June 2021 – Three- and four-wheel inline skates differ in many ways, including height, speed, stability, and maneuverability. Many skaters who wish to upgrade, are faced with the difficult decision of choosing one.
There are so many choices to make about inline skates: from boots and bearings to whether to go from 4 wheels to 3, or from 80mm wheels to 90mm, 100, 110, or even 125.
When you first try tri skates of various larger wheel sizes, you may notice that the larger the wheel, the more you have to use your body correctly to skate the way you want. You will have to sharpen your skills in making turns and stops. And the speed you may be able to generate on 125s can be overwhelming if you are skating in public places with bikes and pedestrians. You would enjoy the added speed but may have trouble slowing down and stopping.
4 larger wheels
Skaters on 4×90 or 4×110 are usually fitness and racing skaters who want more speed and stability of a longer frame, which 4 wheels give you.
Longer frames increase speed but reduce maneuverability, making turns and stops more challenging.
Tri skates are a combination of large wheels with a short frame. This gives you more speed without much loss of agility. For example, your 3×110 will touch the ground in the same places, as your 4x80s, making the wheelbase the same length.
Unless you’re going to be in speed races, three larger wheels are safer than four larger wheels.
Moving to larger wheels on inline skates
Try not to transition too quickly to larger wheels, and not to go too large.
If you do, it would mean a massive increase in your speed and difficulty with balance due to a higher center of gravity. It will further reduce your maneuverability in turns and stops.
Follow a progression of wheel sizes, for example, from the 90s to the 100s and then the 110s.
When moving from 3 to 4 wheels on inline skates, you could –
• Get a skate with a frame that can fit up to 100mm wheels. Start with the 90s and move up to 100s when you are completely comfortable with balance and stopping
• Get a frame that takes 110mm wheels but start with 100s first
• Get a skate that can take 110mm wheels, but begin with the 90s, then 100s, and finally 110s
Some Important Tips
• Let the speed skaters, who don’t have to stop quickly, have 125s. Begin with the 90s or 100s and later go up to the 110s, if you wish.
• Train properly on the new larger wheels. Hone your basic skills of turning, gliding, balance control, various stopping methods, and combinations of stops.
• Watch out for changes in your skating and train to fill gaps in your abilities, like edge control and stopping.
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