I have recently taken up in line skating, and I love it, but the skates really hurt the front of my shins. Is this normal? Will it get better with time? Is there some way to avoid it? Thanks for any help you can give me … I am in pain.
There are two things that I can think of. First, don’t bend forward at the waist, bend your knees. Second, don’t do the laces tight to the very top of th boot. If these don’t work, sorry.
Some skates are just more cheaply made than others, and will result in discomfort, like you have described. But, to make do with what you have, try losening the ankle strap, if it has one.
It will get better with time.
Your shins will hurt even worse when I run over them with my bicycle which is what I will probably do if I ever have you in front of me.
Freakin in-line skaters piss me off. The BIKE paths along the lake in Chicago are filled with them. Cyclists and runners have no problem sharing the path and getting around one another but ONE in-line skater takes up the majority of the path making them nearly inpossible to get around. Every time I see a leg shoot out from side-to-side the thought crosses my head that I could just run it right over.
The only time I like watching in-line skaters is seeing a newbie unable to stop coast through an intersection with a look of wide eyed panic on their face. Either that or watching them smash into a light post to avoid coasting through the aforementioned intersection.
Not that I especially want to see single files in pain but I hope it hurts like hell so you drop it. You’d do us all a favor!
It will probably get a little better over time as your feet adjust to skaking, but you probably need a better set of inline skates. My recommendation would be to shop around and find a decent pair.
It depends, you may have your skates strapped on too tight at the upper buckles. Also, if your feet start hurting a lot this may be the problem. I always had trouble with my instep when I would skate. It would always hurt like hell afterwards.
HUGS!
Sqrl
Jeff … I was gonna ask for a description of you and your shin crunching machine, but since I don’t live in or near Chicago, I think I’m safe. The only reason I got into this is because I moved near a lake that has a campground with miles of nice roads that are closed to through traffic. These roads are big enough to accomodate RV’s getting in and out, so I am not going to be a problem to someone on a bike. As a matter of fact, I take my daughter’s bike with me. I got her skates, but she’s really slow and we’re more evenly matched if she’s on her bike.
Everyone else … thanks for all the help. It might just be a matter of cheap skates. I didn’t put much into them because I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it or even like it. I’m going to try putting some padding in the front of my socks and see if that helps. Maybe some of those shoulder pads I keep pulling out of my clothes.
Make sure your socks and the skate liners aren’t bunched up on your shin. If they are, it won’t seem like much when you first lace/buckle 'em up, but after just a few minutes, it’ll create a pressure point that feels like fire.
LIGHTEN UP DUDE!!
For the record, I am an in-line skater who is faster than most recreational bikers. Everybody has to start somewhere.
To the original poster, I deeply respect the fact that you use the term “in-line” skating, and not “rollerblading.” But yes, if you buy a cheap brand, you may get easily discouraged.
You don’t have to pay a lot for a new skate. I bought a pair of Oxygen skates of a discontinuing model. $109 bucks before souping it up. About $170 fixed up. A decent pair of K2’s, 2 to 300 bucks. K2’s are very comfortable, they are a soft boot. Like wearing a shoe. Oxygens are faster for me, but K2’s are pretty good and very comfortable.
Where do you live. I am from Houston, and they have a fair sized, long standing skating community. I can tell the ones who have been at it a long time because they like quad skates (street roller skates). Anyway, many cities have skating groups and yours may also. Skating with them will make you better.
Actually reading it a little closer. You have to stay on park paths. In houston we use the streets. Granted on busy streets during peak traffic time is stupid. But at night sticking to back paths we skate, stopping at bars or ice-houses for a beer. I guess other cities or states have different laws.
BTW I used to do distance biking. I did not like the way my back felt or the fact that my pecker would get totally numb after a good ride. That has to have some long term effect.
Yeah, it can cause erectile dysfunction. I think there’s a thread on it around here somewhere, but I’m too lazy to look for it.
My advice to you is to take them off, sit down, and read a good book. That, or buy a bike.
As many here know, the one and only time I ever tried in-line skating, I broke my leg. It could be because of my long-suffered clumsiness, but I’m still willing to blame the skates.
When you skate for awhile, it is not if you are going to fall again, but when. I broke my collerbone once. Ripped the skin off my knees once (I use kneepads now), and have a couple of permanent road rashes. I have friends who broke their hip, tailbone and arm. My ex-girlfriend shattered her ankle, but she was on quad skates.
I got racked in the scrotum from bike handles. Guess which hurt the most.
If you don’t go home bleeding, you didn’t have enough fun.