Wheel-breakdown problems

[whalercane]

First, thanks to the peeps who administer this site; it's been a long time coming that we roller goalies finally get our own discussion forum.

Now, to the issue at hand: I'm not a particularly big guy (5'11", 180lbs), but I go through wheels quicker than a family of 12 goes through a roll of toilet paper. I think that my ice hockey background might contribute to how I beat the living hell out of my wheels (I push really hard into my wheels when I stop and change direction, similarly to how I'd dig into the ice with my blades). However, I'm religious about flipping and rotating my wheels after every couple of games to minimize wear and/or keep wear-patterns even.

With all that said, after having tried myriad brands, sizes and styles of wheels, I've mostly settled on the RR CrossBar- they're a good wheel relative to what else is out there (albeit expensive, at roughly $9 per wheel). However, even the set of Crossbars that are currently on my skates are beginning to breakdown after only about 25 games or so, probably because they're too soft a wheel for my bodyweight (recommended for goalies 160lbs and under).

I've considered going with a harder wheel in the hopes that
it can better support my weight, but then I would be sacrificing grip.

Is there any possibility that switching from the 59mm I currently use to a 47mm might give me a little more wheel life due to the added density of the wheel?

Or, does anyone else have any other ideas??

Thanks,
Ryan

[MBurke]

I've noticed that my 47s tended to last longer than my 59s do.

That's just anecdotal though; I don't have much to back it up.

[whalercane]

I've noticed that my 47s tended to last longer than my 59s do.

That's just anecdotal though; I don't have much to back it up.

There's probably something to that though because you'd think logically, the fatter wheel ought to last at least a bit longer based on its increased density, if nothing else...

[MAmato]

The density of the wheel doesn't change based on how big it is.

What does change is the torque placed upon the wheel as a function of size. It would follow that a 47mm would last longer due to this torque.

[whalercane]

The density of the wheel doesn't change based on how big it is.

What does change is the torque placed upon the wheel as a function of size. It would follow that a 47mm would last longer due to this torque.

In either case though, I gather it's fair to say a smaller wheel will last longer than a larger wheel, provided it's used the same way for the same purpose and is (aside of size difference) made of the same materials.

If this is true, then I'll probably just stick with the Crossbars, moving from the 59mm's to the 47mm's. I guess I'll just need to get used to the difference in the profile of the wheels as I go...

[RichardGraham]

Hi Ryan,

>>First, thanks to the peeps who administer this site; it's been a long time coming that we roller goalies finally get our own discussion forum. <<

Blame Mike Burke for that.

Oh, and please update your avatar if you could. They disappeared a while back. Blame Mike Burke for that, too. ;)

[sixpack]

I have found that Senete aggresive wheels are the best. I have been using the same set of wheels for the past three years. There senete sinner 47 mm 101a. I skate on an ice court surface and have had absolutly no problems with them.

[skooled]

thats a damn hard wheel there.......

[whalercane]

I have found that Senete aggresive wheels are the best. I have been using the same set of wheels for the past three years. There senete sinner 47 mm 101a. I skate on an ice court surface and have had absolutly no problems with them.

Wheels that hard must be slippery though, right? Are you able to maintain any kind of edge or push off without slipping?

Just curious...

[imasieve30]

I weigh only slightly less then you but my Crossbars don't seem to break down that often. Just recently I had to replace both my fronts as they take most of the abuse from pushing off but this was after skating on them well over 25 games.

One thing I'm careful about when purchasing, is making sure that there are no air bubbles anywhere on or near the surface. I'd imagine as the wheel wears down these pockets can adversely affect if the wheel starts tearing or chunking. I'm lazy so I never rotate them though :D.

Do you find yourself replacing all he wheels at once or just certain ones?

-Joe

[whalercane]

I weigh only slightly less then you but my Crossbars don't seem to break down that often. Just recently I had to replace both my fronts as they take most of the abuse from pushing off but this was after skating on them well over 25 games.

One thing I'm careful about when purchasing, is making sure that there are no air bubbles anywhere on or near the surface. I'd imagine as the wheel wears down these pockets can adversely affect if the wheel starts tearing or chunking. I'm lazy so I never rotate them though :D.

Do you find yourself replacing all he wheels at once or just certain ones?

-Joe

I tend to replace my wheels 4 at a time (the back two on each skate). The reason why I do this is twofold: First, probably because of how hard I push into stops & turns, my rear two wheels wear out quickest and then I also just can't afford to replace a full set of ten $9 wheels at one shot!! lol

[Phantom305]

Crossbars are the best wheels out there. Unfortunately the price is terrible. I have those blue Hyper wheels and i had to replace them 4 times in 3 months.

[whalercane]

Phantom and Imasieve:

I'm considering just moving to the 47mm Crossbars as it's likely I'll get more life out of them than the 59mm Crossbars. My only hesitation in moving to the smaller, chubbier wheel is that I'm concerned about giving up the edge I have on my 59mm's. What size wheel do you two use, have you ever switched from 59mm down to 47mm, how long was the adjustment period, am I making a bigger deal out of the 47mm/59mm size differential than I need to, etc??

Thanks guys,
Ryan

[Phantom305]

Hi Whalercane

I have 47mm on my skates (i have the tuuk chasis that only uses that size) but i have used 59mm wheels before and the only difference is that you will have a lower center of gravity, and you will be able to turn your wheels skates faster.

[imasieve30]

^^^

Ditto. I now use the 47mm Crossbars that work on the Bauer skates. I'm not sure I would ever switch back. I don't have any experience with the 59 Crossbars though.

Before, I used a custom goal skate with a Bauer ice boot and Labeda Predator chassis with 59mm Labeda Grim Reapers that I LOVED. I believe these are similar to the current offerings by Tour.

For me, going to the Bauer skate with the 47mm wheels was an attempt at keeping my transitions from ice to inline as similar as possible. The Bauer goal skates come the closest to doing that. The wheels do chunk up after a while but any wheel will eventually. Definitely check the surface area if you can before you purchase (I get mine from a store). Hope this helps.

-Joe

[Phantom305]

Hey Joe,

Can you find crossbars out where your at?

If so do they ship?

Let me know cause these Hypers are getting on my last nerve!!!

[imasieve30]

The Hypers are good awful for indoor sportcourt surface. I used them once for warmups and immediately switched back to my old skates till I got the Crossbars. It feels like your skating with a 2x4 strapped to the bottom of each frame.

Contact Regina at Valley Sports up here in NJ. She stocks them and can probably ship them out to you no problem. 908-580-1188.


-Joe

[Phantom305]

They are terrible. I'm about to switch to player skates all together till i get some crossbars.

Thanks Joe.

Joseph

[sixpack]

Ya, 101a is an extreamly wheel, But once you get that initial clear coat off the wheel they feel like an 80a. You just have to keep them clean and not let any grease or dirt to build up on them. Otherwise I havenot had any problems with my wheels. The other plus is that you only have to buy wheels once in the lifetime of the skate. The wheels will out last just about any skate

[uconnhockey1]

Joe-

That's funny, because I used the same set up you were talking about (Bauer boot, Predator chassis, and grim reaper wheels), for about three or four years, and it was by far the best goalie skate compared to the other two I have used.

That being said, I have the Tour Redlines now, and I dont see a problem with them yet- I tend to wear my front wheels down first, and have to replace them one or two at a time, as i put most of my wear and tear on them.

When I played on Jr. Team USA about four years ago, I was given a set of Labeda Millenium wheels that were odd- I had not seen them offered in many places but were actually really good wheels, and I was happy with them. I do not know if they are offered anymore, I haven't really checked.

When you are looking for comfort in skates, even though it is a little expensive, don't rule out chopping ice skates and building your own skate. The chopped Bauer boot with the predator chassis lasted me 6 years, and was a very wise investment. The comfort was unparalleled, and performance from the skates was unbeatable. They just got too beat up for me to use...

Jesse
UConn/CT Blaze

[JawzTerritory]

I too, like Jesse, have the Tour Redlines and just played with the wheels it came with. And also like Jesse, am very hard on my front wheels. After about 10 times playing in them the front wheel started chunking to the point I felt like i was playing on cobblestone. I now have the Partiots though and those seem to be holding up pretty well.

[Leaferguy]

Using a Bauer 7000 boot on a Predator chassis with Revision wheels. I used the Crossbars last year. They're both really solid wheels. The Revisions are nice because they're not getting any lines down the middle, so they still play smooth after 4-5 months. The Crossbars had more bite, which I definitely liked.

I think I may put a Revision up front, two Crossbars, and then two more Revisions or something like that.

The pro shop in the Sportsplex at Feasterville has 47 and 59mm Crossbars in stock, I believe. They should have the Revisions soon.

[whalercane]

Using a Bauer 7000 boot on a Predator chassis with Revision wheels. I used the Crossbars last year. They're both really solid wheels. The Revisions are nice because they're not getting any lines down the middle, so they still play smooth after 4-5 months. The Crossbars had more bite, which I definitely liked.

I think I may put a Revision up front, two Crossbars, and then two more Revisions or something like that.

The pro shop in the Sportsplex at Feasterville has 47 and 59mm Crossbars in stock, I believe. They should have the Revisions soon.

I just ordered a few Revision wheels to mix in with my Crossbars- we'll see how this experiment goes and if it goes well, I might switch to the Revisions altogether. I like the Crossbars, but at 185lbs, I think I'm slightly beyond the weight limit for wheels as soft as they are (which explains why I typically only get about 20 games out of a set of them), so the 76A Revisions ought to be perfect for me- theoretically, anyway...

-Ryan