Norfolk Brawds Kit Guide

NBRD
Let’s talk
about kit
baby...
So you’ve decided that
Roller Derby is for you
and now you’re wanting
to buy your own gear.
We’ve put together this guide to give you all the
information you need in order to decide what
to spend your hard earned cash on.
This is based on our experience and recommendations, however if there’s
something you see that we don’t cover here, please feel free to talk to us
about it, as we’re always open to updating our information. We don’t claim
to be the absolute authority on gear, but we do have a lot of experience
from making mistakes and wasting money on things that didn’t work out so
great, so we’d like to help you avoid doing the same!
We’ve found some
guides online
and in magazines
to be biased
because they’re
trying to get you
to buy specific
That being said, let’s get on to the good stuff.
brands, so do
be aware of this
if you’re looking
for information
elsewhere.
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NBRD
Skates
Without a doubt the most expensive
thing in your kit bag.
With Roller Derby rising in popularity there are now companies
starting to release ‘derby’ products that aren’t really made to
withstand the stresses of a full contact sport. We’ve found that
several skaters who were finding certain skills difficult actually
had problems with their skates, so they’d spent the whole time
thinking they weren’t any good at something when actually
their equipment was letting them down. This is why it’s really
important to consider the following before buying your first set
of skates for derby.
under £80
RW Volt
tinyurl.com/78fok2a
ANARCHY Mayhem
tinyurl.com/8xjb6nj
SFR Rio Roller Disco
tinyurl.com/7jr3jrg
Viper M1
tinyurl.com/c3sd66z
There are now a lot of companies producing skates as ‘derby
skates’ in this price range. Unfortunately they really aren’t
suitable for derby at all. We’re yet to find a skate for under £80
that has an adjustable toe-stop and we’ve found that people
who have had these skates have had real problems with any
footwork that involves using your toe stops, because they’re not
positioned very well.
Also the wheels that come with these skates really aren’t great
- they’re either very very soft wheels which are really meant for
outdoor skating (these are usually made entirely from urethane
without any hub which is why they’re so soft and grippy) or
they’re very very hard wheels made from cheap plastic (these
are made from polyurethane, so are just solid plastic which is
why they’re so hard and don’t grip at all). We’ll talk more about
wheels later, but it’s very unlikely that you’re going to find these
wheels good to skate on.
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All of the parts for these skates tend to be low quality and don’t
last long. Some parts can actually make skating harder because
they’re so badly made!
£80 - £100
ANARCHY Havoc
tinyurl.com/cavkuwf
This is the absolute cheapest skate that we feel is suitable
for Derby, however the wheels still aren’t really suitable. From
experience these aren’t great for wide feet and also don’t last
well in terms of the boot strength.
Stingray
tinyurl.com/bpwbcn4
We haven’t actually seen a pair of these in real life, but going on
the price point we would make the assumption as above. No
idea yet on width as have no experience of this skate.
£100 - £150
This is really the lowest price point where you start to see
packages that come with parts that will last and wheels that
are more suitable for derby, however chances are you’re going
to want to upgrade the wheels pretty quickly and with a set of
wheels being from £40 - £100, it might be more cost effective to
go up a package price level.
Riedell Jam R3
tinyurl.com/344kzvq
This skate is more suited to someone with a normal to narrow
foot width - those with wider feet will probably find the boot
really uncomfortable and find they get painful feet and numb
toes! The wheels with this package aren’t great as they’re hard
plastic (they’re polyurethane) so you would probably find you’d
want to upgrade the wheels quite quickly. (The manufacturer
Riedell actually don’t recommend this boot for derby, it is sold
as a speed skate.)
Sure Grip GT-50
tinyurl.com/csf7j5x
These are better for people with normal to wide feet - those with
narrower feet will probably find their foot slips around inside the
boot and they will get foot pain from trying to ‘monkey foot’ to
grip the boot. Again the wheels aren’t great though.
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Sure-Grip Rock Ghost
tinyurl.com/bstt948
This boot should still be normal to wide fit - however the wheels
and bearings that come with this package appear to be non
standard (these are ‘mini’ bearings which are smaller in diameter
than standard bearings and are more commonly used in scooter
wheels), which would mean having to buy new bearings if
buying new wheels. We’ve not seen these bearings being used
elsewhere in derby products.
£150 - £200
This is the point where you start to see leather boots and metal
plates, which will both last a lot longer and are far more suitable
for derby. If you want more information about why we think this,
head to the PLATES section. However there’s still not a lot of
choice in this price range yet.
Riedell Dash
tinyurl.com/bq8bly8
This package comes with a Nylon plate, which isn’t so great.
Also the wheels on this package are the same as the £119
R3 package, with the boot being a similar fit. Seeing as this
package is $139 in the states, this doesn’t seem like good
value for money (The RRP for the R3 is $119). The boot doesn’t
appear to be leather either, which would account for the price.
We don’t have any experience of this package, but it doesn’t
seem worth the extra £40 to us over the R3. (This package is
also not recommended by Riedell for Derby and is sold as a
speed skate.)
Riedell Diablo Red
tinyurl.com/bs77jb3
This boot is the same as the £119 R3 package but comes in a
bright red colour. The wheels that come with this package are
better than the Radar Caymans and that combined with the
different colour justifies the price difference. (This package is
also not recommended by Riedell for Derby and is sold as a
speed skate.)
Suregrip Rebel
Invader
tinyurl.com/cknhkce
The Rebel Invader is a fantastic package. A leather boot and a
DA45 metal plate that can last your whole derby career. (If you
want more information about this go to the ‘PLATES’ section
where we’ll explain some jargon like DA45, DA10, SA45 etc and
the advantages / disadvantages of these) . Once your boots
wear out you can just buy a new boot and move the plate over.
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The Rebel boot is a wider fit being a Sure Grip product, so if you
have narrow feet this may not be suitable for you. All of the parts
here are great quality and will last. The wheels that come with
this package are Sure Grip fugitives which are a very popular
wheel in the US and sit in the middle in terms of grip. (Fugi’s are
62mm by 44mm and 92a and made from Poly BD Urethane)
Riedell Vixen
tinyurl.com/6lskstz
The Riedell Vixen has a boot will be better for those slim footed
people. It comes with the Triton DA10 metal plate. We do find
this plate to be a touch on the heavy side. The wheels are Radar
Flat Outs, which sit a bit more towards the grippy end of the
scale. (Flat Outs are 62mm by 44mm and 88a)
£200 - £300
Riedell Vandal Track
tinyurl.com/cpvkjbw
Riedell 125S Speed
tinyurl.com/c9ahv25
Ridell New She Devil
tinyurl.com/cvngjpo
Riedell Vandal
265 Track
tinyurl.com/c3laf9g
This is the price range that the majority of Riedell packages
available in the UK sit at. Most of these will be a standard metal
plate, a set of decent wheels and a nice leather boot. However
if you have wide feet then you’re unlikely to find an off the shelf
Riedell package to fit you and you’d most likely have to look at
ordering a boot specially.
everglides.co.uk normally stock the Vanilla Brass Knuckles boot
with the Invader plate which sits around this price point, which
is a great boot for wider feet, however they don’t appear to
have any in stock at the moment and we can’t find another UK
supplier for them.
If you’d like more information about this speak to Yours Truly.
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£300 +
Antik MG2
tinyurl.com/cplzmkx
Riedell 595S
tinyurl.com/bmllqnq
Once you get into this range you get a lot of options, some really
great quality boots, parts and wheels. However if you’re looking
to spend this amount of money, you may be better off to get
your skates custom built so that you have exactly the options
that are suitable for your feet, skating style, build etc.
Bont derby with
Revenge plate
tinyurl.com/cesf5qz
If you decide that you want to spend this amount of money on
skates you may want to speak to Truly who has experience of
ordering custom packages and mounting plates.
Antik AR1
tinyurl.com/cjl9frf
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Pads
When starting out, we all made the mistake of buying cheap £10 sets of pads. Roller Derby
is a full contact sport and although under the minimum requirements pads just have to have
a ‘hard shell cap’, we’ve found that pads that only barely meet this requirement really aren’t
suitable for derby.
An American Survey (which we can’t find right now but we’ll try to cite when we can) found
that 7/10 injuries in derby are knee injuries. Certainly from experience it seems that knees
and ankles are the most injury prone part, followed by wrists, coccyx and head injuries
(mostly concussions).
With this in mind, it is super important that your protective gear does exactly that: protects
you. It’s worth spending the money before you get injured, rather than spending the rest of
your life living with an injury.
Knee Pads
These kneepads that sit around the £30 mark are what we would consider to be the absolute
minimum suitable for derby. We would recommend that if you’re going to buy pads around
this price point that you also invest in a set of gaskets as well (at which point it may be more
cost effective to buy a higher priced kneepad instead).
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NBRD
tinyurl.com/7fukh4p
tinyurl.com/cf8sj3y
tinyurl.com/c6mn8sj
tinyurl.com/cw73pgn
tinyurl.com/cwmjcto
tinyurl.com/cyjndnr
tinyurl.com/bo9vn6e
tinyurl.com/d6d9qwj
tinyurl.com/c9kh96d
tinyurl.com/cv8nv94
All of the above are ideal for derby. They’re all sturdy kneepads
with great padding and protection. With the Smith Scabs they’re not just different designs of the same kneepad, the
leopard actually do come up differently in size to the psycho
/ elite. Also you may want to think about how you’d like your
kneepads to do up - some of these are pull-on with velcro
security straps, so you have to remember to put them on before
your skates, others have a ‘butterfly’ back which means they
can be put on after skates and have one layer that does up with
velcro tabs and then another layer of straps over the top. It really
comes down to personal preference.
Other pads you might come across but
are less common:
tinyurl.com/cjx8own
Rector Fat Boys don’t seem to be as popular now that there is
a wider range of pad available however you may come across
them if you’re looking at second hand pads. They have less
horizontal bulk than some kneepads, but due to this have a
reputation for slipping due to the positioning of the bottom strap.
tinyurl.com/6rxuueb
These pads are custom made for each skater, so to reflect this
they are reasonably expensive. Wild Bill likes to really talk to the
customer to make sure that the product being made is perfect
for the person. Their wristguards and elbow pads seem to be
highly rated by those that use them and their knee pads are
rated to have superb protection with less bulk. The mini PD have
been recommended as the most suitable for derby, but if you
have an existing knee injury then you may want to consider their
larger pads. They also do loads of custom additions, including
changing to a buckle system, open back (rather than slip on
spandex), black caps instead of the standard white and custom
colour options for the fabric sections.
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tinyurl.com/7lw8dar
The 2.0 pads are a revision after complaints about the first
release of these pads, which had a kevlar cover over the knees
as well as the elbows. Due to the cover, when falling the pads
would actually grip the floor, causing people to twist their
knees, or rip the pads. With the revision Atom have put a plastic
cap on the pads but the elbows still have the cover. Also the
wristguards don’t have a double splint.
So far popular opinion isn’t really for these pads, particularly as
Atom have released a video on ‘how to fall’ which is not In line
with the WFTDA minimum skills. They say that double knee falls
and sliding on knees is not the correct way to fall and that the
falls used should be baseball slide and a ‘superman’ style fall, in
order to protect your knees. However the reason we fall small is
protect ourselves AND other skaters, so I can’t say that I agree
with Atom.
The ‘adult’ line is totally unsuitable for Derby, unless you’re a
national champion speed skater like Atomatrix and don’t fall or
get hit because you’re faster than a speeding bullet!
http://www.swedevix.com/Knee-Pads_c_22.html
We can’t find a UK supplier for these pads, so Swedevix is
the next nearest. These pads look absolutely gorgeous, but
unfortunately there’s not a lot of reviews for them. From those
that have used them they say they run small, but also narrow,
so the space for your knee to sit inside the pad is thinner than
usual. Therefore these aren’t likely to be good for those larger of
leg and knee.
If you pair the higher end kneepads up with gaskets underneath
you will have a high level of protection and support and your
knees will thank you in the long run!
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Gaskets
tinyurl.com/cvs9yv6
tinyurl.com/7v3mt2o
tinyurl.com/6lqzzxt
tinyurl.com/c6asza2
Gaskets are extra support and padding that goes underneath
your knee pads. They’re not intended to protect against impact,
that’s what the knee pads are for, they’re intended to support
your kneecap when you fall to avoid injuries (ACL - anterior
cruciate ligament and PCL posterior cruciate ligament tears are
reasonably common in derby. While not a break they can be very
painful and have you off-skates for quite a while to heal properly).
These ones don’t really serve the same purpose as all the
others, they’re not tight nor sturdy enough to support the
kneecap. These would be the absolute minimum if you were also
getting the lower end kneepads.
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Elbow Pads
tinyurl.com/cg3am2l
tinyurl.com/cds5bhw
tinyurl.com/7wtltn9
tinyurl.com/cfnrhdb
tinyurl.com/79cqyp6
tinyurl.com/d6hsuf9
tinyurl.com/cfcpqdf
Elbow injuries aren’t all that common in Derby, but even so the above are still the minimum
that we’d recommend. These have a decent sized cap and a medium amount of padding.
tinyurl.com/cbevkjb
tinyurl.com/6p5vode
tinyurl.com/d2uejfp
These ones are slightly more expensive but also slightly better - the Pro-tec do have a
relatively small plastic cap, so be aware of this when looking at coverage.
tinyurl.com/cnbugec
tinyurl.com/bo7zzv9
These are top end protection. The Scabs are said to run a bit big.
tinyurl.com/6rxuueb
tinyurl.com/6s2gqjl
Custom made, as per the
knee pads
These are also said to run a
bit big
Several of the less frequently come across brands mentioned in the knee pads section also
do elbow pads.
tinyurl.com/c6bq9tp
Elbow Gaskets do also exist, tho unless you have a pre-existing injury you probably won’t
need to get any.
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Wrist Guards
Broken wrists aren’t as common as you’d think in derby due to us learning to fall on our
knees, but they do still happen occasionally. The best way to protect your wrists are to have
wristguards with a double splint - one that runs down the palm and inside wrist and another
that runs down the back of your hand and wrist.
tinyurl.com/bmsq6l4
tinyurl.com/7o6cvjj
These are basic dual splint wrist guards. Neither splint is replaceable and the palm splint is
quite bulky, so can make grip (for whips etc) awkward.
tinyurl.com/d3euhub
This is a wrap-around style and the bottom splint is replaceable.
tinyurl.com/c8yqaq3
tinyurl.com/77rxhl7
These are also the wrap around style and -look- like they’re dual splint but might be worth
checking before ordering.
tinyurl.com/cppjybp
These have been highly rated by a few people - the glove style gives better manouverability
and grip (for whips) however being leather these can’t go through the washing machine
like other pads can, so may get smelly and dirty! Both the upper and lower splints are
replaceable in these.
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Helmets
There are two types of helmets you can buy, single impact and
multi impact.
Single impact helmets are designed to dissipate a large force,
but only once and then need to be replaced. The liners in these
helmets are made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) - impact
causes the foam to break apart as it disperses the energy.
So after one impact this helmet needs to be replaced. These
helmets are normally recommended for cycling.
Multi impact helmets are designed to absorb small to moderate
amounts of force without losing any protective effectiveness.
The liners in these helmets are made from Expanded
Polypropylene (EPP) - impact is dispersed along the foam
without breaking and foam then reshapes back to original size.
This helmet is effective for several impacts, but should still
be replaced if showing external damage. These helmets are
normally recommended for skating and skateboarding.
Single
impact
helets
are not
suitable
for Roller
Derby.
The following brands
don’t offer any helmets
that have multi-impact
protection: Bern, Bell,
TSG , S-One.
It’s also important to bear the following
from the WFTDA rules in mind in respect of
helmet pattern or design:
If you do purchase a helmet that has these
markings, you can’t just cover it with a
plain cover either:
3.6.5.1 - Only the Jammer’s helmet
cover may have stars on it or any
marks that might be confused with
stars. (Player numbers are permitted
on helmets per Section 3.7.5.2).
3.1.2 - Blocker identification: NonPivot Blockers do not wear helmet
covers.
3.6.4.1 - Only the Pivot’s helmet cover
may have stripes on it that run the
length of the helmet in any direction
or any marks that might be confused
with stripes.
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Triple 8 Brainsaver
tinyurl.com/d8uq9ww
tinyurl.com/88fv2qs
tinyurl.com/74c4xn4
The Triple 8 Brainsaver is a multiple impact
helmet that is readily available.
if you are going for a Pro-tec helmet check
it against their site and if it has the green
SXP logo after the description it’s multi
impact. Also be aware of similar names
- the ‘Classic’ is multi impact, but the
‘Classic Skate’ is not.
Nutcase Crossover
If you’re thinking of buying a Triple 8 helmet
you can check against this chart:
tinyurl.com/d3wxyhk
tinyurl.com/caysvx4
tinyurl.com/cq322gp
tinyurl.com/bm5lz9x
The first 3 ranges (Pro, Sweatsaver and
Standard) are Multi Impact but the last
two (EPS Liner, Little Tricky) are not and
are therefore not suitable for Derby. These
helmets are designed to withstand more
than one moderate impact, but protection
is provided for only a limited number of
impacts. From reading about Triple 8
helmets it has been reported that a number
of people have still suffered concussion
in this helmet. This is however anecdotal
evidence only and should be considered
as such.
Nutcase Crossover Helmets are multiple
impact helmets and have the same EPP
(Expanded Polypropylene) foam liner as a
Hockey Helmet. However they look more
like a traditional derby helmet.
This is the crossover range:
tinyurl.com/bquccn4
REPLACEMENT: if visibly damaged (e.g.,
a cracked shell or crushed liner), after one
major impact or several minor, showing
signs of wear and/or when directed by the
manufacturer.
Pro-tec SXP
tinyurl.com/ccxcj2t
This helmet liner is not EPP, but instead
their own patented SXP which they claim
is multi impact certified. It says it meets
ASTM F1492 which appears to be the
American multi impact standard. (Most of
these helmets are manufactured by US
companies). However the helmets in their
‘skate’ range (which means skateboard)
are not derby suitable as they’re EPS. So
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Hockey Helmets
tinyurl.com/74uhome
tinyurl.com/7m9yk9z
tinyurl.com/cmt6tos
tinyurl.com/7w86qay
Hockey Helmets are multiple impact
helmets and have an EPP foam liner
and a hard plastic shell. These helmets
are tested much more rigourously than
standard helmets commonly used in derby.
However helmet panties don’t fit properly
over these helmets and they tend to
reduce your peripheral vision range a bit.
They also cost a lot more than the helmets
already covered.
REPLACEMENT: showing signs of wear, i.e.
cracked shell, padding becoming unglued
or upon their expiration date (which should
be stated with the product but is usually
several years).
Team sport helmets are designed to
protect against multiple head impacts
typically occurring in the sport (e.g., ball,
puck, or stick impacts; player contact;
etc.), and, generally, can continue to
be used after such impacts. Follow
manufacturer’s recommendations for
replacement or reconditioning.
10.1.3.2 Non-form fitting face shields
such as hockey style full face shields,
half face shields or face cages are
strictly prohibited.
is very interesting, but seems to currently only be
available in US / Canada.
If you do choose a Hockey Helmet, you
need to be aware that it needs to be one
without a face shield, as per the following
WFTDA rule:
Check out photos of Team Canada from the Roller Derby
World Cup wearing the Easton S16. Their stealth range
seems to sit lower profile than their standard range and
Helmet Panties seem to fit over them okay.
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Gumshields
10.1.3.2 Non-form fitting face shields
such as hockey style full face shields,
half face shields or face cages are
strictly prohibited.
3.6.5.1 - Only the Jammer’s helmet
cover may have stars on it or any
marks that might be confused
with stars. (Player numbers are
permitted on helmets per Section
3.7.5.2).
3.6.4.1 - Only the Pivot’s helmet cover
may have stripes on it that run the
length of the helmet in any direction
or any marks that might be confused
with stripes.
You might think that a mouth guard is just
for protecting your teeth, but it’s also for
preventing concussion if you hit your chin
or jaw rather than the area protected by
your helmet. It needs to fit closely enough
that you can open your mouth and it
remains over your top teeth. If it flaps down,
it’s not fitted correctly. If you can’t talk and
be understood with your gum shield in you
may need one that’s a better fit.
You should have your mouth guard in at
all times when participating in any derby,
be it drills, practice, scrimmage or bouting
and you should absolutely never take it
out when in a full contact situation. There
are rules that allow for removal of you gum
shield while in the penalty box and it’s also
allowed when on the bench, but it really
isn’t worth the risk. If you forget and skate
onto the track without it you will receive a
major penalty and be sent to or returned to
the penalty box.
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tinyurl.com/clozech
tinyurl.com/6pct8nf
tinyurl.com/7knvz4f
tinyurl.com/clj9o7q
These are a standard ‘boil and bite’ mouth guard. If you have
an average jaw size and a straight bite, you may find this is
absolutely fine for you and you don’t require anything more
expensive. However these do tend to be bulky and hard to talk
in. Also you are not allowed to modify your mouth guard, so if
you had the reasonably common problem of the back sticking
out too far, you would not be allowed to cut it down.
Shock Doctor is a widely sold brand of gum shield, you’ll find
you can easily buy them locally in sports shops as well as online
and they range in price. Usually higher priced ones will be less
bulky and have a closer fit.
tinyurl.com/cyjmqw6
tinyurl.com/d9obtp7
gel fit, no latex if you have an
allergy
tinyurl.com/buehz8k
designed for if you wear
braces
tinyurl.com/bov9xud
tinyurl.com/87u2lku
Opro is another widely sold brand which you can usually find in
any sports shop with a range of prices and types available.
tinyurl.com/89udxk6
The Protech Dent mouth guard is a relatively new player on the
derby market - these only really came into production in the last
few years. They are very comfortable, fit well and you can easily
talk and drink with them in. They’re also great if you have an
usual bite or jaw shape. They are not a soft gel material like a lot
of other mouth guards, instead they rely on impact dissipation
and crumple zones for protection. They have become incredibly
popular with derby skaters, but there are also those that are
dubious about the level of protection from a thinner mouth guard.
tinyurl.com/btoakm2
If you have special requirements from a mouth guard and the options above don’t suit you,
your dental surgeon should be able to offer a custom moulded mouth guard service, so ask
them about it next time you visit.
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NBRD
Impact Shorts
It’s actually more common than you’d think to fall onto your
backside in roller derby. It tends to happen when just standing
still, or when you’re pulled over by a team mate, or have your
legs taken out from under you and don’t have the time or option
to fall small. Most of the time you will fall on your muscles, but
if you do happen to fall directly onto your tail bone it can be
incredibly painful and lead to persistent back problems.
There aren’t many products for this that are specifically created
for derby, so a lot of gear intended for extreme sports such as
snowboarding is sold as derby protection.
tinyurl.com/bqgo2x7
These are all quite bulky, as said these aren’t made with the
derby skater in mind.
tinyurl.com/cef5cuu
tinyurl.com/dx6lh9k
tinyurl.com/bwh7zgh
tinyurl.com/bsr9lnv
These are slightly less bulky but still cover down to the knee.
there are two types in
this listing so be aware to
choose the one with tailbone
protection
tinyurl.com/d45pylh
tinyurl.com/cx64j76
This is a flexible plastic pad with a harness, as opposed to a
bulky short.
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NBRD
tinyurl.com/cb86h5r
This appears to be a flexible plastic and cover type too, also this
is intentionally created for roller derby.
tinyurl.com/d42wslz
These are reasonably bulky, but have removable padding so
if you wanted to you could just remove the side padding and
retain the tail bone protection. These are also cut higher in the
leg in more of a derby style. These are also intentionally created
for derby use.
tinyurl.com/7fpc6f6
The McDavid Hexpad range uses padding that is a lower profile
than a lot of other padded shorts, but rather than just being
a foam pad it is their ‘hexpad’ foam, which rather than using
volume of pad to protect, instead disperses the impact across
the pad. The roller derby ones are specifically created for the
derby market, however we can’t find a UK supplier.
tinyurl.com/7zyhb7p
swedevix.com have stocked them is the past but don’t appear
to have any in stock at the moment.
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NBRD
Toe Guards
Not protective gear per se and certainly not compulsory, but if
you are particularly worried about your skates getting scuffed
(which is pretty likely to happen) then you can obtain additional
covering for the vulnerable parts of your boot. If they’re made by
one brand they should still be usable on other brands of boot,
but they may not fit as snugly or need some adjusting.
tinyurl.com/89yfsz7
tinyurl.com/ckkrmtk
This is the standard leather toe protector that the majority of
skaters use. It will protect the top and front of your skate which
is primarily the part that gets scuffed when falling. I
tinyurl.com/c949vps
tinyurl.com/cru3sf3
These are a more solid cap that covers a larger part of the front
of the skate.
tinyurl.com/bs56zxz
If you’d prefer something more stylised, there are plenty of
people who hand make custom designed toe guards, as per this
selection from etsy. Or you can just grab some offcuts of leather
and make your own.
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Wheeles
On every forum you go on,
website you check out, or
magazine you read, people will
have different opinions about
wheels. This section is based
purely on experience, research,
opinions and cash spent on
trying different things out.
There are lots of factors to
consider when looking at
which wheels might suit
you, such as:
•
The type of floor you’re
skating on
•
Your weight and height
•
Your skating style
•
The position you play
•
Your level of experience
However, it essentially boils down to how grippy
you want your wheels to be. As a newer skater, you
probably don’t want slick, hard wheels that are going
to have you sliding sideways and slipping all over
the place. Grippy wheels are softer and create more
friction, whereas harder wheels create less friction and
therefore less grip.
When you start looking at wheels online, you’ll see
they often have a ‘hardness rating’ signified by
two numbers and the letter ‘A’. This is called the
‘Durometer’, which is a system used to measure
the hardness of plastic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Shore_durometer) Usually for derby wheels this ranges
from around 80a (very grippy) to 100a (pretty hard).
While this number is supposed to tell you what to
expect from a wheel, I would advise taking this more
as a guideline. It tends to be used more as a target for
the manufacturers as opposed to a definitive measure
of grip. Different manufacturers use different types of
Urethane formulas which will therefore react differently
to outside factors, so a 93a Atom wheel will not
necessarily perform the same as a 93a GrnMnstr, 93a
Radar, 93a Sure Grip and so on.
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Yours Truly’s
Rule of Thumb for Wheles
When Plow Stopping, you are making your wheels slide diagonally against the direction of
your momentum in order to cause friction and reduce your speed. If you have the technique
correct, but are still rolling too far, your wheels are too grippy. If you are sliding too far, your
wheels are too hard. I can explain this in more detail person if need be, as it might not make
as much sense written down.
We’re going to break this down into sections based on some different factors:
The type of floor
you’re skating on
Your weight and
height
Currently the Brawds home
rink is a wood floor, which
is pretty uncommon in UK
Derby as most leagues
practice in sports halls
or on polished concrete.
Because the floor at Funkys
is pretty soft and grippy, if
your wheels are also grippy
it’s going to feel as though
you’re skating through treacle
and it’ll take a lot of effort
and pushing to skate fast.
Wheels that are too grippy
will also make it very difficult
to do plow and t-stops and
you will probably find your
wheels seem to judder or
catch along the floor. Wheels
that are too hard will also
cause problems, as your
wheels would slide along
sideways causing no friction,
so you wouldn’t be able to
slow down.
A skater that weighs 8 1/2
stone is going to be putting
less force on their wheels
than a skater that weighs 12
1/2 stone. Not taking any
other factors into account
(such as skating style), a
heavier skater should be able
to get more grip on a harder
wheel than a light skater.
Just for reference, in terms
of Derby a ‘light’ skater is
anyone under 9.5 stone.
Middleweight is from that up
to 11.5 stone and Heavy is
anything up from that.
Ideally anyone over 10 stone
wants to be skating on a
metal hub rather than a nylon
hub (the hub is the centre
part of the wheel that the
bearing sits inside). This is
because for anyone over this
weight a nylon hub will flex,
which distorts the wheel and
gives a less even roll and a
feeling of more grip. If you’re
around 10 stone or above, a
nylon hubbed wheel and a
metal hubbed one, that are
exactly the same otherwise,
would skate differently and
you would feel more grip
from the nylon hubbed one.
Another factor to consider
with this is wear - if you’re
distorting the wheel and
causing it to grip more, you
will also wear down the
wheel faster. So it could end
up that you have to replace
your wheels more frequently.
Having said that, metal
hubbed wheels are quite a
bit more expensive than their
nylon hubbed counterparts.
(I only own one set of
wheels with an metal hub
because there wasn’t a
nylon option and I’d really
say they’re not necessary
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for lightweight skaters tho
there’s nothing wrong with
just skating metal hubs if you
want if you’re lighter).
Deciding to skate metal
hubbed wheels does limit
your options quite a bit.
From experience it seems
most UK skaters aren’t
particularly concerned about
hub flex (or plate flex, but
that’s a whole other essay in
the Plates section), so a lot
of UK stockists mostly have
nylon hubbed wheels.
We’re going to add wheel
width in here as well, though
it could also go under
‘skating style’. If you’re a
tall skater and have a higher
centre of gravity, you might
need a more stable base, so
a standard derby wheel with
a width of 44mm could be
for you. If, on the other hand,
you’re a small skater, you
might find that a wide wheel
is a bit cumbersome and
unnecessary, so prefer to go
for a slim wheel with a width
of 38mm. Remember though,
this is about all the factors
combined, not just each one
on its own.
Your skating style
If you skate with a nice,
low stride, you’ll probably
be able to get away with a
harder wheel than if you’re a
beginner skating with a short
stride in a high position.
So you can factor this in
to your decision too. If you
spend most of your time on
the track in Derby Stance
then you can probably use a
harder wheel for your weight
and height type.
The position
you play
As a Jammer, you might
want a wheel that gives
you speed for when you’re
racing to get back round
to the pack, but also
maneuverability for when
you’re trying to find those
little gaps to get through and
agility for the footwork you’ll
need to trick the opposing
team’s blockers. (I’ve always
preferred slimmer wheels
(38mm or less) since I started
playing Derby, but since
towards the end of last year
have changed my preference
from a 62mm diameter wheel
to 59mm, because I feel that
I’m more grounded and have
better agility and control.)
A lot of Jammers use Atom
Jukes, which come in both
44mm and 38mm widths, but
are only 59mm high instead
of the more common 62mm.
You might think 3mm isn’t a
lot, but it really does make
a difference. Your centre of
gravity is lower, giving you
greater stability and agility
meaning easier ‘Juking’
(hence the name). However
the downside of the smaller
diameter is that while you
can accelerate quickly to get
away from the pack, your top
speed is slower. When I first
started playing derby I really
didn’t like them, but now
they’re one of my favourite
wheels. I’ll probably have
a different favourite again
in 12 months time as more
options become available
and new lines produced.
The choice of derby wheels
available in the UK now is
huge compared to a couple
of years ago.
However you may find that
a slim wheel, whilst great
for agility, doesn’t give
enough stability. Or you may
find that you’re having to
really work to get up speed,
because the contact surface
is much smaller. You need
to consider the other factors
already mentioned when
choosing a wheel.
As a Blocker you may want
a wheel that gives you good
grip, a nice stable base but
also allows you some speed
for when the pack pace picks
up. If you are a big hitting,
power blocker, you might
go for a wide (44mm) wheel,
as this gives you a strong,
large amount of contact with
the floor for power transfer.
However, if you’re the kind of
blocker that is always jostling
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in the pack, your wide wheels
might cause a problem
because there’s a higher risk
of you getting tripped up.
You might want your wheels
to be soft enough that you
don’t slide sideways when
hitting, but you may also
want them not so grippy that
you’re unable to keep up
when the pack goes fast. You
might even decide to go for
a smaller diameter wheel like
the Juke, for a lower center
of gravity, to make you
harder to push over.
Some skaters also like to
skate on a mixture of wheel
hardnesses at once. Most
commonly this is seen in
what is called a ‘Pusher
Set-up’ and used to be more
common among Jammers
but has since spread to be
used by all types of players.
For this you have two wheels
on the left hand side of each
skate that are grippier than
the two wheels on the right.
The reason for doing this is
that as we commonly skate
counter-clockwise, you have
a combination of grippier
wheels on the inside of your
skate to hold you in the turns
and harder wheels on the
outside to give you speed.
If you where looking at your
skates on your feet top
down, the set-up would look
like this is you had a mix of
93a and 95a wheels:
93a -<<- 95a
|
|
93a -<<- 95a
93a -<<- 95a
|
|
93a -<<- 95a
Sometimes you may also
see people with a Cross
Push set-up (I don’t know if
there’s an official name for it,
but that seems to describe it
well to me). This is based on
the theory that the grippier
wheels sit across where the
most push is applied when
crossing over, which given
the same wheel combination
looked at top down would
look like this:
93a -<<- 95a
|
|
95a -<<- 93a
93a -<<- 95a
|
|
95a -<<- 93a
You may also see people
with 3 of one hardness wheel
and one of another, or even 3
different hardnesses on one
skate. You might want to go
for all 4 of the same wheel on
each skate type as a Blocker,
because you would like an
even base from which to be
able to push against for big
hits in either direction. As a
Jammer you might find the
same, that when trying to
maneouver having mixed
wheels is too unpredictable.
As we will say a lot, because
it really is true, it comes
down to personal preference.
Just experiment and find out
what works for you, there is
no right or wrong.
Your level of
experience
As we said at the start, as
a new skater you probably
don’t want to go straight to
really hard wheels, as you’ll
find it really hard work to stay
within the track boundary if
your skates keep sliding out
underneath you. However as
we also mentioned earlier,
if you have wheels that are
too grippy, you’ll find some
techniques like Plow Stops
and T-Stops a bit harder, as
they do rely on you having
some sideways slip in your
wheels. A wider wheel would
be great for stability as a
new skater and will give
more contact with the floor
and therefore easier push,
however they could also
feel cumbersome and will
have a wider turning circle
than a slim.
As you learn and improve
skating style, you’ll probably
start to find the softer
wheels are limiting your
speed and want to go up to
a harder wheel.
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To try to help you decide on which options you want to go for when picking a wheel, here’s
some Pros and Cons for different wheel variations:
Wide wheels (>40mm)
Grippy wheels
Nylon hubs
Pros : M
ore stability, grip
and longevity. More
contact surface.
Pros: More stability, better
agility
Nylon hubs tend to
compress when weight
is applied to them, so the
heavier the skater, the more
they compress. This means
that a heavier skater may find
a Nylon hub wheel ‘grippier’
than a lighter skater.
Cons : More cumbersome,
higher chance of
wheel clash when
pack skating or
jostling.
Cons: H
arder work to
skate fast, may feel
‘sluggish’.
Hard wheels
Slim wheels (<40mm)
Pros: Easier to perform stops
that involve sliding.
Faster roll.
Pros: M
ore agility, less width
means less likely to get
wheel clashing. More
response.
Cons: L
ess control, more
likely to slide out.
Cons: Less contact surface,
wear out quicker as
more stress on the
Urethane for grip.
62mm Diameter
Pros: Higher top speed
Cons: S
lower acceleration,
less agility.
59mm Diameter
Pros: Lower center of gravity,
more agility, better
acceleration.
Aluminium hubs
Alu hubs don’t compress
very much, so the wheel will
seem harder / more slippy
in comparison to its Nylon
equivalent. Less availability
and choice in the UK.
Ultimately nothing will help
you more when deciding
which wheels to buy than
trying some out. Any of the
Brawds that have multiple
sets of wheels should be
happy to lend out some to
try for a session if you give
them a bit of notice.
Cons: H
arder work to skate
fast, lower top speed.
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Plates
Plastic vs Metal
Most plastic looking plates are made of Nylon. Particularly with heavier skaters, these plates
will actually flex when skating, which means that a lot of the power from your strides is
actually absorbed by the plate and lost before it reaches your wheels and the floor. Even
lighter skaters will experience this, but on a much smaller scale. We have experienced
heavier skaters actually bending their plates to the point where they are touching their
wheels, which makes it very hard to skate. Metal plates do not flex and so this problem does
not occur and all of your power goes straight to the floor.
If you really want a light skate, there are ways around this. If you buy a boot that has a
carbon fibre sole then you can mount a nylon plate to this and you won’t lose any power to
plate flex, as the carbon fibre of the boot sole won’t flex at all. You are looking at this being
quite expensive as currently Bont are the only manufacturer of carbon fibre skates and the
boots alone start around £200. There is also an independent manufacturer making plates out
of carbon fiber, but they’re not being mass produced to date and due to this are also quite
expensive and are only made to order.
Having said this, there are plenty of skaters on top UK teams that are still skating on nylon
plates with synthetic boots and manage absolutely fine. But it could be that if they changed
their skate package they would see an improvement in their performance. Ultimately it’s a
matter of personal preference, experience and opinion.
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Single Action and
Double Action Plates
First of all, let’s look at what we mean by Single or Double Action.
This is a Single Action plate.
This is a Double Action plate.
This plate has one cushion (the black
barrel) on each truck.
This plate has two cushions (the yellow
barrel) on each truck.
Cushions are also called bushings on some
websites as they’re used in skateboarding and
longboarding too.
A double action plate is more adjustable than a single action plate. With a single action plate
you can change the cushion to be softer or harder depending on your preference, but with
two cushions you can tune that even further by having one cushion at one softness and the
other another. Also with the double action plate the cushion nearest the floor can be either a
barrel or a cone shape, which again responds differently, so can be tuned to your style and
needs. You’re not very likely to encounter a single action plate as standard in derby these
days, but it’s good to know the difference in case you come across one.
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10 Degrees vs 45 Degrees
This is a 10 degree plate
This is a 45 degree plate
•
smoother turning
•
quicker turning
•
larger turning circle
•
tighter turning circle
•
more controlled
•
faster response
You may encounter other plate types that state different angles, 5 degree, 15 degree and so
on, but 10 and 45 are the ones you’re most likely to come across in derby.
If you start looking into it you’ll find that there isn’t actually a 45 degree angle on most 45 named plates somewhere in the history of plate building this name stuck even though it’s not a true statement of the angle of
the kingpin to the plate, nor the kingpin to the pivot pin, tho the latter measurement is likely to be closer to 45
degrees. Plates such as the Invader, XK4, Skins and Avenger actually have their kingpins at 30 degrees to the
plate.
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Types of Mount
Your plate can be attached to your boot in varying positions that will then affect the way your
skate reacts. Someone already wrote a very good piece on this, so rather than try to reinvent
the wheel, here’s how he explains it:
‘First off, there is no correct way to mount plates. There is what you like, and what works
for you. I have many pairs of skates with many different purposes, and all are mounted
differently. Outdoor, Jam Ref, Outside Pack ref, session, all are a bit different depending on
what you want them to do.
Same goes for derby: What do you want out of your skates? Agility? Speed? Stability? Each
of these things requires different mounts (as well as different kingpin angles and actions, but
that’s not what we’re talking about here). So I’ll keep it basic, and talk about 3 different mounts
that appear most frequently. I’ll also try and break down what they do and why they do it.
But first, let’s look at the foot!
The arrows above reflect the pressure/contact areas of your foot. They are where your
balance is while you are standing/walking barefoot. Notice that the balance of the back of the
foot is right about the outside ankle bone, and the front is just ahead of the ball of the foot
(where the big toe joins the foot). If you stand up (right now, do it!) in your bare feet and shift
your weight forward and back, you will notice these points.
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Agility Mount
An “Agility Mount” (sometimes referred to as short/forward) uses these points as a reference.
It places the axles directly below these points. Since everyone’s foot is different, every “agility
mount” will look different. So it’s not exactly short-forward, it’s more “short-correct”.
An agility mount mimics the contact/pressure points you already use, and places the axles in
such a way to use those points to your advantage. I find that jumping, turning and sprinting
are all more natural on an agility mount. After all, we all (or most of us) know how to walk, and
translating those points directly to a roller skate helps immensely with jumping and hopping
and overall control.
A good analogy would be this: The
feet are placed right above the axles,
giving the maximum feedback, input
and control.
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Standard Mount
Then we have the “Standard Mount”.
That looks like this:
Notice that the front and rear axles are outside of the pressure/contact points of the foot.
This gives it more stability, as the axles (which are in effect the place where the wheel hits
the floor) are outside of your balance area. Longer wheelbase, more stable. However, the
tradeoff is maneuverability. The further away from your foot contact points, the less energy is
directly transferred from your foot. Your balance no longer gives direct input into the action
of your skate, as the further away the pressure points, the more muscle/lean/input is required
to turn the axle. This, combined with the longer wheelbase, make for a less responsive, less
maneuverable plate. When you jump and hop, you are no longer using the natural balance
points, but are using artificial points to the front/back, causing you to waste energy and time.
To use the skateboard analogy, it’s
like this: He’s not going to fall off
the board anytime soon, but he’s
not going to make any sharp turns
either. The weight and power needs
to transfer through the board to get
to the trucks instead of having direct
input. And jumping? Heh.
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Outdoor / Track Mount
Finally, we have the “Outdoor/
Track Mount”. This is the true
“short-forward”.
It looks like this:
Take an agility mount, and
move it forward. The reasons
for this are quite specific, as it
needs to do a few things:
1) Maximize the power transfer
from a long stride
2) Roll over debris (rocks,
twigs, etc) without catching or
upsetting your balance
Skateboard analogy again: He’s not going to get tripped up by any
With the wheels shifted
forward, the front will “lift” over
small obstacles without them
catching under your weight. It
also allows you to push with a
full stride (heel to toe) which is
most frequently used outdoors
(you don’t get much time in a
derby pack to use that kind of
stride). As such, it’s great for
outdoor use, but I wouldn’t
recommend it for a derby track.
It also has the disadvantage (or
advantage, if using outdoors)
of not turning nearly as well.
With the wheels so far forward,
it is difficult to transfer enough
weight/energy to the front axle
in order to turn it. Almost all
turning is done with the rear
axle, by digging your heel in.
rocks, but he’ll have a damned tough time turning without lifting
up the front. You can also see here how the turning is done with
the rear axle, as the most weight (balance) is concentrated there.’
Credit: Gle8 Skatelog
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We’re almost
done....
So that ends our guide to kit. It is a lot to take in, but
hopefully by reading through this document you can go
and buy your equipment in the knowledge that you’ve
researched what you’re buying and you’re not going
to end up wasting lots of money buying stuff that’s
actually not suitable.
Of course if you have any queries or questions, about
kit any league member should be able to either give
you an answer or refer you to someone who can (and
I’m pretty much always up for nerding out about gear).
See you
on the flat
track!
Truly xxx
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Links to UK Suppliers:
billys.co.uk
Good selection of protective gear (mostly TSG), most
of the atom wheels range and a suregrip stockist.
skateattack.co.uk
Derby owned and run by Von Bitch of the London’
Rockin’ Rollers. 10% discount, just state your Derby
League’s name in the comments at checkout and you’ll
get that amount refunded.
kickflipboards.co.uk
amazingskates.co.uk
Derby owned and run by Thee Enforcer.
everglides.co.uk
skatebritain.net
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