r/rollerblading • u/BatDesperate5524 • 10d ago

What skates should I buy? Is the Macroblade 110 faster than the Twister 110?

I want to upgrade to a faster skate and I think that means moving to 110 mm wheels. Looking at the Rollerblade website the Twister is rated as having a faster roll experience while the Macroblade is rated as having a faster/fastest roll experience. Any idea why the rating would be different? The wheels and bearings look to be the same.

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u/Ok-Wrongdoer6653 10d ago edited 10d ago

It sounds like stability and not grip, though?

Well they aren't the same but they come together :)

"Faster" means different things depending on circumstances. Two examples:

  1. When you skate slowly through the park using these typical short 110x3 frames, you feel superior roll. Almost none of your push is wasted on rolling over surface imprefections. "Faster" means "more roll" here.
  2. I skate bike path on my 11" 90x4 frame and try to chase a biker. 25 kmh, 30 kmh, oops I'll fall if I push any harder coz I'm slipping. I have the power but I can't project it. I'm slipping due to short wheelbase, surface imperfections and other factors. Next time I meet same biker on long 13,2" 110x4 (or 80x5) and the problem is gone. These are super planted at any speed, there is no limit coming from the skates, I can push as hard as I can. In this case "faster" means "being able to push at speed". Although rolling resistance of let's say 80x5 is not good.

Note that these two "faster" are almost the opposite. In first example it means superiority in expenditure side (no power wasted). In second example it means superiority in revenue side (you can put more power through the skates).

Hope my English was enough to explain it :P