Smaller whees for smaller skates?

[Thepandamancan 0]

I just got a pair of Vapor RX25s in a size 6.5. They fit great and everything, but I was wondering if I would benefit from having smaller wheels?

It has the stock hi-lo set up 76s in the front and 80s in the back but the front and back wheels kinda stick out. I'm used to this set up cause I used to have lower end Vapors in a size 7, but the wheels stick out a little more than I'm used to.

It's not hindering my skating ability in any way, but would going to a 72-72-76-76 set up be better for me? Maybe help out my balance or turning ability?

[start_today 764]

In your proposed set up, are the 72s in the front or back?

If they're in the back, that won't work. If you're running 72s up front and 76s in the back, I would think it would, but you'd have to try it out and make sure all four wheels touch properly.

[iceburg19 1]

your going down 4mm on each wheel on the skate set up. this will work 72-72-76-76 , you will be a little lower to the ground and might loose a little top end speed. give it a shot ,ive done some experimenting like that before.

[Thepandamancan 0]

Well, maybe not that drastic of a drop but definitely something smaller. For the hi-lo to still be effective, I should still observe the 4mm difference between wheel sizes right?

Guys at the rink keep telling me I should downgrade my bearings to something slower, so I figure if I keep the faster bearings and downsize my wheels instead, it may help me out.

[pby 0]

Well, maybe not that drastic of a drop but definitely something smaller. For the hi-lo to still be effective, I should still observe the 4mm difference between wheel sizes right?

Guys at the rink keep telling me I should downgrade my bearings to something slower, so I figure if I keep the faster bearings and downsize my wheels instead, it may help me out.

Theres no such thing as slower bearings, abec is just a precision rating, not a measure of how smooth the bearing is. Your folks at the rink are misinformed.

As for balance, bigger wheels are going to give you a longer wheel base providing better balance and more stability particularly at high speeds.

I'd say just stick with the 76-80 setup until you're comfortable with it. Don't really see the advantage of having smaller wheels in your case.

[iceburg19 1]

see what kind of sucks is the frame you have on your 6.5 Vapor boot is most likely the same size frame on a size 7 right to a size 9 boot. bauer isnt going to make to many frame sizes. small, medium and maybe a large. pby said it best ,stick with what you have, in time you will get used to the set up. Its an adjustment you make when you get any new skate. Give it some time.

[wetwilly17 6]

guys, think about it, if you simply switch to smaller wheels while keeping the same chassis, you still have the same wheel base as with the larger wheels. the smaller wheels won't grip as much and have less top speed since they spin the bearings faster but they weigh less and put you closer to the ground. not sure what is meant by the slower bearings comment. you could try slower bearings if you want to be a slower skater. .

precision does affect speed. i know what you are trying to say about abec ratings but tighter tolerances do result in better bearings. that doesn't mean that abec rated bearings are better than non rated bearings, but generally speaking, the higher the abec rating the better the bearing. if you don't believe me then go try some abec 1's from your local sports store.

Theres no such thing as slower bearings, abec is just a precision rating, not a measure of how smooth the bearing is. Your folks at the rink are misinformed.

As for balance, bigger wheels are going to give you a longer wheel base providing better balance and more stability particularly at high speeds.

I'd say just stick with the 76-80 setup until you're comfortable with it. Don't really see the advantage of having smaller wheels in your case.

[pby 0]

guys, think about it, if you simply switch to smaller wheels while keeping the same chassis, you still have the same wheel base as with the larger wheels. the smaller wheels won't grip as much and have less top speed since they spin the bearings faster but they weigh less and put you closer to the ground. not sure what is meant by the slower bearings comment. you could try slower bearings if you want to be a slower skater. .

precision does affect speed. i know what you are trying to say about abec ratings but tighter tolerances do result in better bearings. that doesn't mean that abec rated bearings are better than non rated bearings, but generally speaking, the higher the abec rating the better the bearing. if you don't believe me then go try some abec 1's from your local sports store.

That would be true if the wheels are rock hard and don't bend. Bigger wheels will protrude more than smaller wheels.

The lubricant and material used in the bearing makes more difference than abec rating. A twincam abec 1 is designed to operate at a modest 35,000 rpm. Say the circumference of an average wheel is pi*0.076m (roughly 0.24m). Multiply that figure by 35000 and divide by 60. It would mean you would be gliding at steady 139m/s to actually get to operation limits of abec 1. To compare garden variety abec1 vs a branded bearing is like comparing apples and oranges, they're made differently with different materials. I would love to do a double blind test to see whether you can determine the difference between some bsb abec 3 and abec 9. Whatever bearings you have, the key is to clean them and invest in some quality ptfe(teflon) lubicration.

[wetwilly17 6]

That would be true if the wheels are rock hard and don't bend. Bigger wheels will protrude more than smaller wheels.

The lubricant and material used in the bearing makes more difference than abec rating. A twincam abec 1 is designed to operate at a modest 35,000 rpm. Say the circumference of an average wheel is pi*0.076m (roughly 0.24m). Multiply that figure by 35000 and divide by 60. It would mean you would be gliding at steady 139m/s to actually get to operation limits of abec 1. To compare garden variety abec1 vs a branded bearing is like comparing apples and oranges, they're made differently with different materials. I would love to do a double blind test to see whether you can determine the difference between some bsb abec 3 and abec 9. Whatever bearings you have, the key is to clean them and invest in some quality ptfe(teflon) lubicration.

given the same wheel hardness, you will have virtually the same wheel deflection with a 72mm wheel versus a 76mm wheel. yes there may be a small difference but not enough to change the effective wheel base. but wheel deflection shouldn't be even considered since it will be so small compared to the dimensions we are discussing. its not a deflated tire. your wheel base will not become smaller by switching to smaller wheels. your wheel base is defined by the location of the wheel axis.

i never said you could compare abec bearings to non abec bearings. and that operating speed you are referring to...it has nothing to do with friction...it is a speed rating based on dynamic stability. go beyond the speed rating and eventually harmonics will cause vibration to impede rotation and prematurely destroy the bearing. you might want to research critical angular velocity aka critical speed since you seem technical minded.

[pby 0]

given the same wheel hardness, you will have virtually the same wheel deflection with a 72mm wheel versus a 76mm wheel. yes there may be a small difference but not enough to change the effective wheel base. but wheel deflection shouldn't be even considered since it will be so small compared to the dimensions we are discussing. its not a deflated tire. your wheel base will not become smaller by switching to smaller wheels. your wheel base is defined by the location of the wheel axis.

i never said you could compare abec bearings to non abec bearings. and that operating speed you are referring to...it has nothing to do with friction...it is a speed rating based on dynamic stability. go beyond the speed rating and eventually harmonics will cause vibration to impede rotation and prematurely destroy the bearing. you might want to research critical angular velocity aka critical speed since you seem technical minded.

You're right about the wheel base. I stand corrected.

However I'm not comparing abec bearings to non abecs, just between the abec grades. Abec ratings has nothing to do with friction like you said, higher rated means it can operate at higher rpms. You claim that higher abec rating means better bearings, of course they're technically better but is it going to make a different to skates and the speeds we operate them at? I really doubt you're going to attain critical speeds when you're skating on flat land, even on bearings that are rated abec1s. The dirt and vibrations, ontop of the constant knocking is what causes premature break down in bearings. I firmly believe that the difference in precision makes absolutely no difference for inline skates.

[wetwilly17 6]

You're right about the wheel base. I stand corrected.

However I'm not comparing abec bearings to non abecs, just between the abec grades. Abec ratings has nothing to do with friction like you said, higher rated means it can operate at higher rpms. You claim that higher abec rating means better bearings, of course they're technically better but is it going to make a different to skates and the speeds we operate them at? I really doubt you're going to attain critical speeds when you're skating on flat land, even on bearings that are rated abec1s. The dirt and vibrations, ontop of the constant knocking is what causes premature break down in bearings. I firmly believe that the difference in precision makes absolutely no difference for inline skates.

i get what you are saying. i dont have any proof about the abec bearings. perhaps it was the cheap and thick grease of low abec rated bearings that caused me to think they were really slow when a lube swap would have done the trick. but it seems to me that, at the very least, tighter bearing tolerances load the bearing more evenly and reject larger foreign particles from the load path and therefore would last a longer. so i believe over time the higher rated bearing would be faster. i haven't researched the abec specs, but if the abec ratings have anything to do with surface roughness then higher rated bearings would indeed be faster. anyone care to review the abec specs, i'm too lazy...lol