On The Trail

IN THIS ISSUE...

• Publisher's Message
• Skating Tip
• Trail Tactic
• Until Next Time
• Advertisement

Publisher's Message

Welcome to the first issue of On The Trail. The Inline Skating Center will publish ten issues of the newsletter from now until the end of September covering a wide range of topics about inline skating on marked trails. As you know, skating is best when the trails are dry, smooth, flat, clean, and uncrowded.

Unfortunately, this is an ideal set of conditions. More often then not, you'll encounter a situation where the surface is wet or cluttered with debris, the terrain is rough or hilly, and the trail is crowded with pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, the trail skater needs to contend with road snakes, manholes, potholes, cracks, curbs, and bridges.

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen! Only if you're unprepared. Each issue of the e-zine will focus on a different condition that you may encounter on the trails. We'll present a tip and a tactic for dealing with each of these scenarios, so you can avoid these potential hazards, and learn to skate in a safe, controlled manner.

In today's issue, we're going to discuss the adjustments you need to make to your strides while rolling on rainy days and in wet conditions!

Skating Tip

It's always a good idea when you set out on a long trail to carry a back pack with a pair of runners or sandals inside. A wet surface and inline skates are not a safe combination. In this way, if you encounter heavy rain, you can get off the trail, put on your shoes, and walk back.

However, if you find yourself in a soft rain, without any shoes in your pack, and you're just a couple of miles from the end of the trail, you may be able to roll harder and beat the storm out.

In this situation, you need to be careful! Skating at a quicker pace in wet conditions can be detrimental to your groin and hip muscles. You need to use the approach that's covered in the next section, Trail Tactic!

Trail Tactic

If your skates start to slip while your striding, especially on inclines, you need to shorten your strides. With a shorter stride, you won't be pressuring the inside edges of your wheels as much, which means your skate won't travel as far to the outside. This will reduce the slipping action in the lateral direction.

In addition, using a smaller stride also means that you're keeping your wheels on the surface of the trail for a shorter period of time during any given stroke to your left or right side. This reduces the chances of pulling a muscle in the groin and hip area.

Until Next Time

Check the weather forecast before you head out on the trail, especially if your planning on rolling for three or four hours. If you don't like to take runners or sandals with you on the trail, make sure you learn how to do shorter strides so you can pull this tactic out of your skills box and use it to skate in wet, slippery conditions.

If your wheels and bearings get really wet, and you don't have the time or inclination to do a complete cleaning and lubrication of your wheels and bearings, the Inline Skating Center has a quick, stopgap procedure you can use to keep your bearings from seizing or rusting out prematurely. Refer to the Advertisements section below for further details.

In the next issue, we'll discuss what to do and watch out for when skating on wooden bridges, as well as how to handle the abrupt entrance to and exit from any bridge.

Advertisement

If your skates get really wet after a day in the rain, you need to act quickly to remove the moisture from your bearings and preserve their life. Throwing your skates in the trunk of your car is not going to cut it. The next time out, some or all of your bearings may be seized, and some or all of your wheels may not rotate freely.

Fortunately, there is a stopgap measure you can employ to remove the moisture. The Inline Skating Center has recently published a Basic Maintenance lesson, which has a section that deals with the special circumstance of what to do after a day of skating in wet conditions.

To find out more about this lesson, click below:


Skate Maintenance