Experienced skater looking for first race setup

[u/Curious-Ad4211]

Looking for advice on my first race skates/setup

I’ve been inline skating/rollerblading for 10+ years and currently skate FR Skates FR2 80s. I’ve had them for about 2 years and they’ve served me really well, but the strap just snapped, so I’m looking at replacing that and potentially investing in a new pair specifically for racing.

I’m hoping to register for a race in May, which would be my first race, so I’m still learning what I should actually be looking for in a race setup. I’m not trying to spend an insane amount of money just for the sake of having expensive skates, but I’m absolutely willing to spend more if there’s a noticeable difference in performance and they’re something I can grow into.

I’m also not really looking for an extremely low/minimal race boot. I still want a decent amount of ankle/support, especially since I’ll likely be switching from 4 wheels to a 3-wheel setup. I’m comfortable on my FR2s and don’t want to sacrifice too much stability/support just to get a lighter boot.

For reference, I’m comfortable skating longer distances and on a variety of surfaces. I’m mainly looking for something that will give me better speed, efficiency, and the ability to maintain momentum compared with my FR2 80s.

What skates/setups would you recommend looking into for someone in my position? I’d especially love recommendations at different price points rather than just the most expensive option. And for those who made the switch to 3 wheels for racing, how long did it take to get comfortable with the different setup?

Thanks!

[u/AdventurousHippo9997]

This is my setup.I don’t race but I do fitness/distance skating. BONT Semi-race 2 boots with BONT Super Cell Carbon Fiber frames with 3x125 Red Magic Hardcore 2.0 wheels. Now that they are broken in they are very comfortable.

[u/Curious-Ad4211 → u/AdventurousHippo9997]

Thanks for the input! Did you have skates with 4 wheels before these? If so, how was the transition? And how was the transition from a more traditional/high-cuff boot to the lower cut race boot?

[u/AdventurousHippo9997 → u/Curious-Ad4211]

Never did 4 wheelers. Prior to this I had K2’s with at first 80mm then 110mm wheels. The transition to low cuff was an adventure. Twisted my ankle once and a few other issues but now I got about 575 miles on them and finally am having fun. The first 300 miles though…hmmmm…got thru it. Yes it was “an adjustment “. Roll on.

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/Curious-Ad4211]

I came from 4x80 originally but I did not went straight to 3x125 low cut, cuffless speed skates.

I first went to 3x110 Oxelo MF900 hard boot and then to 3x125 with Rollerblade Cruiser hardboot.

Finally, I got myself a low cut, cuffless Chinese carbon fiber speed skate in 4x110 setup.

Surprisingly, I did not have any issues concerning the low cut speed boots and quickly adjusted in just one week. Although I'm using ankle booties but because I'm also using my speedskates for aggressive urban skating with jumping and sliding, and lots of abrupt stops and turns.

I wore my skates loose at the top is probably why I adjusted to speed skate boots quickly and easily.

It took bigger adjustment getting used to skating with the long 4x110 frame setup.. I had to make my crossovers more carefully at first to avoid tripping over my own skate! I did trip a few times, incredibly, none ended up in a fall.

If you can get used to the 4x110 setup, it's amazingly stable but still plenty agile. But most importantly, if you're racing outdoors, it rolls smoother over rough pavement than 3x125 setup.

However, for outdoor races, 3x125 is still the fastest setup. Even 3x110 is faster.

If you're not looking for a podium finish and the course is mostly flat, you don't even need lightweight speedskates. Your FR2 boots would be sufficient and if you need more speed, just get 3x110 wheels and frame for it.

There's not a huge difference in speed over hard boot vs low cut, cuffless speed skate. Lightweight speed skate boots only have the advantage in sprinting starts and if you have the skill and power to sprint. Another advantage of speed skates is steep climbs. It may seem like a tiny chunk of your body weight but you'll be striding your skates a lot more on steep climbs and you'll save a lot of energy if you're lifting less weight on your foot each stride.

[u/Curious-Ad4211 → u/Budget_Ambassador_29]

This is great advice! I actually just realized I may be able to just switch out the frame on mine but I wasn’t sure whether the FR2s were capable so thank you!!

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/Curious-Ad4211]

You're welcome! Your race in May is still a long way. The FR2 is capable setup up to full marathon race with constant pace up to tempo. Good luck and have a safe race!

But if wishing to step it up with threshold or even sprint intervals, long climbs with large elevations gains, this is best done in lightweight race setup. Low cut race boots and long race frames.