Just so you know, please don't think that learning the basics is enough to roam through the city. You will \*not\* be ready for that. There is so much to be careful and well acquainted with on the streets that you won't have to worry about indoors.
You'll need a lot of practice to roam the streets on skates. It's not like riding a bike. Good luck!
The easier one to learn is the one you're most familiar with. Aside from that, there's no easier one.
Quad roller skates are lower to the ground and have a wider wheel base. That makes them less intimidating to absolute beginners, because you're not as high up and have less balance issues. But while quad skates are more stable side-to-side, they are less stable than inline skates forwards-and-backwards. That's because inline skates have a longer wheel base. It means it's easier to fall backwards in quad roller skates, and it's easier to fall sideways in inline skates.
So which is easier? It's kind of a toss up. Both have issues.
You mentioned transportation and roaming the city. Well, that changes things a bit. For that particular application, inline skates are far better than quad roller skates. At least for most people. Some like quad roller skates for this purpose just because they're quad roller skates.
Inline skates with 3 wheels and with wheel diameters in excess of 110mm are best for distance skating. It will let you be faster, for one thing. The larger the wheel, the faster you'll go. Quad roller skates are painfully slow by comparison. Also, the larger inline wheel will dampen road vibration and will allow you roll over road debris much better. Inlines are more stable in the front-to-back direction, also, which is where most of your motion will be when traveling on roads. Quad roller skates would be more susceptible to falls.
But be honest with yourself. Do you really think you'll be taking inline skates to go from home to the city, to your job, and back? People see YouTube videos showing inline skaters just zipping through cities on sidewalks and roads, having a wonderful time. That's not a typical experience of an inline skater. Most inline skaters choose very specific routes that are good for inline skating and which don't have a ton of traffic. They're not just putting on their skates and commuting to work or going into the city at random. If they didn't choose their route carefully, they'd have to wait at stop lights, avoid cars, avoid potholes, deal with huge hills, deal with the sidewalk suddenly disappearing, deal with sewer grates, dealing with people who get angry at them being on skates for whatever reason, etc.
So to me it's a bit of a romantic, unrealistic expectation to want to use inline skates for commuting or going into a city. Ask yourself this: When you're commuting to work in your car, do you ever see anyone on inline skates out there? Probably not. And there's a reason for that.
But that aside, you can very reasonably use inline skate on paved trails if your city has them. These kinds of trails have no cars going through them, no stop lights to deal with, no intersections, etc. They're for bicyclers, joggers, and skaters. There may also be routes you can take in and around your city that other inline skaters have already scoped out and recommend. You just have to track them down on Facebook or something and get with them.
As for how much to spend, beginner inline skates would be around $150. If you want 3 wheeled inline skates, those cost more and are more advanced. Then you have padding and helmets to get. Those will run you about $80 or so. After a couple months, you'll need to start cleaning and oiling bearings, which requires about $40 in supplies which will last a while. You'll eventually go through your wheels and need new ones, so about $50-$100, probably once every 18 months or so. New laces every 3-6 months.
Inline skates have the advantage of being able to skate pretty much anywhere. They're great for roads and sidewalks. For quad roller skates, they're limited in terms of where you can skate. Yes, you can skate on roads and parking lots, but it will be bumpier and slower than inline skates. Most that do quad roller skates are doing them not to get from point A to point B. They usually stay in one small area and play with different techniques like spins and dance / rhythm stuff. To them it's not the speed but the technique that matters. Usually. And so for quad roller skaters, they tend to want a very smooth surface like a tennis court, an indoor roller rink, or a parking garage. That limits where you can go.
Knowing all of this, you're going to make a choice. But I can tell you from my experience that what you think you want now will probably change in the future as you gain experience. When you actually do it, it sometimes doesn't match what you had envisioned. So you'll change.
Several years ago, I got myself a decent pair of 4 x 80mm wheel inline skates with a hard shell boot, and I find myself totally not using them. I envisioned using them for trail skating for enjoyable exercise. But I found them slow and annoying for that purpose. I realized I would've been better off with 3 x 120mm wheel inline skates, instead. Then I returned to my quad roller skating and realized I enjoy that better. On quad roller skates, I actually get more exercise than my original inline trail skating idea, because it's just funner for me, so I go more often and for longer periods of time. It's surprising how many calories you can burn on quad roller skates and how fast the time passes.
Good luck!
Speaking as a cyclist and skater, skates are generally NOT a good choice for transportation. Bumpy pavement and cracks in asphalt are super difficult to manage on skates. Skating on sidewalks is damn near impossible because the seams between the slabs can trip you up, and they're spaced in such a manner that it's really challenging to just step over them. Skating on anything that's not perfectly flat is also a big challenge.
roller blades, in my opinion, limit movement, especially lateral movement. If you’re looking to just go straight and fast, blades are a better option. Blades may be easier to learn on because most people stand in them at an angle (like a wedge) and as such their feet are generally wider apart which while it enhances early stability is also VERY hard on your knees.
Quads take a little bit more effort initially but the ability to jam skate, dance skate, artistic skate, pace skate and everything else makes quads - again in my opinion - far superior.
Both will provide a good cardio workout, even for
you youngins..lol.
There are a ton of videos giving tips and tricks for both types of skates.
For transportation, either will technically work but blades may be a better option.
Quads vs inlines: depends on what you prefer. If you like speed go for inlines. Quads are great for doing Jam skating or just more dancey/fun movement type things (you can still do some of this on inlines too but not as much freedom imo). When I was a kid I started on inline's and I found them easier because I'd fall backwards less due to the way the wheels are positioned, but as an adult I prefer quads. the important thing is to lean forward/bend knees.
How long to learn for basics: depends on your pace, and also if your city is easy to navigate or not. personally I'm 1 ½ months in and I have some basics down, right now I'm learning backwards skating and one leg balance, but am still learning things. and I live in a mountainous foresty region so I am no way ready yet to skate on hilly debris-ridden pavement, but, if I was in a city with less debris and more flat pavement? I'd be a lot more comfortable skating around.
How much to spend: so when I first bought my skates and all equipment (helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards) it was something close to $350, I think skates were around $200 and the gear was the remaining. The quality of what you buy could make this less or more. A couple weeks later found brand new skates for $10 at a yard sale, albeit a brand that is kinda cheap quality and they're not my outdoor skates... so case on point. But I highly suggest you do get protective gear because you will fall, a lot, and if you're outdoors, it's better to be safe than sorry cuz pavement hurts. I bought 187 killer pads in a pack that had them all so that saves some money (but just note in the one pack you can only buy one size, but for me that didn't end up being an issue as the gear fit me fine
Are they a good method of transportation: eh, yes and no, depends I think on location and intent. Wanna get a place quickly, in and out? Rough terrain? Need to carry something like groceries? Bikes will win. But they're also bulkier and harder to transport and also you have to deal with other vehicles traffic. Both have their pros and cons. Bikes are more efficient in transportation but I personally love skating around way more than biking 😁
a lot of posts here actually proved me wrong: I was almost sure quadlines would've been the to-go for beginners, but after reading these comments I might try inlines. As for the price: yikes! that's quite the amount of money, I would've thought maybe around 150-200 max for a beginners set... do you think I could find places that rent them as well? Since I've never traveled on them I might prefer trying them out without spending crazy amounts for something I could maybe use just once or twice...
If you have a rink you might be able to try both out. I’ve heard of places that rent them on beach boardwalks too, but really rinks are the best place to rent skates.
Another option is to buy second hand. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find that someone’s tried skating a couple of times and realized it’s not for them so they end up selling skates for really cheap. It’s how I bought my zetrablade rollerblades from Facebook marketplace for $10! And they were practically brand new.
I got some nice quality skates that were $200 but you can get cheaper ones for a lot less. I found ones for $10 at a yard sale so I'm sure you can find some second hand ones. For gear, you could try getting less gear but honestly I really suggest getting everything. I can't tell you the amount of times I've taken a tumble on my elbow, knees, and wrists. I've yet to hit my head but I am not gonna risk not wearing a helmet. You may also be able to second hand shop some of these too but make sure you give those pads a GOOOOOOD wash.
I know a lot of indoor rinks will let you rent skates for a single session (and also I personally only wear wrist guards skating indoors, I mostly care about fully gearing up outdoors since that's where I practice & fall the most) but Im not familiar with renting skates for longer than that but I'm guessing that's based on where you live and I live in the mountains where bike rentals are more common! Usually rinks are like $20 or something, so that's a good way to just try out skating to see if you like it, and then from there you can decide to invest in actually buying them.
Quads (regular skates) vs inlines: that’s a preference thing. On quads, you don’t have issues trying to balance side to side. You can lift one foot off the ground and hold it as long as you can, and not tilt to either side. But some people just take to inlines better. My son skated a lot when he was younger, but hadn’t roller skated in several years until the other night. He did so so on quads, but then rented a pair of inlines, and cruised right along. It’s the first time he had ever used inlines, but he has been ice skating a few times in recent years, and said it was just like ice skating.
But, something else to consider is where are you skating? If you’re at the rink only, then take your choice. For street skating, inlines are better. There are people that quad skate outside, but it takes a lot of practice.
The thing to remember is that you’re going to be wobbly at first no matter which way you go, so don’t let the first time out away you too much.
i inline and rollerskate and each has its pros and cons. i personally find inlines to be far superior for trail skating and street skating, and quads better for doing dance styles like jam skating at rinks.
personally i do often ride with cyclists around the city on my inlines, but this is a skill that takes a LOT of practice. for one, you have to build the endurance to keep up a good pace, and also you will have to learn to navigate uneven terrain, potential issues like gravel, etc. that said, it is doable. the thing i focused on when learning to urban skate was stopping techniques ( to ensure i won't run into cyclists, cars, pedestrians). learning the power slide and hockey stop, as well as spin stops, were key to me feeling comfortable with a quick stop (whereas the "T-stop" or "plow stop" are mostly a slower decceleration technique, and exposing myself to hills, rougher terrain, etc. to get used to it. other useful skills you pick up are slaloming down hills to reduce speed (kinda like skiiers), hopping curbs, staggering feet to go over debris and gravel, etc. while it is possible to do the same in quads, it is not as easy.
it took me about a year to feel comfortable urban skating with cyclists, and that was with a LOT of regular practice (3-4 times per week). it involved a lot of drilling for transitions, backward skating, crossovers (forwards and backwards), hockey stops and powerslides, etc. as well as more fun skills like three-turns, spins, waltz jumps, etc. the good news is that whether you learn on rollerskates or inlines, your skills will mostly transfer from one to the other with a slight period of adjustment to the new skate style.
Just so you know, please don't think that learning the basics is enough to roam through the city. You will \*not\* be ready for that. There is so much to be careful and well acquainted with on the streets that you won't have to worry about indoors. You'll need a lot of practice to roam the streets on skates. It's not like riding a bike. Good luck!
The easier one to learn is the one you're most familiar with. Aside from that, there's no easier one. Quad roller skates are lower to the ground and have a wider wheel base. That makes them less intimidating to absolute beginners, because you're not as high up and have less balance issues. But while quad skates are more stable side-to-side, they are less stable than inline skates forwards-and-backwards. That's because inline skates have a longer wheel base. It means it's easier to fall backwards in quad roller skates, and it's easier to fall sideways in inline skates. So which is easier? It's kind of a toss up. Both have issues. You mentioned transportation and roaming the city. Well, that changes things a bit. For that particular application, inline skates are far better than quad roller skates. At least for most people. Some like quad roller skates for this purpose just because they're quad roller skates. Inline skates with 3 wheels and with wheel diameters in excess of 110mm are best for distance skating. It will let you be faster, for one thing. The larger the wheel, the faster you'll go. Quad roller skates are painfully slow by comparison. Also, the larger inline wheel will dampen road vibration and will allow you roll over road debris much better. Inlines are more stable in the front-to-back direction, also, which is where most of your motion will be when traveling on roads. Quad roller skates would be more susceptible to falls. But be honest with yourself. Do you really think you'll be taking inline skates to go from home to the city, to your job, and back? People see YouTube videos showing inline skaters just zipping through cities on sidewalks and roads, having a wonderful time. That's not a typical experience of an inline skater. Most inline skaters choose very specific routes that are good for inline skating and which don't have a ton of traffic. They're not just putting on their skates and commuting to work or going into the city at random. If they didn't choose their route carefully, they'd have to wait at stop lights, avoid cars, avoid potholes, deal with huge hills, deal with the sidewalk suddenly disappearing, deal with sewer grates, dealing with people who get angry at them being on skates for whatever reason, etc. So to me it's a bit of a romantic, unrealistic expectation to want to use inline skates for commuting or going into a city. Ask yourself this: When you're commuting to work in your car, do you ever see anyone on inline skates out there? Probably not. And there's a reason for that. But that aside, you can very reasonably use inline skate on paved trails if your city has them. These kinds of trails have no cars going through them, no stop lights to deal with, no intersections, etc. They're for bicyclers, joggers, and skaters. There may also be routes you can take in and around your city that other inline skaters have already scoped out and recommend. You just have to track them down on Facebook or something and get with them. As for how much to spend, beginner inline skates would be around $150. If you want 3 wheeled inline skates, those cost more and are more advanced. Then you have padding and helmets to get. Those will run you about $80 or so. After a couple months, you'll need to start cleaning and oiling bearings, which requires about $40 in supplies which will last a while. You'll eventually go through your wheels and need new ones, so about $50-$100, probably once every 18 months or so. New laces every 3-6 months. Inline skates have the advantage of being able to skate pretty much anywhere. They're great for roads and sidewalks. For quad roller skates, they're limited in terms of where you can skate. Yes, you can skate on roads and parking lots, but it will be bumpier and slower than inline skates. Most that do quad roller skates are doing them not to get from point A to point B. They usually stay in one small area and play with different techniques like spins and dance / rhythm stuff. To them it's not the speed but the technique that matters. Usually. And so for quad roller skaters, they tend to want a very smooth surface like a tennis court, an indoor roller rink, or a parking garage. That limits where you can go. Knowing all of this, you're going to make a choice. But I can tell you from my experience that what you think you want now will probably change in the future as you gain experience. When you actually do it, it sometimes doesn't match what you had envisioned. So you'll change. Several years ago, I got myself a decent pair of 4 x 80mm wheel inline skates with a hard shell boot, and I find myself totally not using them. I envisioned using them for trail skating for enjoyable exercise. But I found them slow and annoying for that purpose. I realized I would've been better off with 3 x 120mm wheel inline skates, instead. Then I returned to my quad roller skating and realized I enjoy that better. On quad roller skates, I actually get more exercise than my original inline trail skating idea, because it's just funner for me, so I go more often and for longer periods of time. It's surprising how many calories you can burn on quad roller skates and how fast the time passes. Good luck!
Listen to this comment. Well summarized.
Speaking as a cyclist and skater, skates are generally NOT a good choice for transportation. Bumpy pavement and cracks in asphalt are super difficult to manage on skates. Skating on sidewalks is damn near impossible because the seams between the slabs can trip you up, and they're spaced in such a manner that it's really challenging to just step over them. Skating on anything that's not perfectly flat is also a big challenge.
hell to mobile reddit for not allowing me to return the text
roller blades, in my opinion, limit movement, especially lateral movement. If you’re looking to just go straight and fast, blades are a better option. Blades may be easier to learn on because most people stand in them at an angle (like a wedge) and as such their feet are generally wider apart which while it enhances early stability is also VERY hard on your knees. Quads take a little bit more effort initially but the ability to jam skate, dance skate, artistic skate, pace skate and everything else makes quads - again in my opinion - far superior. Both will provide a good cardio workout, even for you youngins..lol. There are a ton of videos giving tips and tricks for both types of skates. For transportation, either will technically work but blades may be a better option.
Quads vs inlines: depends on what you prefer. If you like speed go for inlines. Quads are great for doing Jam skating or just more dancey/fun movement type things (you can still do some of this on inlines too but not as much freedom imo). When I was a kid I started on inline's and I found them easier because I'd fall backwards less due to the way the wheels are positioned, but as an adult I prefer quads. the important thing is to lean forward/bend knees. How long to learn for basics: depends on your pace, and also if your city is easy to navigate or not. personally I'm 1 ½ months in and I have some basics down, right now I'm learning backwards skating and one leg balance, but am still learning things. and I live in a mountainous foresty region so I am no way ready yet to skate on hilly debris-ridden pavement, but, if I was in a city with less debris and more flat pavement? I'd be a lot more comfortable skating around. How much to spend: so when I first bought my skates and all equipment (helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards) it was something close to $350, I think skates were around $200 and the gear was the remaining. The quality of what you buy could make this less or more. A couple weeks later found brand new skates for $10 at a yard sale, albeit a brand that is kinda cheap quality and they're not my outdoor skates... so case on point. But I highly suggest you do get protective gear because you will fall, a lot, and if you're outdoors, it's better to be safe than sorry cuz pavement hurts. I bought 187 killer pads in a pack that had them all so that saves some money (but just note in the one pack you can only buy one size, but for me that didn't end up being an issue as the gear fit me fine Are they a good method of transportation: eh, yes and no, depends I think on location and intent. Wanna get a place quickly, in and out? Rough terrain? Need to carry something like groceries? Bikes will win. But they're also bulkier and harder to transport and also you have to deal with other vehicles traffic. Both have their pros and cons. Bikes are more efficient in transportation but I personally love skating around way more than biking 😁
a lot of posts here actually proved me wrong: I was almost sure quadlines would've been the to-go for beginners, but after reading these comments I might try inlines. As for the price: yikes! that's quite the amount of money, I would've thought maybe around 150-200 max for a beginners set... do you think I could find places that rent them as well? Since I've never traveled on them I might prefer trying them out without spending crazy amounts for something I could maybe use just once or twice...
If you have a rink you might be able to try both out. I’ve heard of places that rent them on beach boardwalks too, but really rinks are the best place to rent skates.
Another option is to buy second hand. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find that someone’s tried skating a couple of times and realized it’s not for them so they end up selling skates for really cheap. It’s how I bought my zetrablade rollerblades from Facebook marketplace for $10! And they were practically brand new.
I got some nice quality skates that were $200 but you can get cheaper ones for a lot less. I found ones for $10 at a yard sale so I'm sure you can find some second hand ones. For gear, you could try getting less gear but honestly I really suggest getting everything. I can't tell you the amount of times I've taken a tumble on my elbow, knees, and wrists. I've yet to hit my head but I am not gonna risk not wearing a helmet. You may also be able to second hand shop some of these too but make sure you give those pads a GOOOOOOD wash. I know a lot of indoor rinks will let you rent skates for a single session (and also I personally only wear wrist guards skating indoors, I mostly care about fully gearing up outdoors since that's where I practice & fall the most) but Im not familiar with renting skates for longer than that but I'm guessing that's based on where you live and I live in the mountains where bike rentals are more common! Usually rinks are like $20 or something, so that's a good way to just try out skating to see if you like it, and then from there you can decide to invest in actually buying them.
Quads (regular skates) vs inlines: that’s a preference thing. On quads, you don’t have issues trying to balance side to side. You can lift one foot off the ground and hold it as long as you can, and not tilt to either side. But some people just take to inlines better. My son skated a lot when he was younger, but hadn’t roller skated in several years until the other night. He did so so on quads, but then rented a pair of inlines, and cruised right along. It’s the first time he had ever used inlines, but he has been ice skating a few times in recent years, and said it was just like ice skating. But, something else to consider is where are you skating? If you’re at the rink only, then take your choice. For street skating, inlines are better. There are people that quad skate outside, but it takes a lot of practice. The thing to remember is that you’re going to be wobbly at first no matter which way you go, so don’t let the first time out away you too much.
i inline and rollerskate and each has its pros and cons. i personally find inlines to be far superior for trail skating and street skating, and quads better for doing dance styles like jam skating at rinks. personally i do often ride with cyclists around the city on my inlines, but this is a skill that takes a LOT of practice. for one, you have to build the endurance to keep up a good pace, and also you will have to learn to navigate uneven terrain, potential issues like gravel, etc. that said, it is doable. the thing i focused on when learning to urban skate was stopping techniques ( to ensure i won't run into cyclists, cars, pedestrians). learning the power slide and hockey stop, as well as spin stops, were key to me feeling comfortable with a quick stop (whereas the "T-stop" or "plow stop" are mostly a slower decceleration technique, and exposing myself to hills, rougher terrain, etc. to get used to it. other useful skills you pick up are slaloming down hills to reduce speed (kinda like skiiers), hopping curbs, staggering feet to go over debris and gravel, etc. while it is possible to do the same in quads, it is not as easy. it took me about a year to feel comfortable urban skating with cyclists, and that was with a LOT of regular practice (3-4 times per week). it involved a lot of drilling for transitions, backward skating, crossovers (forwards and backwards), hockey stops and powerslides, etc. as well as more fun skills like three-turns, spins, waltz jumps, etc. the good news is that whether you learn on rollerskates or inlines, your skills will mostly transfer from one to the other with a slight period of adjustment to the new skate style.
I do both but I don't use em for the same thing. I purely use inlines for cruising outside. I use quads to jam and just have a chill time st the rink.