Rough ground and skating
We never evade questions on OLS, especially not beginners'. Let's focus today on a word that speaks to most of us: Rough ground...
Par alfathor
Rough ground numbs your feet with its vibrations, makes the rolling very unpleasant and makes you want to switch your carbon skates for a good old pair of slippers… Rough ground is never ending, breaks your speed, and can be recognized with eyes closed. It has been cursed countless times, it is slippery in the rain, it prevents you to catch up on the bike that has just passed you, and makes you skate like a duck… And we could go on and on!
Our definition
The definition of rough ground is quite subjective. You can speak of rough ground as soon as you consider that the surface you are skating on becomes unpleasant because of its irregularities.
The appearance of the sensation will considerably vary according to the diameter of your wheels: Between 56 cm and 125 cm, there is quite a difference!
Origins of rough ground
Except for damaged roads, the roughness is linked to the grain texture of the surface on which you skate, that is to say the size of the components of the asphalt coating. Road coatings are made of a mix of gravel and sand, binded with asphalt or tar. The bigger the grains, the rougher the road.
Several types of coating
Black coatings
A fine grained black coating (grain texture: 0/4 or 0/6 most of the time) is perfectly suitable for skating. It means that the grains are between 0 and 4 mm (or 6 mm). The smaller the grains, the less noise and vibrations.
Black asphalt coatings have a good lifespan.
Colored coatings
Slow lanes are often covered with colored coatings. Their surface is resistant and more or less rough. Their grip is of very good quality. They may be of various colors: Red, beige, yellow, green, blue… These coatings are about three times more expensive to produce than classic asphalt. They are well-liked for their solidity, their smoothness and their homogeneity.
Coatings with green binding
There are also coatings with green binding that are well suited to skating. They can be found more and more on green lanes in natural environment. They have a great grip but often convey the sensation of cracking under your wheels, just as if you skated on breadcrumbs…
Links
Translation: Chloe Seyres
Photos: rollerenligne.com
