Bauer speedplate question

[Leif 161]

Over a year ago I bought Bauer Speedplates for my Bauer S160 skates. I was over the moon, as it felt like I was getting more control and my skating improved immediately. I’d been trying to master a forward hockey stop for ages, and the first session with speedplates I succeeded. Up till then I was unable to correctly use the outside edge on the trailing foot. A few weeks later I forgot to put them in, and I felt really awkward, and my skating went downhill. My feet felt loose, even though there was a good heel lock. The skates themselves were a good fit. Anyway, skip forward over a year, and a week ago I forgot to put one in, and my edge control on CW crossovers improved. I’d been having problems with my right skate sliding  sideways during crossovers for reasons I can’t figure out, but that time I could feel the edge biting in to the ice. So yesterday I tried both skates without speedplates, and it felt like I had more feedback from the ice, my edge control was better. Forwards crossovers were better with no sideways slip. I tried forwards and backwards hockey stops, and tight turns, and all felt as good or better. So for now I will skate without Speedplates, which will save money since my first pair lasted one year before cracking. 

Anyone else experienced this? Why would I like speedplates initially, but not so much now? You would think they would help given that top end Bauer skates include a pair. 

I have a suspicion that it is related to the fact that I first used them in new skates, and now the skates fit my feet much better. Perhaps the skates now provide a better lock, due to being worn in, and the speedplates are now superfluous? 

[asgoodasdead 74]

leaving out a lot of info here. what insoles are you skating with instead? or no insoles at all? with socks? without socks? i love my speedplates and feel i have more control, feell the ice better, etc. vs the stock insoles or superfeet. and i always skate sockless. i've never skated with no insoles, though, i'm sure i'd have even better control with none

[Leif 161]

The standard insoles that came with the skate, which are really no more than a thin layer to cover the rivets. I wear socks, just whatever I happen to be wearing that day. 

A really good skater saw me do crossovers last night and said I need a deeper hollow, 7/16" maybe, and not 1/2". I'm just over 11 stone (~160 pounds), and 5'11". 

[Larry54 243]

4 hours ago, Leif said:

The standard insoles that came with the skate, which are really no more than a thin layer to cover the rivets. I wear socks, just whatever I happen to be wearing that day. 

A really good skater saw me do crossovers last night and said I need a deeper hollow, 7/16" maybe, and not 1/2". I'm just over 11 stone (~160 pounds), and 5'11". 

Every stock insole I've ever seen, no matter how thin and flimsy, had a bit of a built-in arch support. So that might be enough of an issue for you.

And you should always wear the same socks in your skates to keep things consistent, not "just whatever you happen to be wearing that day". Choose one kind of sock and stick with it. Normally, it would be the same socks that you wore when you tried on the skates before buying them.

[stick9 896]

So you take the speed plates out and put the stock innersoles in or put the speed plates in over the stock innersoles?

 

[psulion22 402]

My suggestion would be to bake the speedplates again to see if they conform differently to the skates now that they're broken in.  Over the course of a year, the boot has broken down some and may align to your foot differently, which is being restricted by the Speedplates.

I have a pair of Speedplate 2.0s and they aren't going to crack.  They're a big upgrade from the 1s.

[Leif 161]

Thanks all. The speedplates go in in place of the stock insoles, and not on top of them. The speedplates are only a month old, the first ones cracked after a year, so I fitted new ones.