Alkali Hockey

[PETEROD85 1]

Is that on sport court?

[Wicked3Aussie 68]

What's everyone running for wheel hardness setups? Was thinking about switching the inner 2 wheels on my shift+ to 78a 's. I ran the 78a on the rear wheel of my hilo's because I was chunking the softys all the time.

All 84A for me,at almost 90kg everything else feels like I'm bogging down and breaks.

[beedee 227]

Is that on sport court?

Yes.

I'm thinking of trying 78a on the ends though to try to get a little more speed out of my set up. Like Wicked3Aussie mentioned, my first skate out I did feel like I was slightly bogging down a bit with the 76a.

[Justin 1933 134]

76a for me. 185lbs

[beedee 227]

I was debating on Labeda Grippers "medium" (80a) or Rink Rat Identity Thefts(80a) to replace my 76a Labeda Milleniums on the ends of each skate. I ended up with the RR IT. I was leaning toward the Grippers because of their legacy but was very curious to see how the RR IT would be since there wasnt much out there as far as reviews go. I may skate them tomorrow morning, if not I will use them Monday night for sure.

Just mounted them up right now.

Edited January 10, 2015 by beedee

[SB39 2]

About Alkali pants, I tried on a pair at NARCH Winternats 2 weekends ago, and then ordered a pair of the RPD max pants. They make my old Mission Inhaler pants feel like wearing tin foil by comparison; lighter, softer, much more comfy, better ventilation. Huge difference and I can't recommend them enough.

[Stewie 721]

I have a question regarding stick lengths. On IW website, they have the length on Intermediate at 52in, and senior at 59. Do you know how they are measuring this, and if these numbers are accurate? I am considering getting one, but wonder if it will be too short.

[SlaterC42 51]

I agree with SB39, I switched to Alkali pants a few months ago and am very happy with them. Super lightweight and seem to hold up well. I was a little concerned the first time I washed them as the tag says hand wash only, which seemed strange to me. I put them in the wash anyway and hung them to dry with no ill-effects.

[IW Team - Chase 184]

I have a question regarding stick lengths. On IW website, they have the length on Intermediate at 52in, and senior at 59. Do you know how they are measuring this, and if these numbers are accurate? I am considering getting one, but wonder if it will be too short.

I'm assuming you're looking at the non-plus RPD intermediates yeah? The 52" looks like a typo, I just measured from the top of the handle to the heel of the blade that makes contact with the ice. It's 56". Site's updated too.

[Stewie 721]

I'm assuming you're looking at the non-plus RPD intermediates yeah? The 52" looks like a typo, I just measured from the top of the handle to the heel of the blade that makes contact with the ice. It's 56". Site's updated too.

Excellent! thanks Chase! Yes I was looking at the newest gen RPD and Team sticks. I thought it kind of odd that the Sr and Int would be 7" difference, so figured it was a typo. Someone probably just inputted the Jr length into Int on accident I can confirm that they are now reading properly on the consumers end, now to decide which one to go with

[Stewie 721]

I agree with SB39, I switched to Alkali pants a few months ago and am very happy with them. Super lightweight and seem to hold up well. I was a little concerned the first time I washed them as the tag says hand wash only, which seemed strange to me. I put them in the wash anyway and hung them to dry with no ill-effects.

The alkali pants are really nice, but they are the only roller pants ive owned (when I first played roller 17 years ago used ice hockey setup with some k2 zspecials, then didn't play for 15 years). I have the team pants, and will soon look to get another pair, maybe the max. when I compare them to others in stores, they just seem like the best fit for me. I have washed them twice now in the machine (low spin, with my other gears) and hung them with no ill effects.

[Kanya 3]

Hoping Justin sees this..

Having a real hard time trying to find a alkali stick stockist anywhere in UK. Was able to get my Alkali CA9 RPDs no problem and many shops stock the skates, bags and sometimes girdles.

Never gloves, or sticks! The two things I'm really looking at getting hold of.

Are Alkali subject to the same "no shipping outside of USA" like Bauer etc? (I understand why they don't ship out with)

Basically I'd really like to get hold of the RPD Max stick as its specifically for roller.

Any help you can offer would be great, thanks!

[sss1987 55]

Kanya, i have found the same with regard to Sticks and gloves.

The only thing you can do is call the like of Puckstop/ Hockey Station etc and ask them. Puck stop has great email responses. They basically need to talk to their distributor to organise it.

[Kanya 3]

Good call, I've just emailed puck stop and demon xtreme this morning as both carry their skates. I'll fire one to hockey station too. Weird the sticks and gloves are so hard to get. Fancy trying a roller hockey specific stick especially as it's made by true temper.

Thanks for the heads up, appreciated:-)

[Justin 1933 134]

Here is the contact to our distributor:

Blue Line Sports Ltd

5 Wharf Rd, Wroughton, Swindon, Wilts, SN4 9LE

Tel: +44 (0)1793 813000

Fax: +44(0)1793 815305

Website: www.bluelinesports.co.uk

Hopefully they can help you out.

[sss1987 55]

In December (2014), after much deliberation, i bought some Alkali RPD Shift +. In the end I was very glad i held out for the 2014/2015 "plus" range of Alkalis. This is just a little review for you guys.

History:

Previously I was using some Mission Assassins in a size which was probably half a size too long, and too wide. I think I had been previously fobbed off as being a double E width when i was actually a D. These obviously felt great in the shop, but i found in time that the skates were to wide, and I would end up with rubbish heel lock. The other thing is disliked was that in my smaller size, the wheelbase of the hilo chassis seemed a touch too long, and the positioning felt like i had too much wheel poking out from the front. Ive been back playing hockey for a year now, and in that time just gotten used to being in my skates again, so I quickly got up to speed and learnt what i disliked about the missions I had.

Getting older and wiser, I knew the right fit was the main goal for me. Having gotten back into hockey after 4-5 years off, I did my research. Alkali was a new company to me, but i quickly realized the Alkali boys were definitely not new to the roller hockey scene, seeing as many had been the original mission guys.

The reviews I read across all ranges on this particular thread all echoed the same thing.. how the fit and heel lock were amazing. At this point, the RPD + range had been teased in early May/June last year so I decided to hold off buying. The wait was long, in this time i tried on other skates to get a feel for what "felt right". In the end i liked the bauer vapors and the alkali rpd range. The Vapors would have caused chronic lace bite on my instep though as my feet failed the pencil test...alkalis were the clear winners. The positioning of the chassis and the all 76mm wheel choice for my size (6.5) just felt "right" compared to the hilos.
So i decided to wait for the "+" range.

They arrived in December just before xmas. Great timing!

The skates:

When i got them I gave them a bake. My friend (the owner of the shop i bought them from), did his homework, and read up on the baking process, and watched the youtube video loads. I think he was just as excited to see how it all turned out, as these were the first alkalis he was selling.

The skates came out in a shockingly malleable state. So we were quite careful (especially putting them on). He tightened them (probably could have gone tighter) and i stood there remaining as still as possible as these things cooled around my feet.

During my first couple of skates I found that the skates were much stiffer then I was used to. I also found I was getting cramps and my feet were getting numb.

Oh Dear!

If you all remember what I said earlier...my Missions were sized wrong, and were too wide. Like an idiot I had been using the same lacing method as i had on my missions on my new alkalis (crank them as hard as i could)... I quickly realized that the alkalis fit me so well, that i didnt have to crank the laces like a gorilla! With the zero wasted space inside the boot, they are awesome to tie up quickly. I adjusted my lacing pattern and BOOM no issues!!

I also found after a few skates, that they really "break in" nicely. Your feet just seemed to get sucked into the boot, and give you some of the best heel lock ever! After the break in, the skate gives a lot of lateral support from the stiffness. The tongue also feels much comfier, and you have a decent range of motion.

Now that they have broken in and I am 100% comfortable in them, they feel amazing. Provided you get the right length, theres no wasted space in the boot, and they feel much lighter on your feet then they do in your hands. I know some people have a big hang up on having really light skates, but I will admit that these feel light and well balance on your feet because of the way they fit.

The chassis and wheels (with the all 76mm in my size) feel great. I feel like im over the front wheels rather then behind them. I also feel i'm no longer "on stilts" and my centre of gravity feels a touch lower.

I find with the forward pitch, standing starts pretty much require less effort to get started and up to speed. Its hard to quantify, but i feel like i'm a stride ahead of where i would be in my old missions. Skating backwards feels good. Especially from standing starts in a backward direction.

Now, the wheels that come on the skates are pretty soft so there is plenty of mechanical grip available. But the one thing i wanted to note out to you guys is during turns, the forward pitch, makes the skate feel really balanced during turns. You feel really over your wheels-centrally rather then on your heels. Theres a good balance between agility and stability. Both being helped by the stiffness in the boot. The best compliment I can make is that they have added a new confidence in my skating.

Its too early to talk about durability, but I would say for now they feel like they will hold up well. The new quarter package material on these skates feels solid and "up market"...time will tell.
The chassis also feels solid. Its noticeably got a meaty thickness to it. Being an engineer, Id rather have a good wall thickness for a durable chassis, rather then a flimsy one to save weight (which is never as much of a saving as you think it will be ;) )

Ive not taken any real shots to the foot. Someone half assed a shot at me in training, hit back heel part of my right skate and i didnt feel a thing.

Lastly looks... best looking skate out there in the line up. Personally I think its the best looking skate in the 2014/15 market. I am biased on that though

Overall I'd be happy to recommend these to anyone. The Shift+ is a really good price point for the package you get. Its basically 95% of a "topend" skate for much less the price.

A friend of mine bought some too, he loves his, and didnt even bother to bake, choosing to break them in "the old fashioned way". His favorite thing on the skates is the heel lock and the comfort edge padding.

I hope this review has helped anyone sitting on the fence about getting some Alkalis.

Thanks:

Im also happy with the customer service i got from Justin. I emailed him a few times to confirm a few sizing queries and always got a helpful reply.
JoshV on here also helped me out quite a bit with advice!

[Justin 1933 134]

Great Review! Very detailed. I am extremely happy you are happy with your skates. Welcome to the family!

[sss1987 55]

Glad to be part of it Justin!

[Kanya 3]

Amazing Justin!! Thank you :-)

Anyone know how many times you can bake RPD CA9s?

First pair of Alkalis, and they're outstanding. Few of my teammates starting to order their own Alkalis now.

[Justin 1933 134]

You can bake them 2-3 times. I wouldn't recommend any more.

[big_stoke 12]

I am deciding between the Comp+ and Crew+. I am 6'4 295. Is there anything I need to conwider besides the fit based on my weight? I am planning on upgrading the wheels as well if necessary.

[Stewie 721]

depending on your size and availability, you may also want to look at getting a Team or Shift skate on clearance from the previous line. Both come with a great wheel, so that may save you on upgrading in the future. As for the two you mentioned, I think the Comp would be as low as I would go unless I am strictly looking for something to use on concrete, but that's me personally.

[big_stoke 12]

I wear a size 13 in alkali. I would like to try the skates on before I buy and the Total Hockey by my house didn't have any of the clearance models in stock. I am hesitant to buy products online where the fit can change so much even within a brand. For example they had a Bauer x60 and x70 in size 12 when I went in. The 60's actually felt pretty good and I couldn't wait to get the 70 off my foot. Same product line and the upgraded item was a completely different feel to me. I plan on playing both indoor (sport court) and outdoor (concrete/asphalt). I will get a set of wheels for each condition.

[strosedefence34 175]

just received my RPD Team skates in the mail. Unfortunately I won't be able to use them till the spring time when the snow melts and when one of the local ice rinks turns into a roller hockey rink. I haven't played inline hockey since Mission was sizing their skates in US sizes. Heres to hoping my parents didn't get rid of all my roller pants. Big thanks to Justin for helping me with the size.

[MikeWhy 39]

How many people use superfeet with these? if any