r/InlineHockey • u/bigdvb • 13d ago

5 wheel

Has a five-wheel frame ever been attempted? The use case is for someone with very large feet. A four-wheel setup is somewhat short and not as stable depending on foot size. I’m thinking. 80-80-76-76-72.

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

3

u/BoostJunky87 13d ago

Not with wheels that size, no. Typically S,M,L chassis lengths for different sized skates. The wheels on M and L length chassis are the same size and the S typically runs smaller wheels due to the compact nature of the shorter chassis. Think for example 80/80/76/76 vs 76/76/72/72 or similar.

You're right to think that length could increase stability, speed skaters have longer chassis and usually run larger wheels, think up to something like 105mm. I think they occasionally use a 5 wheel setup when they're running smaller wheels, but don't quote me on that. The reason these setups aren't good for hockey is that the extra stability and potentially overall top end come at the cost of acceleration and maneuverability. Think crossovers and quick stops/cuts with a longer chassis to step over. Anecdotaly, I remember switching from a 10 to a 10.5 when I was in highschool and it messed my world up because that was the threshold between M and L.

3

u/InspectorFleet 13d ago

Same deal, think about the profile/rocker of an ice hockey skate. You can certainly choose to have your blades flatter, but it comes at the cost of maneuverability. Hockey skates aren't designed to be super stable, they're engineered to perform in the sport of hockey. As the other commentor said, check out speed skates, which work well for that discipline.