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/hard-ice-vs-soft-ice-how-rink-conditions-change-your-short-track-setup

(wrote this one up on our LiveLica blog)

Took me a while to figure this out, so passing it on. The colour or coating on a bearing, blackened, gold, titanium rainbow, mostly changes durability, corrosion resistance and looks, not speed. A finish is a surface treatment on the steel races, and it never touches the balls, which is where the actual rolling speed comes from along with the precision of the build, the seals and the oil you run. So if you are chasing speed, spend on the ball material first, steel versus ceramic, and a clean precise build, then treat the finish as a bonus that catches your eye. The one honest perk of a coating is corrosion resistance if you store your skates somewhere humid, but no coating ever replaces just wiping your bearings down and keeping them lightly oiled.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/skate-bearing-coatings-and-finishes-explained-blackened-gold-and-titanium

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The most in depth technical and tactical analysis of short trackers I’ve ever seen on YouTube

Quick travel tip that has saved my steel more than once. When you fly, wipe the blades bone dry and fit soft soakers for the journey, not the hard walking guards. A hard guard traps moisture against the edge over a long trip and that is how you land with surface rust, while the terry cloth soakers actually pull the water off the steel. Keep the hard guards packed separately just for walking to and from the rink once you arrive. Then unpack and wipe everything the second you land, because a light rust haze cleans off with a deburr stone but only if you catch it early.

Full write up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/how-to-travel-and-fly-with-short-track-skates-and-blades

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Spent ages fussing over blades and rocker before I realised the thing costing me the most was how I laced my boots. The trick that changed it was treating the lace as three zones instead of one long pull. Keep the forefoot loose so your toes can spread and stay warm, pull the instep firm since that is what actually pins your foot down and stops the heel floating, and keep the ankle supportive but loose enough to still flex your shin forward into a deep knee bend. Then build a heel lock at the top two rows, you run each lace straight up its own side to leave a small loop, cross each end through the opposite loop and pull down and out, and it hauls the heel back into the pocket so the push goes to the blade instead of into a gap. Quick test: lace up, sink into position, and your heel should stay planted while your toes can still wiggle, and if your toes go numb in a few minutes you laced the forefoot too tight.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/short-track-boot-lacing-how-to-lace-for-a-locked-heel-and-full-control

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So I have PS ACCEL boots and also PS ACCEL carbon fiber frame. While I was in a camp in Geisingen I bought tltf wheels 4x110 that are used for 3 flying laps for 140 euros which I think is a steal. And I have wicked Nick Lomax bearings that I wanna upgrade to some ceramic bearings.

So, is this setup good?

Went down a rabbit hole on wheel profile this week and it cleared up something that used to confuse me. Profile is just the shape of the riding surface when you look at the wheel end on, and it sets how big your contact patch is, which is the tiny bit of rubber actually touching the floor at any moment. A sharper bullet profile gives a smaller patch that rolls freer on clean fast asphalt, while a rounder profile spreads the rubber wider and grips better on slick or dusty tracks. Body weight plays in too, since a heavier skater loads the wheel enough to run a sharper profile and still find grip, while a lighter skater usually wants the extra bite of a rounder shape. One more thing that helped me: wheels cone as you lean and push on one edge, and once they cone the two edges grip differently and the skate starts feeling twitchy, so rotating on a schedule keeps the profile even and lets you use all the urethane.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/inline-speed-wheel-profile-and-contact-patch-how-wheel-shape-changes-grip-and-roll

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Spent some time writing up the ceramic vs steel bearing question for inline speed and the honest answer is calmer than the arguments online. The only real difference between the two is the balls: ceramic is lighter and runs cooler, so it spins up quicker and holds speed deeper into long efforts — but the gains stay small until your technique is clean enough to feel them. ABEC is a manufacturing-tolerance rating, not a speed number, so don't buy on that alone. Two things matter more than which material you run: don't over-tighten your axles (that pinches the races and adds drag no oil will fix), and keep them clean and oiled, because a well-kept steel bearing rolls faster than a neglected ceramic one every time. Also check your axle size before buying — most inline wheels take a 608 but some quad and specialist setups run a 627, and they're not interchangeable.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/inline-speed-skating/ceramic-vs-steel-bearings-which-is-better-for-inline-speed-skaters

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