DRR

I think your best bet is going to be converting these and buying new Nexus skates, or, finding an older set of used Nexus skates, and having those converted. Otherwise you're basically staring over with skate fitting.

For the amount of money they cost, and the whole experience they are selling, custom skates made specifically for your foot - I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. Some of it may be cosmetic issues and that's up to you to decide how much you care about it. Keep in mind after a few pucks to the holders and opponents stepping on your toe caps, you probably won't care so much about a misaligned rivet cap (or whatever that is) or sloppy glue work. Just my layman's opinion but the carbon fiber issue on the back of the left boot concerns me. It almost looks like there's either no carbon fiber there, or it was an end piece and it's unwoven? Either way I would be concerned that it would be a weak point there, unless an engineer tells me that it's fine. My (uneducated) guess is it's not. Ultimately True is selling a high end, custom product, and they need to understand that comes with high expectations that they deliver on what they're promising.

It's the equipment. Not just the weight, but the bulk of it, especially the shinpads and pants. Shoulders, elbows, helmets also throw off your center of gravity from where you're used to it. If you want to practice, gear up and go to public skate. No shame in dedication.

I wore the Supreme HP girdle for a year and it wore down pretty quickly. Also I ended up being disappointed in the (lack of) kidney and side protection, and I'm tall and it's non-adjustable lengthwise so it ended up being on the short side. I did try it on before I bought but it turned out to be a bigger issue for me than I had hoped.

Wait, it looks like the DLX visor and replacement lenses at the top of page 57 would be compatible, no?

As a fellow FX-50 user this is a sad, sad day. Need to stock up now.

I don't think it's a particularly good looking skate, although admittedly how it looks is not usually high on my list of priorities. If it fits and is as comfortable as its reputation, I'd definitely consider it. The 4 stripe pattern, although it's a SVH "signature", looks very forced (and cheap) to me. The last gen VH skates did the stripes a little better IMO.

I am super jealous that you get a whole sheet to mess around on and practice!

You're a medium in the Super Tacks girdle? What's your waist size?

I never said base your decision solely on fit, just that I believe it's the #1 consideration. I am happy to take any data into consideration, even random online user reviews, however I do not place a lot of stock into these unless I find something that I consider a dealbreaker. As for Marka's selection criteria that you describe above, I do see a problem with it. Let's say he goes to his LHS and there are 10 helmet models to try on. He tries on #1, doesn't fit, #2, fits OK, #3, fits. It's an acceptable price, comes in the right color, so he buys it. What about helmets 4-10? Without trying those on, he doesn't know if any of them fit any better than #3. He's comparing the fit of #3 with only two other helmets. I would try on all 10 helmets, throw out the ones that don't fit, narrow it down to 2 or 3 choices, and then consult other resources (are they reviewed well by other users? How do they rank in the VT study? etc). That way I know I am getting the best option available of the 10. The selection process Marka describes places undue weight on the VT study and has the potential to exclude a better fitting, more comfortable helmet which may be a much better option for him - all because he put too much faith in the ranking of the study to choose.

Mark, I do not disagree with this at all, but it also begs the question - if you work your way down the VT rankings until you find one that fits, then you're saying the rankings have little to no worth. If the helmet that fits your head the best is the one at the bottom of the VT rankings, you buy that one? Then what's the point of considering the rankings in the first place? In this statement you're ranking the criteria, fit, comfort, affordability, VT rankings? (Which is basically how I would rank the criteria, fwiw).

I disagree with this bolded part. Heads and helmets are three dimensional objects. Even if you only go by round vs oval, you're only taking into account two dimensions. I played with this guy who had a very tall head - his helmet always looked like it was sitting too high on his head. The helmet wasn't too big or too small, but it looked like it was fitted too poorly for his head shape. Because of this he had trouble getting a facemask that fit - the vertical distance from the mount point in the helmet to the chin cup was greater than any facemask he could find. This is another example of "if it doesn't fit right to begin with, it won't work right." If you have a head that's exactly the same as the last they use to make the helmet you're in good shape. But the farther you deviate from this, the less effective the helmet, or any other piece of equipment, is going to be. I was using the 9 year old as an exaggerated example, but the bottom line is if it doesn't fit right, it won't work as designed. That's why even pants come in +1 and +2 sizes to help accommodate different body shapes and provide the correct amount of coverage. I'm a taller, skinny guy. Medium pants fit around the waist but they leave a large gap in coverage above the kneecap. Large pants fit length-wise, but they don't fit around the waist and the hip pads don't line up with my hips. It needs to fit right to work, just like a helmet. I don't understand why some think this is debatable. Fit comes first.

It's just common sense? I can put my helmet on my 9 year old, would you expect it to work the same as on my head? Of course not. I think there's too much call for evidence and studies and not enough common sense. A poorly fitting helmet will not work as well as it was intended. I don't need a study to tell me that. When I choose a helmet I see what fits first, then consider price point, then read the reviews, and may see if there's supplemental data (VT study). I think it's fine to consider the study as one factor in the decision making process, but for me it's the last. If a study finds a particular helmet scores the best but it does not fit your head, would you buy it?

I'm in a 9K now. Might have to try this one on next time I'm at a LHS. I'm usually not a CCM-fit body type but the +1 adjustments on this girdle intrigue me. Also pretty happy that this should breathe a little more life into the girdle shell market.

A couple for sale at sidelineswap right now, https://sidelineswap.com/ccmcguire not my listing just passing along.