Westside

Yep, the model is ‘proper fitting shin pads’...

Builds up forearm muscles. My through process was if I could increase my stickhandling speed with a heavier stick, that would translate to even faster performance with a composite. Same idea of skating with weights on your skates

For a while I was using a wood stick outdoors. The weight made going back to a composite stick on ice feel like I was holding nothing. I was just using it for stickhandling, not shooting though

So I did a super scientific test this weekend and skated the R1/O1 back-to-back then decided to try both at the same time. I was using the H5 insert on the R1 and keep the O1's center bolt pretty loose. I definitely feel (and see) a lot more rocker with the O1 which forces my muscles to work more when stationary, but when I was skating with one chassis on each foot, the difference didn't feel as drastic. I could do C-cuts on inside and outside edges about the same and didn't feel much of a difference with transitions or the turning radius. Granted, this was skating in a parking lot and not a game situation, but from my initial skate on the R1's I thought there would have been a more noticeable difference. The MPC Freestyle wheels provided me MUCH more grip than they did on the smooth concrete surface I skated on last week so I am definitely going to keep these wheels on for the time being. Biggest difference had nothing to do with the chassis itself, but rather the boot I mounted the R1's to since they're brand new and I'm still breaking them in. Looking forward to others who have both chassis giving their impressions

The O1's were the same way. My go-to roller stick is cut higher than my ice sticks to compensate

I was only recently introduced to him so I’m not sure where he went, but he’s in DTLA now

Where in the West Coast? I’ve had two Marsblade conversions done by Jake in LA within 3 days

I’m in Santa Monica and have been to the Mar Vista rink once. I was invited to pickup a few times pre-covid and believe they have leagues as well. I wasn’t sure if anyone was playing since as last I heard the rink was locked up. Looks like SM beach pickup is going to start up again soon so I’ll likely head there for pickup and hopefully when leagues start again at MV I can join a team. I recently found out about the Rose Bowl group which sounds sweet, but it’s a bit of a drive from the Westside. I do plan to check it out at least once or twice. Same with Covina.

Thanks, I was considering red too, but figured it'd be wiser to go with a neutral color. Took them out for a brief spin on the H5 insert since I want the most amount of rocker. Felt like I was pitched back a bit further on my heels than I'm used to, but I was trying an entirely new setup today so there's a lot to get used to. Initial feelings are pretty great. Felt like I could cut really hard and be more aggressive in turns compared to the O1. The R1 definitely feels more stable than the O1, but I have those setup so they're extremely loose to give me a ton of rocker. Skated on a smooth concrete court instead of the rough asphalt I'm usually on. The MPC Freestyle wheels have to be the smoothest feeling ride I've ever had on inline skates. They are amazing. Downside is I kept sliding out which is something that almost never happens with the Labeda Asphalts I've been skating on for the last few years. I'm guessing this is just a learning curve since I'm so used to one model of wheel. Not to mention I was on a totally different surface so I'm sure that played a factor as well. When I have more time I plan to skate them back to back with the O1 and then play around with the inserts. I have high hopes that the R1 can be my 'one skate'

R1's arrived after a lengthy delay in customs. Got them mounted to a new pair of X800R boots. Stoked to skate on them this weekend and see how they compare to the O1's I do plan on anodizing them a different color as the turquoise just isn't for me. Debating about silver or black

Love reading all these answers. I grew up playing organized ice hockey in Chicagoland, but would play pond and roller for fun with friends. I got back into pick up roller hockey a few years ago in DC when I had free time and to supplement ice hockey which I was doing 2-3x per week. With Covid and ice time pretty much non existent I’ve spent a lot more time on inlines and would like to play more. Hopefully I can find a league around Los Angeles when things get closer to ‘normal’. Having not playing organized roller, with pickup the nice part is it’s free. The price of ice time around LA is ridiculous compared to Chicago or DC. That alone makes me consider joining a roller league for the spring/summer rather than playing ice year-round. All you need to play is a pair of skates and a stick even though I also wear shins/gloves and some other guys wear elbows/helmets. You can practice anywhere for free which is awesome. For me, the downsides are I can’t stop/pivot quickly (compared to ice) and I also find balls bouncy and harder to control than pucks. Everywhere I’ve played outdoor has been on asphalt or a rougher concrete surface. The ‘no offsides’ thing really threw me when I got into playing as I’d be waiting for the puck carrier to move the puck up while everyone else was rushing to the other zone! I definitely agree it’s a different game than ice in how you control the puck and how the overall game flows

Reached out to my local Pure Hockey as I realized the discount ends today. Since they offer a 30 day return after skates are baked I figured I might as well give them a try. Unfortunately, PH isn't honoring the True discount. Hockey Monkey is, but they won't accept returns once a skate has been baked. Ah well. Thought they might be worth a shot, but I'm not paying full price or risking them not fitting after I bake them

Sweet looking setup! But an insert could be made to create a single radius? Like say 5ft heel and toe? It seems (on here at least) you have a number of individuals that already own the O1 and are buying the R1. If there was an insert to make the R1 feel more like the O1, some people (myself included) could get rid of multiple pairs of skates and simply swap inserts when they want/need a different rocker feeling. I'd love to have a single pair of skates that I could use for off-ice training then simply pop in a different insert if I wanted a different feeling for game play or casual skating

I guess that’s the whole point of the R1, but I was hoping they would feel similar to the O1 so I could finally get down to a single pair of skates! Potential upside is if Marsblade allows people to 3D print inserts (or simple creates more offerings) it seems like it would be possible to create one with even more movement than what’s currently offered. My R1’s appear to have been stuck in German customs en route to the US since last week so I’ll be waiting a little longer to get them mounted and give them a roll

Gotcha. Makes sense. Thank you for the confirmation. One other question I have now that the R1 is getting in the hands of more people and they’re posting photos... Did I miss an option to get the two-tone blue/silver combination? Or were those early prototypes vs the all blue at the bottom?

Huh. Can the R1 be used without an insert? If so, what’s the impact? I didn’t even think about the bolt so now you can change the insert AND adjust the bolt tension for more/less rocker?

You’re right. It was the lower part of the chassis that always threw me off

Definitely look like teal-ish green to me. Like you, I would have preferred they were a more neutral color like gray/silver or black. I’d love to see the outcome of powder coating or anodizing if you go through with it. I thought about that myself but was concerned the coating would offset tight tolerances the chassis may have. Unless you’re able to completely strip the blue coating

Damn I just bought a backup 4500 helmet last week! Would have loved to have rocked a throwback cooper

Are the left and right chassis now ‘left and right’ or are they both the same like with the O1?

I did reach out to the manufacturer who advised me they were likely from two different batches which is why there may be a difference in color. Also assuring me that there is zero chance they are not perfect quality. Dubious claims as I find it hard to believe any QC would allow this much variance in the look of a product, but we’ll see once I start using them. He did also state that harder PU is milky/cloudy like you mentioned. These wheels are all supposed to be the exact same except for size. It would make sense for the larger wheels with a larger core to appear darker. It does not make sense that wheels of the exact same specs would look so different. Regarding reseller photos, I seem to always come across these two: https://www.in-gravity.com/mpc-rueda-freestyle-dual-natural-80-xfirm-pa-bullet-radius-p-1-51-17777/ And https://bladeville.com/mpc-freestyle-76mm-x-firm-dual-natural-1-pcs.html

Curiosity got the best of me so I ordered a set of MPC Freestyle wheels. Having never experienced dual pour wheels, the variation from wheel to wheel is very strange. For example, 3 of the 4 80mm wheels looks the same. One is slightly lighter in color, but not dramatically so. However, with the 76mm wheels, 2 of the 4 are noticeably lighter with one looking practically clear as though there’s no second material. Is this a manufacturing defect? Here’s a photo with the 2 lighter 76mm wheels on the top left and the 1 lighter 80mm wheel on the bottom left I’ve never gone wheel crazy, but am looking forward to the R1’s arriving even more now! Will have my standard Labeda setup, the RR Tricksters, and the MPC Freestyle to try out

Do they sell materials for player gloves or only goalie equipment? I’d love to find some different colored dynamesh or tufftek to try to reskin a pair of gloves

Not sure your size or color, but if you didn’t want to buy new gloves, why not buy a donor pair and take the parts you need from them? I mean these are only $10 https://sidelineswap.com/gear/hockey/gloves/2088096-easton-black-senior-used-synergy-800-gloves-12

A few suggestions/recommendations: First, before any game, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. I do this because it helps dry out your hands, removes any oils, and helps keep your gloves smelling fresher, longer. Second, take your gloves off in between shifts while on the bench. I'll usually take one glove off one shift, then the other hand the next. It's only a few minutes, but it really helps your hand breath/cool off and let a bit of air in your gloves. Third, try Tacki Mac or another tape alternative. I switched exclusively to Tacki Mac and tennis overgrips on every one of my sticks now and the amount of wear on my palms after a full season is what I'd normally see after a single game using traditional tape. If you STILL have problems, I guess you could always bring a second pair of gloves to the bench and alternate which ones you wear each period? Like already recommended, try pro stock with an overlay on the palms of nash/micronash which will be more durable than some other palm materials. If you like a tight fitting glove, I'd recommend the QRL, but they also run a bit warm so that might not work for you