Old Mission Proto V's: KEEP OR DUMP

[gman 0]

So I was presented with a pair of skates that will fit my son. THey are old Mission Proto V's. The chassis say "US hockey research" and "E-4 Low profile". Assuming they fit him, are these worth pushing or should I listem to him wanting a new pair of Hi-Lo's? He has outgrown his Mission C4's from last season. What size wheels are these chassi's designed for??

Thanks

[tryandstopme 35]

That chassis can take up to 76mm wheels. If I'm not mistaken there was a fixed slight rocker in the front wheel.

[gman 0]

Okay, all 76's. So he'll get a little speed over the hi-lo with better turning due to the fixed rocker and maybe a little better acceleration eh? The downside is that I am going to have to spend as much on 76mm wheels for these new skates as on a new pair of cheapo skates. He is 11 and growing, so we have been using the Mission C-4 skates available at the local Big-brand sporting goods store. We had both been using the 72/80 hi lo's so we are FAT on those two sizes of wheels.

Assuming the fixed rocker, could we put 78's on the front to make a straight alignment??

Justin, are you out there????

[tryandstopme 35]

Finding a hockey specific wheel in 78mm is like pulling teeth. I say unless the kid is just ga-ga for the V's, just go with cheapos since he's going to grow out of either of them and then you'll have a useless set of 76mm wheels. I'd keep it simple and keep you both running on the 80/72's.

[gman 0]

Man you're right! I clicked on the 78mm wheel finder on inlinewarehouse and got a big blank white page.... I already have the V's so I am going to have to do some thinking about it.

If I get a soft set of 76's he'll likely wear them out before he outgrows the skates, or maybe will wear them out at the same time he outgrows the skates, and will have the benefit of good soft wheels. He only weighs 85#, so the softer the better on the wheels. Is there any theoretical advantage, other than what I guessed at above, to the V set-up over the 72/80 hi-lo??

[DamnLocust 0]

If you've already got them and there's nothing wrong with them, have him skate on them - make him skate on them- before he dismisses them. Big deal if it's not the newest thing on the market, They're heavy? well that will help you develop quick feet. I wouldn't spoil him too much.

Lots of people still use the old Sure Grip and Labeda all-76mm frames. I'm sure there's someone here who uses the setup. I skate Tour Beemers, which is an all 80mm setup. coming from HiLo, I felt more grip and stability on these skates. While a 76mm setup may not necessarily give more overall grip than a HiLo, lots of people like the larger wheel up front for more grip when pushing off.

[gman 0]

Thanks for that advice. They actually weigh the same as his too-small Mission C4's. He did skate on them and noticed that the boot is quite a bit softer than his C4's. Consequently he is rolling in a little bit more and noticed that on the side of his shin. SO these softer boots may help with his skating form as well.

I was trying to figure out what would be the best balance between cost-effectiveness and his performance. I am pretty sure I can buy a couple sets of wheels for the price of even a cheap new pair of skates.

Our season does not start for a few weeks, so we have a little time to make the decision.

[gman 0]

Update:

I found a set of Labedda grippers with some awful bearings for $35 out the door. A new pair of cheapo C4's is still $100. So I threw out the bearings and slapped on the wheels and now we have a useable set of "old school" skates. ALso the next size up on the Missions is way to big so we'll be staying with the Proto V's and will learn to love it.