Ask me anything about the Marsblade R1

[PetterErlandsson 26]

I am Petter and work as a product development engineer at Marsblade. Over the past year, together with the rest of the development team, I have been working specifically on developing the R1 chassis for roller hockey. From the first sketches on a white sheet, to final prototype testing with pro players. Personally I feel convinced that this new chassis can change the whole sport of roller hockey.

If you have any questions about the new chassis, from a product development perspective, I will be happy to answer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-r20h_jlxK/

Edited April 21, 2020 by PetterErlandsson

[gosinger 122]

* Could you outline the operational principles behind the exchangeable rocker inserts compared to the screw-adjustable rocker on the O1? I assume it "limits" the rocking range available differently in the front/rear, rather than the combined front/rear limit on the O1?

* Could you describe material choices (aluminium, magnesium, steel, abs, ...) and its pros/cons for this type of chassis?

* Does the R1 allow for a similar training effect as the O1 with the smaller wheel in front or is it strictly a high-low chassis?

[VegasHockey 1280]

I would love to know the weight of the Gen I Marsblade vs the new R1. Also, any significant differences in the chassis length or dimensions?

[Westside 232]

Are the mounting holes for the O1 and R1 the same? Would it be worth upgrading from the original to the new chassis? Is there a substantially different feel between the two since one is a flat setup and the other is hi-lo?

[PetterErlandsson 26]

10 hours ago, gosinger said:

* Could you outline the operational principles behind the exchangeable rocker inserts compared to the screw-adjustable rocker on the O1? I assume it "limits" the rocking range available differently in the front/rear, rather than the combined front/rear limit on the O1?

* Could you describe material choices (aluminium, magnesium, steel, abs, ...) and its pros/cons for this type of chassis?

* Does the R1 allow for a similar training effect as the O1 with the smaller wheel in front or is it strictly a high-low chassis?

* The main difference with the different rocker setting inserts is the size of the radius. Small radius means more movement, and bigger radius means less movement. During the development of R1 we tried a lot of different settings to find the best one for performance. What we discovered were that different players with different skating style prefer very different settings, so we decided to make the chassis customizable with changeable inserts. Other things we can adjust with different inserts is pitch/angle and balance point. O1 has a small, fixed, radius (= lot of movement in both directions). By adjusting the bushing on the O1 you can change how much you can rock, in other words how much you can push your centre of gravity forward or backward during skating. 

* Lower part is an aluminium / magnesium alloy, and top part is glass fibre reinforced polyamid. What we have taken into consideration when choosing materials is mainly: strength (to withstand the forces of full match play over a long period of time), impact resistance (for puck hits), and manufacturability (to keep prices at a reasonable level and ensure stable production). Main pros for the polyamid is the freedom of shapes and geometries we can do, cons is that some players may reject the chassis if its made of any type of plastic (which does not really make sense to us, keep in mind that more or less every ice hockey chassis is made of plastic). Pros with the aluminium is strength in relation to weight, and that it is widely accepted by the players. Cons is that it makes the price of the product higher. 

* You can absolutely use the R1 for training as well, its much more ice-like feel than a traditional, stiff, chassis. And putting a smaller wheel in the front on R1 is not a problem, but if you are looking for a chassis specifically for off-ice training then O1 is a the better choice, as it is optimized for training while R1 is optimized for maximum performance.

[PetterErlandsson 26]

3 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

I would love to know the weight of the Gen I Marsblade vs the new R1. Also, any significant differences in the chassis length or dimensions?

R1 is slightly lighter than O1 (around 19% lighter for size medium). No big difference in length or dimensions.

Many players seems worried about the weight but despite that we feel very confident about it. During the test period for the past months with around 15 high level players that have used them regularly in training and games, no one have negatively comment or complain about the weight. Its also important to notice that O1 has a lot of movement in both directions to always challenge your balance and force you to work hard at all times. This make them feel more heavy than they actually are. With R1 its the opposite, you can do more of your natural movements without lifting up the skates from the ground than with traditional chassis, making them feel lighter. 

[PetterErlandsson 26]

3 hours ago, Westside said:

Are the mounting holes for the O1 and R1 the same? Would it be worth upgrading from the original to the new chassis? Is there a substantially different feel between the two since one is a flat setup and the other is hi-lo?

No, R1 has a unique hole pattern.

It depends on what your purpose with the chassis are. If you are an ice hockey player using them specifically for off-ice training we recommend to stay with the original O1, but if you play roller hockey its definitely worth an upgrade!

It is a substantially different feel between R1 and O1, but i would not say it comes from the different wheel setups. Both HiLo and for example all 80´s has a flat wheel base, so the difference in skate feel is marginal. As far as I understand it the idea with HiLo is not to give any rocking or difference in ground contact, but that bigger wheels is better for speed and smaller wheels is better for manoeuvrability, so with HiLo you should get a little bit of both (correct me if i am wrong, Bauer 🙂 ). The main reason we have the same wheel-setup as HiLo is that it is more room under the heel than under the toe, and we want as big wheels as possible without making the chassis too high. 

/Petter, Development Engineer at Marsblade

[PetterErlandsson 26]

18 hours ago, Westside said:

Are the mounting holes for the O1 and R1 the same? Would it be worth upgrading from the original to the new chassis? Is there a substantially different feel between the two since one is a flat setup and the other is hi-lo?

Here is an additional principal sketch over different wheel setups since many players seems to have questions about it: 

Edited April 23, 2020 by PetterErlandsson

[Westside 232]

Hey Per, a few follow up questions if you don’t mind. all this talk about the R1 being for roller and the O1 being for off ice training, does the R1 replicate the feel of ice skates in the same way the O1 does or not? 

Could you please provide more information about inserts and the effects they have on the rocker/skating? How easy are they to change? The short video on your site just shows it sliding in and out. Is it that simple? If it is, what keeps the insert secure in the chassis? 

Lastly, are the lower part of the chassis anodized, painted, powder coated? I know blue is your color, but do you envision black or silver being offered in the future? Something more understated 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Westside

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 4/27/2020 at 7:51 AM, Westside said:

Hey Per, a few follow up questions if you don’t mind. all this talk about the R1 being for roller and the O1 being for off ice training, does the R1 replicate the feel of ice skates in the same way the O1 does or not? 

Could you please provide more information about inserts and the effects they have on the rocker/skating? How easy are they to change? The short video on your site just shows it sliding in and out. Is it that simple? If it is, what keeps the insert secure in the chassis? 

Lastly, are the lower part of the chassis anodized, painted, powder coated? I know blue is your color, but do you envision black or silver being offered in the future? Something more understated 

Yes and no. R1 has much more of an ice like feel than a traditional inline chassis, but not as much as the O1. The difference is the rocker setting where the O1 rocker is design to mimic the ice hockey steel while the R1 rocker is designed for maximum performance. 

The insert is attached to the upper part by a snap fit. It is easy to change but you need to remove the lower part (with one bolt) to reach it. The feeling of different inserts is of course a question of personal preferences, but by testing them ourselves and listen to the players who have tested them my impression is: 
H5-T8: Most similar to ice hockey 
H5-T15: A lot of heel movement but full contact during push offs
H8-T8: Smoother feeling 
H8-T15: Most controlled feeling, less movement i general but still clear benefits from the rocker

The blue colour is anodized. Valid point, it's definitely a potential alternative, in the end it's a matter of how many players we see demands it.

/Petter, Development Engineer at Marsblade

[Stewie 721]

Hello Petter! 
do you know if True is going to offer the marsblade on their custom boots by any chance? Looking to try that combo out! 

[PetterErlandsson 26]

5 hours ago, Stewie said:

Hello Petter! 
do you know if True is going to offer the marsblade on their custom boots by any chance? Looking to try that combo out! 

Hi Stewie, 
I have no information at the moment if they have that kind of plans, I think the best way is to ask the question directly to True. The player who probably has the most test hours on the R1, John Schiavo, uses the R1 chassis with a custom True boot, and he really praises the combination.

/Petter, Developing Engineer at Marsblade

[Vet88 674]

Hi Petter -  can you give us any info on what the required maintenance will be to keep the R1 in good shape and how easy it will be to perform eg what is required? Inline rinks accumulate a lot of dust and debris, how will this effect the rocker motion as the chassis gets dirty? Are you expecting owners to clean the chassis daily, weekly, monthly?

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 5/3/2020 at 12:16 PM, Vet88 said:

Hi Petter -  can you give us any info on what the required maintenance will be to keep the R1 in good shape and how easy it will be to perform eg what is required? Inline rinks accumulate a lot of dust and debris, how will this effect the rocker motion as the chassis gets dirty? Are you expecting owners to clean the chassis daily, weekly, monthly?

Yes you are right that dust can end up between the upper part and the lower part which need to be cleaned out sometimes. It seems to vary a lot from rink to rink how much dust it emits, but according to our test players they have had to clean it out "once in a while", but that there has been no problem. An important note is that the dust has stuck to the insert that has been 3D printed so far during the development work, the final factory-produced insert will have a much smoother surface which will attract less dust.

Except for that it should not be more maintenance than a regular chassis. Keeping the chassis reasonably clean, and putting new loctite on the wheel axles once in a while sounds good to me. 

Edited May 9, 2020 by PetterErlandsson

[Rob Riccetti 2]

Hello Petter,

I am primarily an ice hockey player, who also plays inline hockey during the summer. After skating with the O1’s for about a month, I tried to switch to a HiLo inline skate to avoid the abuse that rougher asphalt runs the composite holders and wheels through.  I found that I could not skate easily in the HiLo’s any longer, so I went back to the O1’s for the game.  My concern now is, as I have pre-ordered the R1’s, will I have the same difficulties going back and forth with the R1’s and the O1’s as I do with the traditional (Mission) HiLo’s and O1’s, or will the R1’s and O1’s be similar enough that the adjustment will be minimal?  Also, for the medium chassis in both R1 & O1, what are end to end lengths with your standard wheel setups?

Thanks,

Rob

[Sprungdownunder 18]

Hi Petter

Can I ask a question not related to the post but since your in the development team i thought I’d try & sneak it in.

Is there any plans to offer different steel for the ice holder like DLC?

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 6/10/2020 at 9:17 AM, Rob Riccetti said:

Hello Petter,

I am primarily an ice hockey player, who also plays inline hockey during the summer. After skating with the O1’s for about a month, I tried to switch to a HiLo inline skate to avoid the abuse that rougher asphalt runs the composite holders and wheels through.  I found that I could not skate easily in the HiLo’s any longer, so I went back to the O1’s for the game.  My concern now is, as I have pre-ordered the R1’s, will I have the same difficulties going back and forth with the R1’s and the O1’s as I do with the traditional (Mission) HiLo’s and O1’s, or will the R1’s and O1’s be similar enough that the adjustment will be minimal?  Also, for the medium chassis in both R1 & O1, what are end to end lengths with your standard wheel setups?

Thanks,

Rob

Hi Rob,

No you will not have that problem. Their is a clear diffrence between O1 and R1, and it is a clear difference between the different settings in R1, but they are all based upon the same technology so going back and forth between R1 and O1, or back and forth between R1/O1 and ice skates will not be a problem. 

Stay safe, 
/Petter, Product Developer at Marsblade

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 6/22/2020 at 6:13 AM, Sprungdownunder said:

Hi Petter

Can I ask a question not related to the post but since your in the development team i thought I’d try & sneak it in.

Is there any plans to offer different steel for the ice holder like DLC?

Hi,
Yes we have that kind of plans. Our steels need a different shape from what other brands have to fit our technology, but we have plans to have steels from different brands in the future. Unfortunately, I have no more concrete message than that to give at this point. 

Best regards,
Petter, Product Developer at Marsblade

[Westside 232]

Are there any durability concerns with the inserts? Will this be a component that will wear out and need replacing? If so, what is the expected lifespan and how much will replacement inserts cost? 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Westside

[Miller55 333]

I'm wondering about the optimization of the R1s for roller play, specifically regarding if they will help relieve the stress of play on the legs and knees.

 

I know the concept is very different from sprungs, but when I play on sprungs they mitigate a significant amount of fatigue in my legs. I didn't notice until I played two games on sprungs and then played a very light game of pickup in an old pair of hilos. An hour on hi los had my legs more beat the next day than playing 3 hours straight of intense 4 on 4 on sprungs. (I had plenty of rest in between, so that's not a factor). 

 

I'm wondering if the flow motion will have a similar effect, where it helps relieve some if the stress and fatigue in the legs. I know that the O1 is meant to work the legs more, so I'm hoping that's not the case with the R1. Any feedback?

[Kyle Lawrence 1]

Could Marsblades be mounted on carbon fiber speed skate boots that have aluminum mounting plates at the front and rear? Ideally we would not drill and rivet into the carbon fiber sole (aside from the fiber dust created with drilling into carbon fiber the profile of the bottom of the boots is not flat (it has indentations for large diameter wheels) and I would imagine that the Marsblade chassis would need to be flush with the sole.

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 6/26/2020 at 6:49 AM, Westside said:

Are there any durability concerns with the inserts? Will this be a component that will wear out and need replacing? If so, what is the expected lifespan and how much will replacement inserts cost? 

Hi Westside, 
We had no problem during testing with the durability of the inserts. We do not expect that you need to change the insert because it becomes too worn, but in near future we plan to offer a larger range of different inserts with different settings to make sure all kind of players can find their perfect setting. Spare parts will be available in our webshop. 

Edited August 9, 2020 by PetterErlandsson

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 6/28/2020 at 4:34 PM, Miller55 said:

I'm wondering about the optimization of the R1s for roller play, specifically regarding if they will help relieve the stress of play on the legs and knees.

 

I know the concept is very different from sprungs, but when I play on sprungs they mitigate a significant amount of fatigue in my legs. I didn't notice until I played two games on sprungs and then played a very light game of pickup in an old pair of hilos. An hour on hi los had my legs more beat the next day than playing 3 hours straight of intense 4 on 4 on sprungs. (I had plenty of rest in between, so that's not a factor). 

 

I'm wondering if the flow motion will have a similar effect, where it helps relieve some if the stress and fatigue in the legs. I know that the O1 is meant to work the legs more, so I'm hoping that's not the case with the R1. Any feedback?

Hi Miller,

No scientific biomechanical studies have been conducted on this yet, but we are absolutely convinced that the answer is yes - it will help relieve the stress on the legs and knees! Since your foot can have a range of positions while still have full contact with the surface, you can have a much more natural movement during a stride than when your feet are limited to one specific position. I think a relevant comparison is when you run in a pair of running shoes. Since they are rounded and soft, you can land on your heel, "rock" over the foot, and puch away with your toe. If the shoe were completely stiff and flat, like the wheelbase of a traditional inline chassis, it would have a significant limitation on your running technique and natural movement pattern.

[PetterErlandsson 26]

On 8/7/2020 at 2:00 AM, Kyle Lawrence said:

Could Marsblades be mounted on carbon fiber speed skate boots that have aluminum mounting plates at the front and rear? Ideally we would not drill and rivet into the carbon fiber sole (aside from the fiber dust created with drilling into carbon fiber the profile of the bottom of the boots is not flat (it has indentations for large diameter wheels) and I would imagine that the Marsblade chassis would need to be flush with the sole.

Hi Kyle,

It sounds difficult since our mounting holes are in the edges of the chassis / boots while the mounting plates on speed skates appear is placed directly under the heel and directly under the toe. It is possible that you can mount them with your own creative solution, for example by drilling your own mounting holes through the chassis. Of course we can not guarantee that it works out in a good way, but if it would be interesting to hear how the chassis works for speed skating, so if you are interested in testing anyway, feel free to contact me in a DM.

Edited August 9, 2020 by PetterErlandsson

[Westside 232]

2 hours ago, PetterErlandsson said:

Hi Westside, 
 Spare parts will be available in our webshop. 

Any update on R1 shipping?