REVIEW: Voltage Skate Bag

Total pile of shit. Got one of these to put skates in, thought it would be handy if I was on my bike, but it just isn't fit to carry skates.  

1. You can barely fit a standard pair of derby skates in.  The picture I saw online had inlines in it which would seem impossible.

2. Once in, the plastic clips just won't stay closed. They just keep popping out once the slightest pressure is applied.

3. Even if you get them to stay closed, the skates just won't stay in one place. They flap about like they just WANT to fall out.

4. You can't get anything at all in the main compartment whatsoever. Might as well not even have one.

Might work for skateboards, but if you're thinking about saving money by buying this instead of the Atom backpack, don't waste your time.  Also the checkerboard pattern is kind of neat, but unless you're a 16 year old girl, or massively into ska, forget it.

REVIEW: Riedell R3

When you start looking at buying skates you're likely horrified by the prices.  Unless you're rich, and you can afford to be the guy or girl who can barely stand up on their brand new Antiks (in which case, everyone hates you. Don't kid yourself).  The rest of us have to choose carefully, but luckily for us there are only a few real options for a skating newbie - the Riedell R3 and the Sure Grip GT-50 spring to mind, there's also a Jackson one I think. All are around the £100 mark, and none of them offer anything that the others don't. The only difference is the fit, eg the GT-50 being reportedly wider than the narrower R3. I got the R3, so here's what I thought...

LOOKS: They're plain black, just like ALL THE OTHER SKATES. seriously I can barely tell the entry level skates apart they all look so similar. I guess no-one can complain because there's nothing to complain about. They're neat, with no shitty decals, save for the discreet riedell badge on the side and branding on the strap. The strap branding wears off after a few skates though. They look good, if unimaginative.

FIT: I found them narrow, but not uncomfortable. The main problem is that the shape of the toe box is, like all Riedell skates, designed for some sort of weirdo with pointed toes.  The result of this is that everyone's always left with about half an inch to an inch gap at the end of their skate, which means it's never a snug fit.  This seems to be the price you pay for buying into the entry level end of the market. I take a uk size 10 and bought US 11 which would be my normal size.

CUSTOMISATION: You should consider this, as most people will have their first derby style skates for awhile so they'll replace the plate at some point. Mainly because given the choice of replacing the boot or plate, most choose plate as it affect performance, new boots will mostly affect comfort which isn't as exciting for some reason.  Riedell R3 are HORRIBLE for remounting plates. The heel is so small you're massively limited to where you can realistically drill, and if you've just bought an Avenger plate you might not get it where you wanted it.  Some skate shops recommend buying a larger plate than normal to give yourself more room but this defeats the point on buying an Avenger, which is a shorter wheel base, not to mention adding to the weight.  It's still possible though, it just won't reach right to the end of the toe. I've mounted a few and no-ones had any problems, it was just a pain to mount.

WHEELS: replace them, unless you're a fan of sliding out on corners, but keep them for skating outdoors where they're strangely efficient.  Get the 'Roller Derby Fresh Meat' look buy replacing them with 8 poisons, then complain that you can't plow stop.

VERDICT: does it matter? They're all the same at this price range, so just get whichever fits better. You'll probably upgrade to leather boots after a year if you keep it up, so don't worry so much about scuffing the toes

REVIEW: SFR Raptor '76

First things first, the box that these things come in is huge, like 'Happy Christmas' huge. It's a good indication of the size of the skates - these are pretty big compared to derby style skates, and one hell of a weight. More on that later. I skated indoors in a sports centre, and outdoors with these skates to get a feel for them over a period of about 1 month.

The first thing you notice is that they look like the skates you saw a lot in the 90s. If you had some Bauer Turbos and loved them, these might offer some sort of nostalgic comfort, though there are other skates out there more similar to the Turbo. The point is, looks wise they're pretty dated, which is no bad thing if that's what you're after. I sold mine on to a guy who's first words when he came to pick them up were "i used to love my old Bauer skates and want to get back into skating".

The outer boot is pretty solid, made of a rigid black plastic shoe and ankle cuff. If you're expecting to get hit in the ankles for some reason, these skates have you covered. Its got a matt finish and looks pretty good, and the branding isn't too in-your-face, which i like. The cuff isn't bulky, and can be laced up or left open.  I left it open, that's just how I roll. I think laced up it would impair movement, but open gave me plenty of room to bend my ankles.

I got a size 10, same as my shoe size. I did have some bother getting my foot into it at first, like there was a bottle neck, but once you negotiated it there was plenty of room and the inner sock is well padded. Underneath it's the usual plastic plate/ aluminium trucks setup, only with the addition of a metal bar. Apparently it's something to do with jumping, not like "grind down that handrail" jumping, more like reinforcing the axels or something. Anyway I didn't exactly do a lot of jumps so I couldn't say if this was any good.

The wheels were excellent for outdoor skating and learning on. The SFR slicks were 78a which means they are super rubbery with loads of grip. I could skate comfortably outside on them, the wheels just absorbed a lot of the vibration from the Tarmac.  Speaking of outdoor skating, I was never worried that the skates were taking damage, or receiving undue wear-and-tear, which i feel sometimes with derby skates. Like the Raptors were so tough they were designed for it, and I think this is what I liked the most about them.

There's one bad point though, they are HEAVY.  I can't remember exactly how much they weighed but it was a lot. Great if you're trying to build up mega calf muscles, but eventually I just felt that the weight was holding me back. It's like skating around with concrete blocks tied to your feet.

In summary: pros -great for outdoor skating, hard wearing. Cons - style is dated, weigh a tonne.
I wish I'd kept them, if only to skate outdoors.

REVIEW: 187 KILLER FLY KNEE PADS

I had some cheap bullet knee pads when I started, but they were crap. They felt uncomfortable and didn't feel like they offered much protection. I certainly wouldn't get them if I was doing fresh meat training or if I worried about falling. I ended up getting something right in the middle of the market -  187 Killer Fly knee pads - £35 from my local skate shop. Stupid name but they've got a hefty amount of padding on them, and if I drop to my knees I can't feel the floor. That should be the litmus test for all knee pads. They're pretty comfortable, and they don't stick out too much, so I don't worry about my legs catching them when I cross.  Also they have a bend at the top where they go over your knee, and because it's quite a rigid pad it forces you to bend your knees more, which is always a good thing.

The bad points? They're not open back, they have that elasticated 'sock' that you pull your leg through. You have to take your skates off to remove them, and you will want to remove them because they make your legs SO HOT. Seriously. The heat makes you sweat, which can get itchy. Because of the bend in the pads you can't really stand upright without the bottom digging into your shin, which is uncomfortable. The other bad point is that every time I look at them I wish I'd been rich enough, or serious enough about skating to justify the Smith Scabs Elite knee pads. It just wasn't meant to be.

In summary, well worth the money. Recommended!