Going from Vanguard to Humm'r?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Has anyone done this? I am thinking of giving it a shot, and was wondering what everyone else's experience was. My main concern is not having an aggressive pitch anymore, but I suppose a shim in the bag can fix that. Did anyone notice a decent increase in speed?

[ATLstealth09 0]

Can't say for the Vanguard, but coming from the old Hi-Lo, I gained a noticeable amount of leverage (subsequently power and speed), and haven't had any more problems with wheel slip.

[ButterySteelo 0]

I'm currently undergoing this transition. Have one skate on the Hum'er after nearly 10 years on a hi-lo. Felt weird at first, but as the game went on I thought about it less. Still wasn't fully comfortable by the end of the game, but I'm thinking 2 to 3 more skates max until it feels second nature.

For me, i felt faster and I felt that going from a stop to a sprint was easier and more "explosive". I wasn't comfortable with tighter turns and quick stops, but I trust this will come after some adjustment. I also am going from a broke down and busted Mission He950 boot that is too big and not stiff at all. I'm now skating in a tight, stiff bauer One 100 boot, so I believe this accounts for some of the difference in feel as well.

I'll try to keep you posted.

[Justin 1933 134]

I have made the recent switch from Vanguard to the our new 80mm chassis, and am loving it. At first, it did take some time, but after 2-3 games, I am really liking it. Gone is the toe slip.

[flyweightphantom 1]

I've been on the fence about this switch as well. Using hi-lo and vanguard forever and was curious about the switch. Kovy did you try this and did you add a small lift in back? How do you like it so far? Does a lift "somewhat" defeat the purpose of the all 80 chassis or am I thinking of it all wrong?

[kovalchuk71 212]

I am currently skating on my T9s with the Humm'r. I did add a lift on the back. It does not defeat the purpose at all. If you added lifts in the front and back, then it defeats the purpose in a way. I skated on it the other day for the first time and took them off after a few minutes. Went back to the hi lo for the rest of pickup and was comfortable. Like Justin hinted at, I was skating on my hi lo while teaching today and was slipping terribly. Put the humm'rs on and problem solved. After the camp I was very comfortable with them. Have a game tonight, so we will see how it goes. Will update later.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Just finished playing and have decided I'm staying with my Vanguard. The frame is simply too long for my skates (6.5) and my preferences. I can control my "edges" a lot better with my Vanguards. Tripped over myself a couple times and its just not going to work.

[teamlabeda 1]

Just finished playing and have decided I'm staying with my Vanguard. The frame is simply too long for my skates (6.5) and my preferences. I can control my "edges" a lot better with my Vanguards. Tripped over myself a couple times and its just not going to work.

Hey Koval,

I would advise to you, like I would anyone else, to give it at leat two weeks before deciding. There are some subtle adjustments to be made that you usually will overcome within the two weeks that will determine whether the Hummer is right for you. The frame isnt for everyone but it enhances the skating style of most power skaters and offers a serious grip advantage!

[kovalchuk71 212]

Thanks Teamlabeda. Actually skated again on them today at camp again, and I felt a little bit more comfortable in them. Speed and grip are fantastic, just have to get used to the length I think. To make a long story short, they are growing on me. Looking forward to camp tomorrow so I can keep working with them.

[phantomowner27 20]

Thanks Teamlabeda. Actually skated again on them today at camp again, and I felt a little bit more comfortable in them. Speed and grip are fantastic, just have to get used to the length I think. To make a long story short, they are growing on me. Looking forward to camp tomorrow so I can keep working with them.

After 10 years on the hi-lo setup it took me about a week to be totally comfortable. You'll grow to love them more and more with time.

[shaaddy 0]

After 10 years on the hi-lo setup it took me about a week to be totally comfortable. You'll grow to love them more and more with time.

I agree, I skated on HiLo setup for about 10 years and switched to the sprungs, it was a change for sure, but im loving it now

[ButterySteelo 0]

Just checking in.

Had about an hour of ice time on the hummers last night, I was really working on quick starts and stops as well as change of direction. It's a different feel, but it's becoming more and more natural. Towards the end of my skate I wasn't even thinking about it at all really.

I'm in the same boat as most in this thread. 10+ years on hi-lo, making the adjustment. While I thought it would be a simple thing, it hasn't been. However, it's becoming easier and easier as I spend more time on them.

[Lilliz 0]

You are not going to regret the change.

For me i played with hi-lo for 6-7 years and loved it.

Last year i switched to tri-di and used them for almost the entire season before the reebok 8k boot broke for me.

At first i were thinking of just returning them and get a new one but got a good deal on a hum'er frame instead.

Converted my rbk 9k iceskates instead and after the first practice i have never looked back, the grip is better, the speed is better and i feel that i can control the skates better on the rink.

This year i went with the x60 skates and the hum'er frame together with bsb swiss and 80mm addiction wheels... By far the best combo i have ever used on a sportcourt.

[Jdl 0]

Ive skated on hilos and the hummers and have never really noticed a difference? Am I doing something wrong here? Im putting together a new skate soon so in the market for a chassis (considering sprungs also)

[nickyb13 9]

It took me 15 minutes to fully adjust from 5 ish years ion hi-lo's.

[flyweightphantom 1]

On a size 8 in an x60 what size hummer frame is recommended a medium?

[JCon 6]

I had the opportunity to use a pair of Tour Code Tabu skates for an inline game this weekend. I have used Mission skates for the past 10+ years (with a reebok inline slipped in there for a year). I personally did not have a good experience with this.

The Tour boot fit my foot completely differently than a mission, although it was very comfortable, watch out for the size difference and make sure you try them on before purchasing.

Since there were all 80mm wheels I lost some maneuverability and it felt like my skates were longer and clumsier than usual.

Other factors contribute to the skate not being customized for my liking. By this I mean that I feel like a smaller size would have worked better for me (I was recommended a larger size and went with this but I feel like this was huge and I should have picked the size depending on how I felt and not what the pro shop told me I needed) Additionally, I feel like the orange addiction wheels (less grip) could have been substituted for the red addictions (more grip), but this is very dependant on the surface you will be playing on. I play on a very smooth sport court that is easy on wheels.

Coming from someone who actively wanted to like Tour (had bad issues with the Mission warranty policies), I would honestly try them out but make sure you have a snug fitting boot and if you're wheels slip but the rest of your skating experience is good I'd just get wheels that grip more. I hope that helps!

[ATLstealth09 0]

JCon, a poorly-fitted skate seems to be your problem, not the Tour skates, nor the Hum'er frame. If you've so actively wanted to "like Tour," it wouldn't hurt to get properly fitted so that you could pass a reasonable judgment.