Any good skater would have gone through
multiple different set-ups. It can take me a while to get used to a new boot,
plate, truck or wheel so be sure to be patient with your adjustment period. We
all have individual needs. Your set-ups should be customized to suit the
personal style of the skater. Most skaters own more than one pair of skates,
plates and trucks and many pairs of wheels, bushings, bearings and other
interchangeable parts. It is important to experiment and figure out what works
best for you individually.
Skate breakdown and advanced hardware.
1. BOOT
This simply refers to the boot or shoe that
is mounted to the plate. Many skaters customise their own skates by using
regular shoes such as Vans.
If you are going to go down this path it is
important that you choose a sturdy boot (preferably leather) with a strong,
supportive sole.
2. EYELETS
The holes you lace skates through. This
also comes in hook form.
3. LACE
The cord passed through eyelets or hooks on
opposite sides of a shoe and pulled tight and fastened.
4. TOE STOP
Urethane devices screwed into the front of
the plate to allow a skate to come to a complete stop while rolling fakie.
5. TOE PROTECTOR
This is a non-compulsory, but highly
recommended, accessorie for most skaters. Its sole purpose it to protect the
front of a skaters boot.
6. PLATE
This is the component of a skate that is
physically attached to the boot with mounting hardware. This consists of the
plate itself (with 4 or 6 mounting holes) and it supports the kingpins and
pivot cups. This is the basis of a roller skate. Once you add the truck with
all its components you have a roller skate. This is also the base that all
sliders are connected to.
7. KINGPIN
The kingpins are partially threaded bolts
that protrude from the front and back of skate plate. This is the base that
holds the trucks together. Connected to it are the bushings, retainers, and the
truck, and this is held together with a nut. The tightness or looseness of this
determines the ease of turning. These will often need to be altered if using
wide trucks to enable grinding.
8. PIVOT CUP
A hollowed rubber cup that rests inside the
base plate, this supports the truck hanger at the pivot point, allowing it to
turn smoothly in both directions.
9. TRUCK
The truck hanger is fastened to the kingpin
and rests in the pivot cup of the base-plate. It contains the axle on which
your wheels are mounted and provides the surface we so relentlessly grind on.
CIB have developed Grind Trucks compatible with a wide range of Rollerskate
plates. Some skaters choose to alter Skateboard and Penny Trucks, however, this
requires a lot of DIY know how.
10. BUSHING/CUSHION
Also known as cushions, bushings are
urethane rings that slip onto your king pin. There are two bushings per truck,
one above and one below where the hanger sits. They come in many grades which
determine how soft or hard it will be to adjust the turning radius and the
response of the truck itself. Tighter bushings mean stiffer trucks, while loose
bushings make for easier turning.
11. BUSHING RETAINER/WASHER
A retainer is a simple metal casing that
sits either side of the bushings. This helps protect the plate and the
bushings.
12. NUTS
Also known as axle nut or kingpin nut. The
nut is threaded on to the truck axle to hold the wheel in place. The same
applies to the kingpin.
13. AXLE
The axle extends from the truck base. This
is the foundation that your bearings rotate around. One wheel is inserted on
either end and held in place by the axle nut. These protrude a couple of inches
on either side. Regular truck axels are much shorter than skateboard trucks.
14. BEARING WASHER
This is a small metal circle which provides
the service of protecting your bearings. Not a requirement, but definitely
recommended.
15. BEARING
An anti-friction device called a bearing
that is inserted between each wheel and axle. This is what allows the wheels to
spin freely. They consist of 6, 7 or 8 balls enclosed in races between two
shields encased in a shell. There are 2 bearings per wheel.
16. WHEEL
The typical size range of wheels for street
and vert skating ranges between 45-60mm. We recommend a harder wheel for speed.
The harder the wheel, the faster you will go and the less you will stick to the
ramp for tricks like slides and grinds. CIB have developed a line of wheels
made to help you reach your top speed with minimal effort. The sizes range from
55-58 and hardnesses from 98-101. To find out more check out the CIB wheel
line.
17. MOUNTING HARDWARE
This refers to any bolt or nut used in the
application of putting the skate together.
18. SLIDERS
Also known as a grind or slide block. There
are a variety of custom and homemade versions out in the world. A slider is
made up of 1-2 pieces of HDP (high density plastic) per skate. These are mostly
custom-built and come in all varieties of shapes and designs and have been
mounted in all manner of ways. The purpose of this is to allow the skater to
perform horizontal sides across coping and rails. CIB have developed two models
which work on a variety of skate plates. Find out more about CIB Sliders.