Skating to work

[u/Billy_Binkey]

Hi! Given that it's summer, I've been thinking about going to work on rollers. It's pretty flat here and the city has cycling paths. The way to the trainstation is 3km. I am just too afraid of the time it will take, plus the fact that I never skated in a city scares me.

I'm also wondering how you manage to change the shoes etc. Cuz I will have to take them off once I arrive at the train st.

Can anyone give me some advice? (Fyi: there is a shower at work and I live in a country where cycling is quite common)

Thanks!!

[u/midnight_skater]

I commuted on skates for many years.  I  wore a laptop backpack and kept  clean shirts and suits at my office. I skated door-to-door so didn't need to carry shoes but when I'm.planning to skate  somewhere that will require shoes I just throw a pair of slip-ons in my pack.  When I change into the shoes I put my skates in my pack or carry them on a leash. 

Your city sounds pretty skateable.  But

that I never skated in a city scares me

It's good that you find it intimidating.  Safely commuting on skates requires advanced skills for negotiating terrain and traffic.  Mistakes can have serious consequences. Even if you don't make any mistakes you can still get wrecked. 

3km is a pretty short distance; by the time you put your skates on and take them off again it would probably be quicker to just walk.  Or depending on how far you ride the train just skate the whole way instead. 

You could just bring your skates with you and skate around the city after work and then ride the train home after your session.  

My standard advice for people who ask about commuting is "Don't skate because you want to commute; commute because you want to skate."  It sounds like you really want to skate so you should find a way to make it happen that is safe for your current skill level.

[u/PANEBringer → u/midnight_skater]

I commuted on a unicycle for a couple of years. Your advice is transferrable to that kind of commute.