RoadSkater.Net - Comments

Late Night Fun with Calipers

In reply to Looking for replacement axles:

Last night I was curious, so I measured my old Miller 5x80 frame axles. It was a great way to relax after a stressful day. For some reason I had convinced myself over the years that 100mm wheels were thicker/fatter than the 80mm. I was surprised to find the 'Miller' axles (I think they came with that frame, but I can't remember) to be 0.5mm longer than the ones I'm currently using with my Salomon 3x100+84 frames. So not noticeably longer unless you squint at them side by side. The threaded bit is also about 1.5mm shorter than my current axles. The Miller axle diameter (on the threaded end) is 0.5mm smaller than my current Salomon frame axles. My current axles don't fit with those old Miller frames.

Not sure if anybody has mentioned the Inline/Ice Warehouse page, but they show various axle shapes.

subzero frames

In reply to Looking for replacement axles:

I have never skated them, but I always thought that subzero made a beautiful frame. Looks top notch. I would half consider them, if not for needing 10 wheels for them, oh and the fact they won't fit my boot. But major bling factor!

Nice eBay finds

In reply to Looking for replacement axles:

Those K2 Recons look great, tempting for sure.

Powerslide axles

In reply to Looking for replacement axles:

Thanks. I never thought of buying a new set of frames, but since they can be had for cheap like $30, I might consider that. So are you saying the powerslide with the torx head axles will fit the Ultimate attitude frames? I don't mind the head type -- looks like Powerslide axles come in set of 10 with the torx tool for $20 in some shops.

http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage-PSR4A.html

Check the Local Rink and Online

In reply to Looking for replacement axles:

Hi and welcome. Thanks for posting a question. I was just looking for axles, myself, along with spacers. I want to make up a set of wheels with bearings and spacers in them for events and another set with bearings and spacers for regular days at the park. The wheels wear a certain way at my usual training spot of laps, and differently on the road, I say. In any case, for training I don't want to wear down the profile of some good wheels.

OK, so I scouted around the house and found a lot of old hardware from various skate setups, but didn't find spacers and axles. I called the local rinks in town (Skateland USA North and West) and ended up finding spacers for a dollar each at the Skateland USA North. The folks up there were nice and we talked a long time about skating indoors and out and cycling in the Tour to Tanglewood (the husband of the woman there is a skater who bikes the tour on another team).

So I asked about axles and went to get my nasty skates so we could compare. They said the axles cost a lot more...about $7 each. I decided to wait, as I have a few extras already.

I used to have the Ultimate Attitude 5x84 frame, and back then it used what was considered to be a "standard" axle. Other than Powerslide, with its Torx head axles, I don't know much about newer frames. My sense is that some have gone to slightly beefier threaded ends, but I am not sure where I got that idea.

[Any time you want to look for something on eBay, you do the website a favor by clicking the ebay link on the page before doing the search. It costs you no more, and some of what ebay would keep goes to keep the site going. If you want to help the site, use the titles below (or similar words) to search instead of the links. Either way, no worries! Here's a link to start a search.]

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-62/1?campid=5336054220&toolid=711532001925562&customid=rsn2left&mpvc=

Anyway, a ton of frames were made with these standard axles, and you could check eBay for axles (I didn't find any) or frames (I found several that could be better than the Ultimate Attitude flag frame I had) that include axles. For example, I found this 80mm Hyper Nitrous frame for $30 plus $10 that includes 10 axles, 10 spacers, 2 mounting bolts and a hex key. If you need the hardware, this is a good buy in my view. I can't promise the axles are the right size but I may buy a set just in case they fit my setup. But I'm considering other options too. Still for the short term this seems a good deal.

Hyper Nitrous inline speed skate frames 12.8 long NEW

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hyper-Nitrous-inline-speed-skate-frames-12-8-long-NEW-/250687909621?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5e29eef5#ht_500wt_992

If you fancy yourself wanting to try (as I would like to) a 5x90mm 165mm (short) mount frame, here's a cheap way to do it, except for buying the wheels of course. Same thing about the axle size, but it comes with all the hardware and a nice wrench it seems. BEWARE they are VERY LONG, but boy would they be stable on the open road! I'd like to test the turning ability though before certain downhills on the A2A course! Here's the link...

Sub Zero inline speed frames 5 X 90mm 165mm mount NEW

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sub-Zero-inline-speed-frames-5-X-90mm-165mm-mount-NEW-/250687750353?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5e2780d1#ht_500wt_992

I've heard good things about these Recon boots from some really great skaters, including one of my favorite skate-through-pain heroes, Dan. If you need any 84mm wheels like I currently do for my 2nd wheel of the 3x100+84 setup I use, this would be a great kit, but take note the bearings are minibearings so those use a different width spacer inside (slightly longer, methinks). The axles should be standard but I can't guarantee it. So 10 84mm wheels, 20 minibearings, 10 minibearing spacers, 10 axles, hex wrench. For $139 + about $10, this is a nice skate kit. I am not really sure I am better off with 100mm wheels in every way, so it's tempting to get this. It's a shortmount boot, so take note of that if you're thinking of going 100mm, 110mm or more.

K2 Recon carbon fiber speed skates, many sizes NEW
http://cgi.ebay.com/K2-Recon-carbon-fiber-speed-skates-many-sizes-NEW-/180554588500?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a09e46154#ht_500wt_1154

I would definitely consider this if they had my size. I actually have a 100mm Salomon longmount frame lying about that uses longmount. I can't quite fit into an 8.5 size, but maybe some of you can! This is not the Recon, and I have not researched it, but for the money I think it could be a good deal for those of us who don't want to or can't afford or justify buying the latest expensive stuff.

K2 Longmount inline speed skate boots sizes 3-81/2 NEW

http://cgi.ebay.com/K2-Longmount-inline-speed-skate-boots-sizes-3-81-2-N...

I think buying new old stock is a good way to go for axles, and maybe even with a frame that's better than what you have now. Good luck and PLEASE share your solution when you find it. We ARE very interested.

Oh, that OTC

In reply to Slow and Steady:

I thought you meant "over the counter," as in antihistimines, decongestants, anti-inflammatories, and non-prescription stimulants, without which I would never be able to get myself off the couch.

The most important class: OTC

In reply to Slow and Steady:

More later, perhaps, as this is from my phone and I do not trust it, but the most important class we are in is OTC...Off the Couch. Congratulations and welcome.

Welcome!

In reply to Slow and Steady:

Hi Jack Rabbit! Great to hear of someone taking up a healthy hobby/obsession :-). Having cycling or skating goals is a very effective way to improve one's fitness level. Even better when you're having so much fun.

I followed the greensborovelo.com link you provided, and found myself enjoying the Charleston Festivelo photos. They brought back great memories of when Roadskater and I skated the Ride Around the Islands back in Dec 2003. I can almost feel the cold air in my nostrils and lungs, looking at those photos. Ah those were the days: plenty of time, energy and credit.

Signing yourself up for an event is also a great way to scare yourself into training enough to at least be able to finish! I find this particularly motivating. Are you training for any events in particular?

Sunday I think it was

In reply to Sparky's Tater Ride Greensboro NC Triad Free Weekly No-Drop Bike Rides Skates for Beginners, Restarters & Leisure Cyclists:

Hey jack rabbit thanks for posting that ride. I think you were meaning the ride this morning from McDonald's. By the way you can use create/event when there is a set date (if you like). Thanks for starting to post. Btw I replied to your other post by phone but goofed and lost it. How was the ride today? How is the condition of the trail...skateable.

Two hour ride on Monday morning?

In reply to Sparky's Tater Ride Greensboro NC Triad Free Weekly No-Drop Bike Rides Skates for Beginners, Restarters & Leisure Cyclists:

Is that date correct? Am I forgetting an upcoming holiday?

Sparky's Ride - Aug 23, 2010

In reply to Sparky's Tater Ride Greensboro NC Triad Free Weekly No-Drop Bike Rides Skates for Beginners, Restarters & Leisure Cyclists:

8:00 a.m. - Meet at McDonald's -7069 Albert Pick Rd, Greensboro, NC. approx 20 miles at 10-12 mph.

Difficult, eebee, but easier the more you do it

In reply to Not-Quite-Atlanta to Not-Quite-Anniston: Another 94 miles on the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails:

I commented on Blake's write-up and now I'll do the same for eebee's post.

With regard to stopping techniques, I learned the front T-stop (to the extent that I can do it) from Eddy this summer. I have used the tight slalom turns to control speed for a while on the hills in Atlanta.

I have to say that once you get to Cedartown, after the toughest part of the trail, you really believe you're going to make it. And then once you get the the state line you KNOW you're going to make it. It's still a long skate from that point, but the worst is behind you.

I agree, I appreciate the journey more each time I take it. You notice more, because you're more comfortable on the trail when you know what to expect. I've done it three times now (almost--one time I stopped at 87 miles) and, while I don't know it as well as the back of my hand, I know it pretty well.

I guess I don't have too much to add, maybe I said what I needed to say because I saw (and responded to) Blake's post first.

Difficult, roadskater, but easier the more you do it

In reply to Skating the Full Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trail Again: 94 Miles of Hot Fun in Georgia and Alabama:

Ah, Blake, you know I'm a sucker who will always join you for these crazy skates when I can! I'll comment on a few items from your post, in order.

But first, I have to ask: Where are the pictures?

Regarding skating to Coot's Lake store and back, rather than tunnel & back, I would suggest going all the way to Rockmart and back. Not much further, and you can stop and have lunch at Frankie's.

Someday we'll try the trail in the other direction. Yes, probably more difficult, but it's on the list!

I have to say that I don't prepare as meticulously as you do. 6-8 gels, maybe 12-14 Endurolytes, a couple aspirin just in case, three full water bottles (on a day like we had) so I have enough to drink between refill opportunities.

I love living on the trail. So easy to skate down from Mile 1.1 to Mile 0 for a skate like this.

I love this comment: "TomB
planted a bomb of doubt when he said something about how long it takes
to get to the Brushy Mountain Tunnel because it all starts to look alike
out there..." Yes, there are some parts of the trail that seem to take forever. That stretch before the tunnel is one part. There are a lot of false positives, when it looks like the tunnel is right around the corner but it's not. I think that the stretch between Cedartown and the state line is like that. As is the stretch just before you pull into Piedmont.

I love your description of the bathrooms in Rockmart, the "Not Everybody Welcome Center." It's true, but that's never stopped us!

The portion fo the trail between Rockmart and Cedartown is the toughest part of the trail. They call it the Silver Comet Rail Trail, but it simply is not a rail trail at that point. I had a lot of fun with Paula when she and I skated it on July 4th. I would point at the railroad tracks and say "rail trail" and then quickly point to the Silver Comet and say "not a rail trail"! I did that over and over. Never got tired of it!

Yes, those ants were very entertaining. Which reminds me, where are the pictures I took of the ants?!

The downed power line in Cedartown was very interesting! That is a very dangerous situation.

That hispanic store in Cedartown has lost my business twice now. If you don't have chocolate milk, I'm taking my business elsewhere! Simple as that.

At the state line I was feeling my worst. I did want to get moving so I recall that I pulled most of the way from Cedartown to the state line. And it was HOT! I was overheated at that point. After we started the downhill towards Piedmont, with less effort (although going faster, because it was downhill), I cooled down and began to feel a lot better. By the time we got to Piedmont (and after cooling down in the frozen foods section of the grocery store PLUS my usual chocolate milk) I felt a lot better, ready to finish strong (or at least strongER). Blake, I know you loved being doused with water at the fountain near the Piedmont visitor's center, but the frozen food section in the grocery store was every bit as good, I assure you.

That's the thing about laptops

In reply to Challenge of the Centuries 2010 Charity Bike Ride Skate Report:

Fast, durable, or cheap, pick any two. And I'm afraid that $1000 is probably still cheap enough to count as one of them. That's a big part of why I'm out of the laptop game these days.

I built a little travel PC inside a Cooler Master Elite 100 RC micro-ATX enclosure, which is small enough to fit inside the nice Targus bag that came with my last real laptop. (Back when they were expensive enough to include extras like that.) It's a heavy steel tank and, as long as I have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to use when I get where I'm going, it's great. If not, I'll bring the Eee Pc, which is slow but more or less disposable and I can toss it in just about anywhere.

I saw a nice clearance price on 3K filament 2x2 twill carbon fiber cloth yesterday. You could use that to make a neat HP laptop case. It's listed as "damaged" though and they don't say how badly. :-)

327 miles!

In reply to Inline Skating 300 Miles in 24 Hours for Three Charities: Please sponsor me!:

I heard a rumor that Sam notched up 327 miles this past weekend at the 24h Roller Montreal! Congratulations! I can't even begin to imagine how gruelling that must be.

$1000 Laptops and Bamboo Floors

In reply to Challenge of the Centuries 2010 Charity Bike Ride Skate Report:

I'd have to be convinced that the laptop in question was going to be much more durable than my HP Pavilion dv4000 series piece of plastic. Beautiful screen, nice operation, junky case.

I think I saw a show on the Proximity hotel and the guy (too lazy to look it up) mentioned bamboo flooring. I think he may have said they did not go for that for some reason. They found lots of other more cost efficient materials and methods I think was the gist. But unsure. He does a great interview. They've done some good things in Greensboro, including Lucky32 of course.

I agree the bamboo looks cool. In fact I wondered (briefly) about making some sort of case for my aforementioned laptop. I think USPS Packing tape might be great if they still gave that stuff away (which is probably why they don't). I thought about gluing aluminum rulers to the top or finding a sheet of aluminum. At least I covered up the HP advertisement.

Yes and Interestingly I'm Using Google Chrome Then IE Yikes

In reply to Quick note: How to Set Firefox Browser Tabs So New Tabs Open on the Far Right Once Again:

Yes. Thanks for the tip and this is great content for this site. We roadskaters have lots of similar hobbies, traits, skills and interests, and even if not, there's a world of searchers wanting to know. Look at the all-time popular topics on the site and they are not just for skaters, but are related.

One thing I'm noticing lately is that I have loaded up Firefox perhaps with too many add-ons and I'm tending to use Google Chrome as it is fast. When things don't work at a site like file attachements in the newer Yahoo Mail, I am finding I go to IE (always the latest version and don't expect much support for 6 or below so if you have one of those I suggest upgrading or not using it, folks, as it is much hated in these old versions by people who write web code). Sometimes I start all three at the same time and use whatever gets me there first.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this. We all have lots of knowledge we could be sharing. Do it! Somebody out there can benefit.

Thanks for the tip!

In reply to Quick note: How to Set Firefox Browser Tabs So New Tabs Open on the Far Right Once Again:

Thanks for the useful tip, Timv! Interesting to see how many others were also bugged by the tab appearing in a different place.

Flooring too

In reply to Challenge of the Centuries 2010 Charity Bike Ride Skate Report:

I've noticed the frequent use of bamboo flooring in environmentally-conscious (supposedly) renovation projects such as those on Discovery's Planet Green channel. As they say about the bamboo bikes, it's a grass so it's ideally renewable and grows back fast, and it can be raised locally to wherever it's used or processed.

I think my days of buying $1000 laptops are past but it looks pretty cool. Maybe they'll make an Eee Pc in a case like that eventually.

Bamboo Laptop Notebook Computer

In reply to Challenge of the Centuries 2010 Charity Bike Ride Skate Report:

I don't know much about this one, but it looks like bamboo has some cachet among the eco-techno crowd. Here's a link to an article on PC Magazine's web...

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366892,00.asp

It seems this is a good one for first-adopters in that set, and not a bad PC at all, but more time will pass before we have an idea of the viability of using bamboo as material for a notebook computer. Looks nice, though.

The excuses are valid!

In reply to Tour to Tanglewood Training Bike Ride Inline Skate July 31 2010 Clemmons Bicycle NC:

Wow! What can I say about Saturday's training ride? Some of the smoothest pavement I have ever skated, a steady cloud cover helping to keep the temps in the high 70s, no headwind at all because I drafted (6 ft 4?) BladesoFire pretty much the whole way, and had Roadskater at times giving me a nudge from behind. My heart rate avg barely broke 140!

I wish they all could be Clemmonsian roads.

I must admit I wondered if I was having too easy a time of it on Saturday, but come Sunday I still had plenty of sore leg muscles from all those steep hills.

Top speed for the three of us: 37 mph. Total mileage: 36.5.

Conclusion: It's perfectly fine to use gatorback roads and scorching Summer heat as excuses for slow finish times!

What a great skate it was!

In reply to Tour to Tanglewood Training Bike Ride Inline Skate July 31 2010 Clemmons Bicycle NC:

That was certainly one of the nicest and most enjoyable 36 mile routes I have ever skated. The weather was nice and the roads were fabulous... Oh and the company was great too!

Hope to be!

In reply to Tour to Tanglewood Training Bike Ride Inline Skate July 24 2010 Cycle Therapy Lewisville NC:

The Clemmons Training Ride is one of our favorites, due in part to a mile or so long downhill with smooth pavement and lovely scenery! So far the weather forecast looks good...a cool 90 for the high :-D. If it's going to be 75 at the start line I'll have to bring my armwarmers...

We hope to skate this one, barring any unforeseen problems.

Sorry I missed it.

In reply to Tour to Tanglewood Training Bike Ride Inline Skate July 24 2010 Cycle Therapy Lewisville NC:

Are you guys planning to skate the training ride this weekend sponsored by Clemmons Bike Shop? I am planning on it.

Add MA and CA for 12 of the United States for the 2010 Jersey

In reply to Get Your 2010 Roadskater.net Inline Skating and Cycling Jersey or Grab a Classic Version Now:

I'm always interested how this spreads around. It's fun to see how we are all connected. Add these states to the list who have signed up to support the 2010 edition of the Roadskater.net jersey:

California
Massachusetts

Thanks!

Jersey Viability Update, plus GA, NC, NJ, PA, SC, VA

In reply to Get Your 2010 Roadskater.net Inline Skating and Cycling Jersey or Grab a Classic Version Now:

OK we're getting closer but the 2010 jersey is in danger of not making minimums. Thanks to more orders from these states:

Georgia
North Carolina
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Virginia

At this point I have 4, plus 1 owed, plus 1 commitment, plus 11 prepaid, so that's 17. I know of 3-6 likely orders, which brings us to 20-23 orders. That's close. I hope we make it, and thank all of you for considering it!

I spent part of the afternoon comparing color mixes in various amounts of full sun, cloud and shadow. I have four mixes I like and will be mocking some of those up to look at them more closely, then check with the printer to see how these would come out in their process. I've seen some of these mocked up before. It's going to be good, I'm sure of that. If we make the numbers. If not, well, we tried.

Zenni

In reply to Zenni Optical is a good source for prescription sunglasses:

I have used zenni also, and have been very pleased. I have a very weak prescription and my glasses we very cheap, one pair I got for $12.

Roadskater.net Jersey Orders from MI, NY, TN, TX

In reply to Get Your 2010 Roadskater.net Inline Skating and Cycling Jersey or Grab a Classic Version Now:

WOW THANK YOU to people from far away in time and space who have put in their adoption papers for a 2010 Roadskater.net jersey!

Thank you to skaters from:

Michigan
New York
Tennessee
Texas

Does this mean some of these folk may be considering the 25th Tour to Tanglewood? I hope so! See http://tourtotanglewood.org for more info and to join or team go to http://nmss.org/goto/rsn2010.

At this point we have 4, all from outside NC, plus 1 owed to NY, plus 4 for me, so that's 9, with 15 to go by Sunday night Monday morning. Hopefully we'll have a 2010 jersey, but if not, it's the people with MS that matter and we skate for them at the tour and the CarolinaCentury.com October 23, 2010.

Skateylove y'all, Roadskater

Intentional Eating and the Outer Banks of NC

In reply to Feeling Satisfied -- Taking the Long View:

What a great place to feel horrible. But what a shame to feel horrible while at the Outer Banks. Right next to Ocracoke, only a free ferry ride away, and very near the iconic Hatteras light. These are incredible places for the soul, and like many, when times get confusing the North Carolina Outer Banks or the trails around Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain or Table Rock fit the bills. Big waves and tiny birds speak lessons, and anything way bigger than silly us is a good reminder of welcome unimportance.

What follows is not whole foods talk, as I can't quite make that goal yet, but my own slacker intentional eating, when it works.

I like that term, intentional eating...intentional most things. If we leave it to a lack of plan the drive-through (or drive-trough) will get us, as will the deep fried, cheese and ground fat. I love unintentional eating, and I love intentional weekly half of a garlic and onion pizza, but if I can set some basic rules and mostly follow them, it helps with the intentionality.

For me, I have to intentionally grocery shop, because if it's at home I will eventually eat all of it, and maybe not slowly. So there are things I love that I don't buy but count on running into at events or when I don't choose the restaurant or when it's free food somehow (free food has no calories).

I've tried being more intentional about sugar drinks, including taking in less skaterade and even less carbonated sugardrink. At home I've been making unsweetened ice tea by the glass with 2 Tetley British Blend tea bags and half of a heavy Luminarc 16 oz. glass of post-boiling water. After that brews a bit, I just fill the glass with ice cubes and give it a swirl. It's mighty tasty. As timv would add, this works great with very strong Cafe Bustelo. Just make sure your glass is made to take the hot-cold transition or use something safe blah blah blah.

So back to some rules I try for. Well, I don't follow rules so much when around a lot of people as great friends and family and great food in excess are one reason to live, but when alone or in smaller groups, I do sometimes get in the no cheese, no deep fried, no ground fat (meats). Lately I've been doing the first two of those, plus dropping most creamy dairy type things, especially mayo and sauces made therewith. Tuesday night is pizza and sometimes I OK deep fried tortilla chips at a Meximerican restaurant, but have been known to order a chicken quesadilla with no cheese.

By not limiting the amount so much, but trying to knock off the most fatspensive or calspensive items, I can still enjoy most foods. Also, Baked Tostitos Scoops and salsa are great, by the way.

Drive-through burgers at Cookout are awesome and I am allowing those right now. I order the smallest size and they put huge onions on there and plenty of lettuce. Not bad for unwhole foods, at $1.29 each I think.

The best thing I can do for my eating and sleeping is skating! Except, sometimes or lots of times, the night before a big skate with lots of friends I'm too happy or excited...or at t2t and carolina century worried for team mates or volunteers and particpants...to sleep. The next morning I'll sit on the bumber before donning the skates and see insane heart rates of 126 or so before rolling out, as was the case at the last Carolina Century with impending storms! OK. Enough about me, for just now.

I'd like to add that a drive to Wrightsville Beach to eat at the Oceanic Pier outside with a coke and pineapple chicken salad has restored lifeworthlivingness a few times too. Sometimes that lemon smell coming out of a bubbling coke binds all good things past and present. Yes there is a caffeine theme in this post, I admit! Sorry eebee! See Teeccino! Kicking the Caffeine Habit with Alternative Decaffeinated Herbal Coffee Substitute.

speed to come soon

In reply to Report from 2010 MSFits MS Charity Event June 19th 2010:

Hi eebee,

Cary's Cup-and-Cone event is 7/24. 22 miles out, to a hand made ice cream stop, then 22 back. The downward part "Col de Lystra" is on the way back where last year we got to 50 - 51mph......looking to top that this year.....we'll see.