Many people think that inline skates are a direct descendant of the standard four wheeled roller skate. This is a very wrong assumption. In fact, the inline skate came first possibly as early as the early 1700s. Allegedly a Dutchman fixed some wooden cylinders to the soles of his shoes and came up with the first roller skates of any kind. These 'wheels' were fixed inline and it was not until around 1863 that the quad roller skate was invented. So it would seem that inline speed skates have probably been around a lot longer than we think.
After the attempts of the Dutchman, there were a couple of other attempts at producing an inline skate that would give enough traction to be any real use. Unfortunately these attempts, by M. Petitbled and Reuben Shaler, were also fairly unsuccessful and it was not until the 1970s that Scott Olsen triumphantly brought the Rollerblade onto the market. Inline speed skates became more and more popular, especially with ice speed skaters. They meant that the athletes could train more easily and although the two disciplines do have differences, the fundamentals and muscle groups used are similar enough to be of use to the skaters.
Modern inline speed skates have come a long way since the 1970s and are now often moulded to fit the particular athlete. Much of the design relies on fairly simple engineering and the bearings in the wheels are where important differences appear. Although the principle of the engineering is simple, the bearings themselves are very precise in their manufacture. There are two forms of inline skating competitions; track and road. Each of these will require different wheels with different bearings. This is dependant upon the traction of the surface.
If you are a keen ice speed skater and are interested in using inline skating as a training tool, or indeed you wish to take up inline speed skating as a sport in its own right, you will need to consider the type of inline speed skate that you should buy. The designs on the market can vary enormously in specification and also in price. If you are committed and the finances are not an issue, you may wish to look at some of the monocoque designs. These are integral units comprising boot and frame. They tend to have a weight advantage and will be moulded to fit the foot exactly. The unit is made from a carbon fibre material and although they are superb skates they do carry a hefty price tag.
As the sport has become more and more popular as a recreational and competitive sport, there are many inline speed skates available and if you have internet access you will find many websites where you can find information and details regarding the skates. You will also be able to find reviews from other skaters who have tried the products. By undertaking plenty of research you should be able to find a skate that will suit your needs.
Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about skating [http://popularsportssite.info/inline-speed-skates] visit Popular Sports Site [http://popularsportssite.info] for current articles and discussions.
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