Marsblade roller chassis

[wehojp84 5]

I'm definitely worried about dropping it off at a shop that has some young kids doing the work. I was hoping there might be somewhere that has some experience in mounting these. Guess I might have to give it a go myself and see how it goes. I have a boot with some labeda magnesium's on them right now. Will the holes be close or am I most likely looking at drilling all new holes. Thanks for the replies.

I've mounted the Marsblade on 4 different boots so far (both roller and ice) and I've had to drill new holes on all of them. There may be a few existing holes that line up but you're still going to have to drill them out a bit if you want to use 6-32" T nuts. I found that a 13/64" drill bit makes the holes the perfect size for the 6-32" T-nuts to fit easily inside.

I also try to mount the chassis as close to the toe as possible (so that the front edge of the chassis lines up with the edge of the toe cap), but that's just my preference. I found that when the chassis is more towards the center/heel of the boot it felt like I was over my toes too much when skating and wasn't able to get any leverage in my strides. But as I said, it's up to your personal preference but it's hard to tell until you've actually mounted the chassis and skated around a little bit.

[caseyjones 26]

I just purchased a Marsblade chassis and will have someone mount it to my Graf Ultra G7's. I couldnt skate in my G7's (ultra flexible ankles) for roller hockey without heavily wrapping my ankles with tape, but on the ice i didnt have to use tape at all. Im hoping the Marsblade will allow me to have a more natural stride rather than (almost running) on a regular hi lo frame.

My question that i have is, i notice a lot of the Marsblade frames that are mounted seem to have a back wheel that sticks out pretty far (much further than an actual ice blade would). What would the proper alignment be for these frames? The guy that usually mounts my frames seems like he always aligns them based off of the front wheel and if the chassis winds up having more length in the rear then so be it. For instance i wear a size 7 skate. I had a humer frame mounted to a pair of Vapors and due to the increased length in wheel base (all 80mm wheels), compared to my Kuzak Split chassis (80/72) the back wheel stuck out so far. I wasnt a fan of that at all.

[gosinger 122]

I mounted both my Marsblade chassis with equal extension of the front- and back-wheel when in the straight (all 76mm) configuration. When switching to the "advanced" configuration with the front wheel smaller (72mm) it protrudes a little more on the back than the front (by 2mm). Keep the two different setups in mind when deciding on your mount, Per is a huge believer that one should try the smaller front wheel config when using Marsblade as a training device.

[caseyjones 26]

I mounted both my Marsblade chassis with equal extension of the front- and back-wheel when in the straight (all 76mm) configuration. When switching to the "advanced" configuration with the front wheel smaller (72mm) it protrudes a little more on the back than the front (by 2mm). Keep the two different setups in mind when deciding on your mount, Per is a huge believer that one should try the smaller front wheel config when using Marsblade as a training device.

Hmm. I always find this to be a dilemma with roller hockey frames if you don't wear a size skate that's fits the chassis perfectly. Wouldn't centering the frame almost defeat the purpose of the marsblade if the front wheel is sticking out too far?

[Marsblade 23]

Hmm. I always find this to be a dilemma with roller hockey frames if you don't wear a size skate that's fits the chassis perfectly. Wouldn't centering the frame almost defeat the purpose of the marsblade if the front wheel is sticking out too far?

Hi Casey,

Can't really figure out how to post a pic here. Did you not get a folder with mounting instructions and info regarding placement of the chassis? Please e-mail me at per@marsblade.com and I can send an illustration. However I will be travelling and will be off line until sunday unfortunately.

[caseyjones 26]

Hi Casey,

Can't really figure out how to post a pic here. Did you not get a folder with mounting instructions and info regarding placement of the chassis? Please e-mail me at per@marsblade.com and I can send an illustration. However I will be travelling and will be off line until sunday unfortunately.

Thanks for the response. I actually just ordered them yesterday so they havent arrived yet. I was more or less thinking out loud based off a few pictures i have seen and my own personal experience playing on a frame that had the rear wheel sticking out much further than the front. I am not sure where the Marsblade will line up and will surely read the instructions and give them to the installer. Here's a crappy picture for reference for what i am talking about.

[caseyjones 26]

Going to post an update here for reference. Just received my Marsblade chassis in the mail yesterday. I ordered it from hockeygiant without the wheels and bearings. My concern regarding chassis placement became irrelevant once i lined it up on the bottom of the boot. I wear a size 7 and am currently skating in Graf Ultra G7's and ordered a medium chassis. The chassis lines up perfectly. The length of the wheel base is almost identical to my cobra holder. There is a little bit of play (maybe less than a quarter inch) to position the chassis either more toward the toe or more toward the heel depending on preference, but it may be irrelevant at the end of the day and one might not be able to tell the difference regardless. I also love how the holes on the chassis are all on the outside edge of the frame. The bottom of a Graf skate makes it difficult to mount certain frames because they only have plastic that borders the outside edges of the sole. With the marsblade, every single hole lines up perfectly with the plastic sole of a Graf skate so theres no issues with having to drill through the fabric part of the sole. The chassis also does not stick out on the sides either. Its literally a perfect fit. I will post more updates once they are mounted and i skate on them, but for anyone who skates in Grafs and is worried about a proper fit, i think you should have no issues with a mount. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. Heres an awful quality picture with the boot sitting on top of the chassis (not mounted).

[Marsblade 23]

Going to post an update here for reference. Just received my Marsblade chassis in the mail yesterday. I ordered it from hockeygiant without the wheels and bearings. My concern regarding chassis placement became irrelevant once i lined it up on the bottom of the boot. I wear a size 7 and am currently skating in Graf Ultra G7's and ordered a medium chassis. The chassis lines up perfectly. The length of the wheel base is almost identical to my cobra holder. There is a little bit of play (maybe less than a quarter inch) to position the chassis either more toward the toe or more toward the heel depending on preference, but it may be irrelevant at the end of the day and one might not be able to tell the difference regardless. I also love how the holes on the chassis are all on the outside edge of the frame. The bottom of a Graf skate makes it difficult to mount certain frames because they only have plastic that borders the outside edges of the sole. With the marsblade, every single hole lines up perfectly with the plastic sole of a Graf skate so theres no issues with having to drill through the fabric part of the sole. The chassis also does not stick out on the sides either. Its literally a perfect fit. I will post more updates once they are mounted and i skate on them, but for anyone who skates in Grafs and is worried about a proper fit, i think you should have no issues with a mount. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. Heres an awful quality picture with the boot sitting on top of the chassis (not mounted).

Casey,

Realized I never answered your last post but it seems like you have it all figured out, awesome! Please let me know if you have any questions going forward.

//Per

[caseyjones 26]

Thanks Per, I have another question. I decided to do the mount myself. So far so good but I only have one skate mounted so far. I put one ice skate and and one inline skate on and the forward pitch seems much more exaggerated on my inline skate compared to that of my ice skate. Is it possible to experiment with say two 68mm wheels in the back and two 72mm wheels in the front to neutralize the pitch at all?

I'm trying to accustom myself to the forward pitch on my grafs since I'm used to skating in bauers but the forward pitch with the marsblade seems a little extreme

I've used shims before on the front of my grafs and somehow it seemed to have zero effect on how my foot felt positioned

[Marsblade 23]

Thanks Per, I have another question. I decided to do the mount myself. So far so good but I only have one skate mounted so far. I put one ice skate and and one inline skate on and the forward pitch seems much more exaggerated on my inline skate compared to that of my ice skate. Is it possible to experiment with say two 68mm wheels in the back and two 72mm wheels in the front to neutralize the pitch at all?

I'm trying to accustom myself to the forward pitch on my grafs since I'm used to skating in bauers but the forward pitch with the marsblade seems a little extreme

I've used shims before on the front of my grafs and somehow it seemed to have zero effect on how my foot felt positioned

The pitch aggressivness is somewhere in between the TUUK holder and CCM holder. You might be thrown off by the height of our frame since it is higher than the ice holder. I would say you try the standard setup to start with, using all 76 or 72 depending on chassis size. If you then feel off balance you can experiment with switching the wheels. I've had other guys that asked if they should use a shim but once they tried it without the did not feel the need for the shim.

Let me know how it feels when you have tried them. //Per

[caseyjones 26]

Thanks again. I just finished my mount last night and all i could do was skate around my blocks a few times (which i discovered are terrible and rocky). There were two things i noticed right off the bat.

1) My stride was instantly changed. I like to think of myself as someone who has fairly good mechanics with my skating stride, but with the Marsblade it was like you can literally feel yourself automatically going through the steps of proper stride mechanics. As if the skates were basically forcing you to complete each stride with precision. It was pretty cool.

2) Leaning too far forward on the front wheel will put you on your face. I didnt fall, but when your center of gravity shifts too far foward the chassis lets you know in a hurry. Almost feels like hitting a patch of sand.

This was all i was able to accomplish since my streets were so bad. I cant really speak about tight turns and stopping or even backwards skating. I did attempt to two 68mm wheels in the back and two 72mm in the front and that instantly felt better compared to all 72mm. It felt much closer to the pitch of my ice skates so Im not sure if it would be recommended to stick with the set up that feels the closest to ice or not. Even with that set up, i was still pitched slightly more forward than the ice skates, but it was much less drastic.

Finished product below. Will ultimately add new wheels. Just had these lying around.

[caseyjones 26]

after re-reading the whole thread i got my answer on the wheel set up. I will switch back to all straight and get used to it. Im just curious as to the advantages of that though. Considering the chassis is on a rocker, wouldnt putting smaller wheels in the back simply change the pitch and center of gravity of the skate? Since the chassis rockers, it seems like all four wheels will continue to touch at the same time and it would not mimic a straight chassis where two wheels would be off the ground. I noticed that when i used a hi lo set up, i still got the feeling that i would fall on my face if i leaned too far forward or shifted my center of gravity too forward. I was also still shifted into a forward pitch, even more so than my ice skates put me in. Or is this more or less the whole idea of the Marsblade? Make roller skating more difficult and including muscle activation so when you switch to ice skating its actually easier (opposed to the other way around which is what straight roller hockey chassis will do)? My biggest concern is that if i continue to skate on marsblade and then go back to ice, im wondering if being on ice would make me feel like im being put on my heels since the forward pitch is much more exaggerated on marsblade.

[Marsblade 23]

after re-reading the whole thread i got my answer on the wheel set up. I will switch back to all straight and get used to it. Im just curious as to the advantages of that though. Considering the chassis is on a rocker, wouldnt putting smaller wheels in the back simply change the pitch and center of gravity of the skate? Since the chassis rockers, it seems like all four wheels will continue to touch at the same time and it would not mimic a straight chassis where two wheels would be off the ground. I noticed that when i used a hi lo set up, i still got the feeling that i would fall on my face if i leaned too far forward or shifted my center of gravity too forward. I was also still shifted into a forward pitch, even more so than my ice skates put me in. Or is this more or less the whole idea of the Marsblade? Make roller skating more difficult and including muscle activation so when you switch to ice skating its actually easier (opposed to the other way around which is what straight roller hockey chassis will do)? My biggest concern is that if i continue to skate on marsblade and then go back to ice, im wondering if being on ice would make me feel like im being put on my heels since the forward pitch is much more exaggerated on marsblade.

Hi Casey,

I would not recommend using 72,72,68,68 as the frame is not designed for that. With time some wheels will wear down more that others. Seems like the back 72 and back 68 would wear down a lot faster than the other two. If you want to change the pich it is better that you include a shim in the front. If you will go through that extra work that is... If not you can certainly keep that wheel setup.

The purpose of Marsblade is to force you into using a proper stride and it seems like you have felt the effects of that in the way I intended. If you don't use a proper push and knee bend, and "cheat" trying to push with the toe to early you will (almost) fall on your face. This is done intentionally to give direct feedback and force you into the correct position. With the "advanced setup" (smaller front wheel (68,72,72,72mm) will force you even more to a proper stride. I have not heard anyone that had an issue of ending up on his heels when going back to ice so I'm pretty sure that you won't have that problem. The problem with the traditional rigid frame is that you have support on the toes all the time and since the body is lazy you will use that support. Then as you go back to ice you won't have that support and feel very unstable. Removing the toe support that we have done with Marsblade forces you to only activate the toes during the end part of your stride, as on ice. By removing even more support, as with the advanced setup, you will have to work even harder with the proper stride and deep knee bend so when switching back to ice it will feel like you have more support and can perform a more powerful stride. The reason that you don't want to activate the toe push early is that you in that phase start using the calf muscles that are not very powerful. You want to use that large powerful muscle groups (like the glutes) as long as possible during the stride and that is achieved with a deep skating position.

That being said I think it's best if you try the different setups and try going back and forth ice/roller to see what works best for you.

Not sure if this answers all your questions. Please feel free to ask if you have more.

//Per

[caseyjones 26]

Hi Casey,

I would not recommend using 72,72,68,68 as the frame is not designed for that. With time some wheels will wear down more that others. Seems like the back 72 and back 68 would wear down a lot faster than the other two. If you want to change the pich it is better that you include a shim in the front. If you will go through that extra work that is... If not you can certainly keep that wheel setup.

The purpose of Marsblade is to force you into using a proper stride and it seems like you have felt the effects of that in the way I intended. If you don't use a proper push and knee bend, and "cheat" trying to push with the toe to early you will (almost) fall on your face. This is done intentionally to give direct feedback and force you into the correct position. With the "advanced setup" (smaller front wheel (68,72,72,72mm) will force you even more to a proper stride. I have not heard anyone that had an issue of ending up on his heels when going back to ice so I'm pretty sure that you won't have that problem. The problem with the traditional rigid frame is that you have support on the toes all the time and since the body is lazy you will use that support. Then as you go back to ice you won't have that support and feel very unstable. Removing the toe support that we have done with Marsblade forces you to only activate the toes during the end part of your stride, as on ice. By removing even more support, as with the advanced setup, you will have to work even harder with the proper stride and deep knee bend so when switching back to ice it will feel like you have more support and can perform a more powerful stride. The reason that you don't want to activate the toe push early is that you in that phase start using the calf muscles that are not very powerful. You want to use that large powerful muscle groups (like the glutes) as long as possible during the stride and that is achieved with a deep skating position.

That being said I think it's best if you try the different setups and try going back and forth ice/roller to see what works best for you.

Not sure if this answers all your questions. Please feel free to ask if you have more.

//Per

Thanks Per. This answers my question just fine. I will use a straight 72mm set up until im ready to experiment with the 68mm in front. Its really nice of you to offer yourself to the general public and be able to answer questions for an average enthusiast like myself. I will certainly recommend your product to others not only because its a great product, but also because this type of customer service just isnt found in todays world anymore. I will share my experience more once I get more skating sessions in. Unfortunately i have an "upper body" injury at the moment. Thanks again!

[Marsblade 23]

Thanks Per. This answers my question just fine. I will use a straight 72mm set up until im ready to experiment with the 68mm in front. Its really nice of you to offer yourself to the general public and be able to answer questions for an average enthusiast like myself. I will certainly recommend your product to others not only because its a great product, but also because this type of customer service just isnt found in todays world anymore. I will share my experience more once I get more skating sessions in. Unfortunately i have an "upper body" injury at the moment. Thanks again!

Sound good Casey! Good ambassadors like yourself is important for us so thanks for helping us spread the word about us. Good luck with your training and look forward to hear your experience going forward. //Per

[RicoD38 1]

Hi Per,

I just bought Marsblade for my daughter doing both ice and roller hockey (not received yet)

She has Alkali CA9 RPD inle skates

She's using Graf Ultra G5 ice skates

I'll mount the chassis on Bauer's X50R boot

is there any specific setup to be taken care of to achieve similar behaviour with Graf's and Bauer+Marsblade ?

Will I have to mount the chassis more centered, on front / back ?

Do I need to put extra "wedge" to have a similar "feeling" between both systems ?

Thanks in advance

Eric

[Marsblade 23]

Hi Eric,

You can center the chassis according to the instruction manual that is included in the box, no need for specific setup for Graf or Bauer. Not sure what you mean with the extra "wedge"...?

Regards Per

[RicoD38 1]

Hi Per, by "wedge", I meant a small extra piece of plastic on either front / back below the boot to have a similar boot angle on both Bauer+Marsblade and Grafs

I'll look at it when receiving the package

[Marsblade 23]

Ok, I see Eric. I recommend that you start without a wedge, then if you are not happy you can try using one. I think you should be happy without.

Let me know if other question comes up.

//Per

[RicoD38 1]

Finally managed to have the chassis removed from the boot, none of the holes on the Bauer X50R are matching the Marsbalde chassis

I had to drill them into the boot

I'm in the process of having it fully installed this week with mostly with nuts and bolts (when possible) as I've no proshop in my area to perform this.

I'll add some rivets when access is possible with nuts and bolts

I'll keep you posted with results and pictures

[RicoD38 1]

Here's the boot with Marsblade chassis here : 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwcH9VA_N_zSc21aLWV4V0dtZXBzOXJkSWptTWsyNGxoQVJr/view?usp=sharing

More informations on the testing soon

Edited February 29, 2016 by RicoD38
Link not shown

[Marsblade 23]

18 hours ago, RicoD38 said:

Here's the boot with Marsblade chassis here : 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwcH9VA_N_zSc21aLWV4V0dtZXBzOXJkSWptTWsyNGxoQVJr/view?usp=sharing

More informations on the testing soon

Looks good!

[Brob 1]

Have you ever thought of partnering with a skate company to design a skate that comes standard with Marsblades? If some of the higher end Mission or Alkali skates came with a Marsblade chassis, I totally would buy it. Instead I had to buy the Marsblade and a pair of ice skates to convert. It would save the customer money and provide you and the skate company with more business. Just a thought.

[krisdrum 233]

Not to speak for Pers, but to me I'm not sure a partnership makes sense.  Marsblade is targeting the folks who want the absolute best transfer from ice to roller.  It is a premium product with few competitors.  People will pay the premium for the product if they want the experience.  And if you look at the price comparison to a high end static chassis and wheels, the pricing is very competitive, so it isn't even that much of a premium. 

 

I'd also imagine most of the target audience have zeroed in on their boot fit needs.  I think that is the biggest place where a potential partnership would fall down.  There simply isn't the variety of fit options in the roller segment (particularly with 1 company) as there are in the ice segment.  I'm seeing this right now, and granted I am relatively new to both ice and roller, but as nice as my new Alkalis are, they aren't my Grafs.  I'm in the process of seeing if I can get them as close as possible, with a bit of massage and "wait and see", but that is different from saying "I know this boot works for me, let's put some wheels on it that will mimic a rockered blade". 

 

Just my $0.02

[tcc 9]

Bumping this thread as I'm thinking of picking up a set.

 

Can these be mounted on any ice hockey skate because the ones I have are fairly old (Bauer Supreme Comp) and the outsole has a bit of a carbon composite material (if that makes sense).