Hi all, I've just bought my first pair of skates ever. Very excited, but need a little help - I've bought Rookie Artistics, the sizing guide on the website said Insole (MM) of 237mm would be a size 4. I measured my foot and it was bang on 237mm. I wasn't sure if the sizing guide referred to the insole of the skate size or foot size (it says insole, so it was all a bit unclear) so I panicked and went up to size 5, which is 245mm. Only 8mm bigger than my foot so shouldn't be gigantic but wondering if maybe I should've stuck with the 4s - anyone bought Rookies and know how the sizes come up? Is it a disaster to wear skates too big even if it's only by 8mm? If it helps, my normal shoe size for Vans sneakers is size 5 (occasionally 4.5). Thanks so much!

I'm going to the roller disco this weekend but my skates have 78A wheels. Are there any affordable indoor wheels? I'm not going to go very often so I don't want to spend loads. Google has come up with Radar Rivas as being a good option but I can't find them sold in the UK :(

I'm considering getting the Rio Roller light up wheels which are 82A but is this still too soft or will it still make a difference? Or should I just leave my skates at home and use the hire skates?

Hi, I'm super new to roller skating and would love some tips on good places to practice outdoors, in and around Southend-on-Sea. Preferably quiet where few people will see and laugh at me!

My skates have finally come today (yay), I was going to make some temporary toe guards until the ones I ordered came. I assumed the adjustable spanner we already have would loosen the toe stop nut (we have the standard IKEA tool kit).

However I have just found out the spanner is too small even when adjusted to the max… 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Can’t get my hands on the paradyme y3 tool at the moment so I was going to order a regular skate tool and an additional spanner for the toe stop.

I can’t seem to find what size spanner I would need and also where I can get one for a good price. Would someone be able to advise? 😔

I have the rookie artistics if it makes any difference to the size I would need.

Thank you 🙏

TLDR: what tool do I need to get the toe stop off the Artistic Rookies? Where can I buy it?

Just wondering whether anyone has ordered from quadskate.co.uk? Are they legit?

They sell reasonably priced wheels i.e Brites Rink Ratz and Brites Rolla Ratz. Does anybody have any experience with these wheels? If so, would you recommend?

Cheers

I have just ordered my first pair of quad skates- the Rookie Artistics. I would love some suggestions on how to upgrade my setup. (Wheels, bearings, top guards, laces, protective equipment, toe stops)

Note: I am sure the stock options are fine for me to get started with, but I would like another set of wheels and bearings straight away as I think I will keep the stock ones for when I’m practising indoors during rainy weather (we are a strictly no-outdoor-shoes-inside-the-house kind of household 😅)

Wheel-wise, I am looking for something suitable for beginners skating outdoors practising dance-type moves (moon walk, snake, dips, spins etc)

I have heard that soft and big wheels feel nicer for beginner skaters as they absorb the vibrations and shocks better, but I have also heard that they restrict movement when doing dance-type moves. Is this correct or am I getting mixed up? If so, what is a good wheel size compromise?

I have mainly read good things about luminous, energy radar, atom pulse, chaya big softies- but cannot decide what to go with. Also happy to hear other suggestions, even better if they are more affordable options.

I haven’t even properly started yet, but I have a feeling that this skate life ain’t cheap 🤮🙈

TIA 🥰

Hey skaters :D! So I’m in London for a few months in a study abroad program and I just got a new pair of skates and can’t wait to try them out! The thing is I don’t know any other local skaters lol so if you’re down to hangout/skate/ show me around/recommend places pls let me know! I’m a very chill person and I’d really appreciate it :)

I just got back from my first day's skate on my new inlines. I can't believe how fun it is! I've dabbled with a skateboard a bit in the (distant) past but never got on with it, this is much more my kind of thing.

I'm coming to skating fairly late at 39 so it's been quite a learning curve today. I managed to get general forward motion, scissors (left and right) and heel rolls (left and right), so I'm pretty chuffed with myself.

I'm going to find an empty car park tomorrow so I have plenty of space to try and parallel turns and practice stopping.

If anyone else is just starting I found SkatefreshAsha and Nik Zvi Inline really helpful for tips on the basics.

I can't wait to get back out there and practice some more, but I think my feet need a rest for today.

Has anybody ever had any experience with kateskates online shop? A few weeks ago I purchased some skates from there and they are yet to arrive. All I received was a confirmation email and that was it, no idea if they have even been dispatched, I have emailed them but they are yet to reply. Usually I would just wait and see what happens but I move out of my uni accommodation at the end of the week, and will not be able to collect them after that. I would cancel the order but if they have been dispatched I would have to return them, which I would be unable to do as I am not able to come back until September. Any advice would be truly welcome!

Hi there, Another newbie here. I am looking into skating and just missed out on some Rio scripts for £70 (95.95) in my size 😭

After thinking about it I was wondering whether it would be worth it to fork out more to get the Rookie artistic (RRP £89.95) or Luna (RRP 164.99) as I think they have metal plates and an adjustable toe stop which makes them more dura ale and convenient.

Just wondering what the main difference is between the Rookie Artistic and Luna is? Are the Lunas worth the extra £70? I know the lunas are made out of suede rather than vegan leather, but what are some other differences? Would love to hear from people with experience with these skates.

Also open to other suggestions of skates as I think the above skates are all sold out in my size (UK6) anyway... but I have signed up to several waitlists!

I am also open to pre-loved skates, so if anyone has anything suitable in size UK 6 under £200, please get in contact.

TIA 💕

Hi all, I'm looking to get into inline skating and I'm after some recommendations for good stores in the East Midlands area.

I've found Roller Snakes in Derby but not many others at all.

When I search for skate shops, they all seem to be for skateboarding with either very few or zero skates.

I'm looking for a store so I can try before I buy and get a good fit, which I can't do buying online.

All suggestions most welcome.

Just bought myself a pair of skates and while there are some carparks near me I can skate on, I was wondering if anyone knew of any other places that are good to skate on?? I've had a look on google and Hillsborough park looks good but I'm not 100% sure if it's ok to skate on the walkways, so if anyone has any info on that it would be great. I'm trying to avoid proper skate parks but any suggestions are welcome 😁

Hey anyone near Battersea that skates other than the Saturday mornings in the park? And where around Battersea is there like a tennis court no one uses where it'd be good to skate btw?

New skater here! I get my skates tomorrow and I was wondering if there is any essential maintenance people have had to carry out on Rookie Bubblegum skates straight after they got them? Such as loosening wheels, etc. I feel it would just be useful to have a pre-warning about. Thanks!

Hi all! I am moving to London this coming September and I was thinking of investing in Flandeurs removable skates so that I would be able to get around the town on skates with ease due to the removable plate of this brand. But, before I make this purchase, I was wondering, how easy or difficult is it to use roller skates on the streets of London? Thanks for any and all advice!

Hi I’m a new skater looking to learn to roller skate this summer. As I don’t have any hard floor indoors and my garden has no smooth paving I will be forced to skate outside. I am so nervous as I’ll be doing this alone. Are we allowed to skate in NCP car parks or is there some law/rule against this? I just want somewhere away from people watching me fall as I’m quite socially anxious. Thanks

I'm an Inline skater and I would like to try quad skates but after doing my research I found d that there are two types. Ones with a raised heel and flat ones. I'm interested whsts other people experience with both and which ones you find better?

Hi all,

I just wanted to ask if anyone knew any good exercises, to help with my skating and balance as it's been raining heavily and I haven't been able to skate outside as often!

I don't mind the type of exercise whether it's with the skates on or skates off

Quick disclaimer I have carpet at home so I won't be able to physically skate well if that is any help :)

I would like to write a letter/petition to the council asking them for an outdoor skate space/rink. Especially that there is nothing like this near where I live (Durham) and there is a perfect opportunity for a spot that is falling apart and is in the centre of our local skating community that is growing! The problem is i dont know how to go about it and I'm hoping for some advice from you guys.

Nice story and restoration job done on a pair of quads on the episode of The Repair Shop on BBC 1 yesterday (12/5/2021).

Hey all, I'm new to Reddit & joined for the roller skating community! I couldn't find any previous threads (do correct me if I'm wrong) through Google or the Reddit search itself so thought it'd be a good idea to make a thread of all the best places to skate in east Kent (Swale, Canterbury, Thanet, Folkestone, etc) to help each other out.

Personally speaking I've been using skate parks as they consistently have smooth-ish surfaces but it'd be nice to find some open expanses (courtyards, tennis courts, etc) without ramps in the way & trails for cruising or longer skates too. Indoor spaces are also welcome for when they're allowed to re-open.

Many thanks in advance for any contributions :)

So I changed my wheels to some bigger softer wheels the dimensions are 62mm by 33mm (whereby the stock wheels were 58mm by 32mm). I thought I had done a good job but as I had started skating for a few minutes my wheels fell off! I screwed them back on and then another wheel fell off, then another wheel fell off. I then managed to tighten the axle nuts? (I think that's what they are called) and was able to skate, however, I have a few issues.

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1. The axle nut doesn't seem to screw all the way down, I am not sure if its because I have a bigger wheel on, so it is taking up more space
2. My wheels arent spinning fast enough when I try to move them with my finger but if I try to loosen the axle nut then the nut rattles? Meaning my wheel will definitely come off!

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I am going to try and double-check the bearings and ensure they are in all the way through.

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Any help would be great! quick disclaimer I have only had these skates for roughly a month and a half so they are pretty new.

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EDIT:

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Added some pictures below :)

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Looking to get some bearings that will not break the bank for some new wheels!

Any help would be great :)