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I wonder if it will be like the Mako where you have no idea how it's actually going to feel unless you have it baked.

Hey guys - just got back from my local Pure hockey, who had the TF9 in stock. I tried them on and really like them, but don't know what to make of the fit. For reference, Bauer scanner puts me in Fit 1 - so my foot is pretty unremarkable and made for a Vapor. Tried the TF9 on and noticed straight away that there was much more room in the forefoot than a Supertacks or even Supreme/Vapor Fit 1. Not sure if True has come out and said what type of fit or last it's built off of. Also, not entirely sure that's how the final fit was supposed to feel, as this was pre baking. They are super, super light and I really like the skate otherwise. The bang for the buck @ $599 is great.

Yeah that makes sense as long as they're brand new. I would definitely start with 83a before the 85a asphalts. They're also a few bucks cheaper so if they work I save a few bucks and if they don't I can just use them for asphalt so it's not a complete bust. Be

Yes, decades ago I played on wood and remember using 86a single pour wheels for that and still having a lot of grip and that was in the pre-Sprung days with a flat chassis. I think your plan of using the R1 outdoors and the Sprungs indoors makes sense. The grit of outdoor surfaces can get in the part of the frame that holds the front rocker arms in Sprungs and loosen them up with friction wear. Plus, as you said, the asphalt can wear down the plastic. When you get the R1's and have a few hours of playing on them, I'd love to hear your thoughts on those vs. Sprungs. I don't know how many they have, but I know Coast to Coast inline has some original Konnix Pure's in +2 listed on their site: https://coasthockeyshop.com/collections/indoor-inline-roller-hockey-wheels/products/konixx-pure-wheel?variant=36561322769 I have never used them on anything, but Sport Court though; so don't know if they're the best option for the surfaces you play on. Most of the guys, I know that play on polished concrete with Sprungs swear by the yellow Labeda Grippers. They spend money on top end wheels when they play on Sport Court and have tried those on cement, but say for some reason the single pour wheels work better on the polished concrete. They are lighter than I am though.

For those who have expressed interest in trying it; at some point we may be able to start a Long-Term Review. I'm hoping to hit the ice next week. As some of you know, my mom is immunocompromised due to cancer and so we've been extremely cautious about us being exposed (and consequently, bringing it back to her) and she's getting another surgery at the end of next week. So I'm looking to go to the rink when there aren't many people there, and that's usually a weekday noon open skate session (which would be the best way to try these.) I like the way this thread is going so far; there's been very good back and forth discussion. Keep it up!

Vet88, to provide further education on metallurgy let me first start by outlining this. Hardness is a great factor to consider, but it is not the only factor. There are other mechanical properties such as toughness for a quick example which are critical in the making of a good steel. Hence if I simply told you my steel has a Rockwell of 55 and then you asked "OEM-B" who said that their product called "LS4" had the same Rockwell, you might be compelled to think both companies blades will hold the same for edge retention and durability. Which is far from the truth. It would be like saying plexiglass and wood have the same hardness value and hence are the same material and will behave the same way. Which, is far from the truth; if you try to bend both, snap both, or bang both against each other, very different things will be found. A prime example is the breakage rates on LS4s which were snapping like candy sticks and had high volume warranty issues. Our steel holds its edge much longer not only due to our hardness, but also the other mechanical properties and our processing techniques. By using a high carbon stainless, and having a good ratio of Fe, C, Mn, Si, P, S, Cr, Mo, Ni...etc...etc. alloying elements we make a great steel. We used to publish extensively what we used and our processing techniques, but really now, not even 1% of people would comprehend or appreciate the subject matter, so it doesnt make sense to communicate it in depth and in fact it only harms us by allowing new entrants (who are all copy-cats anyways) a quicker advantage to follow our recipe. Sorry to not be of more help, but hope that gets your head into the brief underworld of metallurgy. Onto some facts now, I can say our warranty is 1 year (go beat that) and even with that time, Im very proud to say we've had an extremely low number of issues and most issues were more in our early days when we were still tweaking and refining our process. On the edge side, one fun example is an NHL EM we work extensively with ran a player for 3 games (+ the practices in between) on a single sharpening (yes he checked thoroughly after every session, he is a pro, but the steel didnt need a tune). And yes, we find many beer leaguers / all players are able to cut sharpening down in frequency, or in keeping the same frequency, the edges only need a slight tune-up, it might be a 3-pass sharpen, instead of a cross grind and 8 pass re-hollow for example. We formed our company to serve the strict needs and demand of the NHL and other high calibre pro leagues. We want to not only be effective for its players (speed, performance, health benefits), but to make the life of the EM's more efficient and hopefully save them valuable time too. Again, tried to shed the light I can, hope it helps. Cheers 🙂

For a full blown 2 foot plant roller stop, I'd agree. Until one has learnt to skate laces untied there is a fair degree of risk involved with this stop. However inline T stops, if executed the normal way one stops, are generally safe. The reason for this is because in a T stop you roll the ankle inwards a little more (as compared to ice), this allows the friction of the wheel to break easier. It is very hard to pitch over when you are pronating into the stop. As to anything else, even if you fall it is generally very safe. I've caught an outside edge a number of times, twice it was on high speed film as part of the research project and we were able to analyse what sheer forces were put thru the ankle. The thing about going laces untied is it allows the boot to rotate on the foot, so when you catch an edge the boot rolls around the foot. The next event is the foot reacts to the pressure and begins to fold in the direction of the caught edge. Because the foot isn't locked in the boot, this sheer force then travels obliquely into the knee which will fold in the direction of the ankle. by this time the hip is reacting and rotating with the leg, basically everything folds gracefully under the body. The fall may look like crap but the damage is more a pride issue as opposed to anything physical. Sure, hammer anything hard enough and it will break, I've seen a lot of broken legs that were locked into a boot, I have yet to see or hear of anyone who has trained to skate laces untied breaking anything. I've seen some close calls, kids who think they can skate better than they actually can. If you stay within your limits and progressively advance as your skills advance, it is a safe way to train. And lastly, it's not strong ankles, this is a misnomer. It's your biomechanical alignment over the skate blade that is the critical issue, if it is correct the forces of the stop / turn etc are travelling directly thru the middle of the ankle / leg. The bones are taking most of the generated force, the muscles are playing a supporting role. This is what skating laces untied teaches you, correct alignment over the skate blade / chassis. The more you train, the better your alignment is, the less you are at risk.

Gotcha. You guys had been talking about Eflex, Premiere, and Lefevre pads so it kinda seemed to come out of left field.

I've bought nothing. I had bought what I needed last year and still have stuff leftover, like tape, and gear is still in great condition from playing once a week.

Black Armour (DLC) is $125 and stainless is $99

Yeah, I figured they'd be able to get me some if I contact them directly. I'll probably hold off until rinks and league play reopens to try to order. I was planning on using them for indoor wood actually. I'm about 30lbs lighter than you, so I'd probably do fine with the world cups anyway, but I'm more interested in the dual pour freestyle. I'm using sprungs and with my weight and how hard I skate I would love to get on an 84a dual pour for indoor wood and tile. I think the grip would be ok since the sprungs flex a decent amount, and they would probably fly. I can't see myself on 78a and sprungs. Tried that on painted concrete and it was slowww. For outdoor asphalt I'm using 89a or 90a. Anything less lasts me about 3-4 skates. I'll really just have to see what surfaces open up for league play soonest before I order anything though. Until then it's all asphalt for us.

All good, that's the story I think a lot of people are interested in. This is a gear geek site with some here pretty well-versed in the ins and outs, so talking about the minutiae is par for the course (some threads get into the 100+ page range). As for OEMs, yeah, but that isn't unique to hockey, established companies always have that advantage, that is why a brand in and of itself has value. Newer entrants always have the challenge of crossing the chasm.

I learned hockey outside on roller blades, and only played on asphalt with a ball from middle school until intramurals in college. Before quarantine, I hadn’t skated outside in 12 years, and hadn’t purchased outdoors wheels in 15. Was fun to set up bearing and wheels again! I used to be SUPER comfortable on roller blades, and I’m kinda back, but haven’t regained stopping. I used to be able to more or less “hockey stop” on roller blades or do that power slide. Now, I just do hard turns and pray to break speed. I took a page from Vet88 and have been skating with my laces undone. Not sure if it will translate to ice at all. We’ll see!