Slalom tip: The rocker set-ups

Wheel placing can modify the properties of your skates, according to whether you are looking for reactivity, handiness or speed. Non-flat alternative wheel set-ups are called 'rocker' set-ups...

Par alfathor
Publié le 14 février 2009 - Mis à jour le 3 novembre 2020 - 46969 Lectures - 0 commentaire(s)

Exemple de roller de slalom

Description

The best known example is the banana rocker set-up. Rest assured, it has nothing to do with any fruit, but its shape. It is simply about mounting your wheels in a semi-circle.

To increase the handiness of your skates in slalom, hockey or freeskate there aren’t many solutions. You can change and mix the sizes of your wheels and frames.

There are many different frame set-ups on the market. The change of weightbearing shape is called ‘rocker’.

Neutral set-up

All the wheels have the same size and height. It is the most common set-up on the market. It is mostly used for fitness and speed skates. It is the most stable and secure support. Some fitness models offer changes in wheel heights as standards but it is quite rare.

The ‘hi-lo’ (high-low) set-up

It is explicit enough:

• It is set up ‘high’ at the heel (two big wheels)
• and ‘low’ at the toes (two small wheels)

It is almost a systematic set-up in hockey to increase reactivity and speed-ups.
This set-up can be found on some mass-produced models as standard, especially with Mission and K2.

Some skaters even push the concept to its limits in putting smaller and smaller wheels like the Dalton brothers in Lucky Luke. They end up with: 80 mm / 78 mm / 76 mm / 72 mm

The banana rocker set-up

The end wheels are smaller than the middle wheels, or are placed higher.
This handy set-up is ideal for slalom. Only the middle wheels touch the ground. You lose a little in stability but tricks like the ‘crazy legs’ become far easier to nail.