Distance Skating: All the Gear

8/18/2019

How To Do This

When I think of things I've wanted to try in life, one of my biggest foundational questions is "how do I even do this?". In this article, I'll give you my answer on the gear aspect of what all the things are you might need to inline skate for a longer distance.

Skating Further = More to Carry

In addition to the general challenges of learning how to inline skate outdoors on trails, as distance becomes longer, there are additional factors to manage. For one, figuring out how to carry a few personal items, some just-in-case supplies, food, and water becomes necessary. There are multiple solutions available to solve these problems from hydration backpacks to fanny packs to vest to hand-held water bottles. There is also the question of what all to where (clothing and gear) and how to go about procuring each of the needed things. As a starting point for your own learning process, here's what clothing and gear I went with to prepare me to skate longer distances.

What I Wear and Why

Clothing choice is tricky since it means balancing many factors. For me, it's addressing sun protection, managing body temperature, keeping safety in mind, and having a way to carry the things one needs when exercising outside for a few hours at a pop. Gear needs to help keep you safe in case of an emergency as well as balance performance and manageability. After a few false starts, here's where I landed.

Up Top: Terry Soleil Long Sleeve Cycling Top

At first, I wore a Women's Armachillo Cooling Sleeveless T-shirt from one of my favorite stores Duluth Training Company. When was skating under and hour at a shot, and I didn't need to carry a lot with me, this was a great solution to carry my keys and ID. While I liked something sleeveless, I also had to wear sunscreen on my arms. As I researched what other inline skaters do, I realized that short sleeve cycling jerseys were the go to. I needed a way to carry water with me in the least awkward way I could. I looked into hydration backpacks, and other water carrying solutions like fanny packs or hand bottle holders.

I chose a bicycling jersey because, like a lot of longer distance inline skaters, they give you the ability to carry a few thing with you without tying up your hands. In general, I'm not a fan of bags, because off odd weight distribution, awkwardness when accessing items on the go, and increasing body temperature by having one more thing to carry and sweat up. Having pockets in the back of my shirt where things are readily accessible, but not particularly bulky to carry, has been a good solution for me.

I now own 3 long sleeved Terry Cycling Tops since I typically skate 3 or so times per week. I like these particular cycling jerseys because they have three deeper pockets on the lower back instead of 2 larger ones. I also purchased one Fix It Stick Back Bottle which is specially designed to stay put in a jersey, and put it in the middle of the back. I also typically carry a smaller water bottle with me, and in my far left back pocket, I carry a few Picky Bars for on-the-go nutrition, a few single serve size packets of Osmo Nutrition - Active Hydration for Women to add to water handed out at water stations, and a skate tool just in case. I also prefer the long sleeve version because it has sun protection UPF 50+ built in. It's also moisture wicking, and since it's designed "by women and for women", it fits way better than other jerseys I tried. They feel light and are comfortable in addition to being functional. As an extra added bonus, I also like that each of mine have fun designs that include blue (which is my helmet color.)

Here's how I pack my cycling jersey when I skate.

Down Low: PopFit Stella Leggings w/Pockets

Leggings with pockets are the best thing ever. I tried a number of different brands of leggings, and I like these PopFit leggings the best. I like them because they have fabric rather than mesh pockets, and the pockets are substantial. The deep pockets give me a place to put my key fob and ID (right pocket) and my phone (left pocket, screen in) where both are accessible, but won't fall out. They have sturdy seams, keep their shape, come up high enough at the waist, and the material is sturdy. As needed, I can also carry a small water bottle, or crumpled up cup, in my right pocket, or even a snack as needed.

When inline skating, I've fallen a few different ways. While my knees and wrists are safety geared up, leggings are my barrier between the rest of me and the asphalt. These are also heavy-duty leggings that can take some abuse and last. I have had a few bigger falls this year (stick in my skates, wiped out going down a hill, hit by a boy on a bike) and these leggings helped protect my legs from serious road rash and are still wearable and looking good. As an extra added bonus, I love the body positive message of this company, and the wide range of sizes available.

Safety Gear

Helmet: Triple 8 Sweatsaver Helmet
I've tried nearly as many helmets as I have types of leggings. I actually have two of these helmets: a black one for roller derby and a blue one for skating outside. I chose a non-black helmet with good ventilation as to not get any hotter than I had to while outside. I also like the sweatsaver liner because, well, I sweat like crazy and this helps keep most of that from getting in my eyes while also managing the lovely sweat smell. From a protection standpoint, no one ever plans to hit their head, but if it does happen, having something between your head and the pavement makes it a whole lot less awful.
Wrist Guards: Triple 8 Wristsavers
Wrist guards are an absolute must. I work in an office and typing is a mission critical skill for me, so it's important for me to take care of the "moneymakers." For derby, I tried a few different types of wrist guards. Overall, the winner is the Triple 8 Wristsavers. They typically cost about $20 and have saved me from having a broken wrist more than once. They are light, easy to get on, and have a support on both the front and back of the wrist. They also have a nice wrap closure so they can be tightened or loosened as need be. I also like that I can wear my Fitbit under these while still protecting my wrists.
Knee Pads: 187 Killer Fly Knee Pads
Real deal, elite level inline skaters typically don't wear knee pads since often a helmet and wrist guards are what is required. For me, though, keeping my knees protected is a necessiry. When I fall, I end up taking a knee. I use more substantial 187 knee pads for roller derby, where there is planned physical contact with others and knee taps where one purposely goes down on a knee. For skating outside, if I'm taking a knee, it's usually because of an obstacle or to stop to avoid hitting someone or something else. I like the hard cap on these knee pads since I can slide, or even spin, as needed. While they do stick out (as 187s tend to do), having my 40+ year old knees protected is mission critical. Usually about once a week, whether it’s kneeling down to adjust a skate or stopping in a pinch, I am glad I’m wearing these.

Skates

Until very, very recently, I was skating in K2 Alexis Pro Women's Inline Skates. These were a good place for me to start. They had strong construction, good ventillation, and softer wheels to give me a little more control and a little less speed while I was learning to inline skate. I've also beaten them up a bit, and now that I have put in some mileage skating, I decided that I was ready for an upgrade. I'm in no way ready for elite level skates, but something with a little more speed made sense.

When picking out new skates, I stuck with K2s because I knew they fit my feet well, and they are made for those of use who do not have delicate calves. I picked out K2 VO2 90 Pro Women's Inline Skates because they had 90mm wheels instead of 80mm wheels (bigger wheels = faster) 83A wheel durometer vs 80A durometer (harder = faster, but not so fast that I will do myself great bodily harm), an aluminum frame vs plastic frame (increase durability), and they were more breathable. I'm at the skill level where the grippier wheels were slowing me down and making skating on uneven surfaces more difficult. On a very short skate I did to try out K2 VO2's, I went about 30 seconds per mile faster than I did in my K2 Alexis skates. I also took them out on a recent 16 mile skate and they felt great.

What Do You Think?

What is your go-to inline skating gear? Include your thoughts in the comments.

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