It is common for inline skates to have rear brakes. Skating with brakes is beneficial for beginners and fitness skaters, but it is not conducive for trick skating, and it is frequently prohibited in hockey.
In some cases, it’s better to purchase standard skates and remove the brakes rather than use specialized skates that don’t feature brakes (for hockey or tricks).
Additionally, London Skaters warns that using your wheels to stop will cause them to wear out faster.
Rollerblade’s video showing how to remove the brakes
What is the best way to remove inline skates brakes?
You’ll Need These Things:
- A pair of Allen wrenches
- The screwdriver
Step-by-step instructions
1. You should turn the skate upside down so that the wheels are facing you rather than the boot. With your Allen wrench or screwdriver readily at hand, you can also examine the wear on the wheels and perhaps rotate them if needed.
2. Using the Allen wrenches or, if applicable, a screwdriver, unscrew the fastening screws on each side of the brake. As opposed to two horizontal screws, some models use one vertical screw. Depending on the model, you may be required to completely remove the rear axle before you can remove the brake.
3. Look for wear, damage, or rough edges around the brake. There is a likelihood that brakes don’t protect the bottom of skates from grinding in cheaper models. So, Before you begin skating without a brake, apply adhesives, paint, or complete minor repairs to the frame (such as filing down a rough edge) and boot.
Demonstrate how to adjust the rollerblade brake accordingly
Adjusting the brake on rollerblades is a simple process that can be done in a few minutes.
The brake is located on the back of the rollerblade, near the heel. There are two screws that hold the brake in place.
Loosening these screws will allow you to adjust the brake. There are three positions that the brake can be in: retracted, neutral, and engaged.
The retracted position is when the brake is fully closed, and the engaged position is when it is fully open.
Most skaters prefer to have the brake in the neutral position, which is halfway between retracted and engaged.
To adjust the brake, loosen the screws and move it to the desired position. Then tighten the screws to hold it in place.
What to watch out for and what not to do
Choose the right replacement parts based on the way you will use the skates after the brakes are removed. In sports such as hockey, soft wheels may also be necessary to help you stop and slow down without braking.
To make the skate easier to slide, the front and back wheels may also need to be raised. In order to skate aggressively, you should use the smallest wheels that will fit your skates (when the frame is lower to the ground, brakes are cumbersome).
A rear-wheel brake may require longer screws than any other wheel if it’s attached to a rear-wheel brake.
After the brake has been removed, the skate frame may have adjustable screw holes for adjusting the wheel position. If not, you may need to replace the rear screws with matching ones.
Conclusion
That’s it! You have successfully removed your rollerblade brakes.
Now you will be able to ride your rollerblades with full confidence.
We hope that this article has been helpful and that it has helped you understand how rollerblade brakes work.
