From: aboulang@bbn.com (Albert Boulanger)
Newsgroups: rec.skate
Subject: Re: alternative brakes [Re: Rollerblading]
Date: 17 Apr 92 14:54:32
Organization: BBN, Cambridge MA
	<ABOULANG.92Apr16170206@kariba.bbn.com> <1992Apr17.160558.1443@csn.org>
Reply-To: aboulanger@bbn.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: kariba.bbn.com
In-reply-to: netwise@teal.csn.org's message of 17 Apr 92 16:05:58 GMT

In article <1992Apr17.160558.1443@csn.org> netwise@teal.csn.org (Netwise Inc) writes:


   Drop the abstract, Albert. We're looking to find things that work here.

Hmm. I thought I was doing just that.

   >I think (personally) that it will take a combination of equipment evolution
   >and education.

   There are two major problems with this attitude. First, it doesn't address the
   issue of what we do *now*. It sets the attitude to people that "maybe it's OK
   that I can't control my skates. After all, the really good braking equipment
   is still evolving." It lets these people off the hook; they may not take
   responsibility for being safe themselves.


Hmm. I was not proposing that this be a public attitude. This was an
exploration into improving the equipment based on prior practice. As
you know that I am a precision skater, you must also know that I
sponsor skaters in control, and proper training.  I have come to the
conclusion however, that this is perhaps not sufficient and equipment
improvements may be needed for inlines. Unfortunately learning to skate
*is* a multi-level-of-skill process. Some skating methods are taught
to beginners because they are not yet conditioned to do the higher
skill methods. While one can always resort to the beginning moves,
they are not the most effective as one gains skill. Some examples are:
the backwards skulling move for beginning backwards skaters, the bunny
hop, and the drag toe-stop stop (for outdoor skating). 

   Second, this hypothethetical evolution of speed control simply may not exist.
   It has never been found in the multiple booms of outdoor quad skating. Why
   not?

I have become convinced that the inline boom is not like the other
booms. The equipment is in some sense too effective. It is expanding
the range of skating applicability so that many are finding it a
effective way of transportation. The book I have on outdoor skating
printed in 1980 by Frank Simcoe does mention the back heel brakes for
quad skates although he was down on them. There has been evolution.
Radical terrain skating in both quad in inlines is relatively new to
skating history.

   Any decent means of deceleration will demand decent weight
   transfer/weight distribution; most beginners are not good at these skills.

Right, we need to have an equipment design so that less of these
skills are required. The toe stop drag is mentioned as a basic
beginner outdoor stop in Frank Simcoe's book.

   I think your "evolution" of braking devices is a pipe dream. A trivial method
   of slowing down on skates may never exist. It would be nice if we had it, but
   it's not necessary to have it for skaters to be in control.

There is evidence that this is not true. What about the 
caliper brake equipment for inlines that was posted here a couple of
months ago?

   Beginners will have better luck with a toe stop than a heel stop? I see no
   reason why.

The toe drag stop is an intuitive stop that does not require a lot of conditioning.

   >>The current wheelbase of 4-wheel skates provides stability. Moving the front
   >>wheel further back would decrease the skate's fore/aft stability.
   >
   >Are you positive about this? Any theory or experiment to support this?
   >(The Biskates is a empirical design datapoint.)

   You bet. When I move from my Racerblades to my 4-wheelers, I'm far more prone
   to fall forwards *and* backwards off of the skates. My fore/aft centering 
   skills have to be a lot sharper on the shorter wheelbase.

I assume your 4-wheelers are inlines :-)?  This may be your
conditioning on the longer wheelbase skates. I had a lot of trouble at
first when I used dance plugs in lieu of my toe stops. 

   >It is used in a "put one foot behind and drag on toe-stop" stop for
   >beginners.

   Dragging a toe-stop behind you will not be as effective as effectively using a
   heel brake, unless you can put 80-100% of your weight on the foot you're
   dragging.

Agreed. My concern is effective brake control for beginners.

   >>There is a certain amount of skill to decelerate with in-lines, using a rear
   >>brake, while going 25 mph. There's a certain amount of skill to decelerate
   >>with quads, turning backwards and using a toe stop, while going 25 mph.
   >
   >I am not sure this would be the most effective way of stopping with
   >quad radical skating.

   You don't know the effective means of stopping quad skates, yet you think
   that toe stops would be useful to add to all skates.

I know of effective means of stopping quad skates in the rink. Radical
terrain is not in my experience. It is not in the collective
experience of the skating industry for that long a time either, ( < 25
years?). The stopping methods in Simcoe's outdoor skating book are the
drag toe-stop stop (advised for beginners), T stop and, the "turn
around an sit on the toe stops" stop. (Simcoe's book does mention a
fast way of getting around to stop backwards in the last stop by the
way.)

   You acknowledge that the outdoor roller skating industry has never created
   a trivial, effective way to slow down skaters, but demand that the in-line
   skating industry create such a mechanism.

What I claim is that the front brake may be a good piece of equipment
for effective braking for beginners (quad or inline). Radical terrain
skating is relatively new in skating history, and I would be
*surprised* not to see evolution of mechanism or methodology.  Yes,
indeed, inline equipment is pushing the envelope. Remember that the
first use of the back brake was on quads so there has been an
evolution already in braking.


Yours in safety and precision,
Albert Boulanger
aboulanger@bbn.com
From: ahill@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 02:41:40 GMT
Subject: Inlines: Emergency techniques?
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID