Marsblade roller chassis

[YesLanges 127]

I just purchased R1s. I don't play roller hockey at all, but I'd like to skate on wheels as closely as possible to exactly the way I skate on ice. I'm confused by their description of one insert as being "most like ice" and another as providing the "smoothest"  heel-toe transitions and maximum control. To me, those are somewhat synonymous, so I'm confused by that. Obviously, I skate much better on ice, because of thousands of hours on ice skates vs. < 50 hours on wheels in my life, mostly on O1s during the Pandemic. If my goal is simply to set up the same hockey drills on concrete that I typically use on the ice, which inserts will probably allow me to skate most proficiently on concrete the first time that I try out my new R1s? Thanks in advance for any input; I appreciate it.

[sturdy22 28]

2 hours ago, YesLanges said:

I just purchased R1s. I don't play roller hockey at all, but I'd like to skate on wheels as closely as possible to exactly the way I skate on ice. I'm confused by their description of one insert as being "most like ice" and another as providing the "smoothest"  heel-toe transitions and maximum control. To me, those are somewhat synonymous, so I'm confused by that. Obviously, I skate much better on ice, because of thousands of hours on ice skates vs. < 50 hours on wheels in my life, mostly on O1s during the Pandemic. If my goal is simply to set up the same hockey drills on concrete that I typically use on the ice, which inserts will probably allow me to skate most proficiently on concrete the first time that I try out my new R1s? Thanks in advance for any input; I appreciate it.

I find the O1s to be closest to the feel of ice for me. I have had the O1s for going on 5 years and I use them regularly. I have R1s that I don’t use. I don’t play competitive roller hockey and I found that the R1s make me feel like I’m on rails no matter which insert I used. I just prefer the movement in the O1s. My sons both use the R1s for roller hockey and swear by them.

[Left Wing King 50]

That is a shame as I was looking at r1s to play roller with, I'll just stick with o1s

[Westside 232]

8 hours ago, YesLanges said:

I just purchased R1s. I don't play roller hockey at all, but I'd like to skate on wheels as closely as possible to exactly the way I skate on ice. I'm confused by their description of one insert as being "most like ice" and another as providing the "smoothest"  heel-toe transitions and maximum control. To me, those are somewhat synonymous, so I'm confused by that. Obviously, I skate much better on ice, because of thousands of hours on ice skates vs. < 50 hours on wheels in my life, mostly on O1s during the Pandemic. If my goal is simply to set up the same hockey drills on concrete that I typically use on the ice, which inserts will probably allow me to skate most proficiently on concrete the first time that I try out my new R1s? Thanks in advance for any input; I appreciate it.

If you already have the O1s and don’t play roller hockey, why get the R1s?

[Stewie 721]

I have the R1, love it for roller. I feel it has improved my agility, and really improved my backward skating ability. Thinking of having my backup pair converted as well. 

[YesLanges 127]

11 hours ago, Westside said:

If you already have the O1s and don’t play roller hockey, why get the R1s?

I guess I'm just having a hard time accepting that R1s are better for competitive roller hockey but not better for typical ice hockey drills on wheels. If they're more manueverable and allow sharper turns (yada yada) in roller hockey, I figure they're also going to be more maneuverable and allow sharper turns doing standard ice hockey drills on wheels. (And I understand that better stopping is an R1 benefit lost on me, since I don't play.)

Also, I never really opened the bolt on my O1s very much, because I didn't like the instability. During the Pandemic,I just skated on wheels because there was no ice (obviously); but I wasn't looking to "challenge" my muscles or turn it into a training activity, except for the training inherent in whatever drills I was doing on concrete. I already (weight) train legs every 4 or 5 days; so, I'm not looking to turn skating into another leg workout, except (again) for the leg workout inherent in (sometimes) skating hard. (I did experiment with more open bolts on the O1s, by gradually opening them a little more about every other time that I skated. I found that if I opened them more than a relatively small amount, whatever benefit I got was outweighed by the decreased stability. After I went 6+ months not using them, I tightened the bolts almost all the way to transition back to them; but I ended up just leaving them only slighty open ever since. 

Incidentally, and weirdly, when I stepped back onto ice after 6 or 8 months of 2020 on the 01s, I had no edges at all and anything but a smooth transition back to ice...couldn't do anything. It was almost worse than not skating at all during tha time; and by then, I'd gotten pretty comfortable on my MB "edges" and was skating well on them. It took 2 or 3 times back on ice to get back to normal, but I was kind of expecting to step right back onto ice and skate normally.

Do you think it's a mistake and that R1s won't be as good for off-ice drills? Can you explain to me what the difference is between the inserts, from experience (not from their "official" descriptions). I normally skate on a dual 8'/13' profile. Any thoughts on which insert might be best to try first? 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by YesLanges

[Wicked3Aussie 68]

On 12/3/2022 at 10:18 AM, YesLanges said:

I guess I'm just having a hard time accepting that R1s are better for competitive roller hockey but not better for typical ice hockey drills on wheels. If they're more manueverable and allow sharper turns (yada yada) in roller hockey, I figure they're also going to be more maneuverable and allow sharper turns doing standard ice hockey drills on wheels. (And I understand that better stopping is an R1 benefit lost on me, since I don't play.)

Also, I never really opened the bolt on my O1s very much, because I didn't like the instability. During the Pandemic,I just skated on wheels because there was no ice (obviously); but I wasn't looking to "challenge" my muscles or turn it into a training activity, except for the training inherent in whatever drills I was doing on concrete. I already (weight) train legs every 4 or 5 days; so, I'm not looking to turn skating into another leg workout, except (again) for the leg workout inherent in (sometimes) skating hard. (I did experiment with more open bolts on the O1s, by gradually opening them a little more about every other time that I skated. I found that if I opened them more than a relatively small amount, whatever benefit I got was outweighed by the decreased stability. After I went 6+ months not using them, I tightened the bolts almost all the way to transition back to them; but I ended up just leaving them only slighty open ever since. 

Incidentally, and weirdly, when I stepped back onto ice after 6 or 8 months of 2020 on the 01s, I had no edges at all and anything but a smooth transition back to ice...couldn't do anything. It was almost worse than not skating at all during tha time; and by then, I'd gotten pretty comfortable on my MB "edges" and was skating well on them. It took 2 or 3 times back on ice to get back to normal, but I was kind of expecting to step right back onto ice and skate normally.

Do you think it's a mistake and that R1s won't be as good for off-ice drills? Can you explain to me what the difference is between the inserts, from experience (not from their "official" descriptions). I normally skate on a dual 8'/13' profile. Any thoughts on which insert might be best to try first? 

 

This is why I’ve never really believed the hype about either Mars chassis as a form of ice replacement.

You can rock and shift your weight and get that feel similar to ice but the skate surface and the means in which you contact the skate surface are vastly different.

I suspect you developed muscle memory based on that variable and briefly had to relearn your edges.

Otherwise for fitness, fun, competitive play they do their job but yeah as an ice replacement maybe not. 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

 

15 hours ago, Wicked3Aussie said:

This is why I’ve never really believed the hype about either Mars chassis as a form of ice replacement.

You can rock and shift your weight and get that feel similar to ice but the skate surface and the means in which you contact the skate surface are vastly different.

I suspect you developed muscle memory based on that variable and briefly had to relearn your edges.

Otherwise for fitness, fun, competitive play they do their job but yeah as an ice replacement maybe not. 

As someone who actively plays and officiates ice hockey, the Marsblade is the best thing to happen to inline hockey. Any other inline chassis forces someone like me to complete change the way I skate when I play inline hockey. And I'll have nights when I play both inline and ice within hours of each other. Nothing can replace being on the ice: way too unique of a process to do so. What I do know is that Marsblade makes the transition less dramatic to someone like me whose muscle memory is based off of ice hockey skating. If you just play inline, the Marsblade really isn't going to mean much to do. 

[Wicked3Aussie 68]

10 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

 

As someone who actively plays and officiates ice hockey, the Marsblade is the best thing to happen to inline hockey. Any other inline chassis forces someone like me to complete change the way I skate when I play inline hockey. And I'll have nights when I play both inline and ice within hours of each other. Nothing can replace being on the ice: way too unique of a process to do so. What I do know is that Marsblade makes the transition less dramatic to someone like me whose muscle memory is based off of ice hockey skating. If you just play inline, the Marsblade really isn't going to mean much to do. 

That’s all well and good as that’s your own personal experience, but the comment in which I replied to states the opposite of your experience.

I do both and switch back and forth without issue on regular steel & a regular Kryptonium chassis, it’s just practice.

 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

12 hours ago, Wicked3Aussie said:

That’s all well and good as that’s your own personal experience, but the comment in which I replied to states the opposite of your experience.

I do both and switch back and forth without issue on regular steel & a regular Kryptonium chassis, it’s just practice.

 

Most people who regularly go back and forth and have a background of ice hockey (and mainly spend their time on the ice throughout the year) have my experience aka the product works. That doesn't mean that there aren't people who have issues with this (or any other) product that works for the majority. You responded to his experience and I responded to your unbelief of the Marsblade "hype." Pretty sure that is permissible around these parts.

I also never said that the transition from ice to inline using a normal chassis was impossible. It's just way more of a transition because you can't emulate the "rocker" action that you have and use in ice hockey (which is pretty significant when it comes to the hockey stride). Then again, if you skate in some funky, unnatural way on the ice, maybe the Marsblade would detrimental to your ice + inline experience 😅.

Edited December 23, 2022 by 215BroadStBullies610

[YesLanges 127]

I don't think any of this applies to anybody who skates both on ice and on wheels regularly. Even if you skate on a traditional chassis, if you don't stop skating on ice, you can always switch back and forth between the two without any problems. I believe the question only applies to going back to ice after a layoff during which you only skate on wheels. In my case, I was shocked at how foreign ice felt after skating on MBs during the Covid layoff, because I'd expected to retain much more muscle memory from the MBs. I skated better my first day back on ice after 5 months of not skating at all after an injury a couple of years before Covid. During Covid, I actually felt like I'd found my "edges" on MBs compared to the months when I was on my 20-year-old roller chassis setup; so, it was really surprising to get back on the ice for the first time and feel so uncomfortable.

Edited December 24, 2022 by YesLanges

[clarkiestooth 235]

7 hours ago, YesLanges said:

I don't think any of this applies to anybody who skates both on ice and on wheels regularly. Even if you skate on a traditional chassis, if you don't stop skating on ice, you can always switch back and forth between the two without any problems. I believe the question only applies to going back to ice after a layoff during which you only skate on wheels. In my case, I was shocked at how foreign ice felt after skating on MBs during the Covid layoff, because I'd expected to retain much more muscle memory from the MBs. I skated better my first day back on ice after 5 months of not skating at all after an injury a couple of years before Covid. During Covid, I actually felt like I'd found my "edges" on MBs compared to the months when I was on my 20-year-old roller chassis setup; so, it was really surprising to get back on the ice for the first time and feel so uncomfortable.

I think I understand what you are asking. I'm a skating/skills instructor and work with elite players. I'll preface this with I know nothing about roller hockey and have never used the R1.  We use Marsblades all the time and I recommend every player should have them. The key to getting the real benefit of the 01 is too "loosen the bolt" as you say. By creating more rocker, you are really building your balance muscles and your core muscles. In addition to maximum rocker, all advanced players should use the smaller front wheel. When you feel unstable on the rocker, that means you have an opportunity to improve your core/posture/balance. Rather than avoid the unstable feeling, master it. The Marsblade also allows you do more skating and skills drills that simulate on ice drills. They allow better knee bend, better turning compared to regular in-line skates. 

[YesLanges 127]

9 hours ago, clarkiestooth said:

When you feel unstable on the rocker, that means you have an opportunity to improve your core/posture/balance. Rather than avoid the unstable feeling, master it.

Thanks, Clarkie. I understand that and I already indicated that I don't use my MBs for core training or to "challenge" my skating muscles. I use them simply to practice the exact same types of drills on dry land that I do on the ice at sticks-and-puck sessions, stickhandling and toe-dragging through pylons, etc. I do all of my strength training in the gym and am not really looking to optimize my core/strength training for skating. That's why, for my purposes, I suspect that I'm going to like doing my standard pylon drills on R1s better than on my O1s, for the exact same reason that competitive inline players prefer R1s: I'm just looking to "perform" my on-ice drills as well on wheels as I perform them on the ice, not to add any additional challenge to my ability to do so. So, what I was actually asking is why I wouldn't prefer R1s to O1s, if all I want to do is duplicate my on-ice drill performance on wheels. My new R1 setup is ready to go; now, I'm just waiting for my building to open my skating area back up as soon as we remove some construction scaffolding that we have up right now for some work on the building.

Edited December 24, 2022 by YesLanges

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

To dismiss the Marsblade ability to provide a "rocker-like" feel for inline skating is baffling to me but then again, I probably do way more ice skating vs. inline skating compared to almost everyone here haha. I only play inline once a week while between playing on two ice hockey teams, playing Shinny at least once a week, and officiating x-1x games a week, the transition from ice to inline improved dramatic when I first used the O1 and continued with my current setup of R1. If you think that using a normal inline chassis is the same using the O1/R1, that tells me that either you don't skate on the ice on a regular basis and/or your Marsblade chassis is setup in a way that it practically has no "rocker" while one is using it for playing/training. 

[SickLife 2]

is it advisable with R1's to use a harder durometer than you might regular chassis? i know that was said about sprungs back in the day, originally i used xsoft's but when i started on sprungs i went with a 76a.

 

i've been on the R1's since the fall and have a few sets of the revision flex. so first i tried the all 78a. then 76a. now i'm experimenting with the xsoft flex's on the ~74a side. its so hard to tell though with the ability to tweak the chassis insert. i know its a lot of personal preference. but i found myself slipping with 76a's. across. but the 74a feels a bit muddy.

is it advisable with R1's to use a harder durometer than you might regular chassis? i know that was said about sprungs back in the day, originally i used xsoft's but when i started on sprungs i went with a 76a.

 

i've been on the R1's since the fall and have a few sets of the revision flex. so first i tried the all 78a. then 76a. now i'm experimenting with the xsoft flex's on the ~74a side. its so hard to tell though with the ability to tweak the chassis insert. i know its a lot of personal preference. but i found myself slipping with 76a's. across. but the 74a feels a bit muddy.

[Sprungdownunder 18]

Recently I went with a medium chassis instead of the large for my 8.5 Bauer's & for outdoor off rink skating I been using 76 rear & 72mm front with the ice like insert as a result it flexes really well & it feels better then my 01"s.

If I end up playing roller again I will test that combo because we have a small rink around here  & agility over top line speed works better for me.

I know the recommended wheel size is 80mm /76mm but 76mm/72mm still works because it's still 4mm difference from fron to rear, reducing the length of the chassis too if your boot size is on the border of the large & medium also allows for more leverage in the rocker, it might work for some skaters.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Sprungdownunder

[sturdy22 28]

On 3/4/2023 at 5:49 PM, Sprungdownunder said:

Recently I went with a medium chassis instead of the large for my 8.5 Bauer's & for outdoor off rink skating I been using 76 rear & 72mm front with the ice like insert as a result it flexes really well & it feels better then my 01"s.

If I end up playing roller again I will test that combo because we have a small rink around here  & agility over top line speed works better for me.

I know the recommended wheel size is 80mm /76mm but 76mm/72mm still works because it's still 4mm difference from fron to rear, reducing the length of the chassis too if your boot size is on the border of the large & medium also allows for more leverage in the rocker, it might work for some skaters.

I’ve been considering this also. I have O1s and my sons have both the R1s and O1s. I skated on my oldest sons 8.5’s with a large R1 chassis and i felt like a medium on a 8.5 might add some maneuverability. My younger boy has mediums on a pair of size 7 so I can’t try those. It could end up being an expensive experiment if I don’t like the smaller chassis.

How have you found those to work since your original post and have you done anymore wheel size tests?

[Sprungdownunder 18]

On 3/25/2023 at 4:50 AM, sturdy22 said:

I’ve been considering this also. I have O1s and my sons have both the R1s and O1s. I skated on my oldest sons 8.5’s with a large R1 chassis and i felt like a medium on a 8.5 might add some maneuverability. My younger boy has mediums on a pair of size 7 so I can’t try those. It could end up being an expensive experiment if I don’t like the smaller chassis.

How have you found those to work since your original post and have you done anymore wheel size tests?

Because I am not playing roller for now I won't experiment on wheel combo as the 72/76 is extremely maneuverable in the small area I am skating on.

If I was playing on a rink I would definitely be testing the 76/80 but for now I love the medium chassis with the 72/76 set up they are easy to throw around in tight directions in comparison the large O1's feel clunky & i don't enjoy using them.

I have had a large R1 before, the medium definitely work better for me.

If your using them in competition it would definitely be a personal thing depending on the type of player you are & rink size/surface.