roller blading/inline skating

My DH and I both skate. He has inclines and I have quads. I got mine off eBay new converted ice skates about 70quid his were also eBay bargain as the women selling them said they were too fast! He has since replaced to wheels. He is a lot faster than me but can't stop very well. I can turn and skate a bit backwards and seem to have more control. We are very luckily to have a nice smooth seafront near as and both our girls scooter along whilst we skate we do get quite a few smiles as our youngest is only 2.5yrs old but a speed scooterer. It's brill fun and when it's such warm sunny days puts a smile on my face if I can squeeze in 20min skate before work. I wear wrist protectors (from my snowboarding kit) but our Eldest DD is also learning to skate now and has full pads and a helmet when she skates. The choice between quads and inline is just personal choice I think. My weak ankles prefer quads but my DH used to ice skate so prefers I lines. Hope you get out skating soon.

Mimsy, never say never.
My eldest daughter, who always fell over, always dropped everything, started playing the violin when she was 10, is a grade 8 aged 15. And has never dropped her violin.

Suzanne, Yoga (and Zumba) is the plan, once I am repaired and I'll never be lazy with my exercise again. Swimming is so boring I never want to be restricted to just swimming ever again.

I'd love to learn to skate, but I'm ridiculously accident prone and can fall off a pair of trainers, so its probably not for me.

There's one similar to Hyde park in battersea park but for beginners, everyone very friendly. I want to do Friday night skate one day.

I've started skating after a 10 year gap, 3 years ago. I switched to quads to be kind to my ankles. The inline skates just hurt, boots too hard, etc.

Quads are cool and I cannot wait to get back on them, but I've got 2 slipped discs in my back and can't do anything but swim and rest

I skate in Hyde Park, and also meet up on Sundays with these guys Hyde Park Meet up
but it's for advanced skaters, in case you are near.

I wish my stupid back would hurry up and repair, I'm getting serious skating withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck with your injury, wait until it is really gone and then have fun skating!!

I skate occasionally, helmet and wrist protectors are a must.

It's a fab workout and totally worth it if your mates decide to go ice skating at Christmas - you look like the dogs wotsits when you glide past em all wobbling!

I had white jeans once back in the 1990s, a quick walk in the rain and they were ruined by mad splatters. I am too much of a muck magnet.

Glad you've been able to train, I get quite grumpy if I can't do any exercise. You'll be swooshing along on your wheels in no time.

Mmm, it would be a hiatus of circa 25 years . I'm not sure there are enough smooth pavements around here either.

In my head though I can skate along a promenade in tight white jeans just like a Tampax advert.

Hope you have a quick recovery Suzanne.

I've been really fancying skating recently too, I was always in my skates as a child,, happy days.

Quads are more manoeuvrable for artistic skating & sport, inlines are faster & usually easier for beginners & some stunts. Both are fine.

I endorse wrist protectors, btw, I've broken my arms too many times (but only once skating :) ).

Suzanne, in a very childish "I prefer quads" kind of way. Nothing more considered than that! Life on any wheels is a better one!

I used to rollerblade about 20 years ago! I have never been fitter, or thinner! And it was really good fun. I used to wear my rollerblades accessorised with Levi 501 hot pants and a crop top . It is quite tough getting started, you need elbow pads and knee pads, but I got better quite quickly. Learning how to stop by turning quickly was useful, and didn't take that long to learn. A whole gang of us did it and I picked up a lot from them, but just having a go is the best way. I didn't actually fall over very much! I would love to start again, but am a couple of stone heavier and would find it quite punishing I think. But I am losing weight slowly so maybe soon I'll be getting my blades out of the loft! Good luck.

i did a few years ago, got a pair of 4 wheeled skates on ebay bbrand new

the local kids laughed at me (cos i was shit and kept falling and losing my balance)

Rollerblades are rubbish! Quad skates are better though that may be my bias talking! I play roller derby after not having skated since I was a child and took a three or four one hour sessions to feel comfortable on skates.

Safety all the way!

It seemed to take ages, and I still can't stop very well! But in actual fact it was about 10 hours skating, just that it was across several weeks, and i didn't get the chance to practice in between.

I skate (badly) blades are easier to learn on IME. I also am taking classes to improve - all the class are ladies of a certain age.

Are there any skateparks near you? Or any roller derby teams?