LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Adam B(GMF) · Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 237

can someone post some info here about this, pre 24Roller

dan_b · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 2428

What, with no gears?

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4108

Go find lots of hills. Skate up and down them. Repeat.

Adam B(GMF) · Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 237

ed! · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:00 pm Subject:

Gav · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:04 pm Subject:

I think the major 4 points are:

a) short quicker steps, angled outwards
b) attempt to point your knees out at 45 degrees. This helps with (a)
c) arm swing mirrors your steps and is more side to side (at least 45 degrees)
d) recover your foot right across to behind your other leg, and drive it across on the set down. This helps with (a) and (b)

Another thing to remember, is that your arm swing can help drive your legs. If you want to go faster, take faster steps, etc - then swing your arms quicker with more force. Your legs have to follow to keep up.

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4108

Remember Patrick's drill of taking as few strides as possible up a long hill? He wanted us to use huge pushes, spend as long on one skate only as possible, and really feel for the roll and the correct amount of heel carve/gearing to keep yourself going up. That was an awesome drill, really good for learning hills.

That's slightly different to Gav's advice, but it doesn't conflict. This is a drill to make you better at hills, Gav's advice is correct when you're skating more normally.

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

It's pretty important to limit your gliding to a minimum as you are slowing down all the time you are not pushing. To some extent this is true on the flat too but it's even more important as the gradient increases.

The slower you are going, the more you will need to open your foot on the set-down and the less you will be pushing to the side (increased backwards component) You will get less benefit from the "fall" in the stride sequence when this happens so to stop yourself from losing even more speed you need to bend your knees even more to gain more extension in the push.

Still try to heel carve as this will help you to maintain your push but if you slow down a lot then carving may become counter-productive. Still push through the heel though.

On a shallow incline you should be able to maintain your flat skating style and speed. As your technique and strength/stamina improves you will be able to maintain this technique on an ever increasing gradient before reverting to opening the foot. This will make you a much faster skater on the flat.

lemming · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 693 Location: Reading, UK

On a street skate around camberely the other day, I found just pointing my feet outwards and running did the trick, although I did look like a bit of a fool. Mind you, when we were skating on the flat, I looked like a bit of a fool...