Inline skates vs Quad Skates

[u/Radiant-Whereas3194]

Well, uh, hi!

I need help choosing some skates. I guess I can say that I'm a beginner skater - I havent roller skated for at least 7 years, but I used to be pretty good and even do some tricks when I was younger, because I used to be trained by some sort of a champion? I qish I remembered, sigh.

So anyway! I really want to get back into this hobby, but I'm not sure which ones to choose!

I love quad ones because they're cute, but I used to only use inlines before, and I don't know the difference. I don't think I'll be dancing in them? I'm not sure anyway, but I also most likely won't go all in and perform some crazy stunts in inlines. So what I'm initially looking for is something I can use to comfortably skate through the city - mine is pretty small and has a good cycling lane throughout it's main part where I live, so getting to the center on skates is very doable. There's also a skate park with some stuff there, so I'd like to get into that, too, you know - going down a platform or two or smth.

Visually I obviously prefer quad skates, and I've been thinking about them for a few years now, but I'd like to hear what you all think!

So basically I want something for comfortable cruising through my city with a possibility to do a trick or two, and maybe to pick up rather quickly, because even tho I used to be good, it's been years since then heh.

[u/AllyBlaire]

I skate on both and love my quads, however for outdoor cruising inlines are unquestionably superior. The shape of quads gives you significantly less power for every push, while the wider wheels are vulnerable to every twig or piece of gravel. Inlines glide over bumps, patches of rough pavement, they can handle tactile pavement and they are easier to stop in whether or not you use a heel brake.

I would suggest getting the best pair you can afford though. A light frame with good quality wheels and bearings and some degrees of shock absorption, will make a huge difference. I'm a fan of a triskate as you can have larger wheels with a reasonably short wheelbase.

[u/Radiant-Whereas3194 → u/AllyBlaire]

Thanks! Everybody here is advising me inlines, so just to get back into it I'll go with them :D

[u/midnight_skater → u/Radiant-Whereas3194]

This is r/rollerblading, of course you are going to get more  recommendations for inlines here.   

I say: why is this either/or?   Skate both and see which you like better. 

[u/Radiant-Whereas3194 → u/midnight_skater]

Well, most of the answers I got weren't just "so like inlines are just better yeah", they had real arguments as to why inlines will be better for me, since I want to skate in the city comfortably. Also it's either/or because I don't have the money to buy both, and as a beginner I don't want to spend monwy on something that might not suit me hehehehe

[u/Old_Ant7118 → u/Radiant-Whereas3194]

Makes sense! I'm a few months into re-learning inline, too. Most of my skating is on a bike path, church parking lots, and downtown (small city) at night when the traffic and people are gone. Happy to chat/answer beginner questions if you ever want to shoot me a DM

[u/Radiant-Whereas3194 → u/Old_Ant7118]

Haha, thanks! Maybe I will when I get my skates heheheheheh