althoma1

They're the best option I've used as far as replicating an ice like feeling. As previously mentioned I've used the old Tuuk Rocker and I've also tried rockering the wheels on a flat chassis and prefer the Sprungs. As for durability, I used my original A6 chassis for about 4 years before I retired it, but probably went through at least one complete set of rocker arms during that time. There were a few reasons for this: The knuckles on the A6 arms were a weak point on the original version. The new version has beefed up knuckles with tighter tolerances.When I first started using them I didn't realize you had to condition them or clean them every once in a while (about once a month is good) and when the plastic gets dry it's more likely to break.I'm bigger/heavier than the average player and was jumping over the boards on changes like I do on ice, but now I just go through the door to avoid putting extra stress on the knuckles.Also, if you don't take apart and clean the chassis on a regular basis the dirt that gets inside will cause friction and wear down the part of the chassis that holds the arms as well as the outside of arms themselves. This isn't as big of a problem where the rear arms are connected as the connection point is deeper. It's more of a problem in the front where the connection point is shallower - if you don't clean them regularly then they'll loosen up quite a bit after a few years. You'll still be able to use them, but they won't be as responsive as when they were new. If you're using them outside you should clean them even more often as the dirt you'll find outside is generally more abrasive than the dirt and dust on indoor courts. With all of that said, I still wouldn't move to a flat chassis unless I had no other options. None of the new beefed up rocker arms have broken on me in the few months I've been using them. They're wearing well, but I also clean and condition them about once a month and haven't jumped over the boards with them. The tolerances are tighter and the springs are stiffer so they also feel faster and more responsive. As far as Justin's comments, I have to respect them as he has years of experience designing roller hockey specific products. I too felt a bit unbalanced on one set I had (I've had a few on a few different boots over the years) as they were mounted too far forward. Once I was on a pair that was properly mounted the balance wasn't an issue. They have to be mounted just right - you or the shop you take them to has to mount them exactly like the instructions state - 1/4" back of center. I doubt this was Justin's issue since he'd be able to mount skates very well with all his experience, but a mount that is off will certainly cause issues. A well worn chassis that hasn't been cleaned will also provide more play - the older models in general will provide more play as the springs aren't as stiff. If you use wheels that are too soft with Sprungs they will feel slow. Sprungs need harder wheels for the suspension to work effectively. I first tested out the Sprungs with outdoor wheels and was happy with them, but when I first used them indoors I was a bit disappointed as it did feel slower. This was corrected when I put on harder wheels. So I still recommend them, but for best results: Buy the newest model. The knuckles are beefed up, the plastic is supposed to be of higher quality and the springs are stiffer.Clean them and soak the plastic parts regularlyDon't hop the boardsGo with harder wheels than you'd use for a traditional chassis. I always use the hardest indoor wheels I can find and even use an outdoor wheel on the back as that wheel always wears fastest.Make sure they're mounted 1/4" back from centerThe Marsblade Wicked3Aussie mentioned is also supposed to replicate an ice feel. I'd be curious to try that as well, but it's even more than the Sprungs at the moment, but do come with wheels and bearings. I noticed on their Facebook page they indicate they're launching in Canada in the summer of 2014 (they even had some ads at the MasterCard Center in Toronto). Perhaps the price will come down a bit and there will be a chassis only option at that point. Since I'm already comfortable with Sprungs I don't know if I'd shell out the coin to try Marsblades though unless I heard from other Sprung users that they were significantly better or if Sprungs were no longer available. So I can see why people who are already comfortable with whatever chassis they're currently using wouldn't switch to Sprungs. In a case where you're looking to replicate an ice like feel then the Sprungs and Marsblades are two options to consider.

If you just leave the plastic be it can get dry and can lead to breakage problems so every once in a while you should take apart the chassis and soak the plastic parts in water to condition the plastic. The plastic will suck the moisture up and this will make it more durable. As for the wheels - sprung uses either all 76mm wheels or all 80mm wheels depending on the size of chassis you get. People coming from a Hi-lo chassis may only have 4 80mm wheels and 4 76mm or 72mm wheels instead of 8 76mm or 80mm wheels. If you need an A6 (small) chassis and have 8 76mm wheels you like then you're set or if you're using an A7 or A8 you can use either all 76mm or 80mm wheels, but most people seem to use 80mm wheels. One other note about the wheels - most people seem to be able to use a harder wheel with Sprungs - if you were previously using 74a wheels you may want to go up to 76a wheels. The Sprungs naturally provide more grip and if you use wheels that are overly soft it can feel like you're skating in mud. I personally use 78a wheels in the first 3 slots and 84a in the last one indoors on Sport Court, but I'm also over 200lbs.

Wouldn't an integrated sternum pad be less mobile than the floating sternum?

I like them and think most players who played ice first and then roller will really like them. Roller first players could also benefit, but may not want to change from what's always worked for them. I think these are the challenges that prevent them from being more widely used: 1. Right now it's generally more expensive to go with a stand alone chassis like the Sprung, attach them to either roller or ice boots and buy the necessary wheels than to just get boots that already have a chassis and wheels. (personally, no stock wheels would work well for me anyway as all the high end skates come with super soft wheels that aren't appropriate for bigger/heavier players, but stock wheels work well for some players) 2. People either don't have a hockey shop near them that they trust to mount the chassis or don't feel comfortable mounting one themselves. 3. Players that started with roller and not ice are used to the hi-lo and hummer chassis and may not feel the need to change - especially if they have to spend more money. 4. They require more maintenance than an aluminum chassis - cleaning them and conditioning the plastic. They're the best chassis I've used and I do recommend them, but not everyone is going to want to spend the money and time on them.

I've been using the chassis for years and the newer revision for a few months. The previous A6 chassis had issues with the knuckles cracking, but I haven't experienced this with the new chassis. In the past I've used the Tuuk rocker chassis and before that a flat all 76mm chassis. I've never used the hi-lo or hummer chassis so can't compare it to those, but prefer it to the tuuk rocker or flat chassis. I find it allows you to turn tighter, stop faster and get full stride extension. It also makes the transition between ice and roller easier. As of November I exchanged emails with the owner and received the new product. I didn't have a problem getting email responses, but others seem to have had trouble getting in touch recently.

Insurance finally got back to me about the car issue I vented about. The adjuster apologized for taking so long to get back to me and told me that: - They're writing me a cheque instead of repairing the car and the $1000 deductible will be deducted from that cheque. I did manage to get the amount bumped up a little when I mentioned recently purchasing a new battery and two new tires. - They don't consider me at fault for the accident, my rates will not go up and I won't have to use my accident forgiveness option for this claim. - The subrogation department is going to go after the city for the claim and if they're successful I will get my $1000 deductible back (I was going to bring up subrogation, but the adjuster mentioned it first). - I can take the two winter tires off the car and replace them with my all season tires if I'd like. As long as there are 4 tires on the car that's fine. - I don't have rental coverage, but thankfully my in-laws have loaned me their second car. If I do rent a car at any time before I get a new car I can send them the receipts and they can try to get that money back from the city as well. Now I'll likely be out of pocket a bit by the time I find another good used car (I'm likely going to try to find another 2004-2008 Mazda 6 hatchback with a V6 so I can use the winter tires, filters, and oil I already have, but will consider other options), but at least my rates won't go up. So it is still a hassle, but not as bad as I originally thought.

I'd go with the skate that you feel fits best. What other people wear, both pro and amateur, should not matter. The pitch can be adjusted if you find it's too agressive for you - there's been a lot of discussion that issue earlier in this thread. The Mako 2 is not the same skate with no no colours. See JRs 2014 Easton catalog review: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/65281-2014-easton-hockey-catalogue/ I'm unaware of any Warrior trade in program. They only had the 60 day guarantee where if you bought a DT1 and didn't like it you could take it back within 60 days. Perhaps Easton will try something similar to get more people into the skates, but this thread is the only place I've heard that rumour. I definitely do not think that they'll be allowing people to trade in original Mako skates for Mako 2 skates unless there is a warranty issue with the Mako skates and they no longer have the Mako in that size. As for a release date, I believe the rep at Winterfest said the targeted release for the Mako 2 was August, but plans can change.

Meloche Monnex is my broker - I went through them because I obtained several quotes when hunting for insurance and their price with my Alumni group discount was by far the cheapest. The actual insurance provider on the pink slip is Security national. I say this year because I noticed in previous years it said Standard Insurance or something like that so I guess Meloche Monnex shops around for the cheapest provider each year. I did pay for the accident forgiveness so my rates shouldn't go up this time. I filed the claim on Tuesday afternoon through a phone rep and was given the adjusters name and number, but haven't been able to touch base with him yet. I have left two Voice Mail messages. It didn't help that I use VOIP and my place had no power for most of today - there's a chance he could've been calling while the power was out. It was only supposed to be out from 9am-12:30pm, but it was out until after 3pm as the maintenance took longer than expected. I managed to hook up my phone to the emergency power in the hall before the phone interview I was supposed to have, but there was a power surge about 10 minutes in which reset my adapter and modem. Thankfully the interviewer was understanding and we're going to reschedule for tomorrow. 99% of the time the VOIP is quite reliable, but obviously isn't when there are power issues. If I had my car I would've driven to a friend or family members house. I hadn't given my cell number since it's an emergency pay as you go phone, plus it was low on batteries due to the outage (didn't realize there was power in the hall until I was about to leave to go to a public library to access the net and get in touch with the company at about 2pm). My in-laws are going to lend me a car on Saturday if I don't have rental coverage. I'll bring up the term subrogate when I finally connect with the adjuster. I don't have a specific broker. I have a company that acts as a broker and they have a call center full of reps. I have been assigned an adjuster, but haven't been able to speak to him yet. Thank you all for your thoughts and advice.

I paid for a 4 wheel alignment in November, a new car battery in December and two new winter tires last Friday night. Then on Saturday evening, I was driving home and did not see a big pot hole since the sun was setting, there was a puddle flush with the road and the portion of the road that had a the pot hole was darker than the rest of the road due to a previous repair. I hit the pot hole at approximately 60 km/h and heard a large bang and felt the car bottom out. It was apparent I had a flat tire and I slowed down and safely pulled over. When I got out of the car I noticed that not only was the tire flat, but the side skirt on the passenger side was barely hanging on. On the other side the tire was not flat, but one of the treads was torn off (I believe this was caused by loose asphalt on the road). So I'm thinking I'll probably have to get 2 new tires, possibly a new rim and get the skirt put back on. I missed roller hockey Sunday because I didn't want to drive on the space saver tire any more than necessary. I picked up two used tires and then carefully drive to my mechanics on Monday. He showed me all the damage I didn't notice - there was damage to the front bumper, right fender, right mudguard, right panel, entire front right suspension (bent), right tie rod, steering boot, wheel hub, stabilizer boot and rocker moulding. Oh, and the skirt would likely have to be replaced as well. The repair estimate was $5053.06 - this is a 2005 Mazda 6 with just under 200 thousand km (125 thousand miles) on it so it's not really worth it for me to pay anywhere near that for repairs. I call my insurance company - I can pay a $1000 deductible as I'm considered at fault since it's a single vehicle accident. My premiums shouldn't go up this time since it's my first at fault accident and I have an accident forgiveness feature, but if something else happens in the near future my rates will skyrocket. They say I can try to make a claim with the City of Toronto so I look that up and then use my in-laws car to take pictures of the location on Monday. I notice in the light of day on Monday afternoon that there are wheel covers strewn around the area and a shredded tire so I wasn't the only one who had issues with this hole. The loose asphalt had been moved the the grass and there was caution tape wrapped around a nearby pole - it's right in front of a Catholic school so I think it's possible the school did this and not the city since the huge pot hole was still there and there wasn't even a caution cone. I then hear a story on the radio about pot holes (there are A LOT of them in Toronto right now since it was freezing at the beginning of last week and then we had a warm spell later in the week) and in the story they mention that 95% of claims to the City of Toronto are denied. The assistant manager at the auto shop told me another customer said that in order for the city to approve a damage claim you have to be able to prove they knew about the hole and didn't take action. So I called my insurance company and started a claim today. I also submitted a claim to the city, but they mention it takes on average 90 days for them to make a decision and I don't like the odds that they'll approve the claim since I don't have any concrete evidence that they knew about the hole and loose asphalt. Although one would think that someone would've reported that large of a hole and loose asphalt while it was visible during the day. It wasn't easy to see in the fading light. Oh, and I'm not sure if I'll have a rental car to get to the games I'm supposed to ref tomorrow - I'll get there by transit if I have to, but it'll take me 4x as long to get there and back. I'll have to talk to the insurance adjuster assigned to my case tomorrow. For this to happen while I'm not working full time and using officiating, a bit of freelance Marketing and writing work and my savings to get by is especially stressful. I do have a phone interview on Thursday, but my mind wants to focus on the car and finance issues rather than the interview. Sorry for the long post. I just really, really needed to vent. I know people have worse problems, but it sometimes it helps to get things off your chest.

+1. They felt very comfortable at WF. The ventilation aspect of the protective is nice for ice, but even better for roller players. That alone will get me to make a point of trying on and considering the shins the next time I'm in the market. It looks like the E28 has seen some success at retail since it's available on even the lower models of the new sticks. I'm glad to see a toe curve is gaining some traction. The marketing team did a good job pushing the dual lie aspect of the pattern. The fact that the "kreps" curve was coveted in some circles certainly didn't hurt either.

The closest Warrior gloves to the Bauer X60/APX gloves will be the Luxe or the Covert DT1 as Souldriver already suggested. You'll just have to go retail or pro stock with those as they aren't available in the customizer.

Those 2012 Projekts are a great pickup. Yes, they feel bulkier when you first try them on, but once you play a few games in them they're just as mobile as the 2010 versions and are more protective.

If you want to try to find them in size small, take the mediums up to someone with a computer (I usually ask someone at the pro shop desk if they aren't busy) and get them to scan them. They should then be able to see what's showing in stock at other stores in the area and can also confirm the price for you.

The very top strap does stretch out and loosen up, but the bicep guard is designed to be loose anyway. The middle and bottom strap haven't stretched out on mine and I've used them for over a year. The clearance price at my local Sport Chek was $69.99...it may scan at that when you take it to the cash as the price tags often aren't updated. Also, you can use a team assist coupon to save another 20%: https://team.sportchek.ca/pages/form.jsp That's how I picked up one of my backup pairs. You'll either have to sign up for those and wait a few weeks for them to come or find a friend or teammate who has them already.

Yes, those are the ones.

I'd recommend tracking down some of the 2012 grey and blue Projekts in your size if you can. I used to have the White 2010 pads and yes, they do feel more mobile than the 2012 versions when you first try them on, but are also less protective and the stitches in the middle strap came out for me as well. The 2012 versions feel a little less mobile than the 2010 versions when you first put them on (and the forearm area feels a bit bulky), but are just as mobile in practice, are more protective and I haven't experienced stitching issues with the straps. I did go from a medium in the 2010 versions to a large in the 2012 versions - the 2010 versions fit a bit big and the 2012 versions are more true to size (the fit similar to the same size in most other brands).

He's not the only one. The Projekts are that good. I have my own small stockpile. I picked up some AX1's, but then sold them and just bought another clearance pair of the 2012 Projekts. The AX1's are very nice pads with a great liner and straps and seem to be more protective, but just didn't feel as comfortable and mobile for me as the Projekts. They likely would've felt better had I taken the time to break them in, but the Projekts basically need no break in time and offer all the protection I need for men's league.

I think the Bauers are too long for you based on your foot measurements alone. I can fit into a 7.5EE Bauer skate and my feet are 10.5 inches long and 4.5 inches wide. Based on your measurements I'd say you need a 6D Mako (and likely a 6 in most of the high end Bauer skates as well - sizing can vary by model and year due to the fit profile). My logic is that I've read Makos fit similar to Bauer lengthwise. I know I fit an 8.5 KOR skate and a 7.5 Bauer Skate so the KORs fit one size up from Bauer. I still have a KOR sizing guide and it says that a 7 KOR is 25.6cm, therefore; your size in KOR would be 7 and your Bauer and Mako size would be 6. Using the same logic I'd guess my Mako size would be 7.5EE, but I'd personally try them on before buying them and that wouldn't be too difficult where I live. I said 6D because your feet aren't particularly wide in proportion to the length. The 6D will likely feel very tight when you get them, but fit properly after a good bake. The Makos are meant to have zero negative space - if you buy a pair that's too big it kind of defeats the purpose of getting them. You'll fit into a 6.5 and they'd feel snug at first, but after a bake and breaking them in they'll be a half size too big. Full disclosure: I'm just going by the sizing information I've gathered here for Makos as I've never worn or tried them on so you may want to wait for others to chime in, but I'm fairly confident that 6D would be your size in the Makos. Of course it's always best to try them on in person, but you said that wasn't a possibility.

It's not a good idea to use shoe size as a guide for skate sizes as some people leave more room in their shoes than others. Knowing your skate size in another model (as tight as possible without pain and with your toes brushing the cap) would allow people to provide more accurate guidance. If you don't know that then another option would be to trace and measure your feet and provide those measurements (length and width at the longest and widest points).

The stock varies by location. One Winners had about a dozen gloves, but the other two I went two only had two pairs.

No problem. Glad to help. If you picked up the Z9s the cuff does feel stiff and somewhat restrictive when they're brand new, but if you use them for a few hours it breaks in nicely. I'd try breaking them in before cutting the cuff off - perhaps baking will help accelerate the break in time.

I didn't expect it either - my wife was looking for clothes so I went over to the mens section and came upon them near where they sell the headphones and phone accessories ect. My guess is that they offered Miken the best price for their excess stock when they decided to leave the hockey business - you would've expected them to be cleared out by a major hockey retailer, but I have seen decent baseball bats (RBK Vector) there and at Marshalls (owned by the same company) in the past so this isn't the first time the company that owns Winners has picked up some overstock sports equipment. On a positive note for people looking to find some, they'll probably have better luck finding stock at Winners then they would if a hockey store was blowing the gloves out at this price. A hockey store would likely sell through these gloves a lot faster than Winners at this price, but of course a hockey store would likely also charge a bit more for them unless they really wanted to clear the inventory.

I snagged a pair of Miken Z9s at Winners (for those of you who are in the US and don't know what a Winners is; it's the Canadian version of TJ Maxx) for $39.99. I was already lucky enough to win a pair of these at a previous Modsquad event and still use them for roller hockey. I couldn't pass up getting a second pair at that price. They feel a little stiff in some areas when you first wear them, but break in very nicely after a few games. Davetronz did a detailed LTR on the gloves: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/61152-miken-razor-z9-glove/ For those of you who prefer a traditional 4 roll style they also had the Miken Pro Fit T gloves for the same price and DR Legends for $34.99. The Miken glove price tags say compare at $80, but I believe that's incorrect and they were both originally around $109 - the Z9 is currently $69 on IW: http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/Miken_Razor_Z9_Hockey_Gloves_Sr_14/descpage-MZ9G.html. The DR Legends were originally $60 gloves and I know Pro Hockey Life has them for $49. Some people on another forum also spotted Viscious 1.5 sticks for $49.99 (entry level sticks and not as good of a deal as the gloves in my opinion) and Miken bags for $29.99. I haven't seen any sticks, but did see the gloves, stick bags ($14.99) and one gear bag at the locations I visited.

Your best bet is to try some pads on, but it seems like that isn't practical so I'll add my fit experiences with a few warrior pads and hopefully that'll help. I currently wear 16" 2010 Warrior Projekts (the white ones) and have tried on the 2012 Projekts (White, but with Blue and Grey accents) and the Dynasty AX1 16" Senior pads. They all seem to be the same length to me, but the AX1 felt like it had a wider knee cap and it also had much more room in the calf protector area (I can easily get the calf tight both Projekt models, but even with the calf fully tightened the calf protector in the Senior AX1s felt a bit roomy). The 2012 Projekts felt the most streamlined out of those three so if you'd like to go with Warrior and want something a little slimmer then I'd just stick to 14" and try to grab some 2012 Projekts on clearance. If you want to go with the latest model and your current 14" pads are the right length then you'll likely want the 14" Intermediate AX1s as those will have less overall volume, but the length will still be 14".

Fair enough - I was just curious. I know the Sprungs feel much faster than the Tuuk Rockers I was previously using, but I haven't used a flat or hilo chassis in ages so I don't know how they are compared to that. I do notice that I need to use harder wheels with the sprungs vs. any chassis I've used in the past, but I'm sure you already tried various wheels. The mount looks great and I really don't know if all coppers are an issue or not as I'm not a mounting expert. I was just curious about that because I have an almost all copper mount myself.