"Rocker Chassis"

[wordman8]

Hey,

I just got a pair of Nike Quest 2 with the "ROCKER CHASSIS". The boot is good, but the rocker chassis is unbelievable.

If you don't know anything about the rocker chassis it enables you to do 20% better everything on skates. Ice hockey skates didn't have "rocker" or "radius" technology until 1914. When a student at Princeton implemented it... Princeton won 2 national championships before anyone caught on... then everyone went to it...

Here is the link... Let me know what you think.

http://store.yahoo.com/hockeygiant/tuukrkrfrm.html

[wordman8]

I actually found out about "Rocker Chassis" by mistake.

I am a goalie and I put all 47mm wheels on a set of HI-LO skates.

So when I stood up on them they "Rocked" back and forth because the wheels didn't match the standard 80mm 72mm dimensions.

However, as a result I could pivot the skate very easily and manuever much better. I was shocked and I didn't know why it worked. So I looked into it and asked some people.

So if you want to get a taste of the ROCKER CHASSIS style and you own a HI-LO setup... Just put all 72mm wheels on. It will blow your mind. Just try it.

You could probably do it with 80mm and 76mm also for a lesser rocker effect. Let me know what you think.

Robert

[DannyG]

for years the early skates of the late 80's and early 90's came with alternative-set axle holes in the chassis, so you could rocker front/back or single toe, single heel wheels...

I also thought that a rockered skate would make lateral and turning movement for the inline goalkeeper much more easy...

I don't wear my Lightning 608 Rollerblade skates anymore (they're from 1987), so I don't have a current frame of reference...

I would also think that those wheels a few years back that had the polyethylene plastic cores that extended out to the sidewall surface of the polyurethane would be good for the lateral sliding component of goalie movement. These wheels, with the polyethylene surface component durometer of, say, over 90, coupled with a rockered chassis, would go a long way toward lateral movement ability increase for goaltenders...

Keep experimenting Robert. I am only a part-time goalie, and then only when pressed into service, so I am not really a good judge of this one.

As a skater and coach, I observe that forwards/defensemen have no problem in turning, change of speed, change of direction, or stopping, that going to a rockered chassis would enhance.

On ice, the hollow-groove edges of the blade must melt/"dig in" to the ice to effect turns, thrust, etc...On wheels, the friction of the wheel surface to the floor surface has the same effect without the need to "dig in." Any manueverability gained through a rockered wheel alignment probably doesn't counteract loss of thrust, with not having all four wheels in contact with the floor when you push. I am pretty sure this is why the rockered chassis dropped out of favor with consumers over the past few years...don't think it makes much difference for forwards or defenders.

With forwards/defensemen, speed and acceleration is the major component, with ice goalies, it's stability, with inline goalies, its manueverability...

This is the same debate between three- four- and five-wheel sets for inline goalie skates...the five wheel set-up literally copies the stability consideration that ice goalies have with their straight-blades...probably is the wrong consideration, and the three or four wheel set-up, with rockering, would be best...

A number of years ago, Rob Laurie made the statement in Roller Hockey Magazine that, "Nobody's figured out the good technique for lateral movement by roller hockey golaies yet..." Perhaps Rich could look Rob up, and see if he has an updated perspective...

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[wordman8]

Hello Danny G, Thanks for the response.

It isn't my idea, or my opinion that the "Rocker Chassis" or radius blade for skates is better. It is a fact of physics and science.

Here is a Refresher course in science that is way over my head, but I understand why it works.


I didn't write this... It is from the link below...
http://www.hockeygiant.com/tuukrkrfrm.html


Q: WHY IS RADIUSED BLADE TECHNOLOGY BETTER THAN FLAT BLADE TECHNOLOGY FOR ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS?

A: "Flat" Blade Technology refers to technology currently used on ice speed skates and conventional inline skates where the entire blade or chassis contacts the skating surface. Ice hockey skates are radiused or curved for the following reasons:

1. The ability to change your ramp angle forward onto the front 70% of your blade or chassis when you skate or accelerate gives you 20% quicker acceleration and top end speed for two reasons:

- Changing the ramp angle forward puts you onto the balls your feet like sprinter on starting blocks so when you accelerate you explode forward not up.
- Being on the front 70% of the blade or chassis allows the player to utilize his calf muscle group during the toe snap extension portion of the skating stride which can't be achieved on conventional inline skates.


2. The ability to change your ramp angle backward onto the back 70% of your blade or chassis when you turn gives you a 50% tighter turn for the two reasons:
- Changing the ramp angle backward gives you a rearward turning axis which is like running up to a flag pole, grabbing it and letting it spin you around.
- Being on the back 70% of the blade or chassis means that there is 30% less blade or chassis touching the ground. Everyone knows that the shorter the blade or chassis the tighter the turn.

3. The ability to change your ramp angle to neutral onto the center 40% of your chassis or blade during pivots and stops and then back to a forward ramp angle onto the front 70% of the chassis to accelerate gives players quicker stopping and pivoting and 20% quicker acceleration for two reasons:

- For stopping and pivoting being only on the center 40% of the blade allows you to break the friction plane of skating surface and spin or stop.

- Going back to the front 70% of the blade or chassis allows you to explode right out of the pivoting or stopping maneuver.

DID YOU KNOW? Until 1914, all ice skate blades employed the same flat blade technology found on today's conventional inline skates. Hobey Baker, a Princeton Freshman, playing on an indoor rink for the first time realized that machining a radius on his skate blade would give him quicker acceleration, tighter turns and more agile pivots and stops which were needed for playing on an enclosed rink. After several trials and errors Hobey settled on an 11' radius. His play was so noticiably elevated that the Princeton coach ordered all of his players to get their skates contoured. Princeton went onto win the next two national championships before anyone caught on. To this day all ice hockey skates employ radiused ice blade technology.


WOW! Just try it...

Hey DANNY G.

Your post was very intelligent. I respect your opinion and you may be right.

I believe the reason it hasn't caught on with rollerblades is several reasons.

Nike/Bauer owned the licensing or trademark or whatever and were the only company that could make them... Nike and Bauer aren't the biggest names in roller hockey.

Also people always resist change. Even if it might be better.

Robert.

[89jettawolfs]

i play both ice and inline. and i've tried the flatr chassis and couldn't get used to it. i've been using a tuuk rocker chassis for 8 months and won't play with anything else. i love it.

[MDE3]

The great rocker debate....goes on.....

The problem with the rocker as Danny has mentioned, is that at most you have only 3 wheels on the floor, and with some set ups only two. At the elite levels of hockey the rocker is NOT a "new" thing...it has been tried in multiple versions, and rejected pretty much by most all the elite players. They can feel the difference with the extra grip when turning and stopping with all four wheels down.

The reason it seems like such a good idea to ice hockey players, is that it more closely simulates the feel and balance point of an ice hockey skate, when switching to inlines. They do not need to make as big an adjustment to their skating when switching back and forth. Consequently to these players it makes good sense, and they should be happy to use the technology.

So if this is true, why hasn't everybody who tried them (and most elite players have at some point, in one of the many different versions) switched over? Well the primary reason is that players who play a lot of inline have adjusted their skating technique to where they can pivot and turn as easily on a flat contact chassis, as the guys with a rockered chassis....the technique is different than ice, as you now pivot on either the lead or trailing wheel, but just as effective. Once learned, you can pivot as easily as you could with a rocker, but maintain the advantage that "four on the floor" can give you.....so why switch?

[rlrhky13]

I put a rocker on my skates a while back. I would NEVER go back to a hi-lo.. and it is possible to get the SAME grip and turning as a HI-LO... Use an 11+1 set up. and all 4 wheels will stay on the floor at the same time.... And I played for the Bullets so I guess I am not the norm for the ELITE skaters who would never use a rocker...

[chandler27]

What is 11+1?

[wordman8]

Since nobody responded I will take a shot at this one...

Match the wheels with the corresponding blade radius

Skate.

If the chassis feels "flat" or "long" then change the wheels to a smaller radius (e.g. a 9' radius wheel setup to an 8' radius wheel setup).

If the chassis feels like your on heels or if it makes you feel uneasy, change the wheels to a longer radius (e.g. a 9' radius wheel setup to an 10' radius wheel setup).

If it feels like your ice hockey skate then leave the wheel setup.

This way ice hockey players won't suffer any adjustment period when they transition from ice to roller and then back to ice.

12' Radius -- 76mm 72mm 72mm 76mm
11' Radius -- 76mm 72mm 76mm 76mm -- I didn't like this.
10' Radius -- 76mm 76mm 72mm 76mm -- This is what I use.
9' Radius -- 76mm 76mm 76mm 76mm
8' Radius -- 76mm 72mm 76mm 72mm

Ice hockey blades range from between a 12' radius to a 6' radius. Usually a player's blade radius is determined by the brand of ice boot and the brand of ice blade that the player uses, but there are some players who change their blades to a specific radius. There are pros and cons to using a longer or shorter or shorter radius. Generally a longer radius, meaning a 12' radius, an 11' radius or a 10' radius gives a player higher top end speed and more stability at the expense of maneuverability and quick acceleration. On the other hand, a shorter blade radius, meaning an 8' radius, a 7' radius or a 6' radius gives a player quicker acceleration and more maneuverability at the expense of top end speed and stability. For years the 9' radius has seemed to offer the best compromise, but as rinks become larger and players become larger it seems that speed and stability are often considered more valuable. As a consequence more and more players are starting to use an 11' radius with a +1 one lie or pitch which is the equivalent of the 10' radius wheel setup on the TUUK Rocker.

Robert

[DannyG]

excellent explanation and information.

Thanks! from all of us...I had read somewhere that forward skate radii were actually 22'-23'. That, or my memory, must have been wrong. I was confused therefore at the 11:1 reference above...didn't connect the number "11" to radius.

Your excellent explanation makes sense.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[Superstar9]

Honestly.... I think people spend waaaay too much time talking about the latest greatest equipment and what edge it gives them. Most of the time it's the people that are not top-notch players and should be worrying more about their game than they should about that fraction of a percent that the &quot;edge&quot; the get from that equipment increases their game. Believe me, I get to try everything out there either as soon as it hits the market or even before at no cost to me, there really isnt that big a difference. Preferences, Definitely but.. the player makes the game.... not the equipment, especially if your comparing the &quot;newest&quot; to equipment that's fairly current. Hit the rink and practice people. Leave the reviews to the product testers and pro shop guys trying to sell it. I spend my day tellin those &quot;c leaguers&quot; why they need the &quot;latest&quot;, if I didnt have to sell product, Id tell them &quot;stick with what ya got till it breaks... practice and prayers are the only thing thats gonna help ya&quot; Hit the rink and practice guys!!

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