Braking Down

Let's talk brakes today. Not all rollerskis come with them. Some have them as accessories. The question becomes: are they worth it? It kind of depends on where and how you ski, and the wheels you use.

TYPES OF BRAKES

Pull-up  on the Handle: I get most of my skis from The Rollerski Shop. This is because they have good products at fair prices. Yeah, I know all about how Marwe is supposed to be "the ultimate" rollerski and closest to snow feel, yadda yadda yadda. However, in my experience, any rollerski (RS) that uses RS specific wheels has close-to-snow feel--at least, as close as you will ever get, when you are on asphalt. The Rollerski Shop's brake, new this year, looks like this:

It has no rubber, but as the owner clearly states, it is meant to SLOW you down. And it works at doing so (though not as well with inline wheels, for sure). I had these ancient rollerskis (inline boots mounted to a LONG skate with 3 wheels) that had a similar system, which seems to be the basis for this. The brake is attached to a handle, strapped around your waist. You pull up on the handle, which depresses the metal arch over the wheel. I like it better than the ancient skis, which had a rubber pad the handle pulled on, to get the brake to hit the pavement to stop; it was too close to the ground, and would trip me up going over anything more than small bumps.

Push-back on the Calf Brakes: Powerslide--a speed-skate company based in Germany and relatively new to the rollerski business--has their own brake, similar to others I have seen (V2). It is the "push back your calf" type of set up:

The concept is always the same: push back your calf and depress the rubber brake pad against the wheel to slow down/stop. The problem with these, I think, is that they are dedicated to the manufacturer. They mount to the shaft of the ski in a specific way. However, since shafts are typically a universal width, The Rollerski Shop brake might be more versatile (I am going to play with this later this month). 

I could post more pics etc. But the real question is: do they work? 

ACTUALLY STOPPING?

Well...sort of. The thing is, you just can't stop on a dime with rollerskis, any more than you can do so with inline skates, to be honest. And inline skaters who stop quickly don't have brakes; they are on the super-fast speed skates, and know how to "snowplow," drag a skate, or do a hockey-style stop. 

Brakes are good if you are dealing with steep downhills on which you are trying to control your speed, or you need to slow before getting to an intersection. They are also weighty and sometimes cumbersome, impeding your form a bit, or accidentally engaging when you don't mean them to. 

What Most People Do: It is well for people to learn how to "snowplow" with rollerskis--turning them inwards in a V-shape and going knock-kneed to slow down. When you get advanced, you learn to alternate picking your skis up off the asphalt a bit (while in the V-shape) to slow down. If you watch the start of this video, it is the technique right after "The Parachute." Don't ever try to fall and roll (1st technique)--you simply can't with the freakin' long shafts of rollerskis. And the rest of the video shows techniques you also can't really do with skis. 

When in a Pinch: You can roll right into the grass--but then be prepared to fall, because you decelerate very quickly. Again, it's better than falling on pavement. 

Controlling Speed on Hills: If you are able to, start at the top of a steep hill with one foot in the grass, if the drop-off is not too steep from trail/road to grass--but NEVER in gravel. The foot in the grass (usually the right one) will roll slowly enough to moderate your speed--and you can always just fall into the grass to stop, if needed (which is a lot softer than asphalt...believe me). 

However, if the grassy shoulder is untenable or inconsistent (or maybe has sharp curves you can't see around), just either walk down the hill with skis on (sideways if needed), or take your skis off and walk down the hill. Safety First!

If you ski mostly on flats, brakes are really not necessary, or are needed more if you have a lot of intersections you have to cross and you don't trust cars (which I never do). But, if you do a lot of (more steep) hilly terrain, it might behoove you to get a ski to which you can affix a brake. 

And a word to the wise: ain't nuthin' gonna' help you on wet pavement. If you want to skate in that stuff, you're on your own, pal!