When you find a physical sport you love, like roller skating, it is important to learn as much about the equipment you will be using, as it is the activity itself. ISC Cherry Hill wants to help you with this by offering some excellent roller skate maintenance tips to keep you skating longer and safer for years to come!

Parts of a Traditional Roller Skate

Each of the following pieces of your skates will require care and maintenance at various points of their ‘skate life’:

• Roller Skate Boot
• Truck
• Toe-Stops
• Wheels
• Bearings

Skate Maintenance – Per Part

• Roller Skate Boot: A very basic, but super important tip about skate boots, is to always keep them dry! Of course, sometimes this isn’t possible due to sweat or getting unexpectedly caught in the rain outdoors. The key is to wipe out the entire boot (inside and outside), loosen the laces and then let it DRY NATURALLY. Do not try to speed the process with heat, as this could lead to the boot leather shrinking, expanding and even cracking. When the skate boot gets dirty, it is okay to use mild soap and water on a cloth to clean it off; simply allow it to air-dry after. Some skaters choose to apply leather conditioner to the outside of the boot with a soft cloth and use Silicone Shoe Saver to waterproof the inside of their roller skate boots.

 

• Roller Skate Truck: This part is basically the large, flat piece of metal that the skate boot attaches to. In general, the skate truck should fit tightly to the boot. Check to make sure it is tight and secure every few months. However, this may need to be checked more frequently if you roller skate outdoors or on rough surfaces. (Some skaters purposely loosen this piece for maneuverability; ask an experienced skater for tips if you decide to try this.)

 

• Roller Skate Toe-Stops: On the end of your skate should be a round stopper. For non-adjustable toe-stoppers, simply check sporadically that it is screwed in tightly. If you have an adjustable toe-stop, experiment with it to find a position that works best for you.

 

• Roller Skate Wheels: If your skate wheels seem to be getting ‘stuck,’ check them for debris; if you find they are dirty, remove them and clean in soap and water. Should your skate wheels become worn or damaged, be sure to change them ASAP! This could be a potential safety issue.

• Roller Skate Bearings: The bearings your roller skates have, are what allow a skate wheel to turn, spin and rotate on the axle of a skate wheel. These are a very important piece of the roller skate. Typically recreational, indoor skaters use roller skates that have enclosed / maintenance free bearings. However, if you are an outdoor skater or are a participate in roller sports, you may have a need to remove, clean and lubricate your bearings. While this can be a tedious process, luckily there are tons of tutorials online from skating pros explaining in detail and showing step by step instructions.

 

ISC Cherry Hill

Keeping up with the ‘health’ of your roller skates should allow you to get many years of use out of one pair of skates. Please stop by ISC Cherry Hill sometime to take your skates for a spin and show off your moves! We have incredible skate sessions every week! Take a look at our fun-filled ISC Cherry Hill schedule today!