In this article i’m going to examine the impact the different types of roller skate trucks can have on the feel and performance of your roller skates. Let’s jump staright into it!
How can changing your trucks impact your skating?
The type of trucks you have can significantly help or hinder your ability to carve the floor in your roller skates. They also affect your ability to grind with the skates, and your overall stability.
You can change the ‘tightness’ of your roller skate trucks, and this has an impact upon how responsive the skates are to turning. Having your skate trucks slightly on the looser side, allows better manoeverability and they may be better suited to dancing in your skates this way.
Tighter trucks may be better for skating at speed as they will provide more stability this way.
The physical size and shape of the roller skate trucks
The physical size of the trucks can also have an impact on the skating performance. Wider trucks can provide more stability for grinding on thimgs at the skate park. They are also good for jups as, again, they provide stability. A drawback to wider trucks is that they can be harder to carve in.
Narrow trucks are great for increased agility, such as the agility needed in artistic skating, dance and derby skating. They can also make it easier for the skater to perform higher jumps.
Roller skate trucks generally come in two widths – wide and narrow. Wide ones are typically 2.5 to 3 inches wide. Narrow trucks are typically .75 to 2 inches wide.
What about the distance between the trucks?
The distance between the trucks on a pair of skates is determined by the skate plates, but this can also have an impac on the skating performance. shorter wheel base, meaning the trucks are closer together, are great for agile types of skating, including dance skating. By the same token, a longer wheel base provides the skater with more stabilty, and these types of plates and truck distances are great for beginner skaters.
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