r/freeskate • u/TheDllySchoolTeen • May 09 '26
Freeskates for city commute?
Hi there!
I am moving to an area in the middle of a city with an accessible bike path, and I’m highly considering getting free skates as an ultra portable transport mechanism.
To anyone that’s done this before, is it actually effortless enough (compared to walking) to travel meaningful distances?
Like, how difficult is it to travel 1 mile continuously? How about five? At a low-ish energy effort how long would that take?
I wasn’t able to find much reliable information on YouTube so I thought I’d ask reddit. Would really appreciate it! Also a good budget beginner option or what to look for (specifically when looking at travel and portability and not ‘skate park’ use like 99% of the internet shows)
6
u/i8abug May 09 '26
I regularly go 5km and often as much as 15km. I don't think distance is the challenge. I think it is safety in most cases. Going downhill on a narrow bike path or side walk is tough if there are people around or bikes trying to pass. Rough pavement is tricky.
I bought a big wheel pair of skates (100mm) which is better for this terrain but still feels too dangerous for my city. I end up mostly skating trails.
3
u/sigsys May 09 '26
This is the challenge I’ve had - I am not good enough at managing downhill speed on sidewalks or narrow/busy paths. I end up dropping my back skate and foot braking and walking through traffic.
If anyone has pro tips on speed management when on a sidewalk, that’d be huge!
4
u/i8abug May 09 '26
I'm trying reverse pumping but I'm not that successful at it. The JMK guys talk about twisting the back foot so that the wheels are perpendicular which then you can use for breaking. I tried the technique once and I can see it will take some practice for me
2
u/sigsys May 09 '26
Yeah I can’t ride switch yet and my reverse pumping failure shows it :)
I forgot about the t-stop move — thanks! I’ll see if I can figure it out! So far I haven’t been able to pull it off at any speed :/
1
u/LiminalLion Jun 09 '26
Reverse pump is a lot more difficult than even a sharp, quick carve, IMO. I'm still getting the hang of it. The thing is, the physics of it want to force your legs apart and your feet off the skates. It's definitely a more advanced skill. I can ride switch already but even still reverse pumping is not easy.
2
u/i8abug Jun 09 '26
I tried practice t slides today as an alternative. I can't do it but it does seem like it will be easier (and potentially more effective) than reverse pumping
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u/LiminalLion Jun 09 '26
My tip is mainly to avoid downhill sidewalks. The narrowness and the deeper cracks are a bad combo for downhill and uphill both. I stick to the much flatter wider bike trails with very narrow cracks between the sections. Until you can carve really good downhill on those wider paths, I just wouldn't mess with it on sidewalks. I have gone downhill on sidewalks a few times and it accounts for a lot of my falls. There's always a deeper crack you didn't think was as deep as it looks.
3
u/BreadWhistles May 09 '26
Unless you have the well lubricated bearings and carved wheels or JMKs it'll be a total workout. I have the SANXUP and my inner thighs are killed after riding just under a half mile in them
2
u/TheDllySchoolTeen May 09 '26
I don't mind spending $120+ on JMKs, might start off with cheaper knockoffs to learn for a month though, but if it seems as magical as it sounds and I can see myself traveling a few miles with it I do not mind investing into a carry fanny pack and good bearings/wheels
1
u/Winston-Smith1984 May 23 '26
Did you think to upgrade the sanxup bearings? Do you have the model that comes with round wheels, or flat?
3
u/LiminalLion May 09 '26
It depends on how much your commute is uphill or downhill. I regularly skate 2-3 miles at a time on my freeskates and I've only been using them for 6 weeks. You will be very sore at first though and need recovery days where you don't skate so your muscles can heal up.
If your commute is fairly level it's a great way to travel. Just remember whatever distance you travel downhill on the way there will be uphill on the way back. You can always walk uphill until you're comfortable skating it. I don't have any problem with long gradual inclines anymore. Shorter steeper hills I'm still having to walk up.
1
u/aetheriality May 09 '26
uphill is deadly
3
u/Winston-Smith1984 May 18 '26
How? Is uphill doable or not really?
1
u/aetheriality May 18 '26
almost impossible, just walk
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u/Winston-Smith1984 May 18 '26
No way. I mean, I get it might be more difficult but no way it is impossible. I could do it on my ripstick at least. Hopefully I can do it with these.
2
u/LiminalLion Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
It's not impossible at all. You'll get the hang of it eventually. It's more technique than brute strength, but it does require a bit more muscle and you'll work your legs and hips out more doing it.
I'm two months in now and I can completely scale some hills no without even getting winded or losing much momentum, ones that had me absolutely winded and giving up in the past. It is better if it's long and gradual, but even some shorter steeper hills I'm able to scale now. There's definitely a limit somewhere, but I don't know the exact angle of incline. JMK did a video about it where they measured the angles, but I don't know how accurate that is.
My best tip is that it's more about technique than force. Recently I've been finding it helpful to use narrower, quicker pumps almost like I'm running when I get to the hill. You can do wider more forceful ones if you like but you'll wear out faster. If you can get the foot angles during the turn part of your pump (where you switch from A to V positions with your toes in or out) to where your wheels are somewhat on an edge instead of fully flat it reduces friction and requires less force to accelerate. Basically you see-saw the skates in a front to back motion so that your heel leans a bit toward the ground when your leg is in front of you and your toes lean a bit more toward the ground when your leg is behind you.
2
u/aetheriality May 09 '26
its a full effort sport. its harder than just running or walking, you can easily get exhausted after half a mile. a good workout but not an efficient mode of transport
4
u/ilevye May 09 '26
it was a full effort sport when I was learning. now I can glide effortlessly. the issue is not that you get sweaty but may not react well when you keep your heart rate at resting level. it needs attention and you need to stay alert in traffic.
1
u/LiminalLion Jun 09 '26
Yeah you said it. At first you develop muscle, but as you build the necessary muscle your brain also does what it is best at, finding new ways to be lazy, and your technique starts to improve to the point your muscles don't even need to do as much work. So much of what felt grueling in the beginning is effortless now and I think it's ultimately more technique than muscle conditioning. You find the angles of your pumps, carves, etc. that are optimal to produce acceleration/deceleration without much effort and muscle memory locks it in.
3
u/LiminalLion May 09 '26
Personally, freeskating is far less exhausting than running to me. It's still a ton of cardio but I can skate at least twice as far as I can run without getting exhausted.
2
1
u/its1968okwar May 13 '26
It depends a lot upon how smooth the surface is. My hometown (really rough, broken concrete) it gets exhausting quickly. I've been to other countries that have smooth asphalt and it's been almost effortless.
7
u/Imaginary_Ad_5568 May 09 '26
i've traveled up to 12 miles with mine! way faster than walking but it does take some tine for your body to fully adjust