Choose Recreational Inline Skates for Fun and Fitness

The majority of inline skates sold today are recreational skates. This category of inline skates covers a broad range of styles and uses. Recreation can mean anything from leisurely use of the skates to high fitness, or even off-road skating.

With such a range of uses for recreational inline skates, the section on recreational skates will describe the broad characteristics of the skates, with links to specific features, qualities, and uses.

Recreational Inline Skate Components

Recreational inline skates consist of three major parts: the boot, the frame, and the wheels.

Recreational Inline Skates: Wheels and Bearing

Most inline skates consist of four wheels that are aligned down the center of the frame. Five wheel skates fall more into the category of speed skating than recreation.

When you're using inline skates for recreation or fitness, you want wheels that are between 72-78mm for the safest speeds.

You will also notice that the inline skate wheels are letter graded. This determines the softness and hardness of the wheels. You should also check into the bearing specs when purchasing your skates.

When you see: ABEC plus a number you will be able to determine how fast your inline skates will be. A rating of ABEC-1 means that your skates are suitable for the newer recreational skater. The higher the ABEC rating, the softer and faster your wheels and subsequently your skates, will be.

Inline Skate Boots

As a recreational inline skater, there are basically two types of boots to choose from: a soft and a hard boot. The hard boot is like a hard ski boot, and was the original design for inline skates. The history of inline skates talks more about the original design.

The hard boots offer a stiffer support, which some inline skaters feel gives them better control when skating and offers more protection against injuries if they fall.

Alternatively there is a large selection of soft boot designs for recreational inline skates. These skate boots are more comfortable and cushiony, and offer almost the same support you would get from the hard boot.

Unless you are set on a particular boot type and/or inline skate manufacturer, the best way to know which type is best for you is, before you buy inline skates, to try on the different boot types, from different manufacturers. This is especially true when you are making your first purchase of a pair of recreational inline skates.

Frames for Recreational Inline Skates

The frame of an inline skate is attached to the bottom of the boot and holes the wheels on the skate. On most skates the frame is a separate component that is attached to the boot with rivets or a similar attachment system.

There are inline skates on the market with the boot and frame as one molded piece. Be aware that this combination will limit the maintenance you can do with your recreational inline skates, and probably means a more inexpensive, less durable pair of skates.

The main consideration for skate frames is the maximum wheel size the frame can accommodate. Even if you start with smaller 70 or 72mm wheels, once you are a confident skater you may want to switch to larger, faster wheels.

Frame styles are molded plastic (the most common), metal (more for race or hockey inline skates), and composites that provide better stiffness and energy transfer to the pavement. Of course, a composite frame can be the most expensive of the options.

Ready to Skate

Recreational inline skates can range in price from approximately $100 to over $500. There are inexpensive inline skateson the market, for less than $100, but they are usually made with inexpensive plastics in the boot and frame and low-grade bearings. they may be a good option for children who are still growing and want to learn how to inline skate, but adults should definately invest in higher quality recreational inline skates.

Whichever recreational inline skates you invest in, always be sure they are a good fit for your feet and your skating comfort level.

Aggressive Inline Skating

Even though aggressive inline skating, also known as street or trick skating can be considered "recreational", and very popular with the teenage crowd, it's not an area I will be exploring here.

The safety accessories and aggressive inline skate specifications and purchase tips, are similar so can be used as starting information for the novice aggressive skater.

More Information on Recreational Inline Skates

• Purchasing cheap rollerblades / inline skates
  Choosing cheap rollerblades (aka inline skates) should only refer to price, not quality, no matter what type of rollerblades you need, or inline skating you do.
• Try Off Road Inline Skates to get off the Paved Paths
  Off road inline skates might be just what you need to step up to adventure skating from recreational inline skating if you're getting bored of skating on paved paths.
• All Terrain Inline Skates, for Extreme Sport Enthusiasts
  All terrain inline skates are roller blades that can take skating onto a variety of outdoor landscapes, and are a great cross-train option for skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers.