//

Can You Put Outdoor Wheels On Indoor Roller Skates? – Unexpected Answers Await!

Can you put outdoor wheels on indoor roller skates? This is a real serious matter, yet, most skaters pay it no mind.

Some wear their roller skate wheels on any occasion and any kind of floor without caring about the characteristics of their skate shoes. Others want to save money by only wearing one pair of shoes the whole time yet knowing it can be ruined in the long run.

The professionals in skating will resolve the question “Can You Put Outdoor Wheels On Indoor Roller Skates?” They will also give out good pieces of advice. Keep reading and we’ll reveal the secret.

Main Differences Between Outdoor And Indoor Roller Skate Wheels

Main Differences BetweenFirst of all, we need to emphasize that the formulas used for outdoor and indoor roller skate wheels are quite varied.

Indoor roller wheels are specifically made to be used on smooth concrete, wooden surfaces or an in-house skating rink. It means that the best time to wear indoor roller skates is when you go to a rental rink or a skating club.

In contrast, outdoor skate wheels use a different type of material, which grants the wheels some “push back” or so-called rebound force. They are softer yet bouncing.

This allows them to run over sticks, leaves, dirt or even stones without the rubble being stuck under the wheels. You are free to roll down the streets or ride to an amusement park with ease.

Consequently, the material that works well on indoor floors doesn’t perform really well on outdoor surfaces. One is tough and solid while the other is soft and springy. The critical differences between those two include:

  • Their distinct features which are mentioned above
  • Indoor and outdoor wheels allow you to do different skating tricks
  • You must use more energy pushing off outdoor wheels to move forward at the same speed as you will on indoor wheels at a rink floor.
  • Outdoor wheels are typically worn to grip on sidewalks and rough pavements.
  • In contrast, indoor ones are designed only for rinks and practices around the house
  • If indoor wheels are worn to go outside, they will wear out really fast, and you will not have a smooth and happy ride. We’ve warned you!

Can You Put Outdoor Wheels On Indoor Roller Skates? – It’s A No-no

Can You Put Outdoor WheelsBy continuing to put outdoor wheels on indoor roller skates, you have taken risks of damaging not only your favorite pair of shoes but also your skating experience.

Roller skate wheels are fairly expensive compared to running shoes or brand sneakers, aren’t they? So you must expect to be able to use them for a long time or pass them on with high condition and high price.

However, using firm indoor wheels for skating out will make them worn out fast or being embedded with leaves and dirt which are hard to clean out. This leads to two outcomes including you may get severe physical injuries due to rubble or you may have to pay for replacement wheels.

Otherwise, skating with soft outdoor shoes in indoor environments takes a lot of effort and makes skaters exhausted as well as annoying. Especially for new ones, they will be discouraged and drop the hobby more quickly due to exhausting unhappy first impressions.

This scenario is worse than you’ve ever thought, right? Just follow the guide! Remember the only tip we gave you is that soft wheels are used for rough surfaces while hard wheels are used for flat floors.

So you have figured out your question right? You can not put outdoor wheels on indoor roller skates. We suggest you keep reading because there is interesting information below to help choose the best wheels for your indoor roller skates.

Top 5 Considerable Aspects To Buy The Perfect Wheels For Indoor Roller Skates

It’s a must to understand what you demand and how much you can pay for a new set of wheels. There are various kinds of skate wheels. They are produced differently in size, hardness and core material. These are 5 tips you absolutely need to consider before heading to the local store.

#1: Hardness levels for Indoor Skate Wheels

Hardness levels for Indoor Skate WheelsThis total scale runs from 0 up to over 100. Average hardness levels for skate wheels go from 72A to 102A. In fact, the higher the number on the side is, the harder they are. It’s the hardness of a wheel that decides how you should use them and what surface is the best to skate on.

For example, a soft wheel is best used for outdoor use while a hard one performs well on sticky indoor floors. As for softer wheels, it has more grip and a smoother ride.

Meanwhile, a firmer wheel is better for indoor, coated floors because these wheels give less grip yet more speed. Consequently, indoor skate wheels are required to be really hard so they mostly go between 88A and 102A. This allows greater speed and smoothness on most indoor surfaces.

#2: Wheel Sizes for Skate Wheels

WheelsWheel size is referred to the diameter of the wheel which is measured in millimeters (mm). It goes from approximately 40mm to 100mm. It controls the height of the wheel and the height of your skates which attributes to speed and acceleration factors.

Large diameter wheels take more time at acceleration due to having more distance to move to get a full revolution. But they put very little effort to keep rolling which means they can give a faster ride. So larger wheels are mainly used for indoor speed skating. The typical size of an indoor skate wheel is 62mm in diameter, by 35 to 44mm in width.

#3: Wheel Shapes

Wheel ShapesWheel shape varies in width. Wide wheels provide better grip and stability so they are the best for indoor speed skating. Besides, there are different shapes of wheels. The more rounded the edges, the faster the wheels are.

#4: Bearings for Skate Wheels

Bearings for Skate WheelsBearings are the secret behind every pair of roller skate’s ability to turn, spin and rotate.

These tiny metal objects are essential and they protect against metal smashing within the wheel. And their main job is to maintain your speed and smoothness. When quality wheels go with poor quality bearings, the wheels rotate slower which creates a bad effect on your performance.

There are 2 types of bearings including ABEC bearings and Swiss bearings. We must make clear that these ones have no related origin or ratings chart. Shall we tell them apart, then?

The first type is called ABEC, which stands for Annular Bearing Engineering Committee (ABEC). The story behind is that manufacturers founded a committee to scrutinize and rate all bearings. They judge a bearing’s quality and factors in how precise the components are made.

The second type needs considering is Swiss bearings. “Swiss” bearings are ideal for intense skaters requiring little work to keep in condition.

As for Ceramic or Titanium bearings, when being compared to other steel bearings, they don’t need as much oil lubricant, and maintain the same size and placement during metal clashes.

So the real advice is that it depends on your requirements and your wheel size to choose the fittest bearings.

Just a reminder! Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned skater, you need to take your skater shoes out to clean and check your bearings’ condition regularly! Just an easy cleanout will help last longer, reduce the loud and remain smooth while moving, even help you skate better.

#5: Rebound

ReboundLast but not least, rebound of the wheel is underrated. Actually it affects the wheels on some levels. If you take 2 wheels with exactly the same amount of hardness and drop them onto a hardfloor, the one with higher bouncing has the best rebound.

Cheaper wheels have a tendency to have less rebound and seem perished. A better rebound often means faster speed and yet, still preserving good grip. So skaters relishing a better grip are suggested wheels between 88A and 94A. Meanwhile, anyone after a firm and speedy would do better with something between 94A and 102A.

Conclusion

From all of the above, you must have been able to answer to yourself the question: “Can you put outdoor wheels on indoor roller skates?”, right? When choosing wheels, one must take many factors into consideration such as their skating style, suitable size, skating surface, and what they expect for a safe and happy ride. Keep that in mind next time, will you?

Copyright © 2024 LongBoardBrand.com All Rights Reserved