In this article i’m going to try and answer the question, is it easier to roller skate or roller blade. There are many different aspects to this and some of it will come down to personal comfort and style and the types of activities you may have undertaken previously. Let’s get straight into it!
Is it easier to Roller Skate or Roller Blade? Stability
When considering the question, is it easier to roller skate or roller blade, one of the considerations is the stability they provide. The type of stability feels very different in roller skates compared to roller blades. They provide stability from different angles and in different ways. For example, on roller skates, there are four wheels touching the ground and they are each quite thick, so you can stand still quite easily without leaning or wobbling. However, on roller blades, you are always on a set of wheel’s thin edges – all in a line so the boots can tip from one side to the other. It’s harder to hold them straight and upright.
In contrast to roller skates, roller blades provide more stability from front to back. The front wheel is often times sticking out beyond the front of the boot on roller blades, as I have indicated here:
This protruding front wheel makes it more difficult to fall forwards (and the same applies to the back). This is different to roller skates which the skater typically finds is easy to ‘swoosh backwards’ and land on their bum, or forwards and land on their knees. The inline skates can therefore feel more stable in terms of falling forward or backward.
Is it Easier to Skate on Roller Skates or Roller Blades – Carving and Turning
Another key aspect to considering the answer to the question ‘is it easier to roller skate or roller blade’, is how easy it is to turn or carve on the skates. Roller skates were made to lean from one side to the other and this, in turn, changes the angle of the wheels on the trucks allowing the skater to carve and turn. However, inline skates are fixed in a line. It is harder to carve in them. It requires a different style of skating. I like to think of inline skates as more like skis. Have you seen a skier doing a slalom down a snowy mountain? They slow down by pointing their skis from one direction to the other. It’s easier on roller skates to create a curving motion on the ground due to the flexibility with the trucks and the wheels.
Another minor point is that it’s easier to perform ‘sticky skating’ where your feet do not come away from the floor, on roller skates as opposed to roller blades.
Speed
Another important consideration is speed. Roller blades tend to roll a lot faster than roller skates. There is less friction with the floor due to a small surface area of the wheel touching the ground, when compared to roller skates. This could be a challenge for a newer skater. Another part of this is that the wheels are often ‘harder’ on roller blades when compared to roller skates and this, also, creates less friction with the ground.
Is it easier to roller skate or roller blade? – Brakes and Toe Stops
Another important aspect to consider in answering the question, is it easier to roller skate or roller blade, is the brakes and toe stops. The first thing to note is that most established inline skaters do not use a break, although many skates come with a break. I think from personal experience, the reason for this is that the brake on inline skates is not very effective at slowing the skater down – the skater must get good at using turns to control speed. They slow down by turning and breaking up the distance rather than going in a straight line.
However, roller skaters have got the option of jumping onto their toe stops at any moment, so this is added security and safety for the skater. They can go up and down stairs standing on their toe stops, too. It could be difficult for a skater to slow down on roller blades when they are new to skating. See the picture of this skater’s toe stops below. It creates a stable ‘triangle’ / tripod shape with the ground which is immovable until the skater chooses to come off the toe stops:
This skater on You Tube talks about the correct way to stop on toe stops:
okay but how do i stop? | how to stop on rollerskates for beginners
Conclusion
My own personal opinion, is that it is easier for a skater to learn roller skating than roller blading. The roller blades do give added security in terms of falling forward or backwards, but there are lots of helpful aspects to roller skates which help the skater to learn how to skate slowly and at an easier pace when compared to roller blades. This is my own opinion. If you are looking to learn one or the other, perhaps go and try some on! They feel very different from each other. You could consider how they feel, with what I’ve said here.
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