How to make roller skates less slippery!
Roller skating is fun and exciting, whether doing it competitively or as a fun-time hobby. Also, it has tons of health, physical and social benefits.
It’s the best way to lose weight while having fun. Roller skating is a social hobby, and you can make new friends every time you go roller skating.
But enjoying your roller skating sessions can be a hurdle when you have faulty and slippery roller skates. Slippery roller skates are risky and not fun to skate in.
Roller skating can be dangerous when you use slippery roller skates. You can trip and break your ankles, which isn’t an exciting experience.
So, how do you make roller skates less slippery? Trying to figure it out by yourself can be a hassle, especially when you don’t know where to look.
Don’t sweat it! I’ve put together this guide to show you how to make your roller skates less slippery. So, let’s get to it!
How to Make Roller Skates Less Slippery
Making your roller skates less slippery is a no brainer. But some of the tips require expert input. Be careful and only proceed if you can do it yourself lest you damage your roller skates.
Below is how to make roller skates less slippery!
1. Tighten Axle Bolts
Tightening axle bolts is a low cost of making roller skates less slippery. It doesn’t cost a dime to use this method unless you decide to buy your roller skate wheel-changing tool.
Buying one isn’t necessary because you can borrow it from your roller skate buddies. But if you decide to get your own, Reflex Utili-Tool Skate Tool is the best option, and you can get it on Amazon.
Use the Reflex Utili-Tool Skate Tool to tighten the axle bolts by rotating them clockwise. This tip works because tightening the axle bolts presses on the roller skate wheels, minimizing rollout.
But you want to tighten the axle bolts cautiously. The wheels may fail to roll out if you over tighten them. So, go for the sweet spot by ensuring the wheels are neither too tight nor too loose.
More importantly, don’t do it yourself if you’re not sure because you may end up damaging your roller skates. Instead, asking for help from a more experienced skater goes a long way.
2. Switch to Soft Wheels
Soft roller skate wheels are less slippery since they have more traction. So, you need to apply force to push and glide in them. That’s what you need to make your roller skates less slippery.
The durometer determines wheel hardness in roller skates. It’s measured on a scale of between 74A to 106A. A higher value means hard wheels, while a lower value means soft wheels.
Soft wheels range between 74A and 84A. So you can opt for any wheels in this range. But the softer, the better if you’re looking for more traction with the skating surface.
3. Use Small-sized Wheels
Roller skate wheel size is determined by the diameter. Some are small-sized, others are medium, and others are large-sized.
Large-sized wheels are hard to skate in since they’re more slippery. On the flipside, medium and small-sized roller skate wheels are the real deal since they’re less slippery.
This is why you want to switch to small-sized wheels if you have large and slippery roller skate wheels. Typical roller skate wheels range between 58mm and 65mm.
You want to go with 60mm diameter and below since they are relatively smaller. They’re the best since they have little rollout, making them less slippery.
Below are some cool roller skate wheels to consider if you want less slippery and small-sized wheels. Feel free to check them out on Amazon.
- Bont Skates – Glide Outdoor Roller Skate Wheels
- CLAS FOX 78A Indoor or Outdoor 65x35mm Quad Roller Skate Wheels
I also put together a guide to help you change your roller skate wheels. You can check it out here!
4. Install Slow Rolling Bearings
Roller skate bearings are a crucial consideration when looking to make your roller skates less slippery. But what is a roller skate bearing? You could be asking.
A roller skate bearing is a silver circular metal ring inside a roller skate wheel. The three types of roller skate bearings are ABEC, Ceramics and Swiss.
ABEC bearings are rated on precision and quality. A high ABEC rating like ABEC 9 has a high precision than a low ABEC rating of 3. So, high ABEC rating bearings have more rollout and can be slippery.
If you must use ABEC rated bearings, you should consider low ABEC ratings like ABEC 3 or 5. ABEC 5 is the sweet spot since it’s in the middle and doesn’t compromise quality.
Ceramics and Swiss bearings are more advanced and can be pretty slippery. They’re the last bearings to have in your roller skates if you want to make them slower.
5. Regulate Your Pushes
The roller skating technique also plays a crucial role in determining if your roller skates are slippery or not. So, you’ll want to moderate how hard you push during propulsion.
More extended pushes can make the roller skates more slippery. It’ll be best to make shorter pushes since it helps make roller skates less slippery.
6. Avoid Roller Skating on Wet and Slippery Surfaces
There are plenty of roller skating surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, plastic, wood, and rubber. Asphalt, concrete, and wood surfaces are the best since they’re less slippery.
But any surface can be slippery when wet. This is why it’s crucial to avoid skating on wet surfaces. But if you must, here’s a detailed guide on how to roller skate in the rain.
7. Use Properly Fitting Roller Skates
It would help if you only used properly fitting roller skates for your safety and comfort. What are correctly fitting roller skates? You could be asking.
Simple! Properly fitting roller skates are snuggly fitting. They’re neither too tight nor too loose. You want to avoid too loose roller skates because of feet wobbling.
Loosely fitting roller skates are hard to roller skate in. you have little control under your feet, making them more slippery. You will likely fall and injure yourself.
Wrapping Up | How to Make Roller Skates Less Slippery
Less slippery roller skates are fun to skate in since they reduce the chances of injuring oneself. But, making your roller skates less slippery can be a hurdle when you don’t know what to do.
This guide is what you need to get started. I believe you found it helpful. That’s it, and happy roller skating!
