On The Trail

IN THIS ISSUE...

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

Publisher's Message

Welcome to the second 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 what to watch out for when skating on wooden bridges, as well as how to handle an abrupt, vertical rise that you sometimes find at the entrance to some bridges.

Skating Tip

Sooner or later on the trails, you'll encounter wooden bridges, which have wide ruts and deep grooves in them, especially if they're older and not well maintained. In these situations, you need to adjust your skating to compensate. Here's how!

The idea is to avoid getting the wheels of your skate caught up in the rut or groove, especially if it's wider than the width of your wheels. Getting stuck can cause an abrupt change in your momentum, which is undesireable as it can cause your upper body to shift rapidly forward or through you out of balance laterally to the right or left.

To spot a rut or groove, always look 10 to 15 feet ahead after you clear the entrance to the bridge. If you see something that looks suspicious immediately in front of you, use the following steps to quickly alter your path and bypass the potential hazard:

1. Roll your ankles slightly to the right or left to initiate a quick turn in that direction.
2. After you've moved a couple of feet over to the right or left, rebalance by shifting your weight back over your skates until you're pointing straight ahead again.
3. Without making any strides, glide with both feet together past the rut in the bridge. You should have enough momentum to roll past the hazard and up over the top of the bridge.
4. If you feel yourself slowing down too much, make two or three short strides to pick up speed and then go into another two-footed glide, being careful not to slide into the groove if you're adjacent to it.

That's all there is to it! Make a quick change in your path, glide with both feet, and roll past the crack in the bridge. Ok, but what about those vertical rises at the entrance to some bridges? How do I handle this type of bump? Glad you asked! Read on, as today's Trail Tactic covers this situation.

Trail Tactic

The entrances to some bridges, of wooden or metal contruction, are inclined with plates, which let you roll smoothly up and onto the bridge without a hitch. However, other bridges have no plates and the ground has eroded away leaving abrupt, 90-degree, vertical rises in your path. In addition, the height of the rise is variable. Sometimes, it's only half-an-inch high, but I've come across some as high as three inches. You need to adjust your tactics according to the height of the rise!

When your about 20 feet from the entrance to the bridge, quickly check the height of the rise. If it's a half inch or less in height, lean back slightly on the heels of your skates and lift your toes up so your front wheels are slightly off the ground when you hit the rise. This means your front wheels will always clear the rise and allow for a smooth transition onto the bridge.

On the other hand, if the rise is between one-half and two inches in height, you need to use a different tactic. First, slow yourself down by applying your brake just before the entrance. Second, place your right or left skate out in front of you. Next, step up and lift your front skate over top of the rise so it lands flat on the bridge. Finally, quickly pull your back skate up and place it flat on the bridge, being careful to lift it high enough so you clear the rise. This tactic takes some timing and coordination, but once you get it right, it'll prove invaluable.

Furthermore, if the rise is greater than two inches, the best approach from a safety standpoint is to come to a complete stop at the entrance to the bridge and just step over the rise, one skate at a time.

Until Next Time

When your out on the trail, and you're approaching a bridge, decide how you're going to handle the vertical rise when you're about 20 feet in front of the entrance. Use one of the three tactics above acccording to the height of the lip, but don't alter your tactic once you've committed to it.

After you clear the rise, look 10 to 15 feet ahead and try and spot any ruts in the bridge. If you locate a deep, wide groove, which appears to be a hazard, alter your course slightly, glide with both feet, and roll past the crack in the bridge.

In the next issue, we'll discuss what to do and watch out for when trail skating in hot conditions in the middle of the summer.

Advertisement

If you find that your wheels are chipped, cracked, or worn, and you feel that they're starting to affect your performance on the trails, it may be time to do some wheel maintenance. If so, you may want to have a look at Lesson #2 Advanced Skate Maintenance, which is available from our Skate Maintenance department. This lesson provides in depth coverage of wheel inspections and replacements.

To find out more about this lesson, click below:


Skate Maintenance Department