Spiel on Wheels, Pt. 1

Well, it is November 30, and the light snow of October (and Thanksgiving Day) has yielded little hope here in the Twin Cities Metro area of MN. So, the wheels are still rolling, and I can give the first part of the spiel about wheels. Please note this pertains to freestyle skis only, since classic roller skis demand the use of roller ski-specific wheels.

Main issue = Composition: Roller ski wheels are NOT made of the same material as Inline wheels. Roller ski wheels are made of a rubber compound, much like bike or car tires. Even the V2 wheels (which are pneumatic) are rubber. This makes them heavier and generally more durable--and typically slower. Inline wheels are made of varying types of polyurethane. The amalgamation will determine how long an inline wheel lasts--and they still typically don't last as long as roller ski wheels.

Durometer: Related to composition, this is another word for "hardness." Roller ski wheels are pretty much one hardness (unless you go pneumatic, of course). However, inline wheels have a lot more variation. Wheels used indoors are often a bit firmer, because one is on a uniform surface; you want to roll as fast as possible. But, when a person goes outdoors, the change in terrain means you need a mix of durable, yet stable. This means a mid-level durometer. 84A is the standard outdoor wheel. I will talk about this in more depth later.

Size: Generally speaking, the size of a roller ski wheel is around 100mm. This is a little larger than the diameter of a hockey puck. However, inline wheels can be anywhere from about 60-110mm. In fact, inline marathons have rules about how big the wheel can be--only 100mm

Shape: Yes, all wheels are round. What I am talking about is the taper of a wheel--that is, the "sharpness" of the "angle" when you look at a wheel dead-on. Think of a car tire. When you look at it from the front of the car, from left to right it looks almost "flat." There is more surface area contacting the pavement. Comparing a roller ski wheel to an inline wheel, the former looks more like a car tire, and the latter looks more like a bicycle tire. The taper from the "tip" of the wheel to the rim is more pronounced in an inline wheel. 

These are the basics. What this all means I will talk about later!