/rsg/ FAQ First Edition

>I'm an 18 year old 42yr old, can I still learn this later on in life?
Yes, retard.

>But won't I look.... un-cool?
The mindset is what makes you look like a complete faggot, not the attempt at learning.

>What's the best roller skate?
One that fits.

>I mean like, brands and all that.
One that fits that you get for free from someone else / cheap off an online auction.

>But-
Skates are like cars, they nuke in value the moment you buy them, it's kinda better to have an anyold cheap old runaround that you can smash up a bit to start with. Good build quality is nice and definitely isn't a meme, but if you're just starting out, anything is better than nothing (you might not even like rollerskating, and then it's money saved). Once you're into it, is when you can start dorkin around with a decent quality shoe at the ~$200-400 range to fit your main usage, but at that point you don't gotta ask me for a vague recommendation. Ask in-thread if you've got any specific questions in mind.
Don't forget that a good worker never blames his toolbox.

>Wheels?
Around 85a hardness is a nice general point (with a variation of a few points up or down); covers indoor, outdoor and most surfaces.
Lower is softer, aimed at outdoor (grippier), Higher is harder, aimed at indoor (ultra-low grip = super speed). Taking either extreme to the wrong surface and you'll either feel like you're skating on a glue trap or you'll have zero traction and won't be able to skate at all. Hardness doesn't really affect how long they last, so don't pay second thought to it if you think harder wheels make for better durability / fewer purchases. Only spoilt rich kids have time+money to waste on wheels, so more than a good set of shoes, get a decent quality set of wheels (if your shoes didn't come with them) and fuckin take care of them (swap them around periodically to evenly split the load, pick out tiny pebbles, clean the fuckin things etc).
Small wheels (~60mm) are for aggressive inline faggots because faster acceleration, ultra-small wheels are ultra-tryhards that want to do fancy footwork tinytricks. Larger wheels (~70mm) are usually the way to go for the average dude / dudette, and have more controllable starting acceleration & higher top speeds (rule of cool).
Width profile isn't really a factor, Quads usually go wide, Inlines go thin, just the way it is. Wides are easier - learn and practice on thins anyways.

It's not the end of the world if your shoe comes with wheels that are slightly off from what you're after, just use them.

>Are heel brakes a meme?
Kinda but no.
They do work very well, but you can trip over yourself if you're not used to the extra length they add to the back of your shoe, they can teach you bad habits for certain scenarios (eg going up stairs) and you don't want to become mono-reliant on them when other braking methods can suit different scenarios far better. On the other hand, they enable you to do some cool stuff unique to them, and forking out for a full set of new wheels you grind down with braking on is even more of a meme (1 heel brake pad = way less expensive than 3-4 new wheels) (multiplied by two shoes). They're intended to be like stabilisers for a bike, but ironically you should learn to skate+stop *without* them first, then decide if you want to use them.
Yes, two are better than one.

>I've fallen! And I can't get up!
Practice on hard dirt / short grass (not after rain or you'll get covered in mud / filth and won't move) (not on carpet unless you don't mind really destroying it). Don't bend your legs for the sake of it, you're making sure your centre of balance is in the middle of your foot, not your ankle (like you're used to with walking around), that's what's slipping you up. Put all your weight on one foot going in the direction you want, the other pushing that foot the way you want it (almost like a scooter attached to your foot). Start slow, focus on form, speed up with time. Start with only one shoe on, get used to the balance / movement flow, then the other, then both. Once you're good on hard dirt and can replicate between sessions (only takes ~1 week), move to an empty+quiet car park to get comfortable on hard smoother surfaces, then take it to the streets. T-lock to be able to stand up without help (there's other ways too, just go with what works if needs be).
And brah, listen. Learn. How. To. Brake. Or you will break (your leg). T-Stop, Slalom, Heel Brake, in that order. Muscle memory that shit, and only take speeds / slopes you can confidently slow down + brake at. Don't prioritise learning Powerslides / Soul slides / Magic slides; they're pretty hard, wreck your wheels and need you moving at too high a speed that early on in learning.
You probably ain't gonna listen anyways (nobody does), but fuck it, I told you now lol, enjoy your first accident.

>Helmet + Protective gear?
Yes, they do work, but as a counterpoint to what literally everywhere else online and confirmation to what the voices in your head say, yes, they do look fucking stupid, they are clunky and immobile, and are yet another step of prep when rollers already take long enough to put on and lug around.
People who shill squeaky clean health and safety in an inherently non-health-and-safety sport / pastime are fucking dweebs and/or adrev sellouts. Good padded / motorcycle gloves with the plastic shell-bits and learning to break your fall (like in martial arts) does almost all of the work for basic trip-ups, and honestly if you fall at a speed where a helmet would save you from something, kinda your fault and you're still gonna smash something up hard + graze yourself bad + ruin your clothes. If you get brain damage, you deserve brain damage. Best way to avoid injury is to not do dumb shit that can injure you to begin with. If you're practicing something difficult you know you're gonna tumble with a lot in a short amount of time, sure (gloves, knees, helmet, elbows, goggles, mouthguard, bulletproof kevlar plate, shinguard, neck pillow, codpiece, diaper, religious icon but it's not idolatry or something, health insurance, another helmet on top of the first one, bubble wrap etc), but for casual use, the risk you're comfortable with and the protection you can be bothered with is only up to you. I do heavily recommend the padded / motorcycle gloves with the plastic shell-bits doe (cheap, portable, don't get in your way, stick em in the shoes when you're done, fingerless is an option so you can tie laces and shit if you don't care about specific hand protection).
9 out of 10 doctors agree that this is not sound medical advice.
9 out of 10 doctors also have bitch gold digger wives who cheat on them and neglected kids who hate them.

>Skate parks?
They're there, but they're not mandatory.
Cool place to find other people who probably have years on you, who are happy to help you but also show off how much better they are than you. Also, most of them ain't as good as they're marketed as - long version here https://davidcaddo.substack.com/p/urban-plazas but short version is that they're made by soulless city planners who saw ultra-high end competitions on TV and thought that skating revolves around grey concrete quarterpipes and grind rails that people go around one at a time at fixed intervals, rather than anyone tackling what they're comfortable with at their own speed in their own time (with places to sit). This ain't as much a problem for us rollerskaters, since shoes are inherently more versatile than boards so streets are more viable and fun, but there's your answer.
I know places like Europe or some parts of the East Coast can have older, worn-down and grittier roads on slopes (compared to West Coast or Australia, with ideal smooth, flat expanses littered with only a few cracks), so a skate park might be one of the few reliable places you can find good quality paving (especially to start with) - but don't feel pressured that it's anywhere close to the best option and defo don't feel obliged to fucking pay for it. Car parks (especially multi-storey ones, at the top with less traffic), local nature parks with areas that just got paved over, metal bridges, around gas stations etc - all great spots if the road quality in your immediate area ain't ideal. You'll find somewhere good quality if you look for it.
Too much traffic? Come back later at night.

>TH-TH-THHTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTHE LAW??!!?!?
For the most part, you should have other options available to you than places with these kinds of rules, not worth the hassle if you can avoid it.

On the other hand, sometimes these places are places like city centres that you can't avoid passing through, because who the fuck is going to take off their shoes to walk for 10 minutes in socks just to put them back on again and get back home, or take a 20 minute detour to avoid the no-no zone.
If a place has laws against skating around or security presence because politicians are busybody faggots that nobody likes and old people are a larger voting bloc than the people who can shit without a care assistant and who keep the country running and the lights on, remember that "don't get caught" is completely viable plan, but only an available option if you've got your practice in already. Most of the time those dumbcunt rules are just there as deterrent to keep you from lingering / give them a reason to fuck over people they just don't like, and aren't meaningfully enforced. Most unaggravated murders go unresolved these days, and law enforcement on social media is all the rage these days - rollerblading is the least of their concerns (especially if you don't make it one of them). Most private security guards can be chill with you if you're chill with them, they're probably on minimum wage and dealing with you ain't worth their time, just feign ignorance + leave as quickly as possible, do as they ask if they're cool about it within reason (aka if they ask you to leave via a certain exit, sure, if they ask you to step into a room they can lock you in, take the hint) and "don't get caught" if they're also cunts about private property (they're not police officers, they can't do shit to you like arrests, and they've got more eyes on them than a civilian despite having the same rights as a civilian). This only applies to spaces available to the public by default, if you're breaking&entering just to rollerskate you are a fucking retard.
Tie your hair back and wear a generic hat / scarf / glasses if you're "concerned" / schizophrenic about cameras, they're the real ones to watch out for in shaky legal scenarios.
As for the other aspect of the law when it comes to skating, in most countries, speed laws only apply to motor vehicles (otherwise Usain Bolt would be an international fugitive). Roller skates are not motor vehicles. Flip off speed cameras while you go double the "limit" on public roads if you want, just make sure not to fall over into an oncoming car and snap your spine.

>Good for /fit/?
Just shy of swimming, it's one of the best active activities you can possibly do. Full core, legs and cardio in one; with even distribution + strain (better than running / cycling). Finish up with some pullups+pushups after a sesh and you've just done a full-body.

>Isn't roller skating for women and fags?
Depends on if you consider yourself a woman or a fag.

>Isn't roller skating a dead subculture?
Guess it's a counterculture again then.

>Will learning how to roller skating get me a girlfriend / boyfriend?
No, it will mean you are able to roller skate. Speaking to a member of the opposite sex (irl) is how you make a friend of the opposite sex, which can result in a relationship, just like how the meaning of life is to just to live. It really is that simple.

>Is the rivalry with skateboarders still alive?
Depends on if they make direct eye contact with you. Bring a spiked baseball bat / crowbar just in case. Remember, go for the eyes.

>How do I edit this for next thread?
Click edit, copy all this, paste text into a new one, add whatever, post new one.