How to Make Roller Skates Slower

Roller skating is a cool and exciting hobby. It’s one of the roller sports with tons of participants worldwide. Many skaters go skating over the weekend with friends at skate parks and other skating venues. If you’re new to roller skating, so much fun awaits you.

But the fun isn’t guaranteed when your roller skates are too fast. This is risky because you can easily fall and get injured, especially when a beginner or intermediate skater. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about it because you can make your roller skates slower.

Doing it yourself can be frustrating! I’ve put together this guide to point you in the right direction. So, let’s get to it!

1. Tighten Roller Skate Axle Bolts

This is a low-cost option for making roller skates slower. It’s been used for some time by legendary skaters who also recommend it.

You need a roller skate wheel-changing tool, and you’re good to go. There are many tools, but I recommend Reflex Utili-Tool Skate Tool. It’s affordable, and you can easily find it at your local or online store like Amazon.

Use the tool to tighten your roller skate axles bolts by rotating them clockwise. Turn the axles bolts cautiously while spinning the wheels until you get what would work for you.

Making the wheels too tight may stop a smooth roll-out completely. So, you want to be careful when tightening the axle bolts.

It can be a hurdle when you’re still new to roller skating. Rather than mess things up, you can ask one of your roller skating buddies at your local skate park to help with this.

2. Use Soft Roller Skating Wheels

Shopping for the right roller skate wheels can be a hurdle. But it doesn’t have to be when you know what to look out for. When looking for the right roller skate wheels, the durometer and diameter are the most crucial things to consider.

The durometer determines roller skate wheel hardness, while the diameter determines the size. The durometer is measured on a scale of between 74A to 106A.

A higher durometer value means hard wheels, while a lower value means soft wheels. A durometer of between 74A and 84A is a soft wheel. That’s what you want to go with if you prefer slower roller skates.

How are soft wheels slow? You’re probably wondering. Here’s the thing: soft wheels provide more friction and traction. You need to apply force to roll in them smoothly, making them the best for beginners.

3. Use Small Roller Skate Wheels

On the other hand, wheel diameter is its height, determining wheel size. Small diameter wheels are considered small wheels, while big diameter wheels are considered big wheels.

Roller skates’ wheel diameter range between 58mm and 65mm. Large-sized wheels have more rollout and are fast. They should be a no-go zone for beginners. Besides that, it’s a hurdle to balance them.

On the flipside, small-sized wheels have little rollout and are relatively slow. They’re your best shot if you’re looking to make your roller skates slower.

Below are the best slow roller skate wheels to consider. You can check them out on amazon!

Lastly, check out this guide to learn how to change your roller skate wheels once you have the small wheels.

4. Switch to Slow Rolling Bearings

First things first! What are roller skate bearings? They’re silver circular metal rings inside of roller skate wheels. There are three rollers skate bearing types. These are ABEC, Swiss, and Ceramic bearings.

The ABEC, Annular Bearing Engineering Council, system is used to rate bearings based on precision and quality. A high ABEC rating (ABEC-7) on a bearing means it’s of high precision and has more roll-out.

On the other hand, a low ABEC rating (ABEC-3) on a bearing means it’s of low precision and little roll-out. This is the one you want to have on your roller skates if you’re looking to make them slower.

The Swiss and Ceramic bearings are more advanced and have more roll-out. They’re best suited for experienced roller skaters who want more speed on their roller skates.

Slow rolling bearings and small-sized wheeled roller skates are the perfect combos to make your roller skates slower.

5. Moderate your Pushes

After taking care of your roller skates, you want to use proper skating techniques to control your speed. One way to go about this is by moderating your pushes.

Your propulsion length depends on how you push and glide. More importantly, this depends on how much force you put in your pushing leg.

If you want to go slower, it’s crucial only to apply a little force on the leg you use for pushing. This way, your roller skates won’t move faster than you can control them.

This technique comes with time. So, you want to be patient as you practice more. It’s recommended to practice on grass and learn to moderate your pushes before moving to smoother surfaces like asphalt.

6. Apply the Plow Stop Roller Skating Technique

Plow is one of the roller skating stopping techniques. It’s easy, quick to learn, and comes in handy when you want to make your roller skates slower.

The technique involves pushing your legs outwards in curving them back in. this decelerates the skates, and they begin to go slower than usual. Repeat these moves to come to a complete stop.

7. Use the T-stop Technique to Drag Your Behind foot

t-stop is another reliable stopping technique for beginners and intermediate roller skaters. It involves dragging your behind foot while forming a t shape with your leading foot.

This technique puts pressure on the wheels because of more friction, which decelerates the wheels. You should come to a stop or slow down by applying this technique.

8. Use the in-built Toe Stop to Slow Down

Lastly, you can use the inbuilt toe stop to slow down your roller skate. This technique works the same way as t-stop because it uses friction to decelerate the wheels.

The best part about it is that it doesn’t require much skill. You only need to know how to stop or slow down using the toe stop rubber extension in front of your roller skates.

How to Make Roller Skates Slower | FAQs

1. How Do I Slow Down My Roller Skates?

Here’s a quick rundown of how to slow down your roller skates;

Tighten Roller Skate Axle Bolts
Use Soft Roller Skating Wheels
Use Small Roller Skate Wheels
Switch to Slow Rolling Bearings
Moderate your Pushes
Apply the Plow Stop Roller Skating Technique
Use the T-stop Technique to Drag Your Behind the foot
Use the in-built Toe Stop to Slow Down

2. How Do I stop Going Fast on Roller Skates?

You can stop going fast on roller skates by using the plow technique. Push your legs outwards and inwards to decelerate while at high speed. You can also apply the t stop by dragging your behind foot as you skate. Lastly, you can use the toe brake to slow down while skating fast.

3. How Do You Slow Down and Stop on Skates?

The easier way to slow down and stop when skating is to use the inbuilt heel brake or toe brake. This works all the time, especially for beginner and intermediate skaters. Other ways to stop include the plow and t-stop.

How to Make Roller Skates Slower | Wrapping Up

Slower roller skates are fun to skate in, especially when you’re a beginner. Slower roller skates take the fear out of the equation and reduce the risk of falling significantly.

But here’s the kicker: making your roller skates slower can be a hurdle when you don’t know how to do it. Luckily for you, this guide is what you need to get started.

I hope you found it helpful!