General Cycling Discussion - biking vs blading

Which do you think is better for just general getting around, biking or rollerblading?

You ask this at www.bikeforums.net ? What did you honestly expect? With a bike you can actually walk into a store and not get hassled by the "No skates / Rollerblades" policy at most stores

Well having used both to get around....

Bikes are a lot faster. 15-20 mph is really no problem depending on your fitness level. These speeds, for extended periods, are tough on blades

You can bike on wet pavement. Blading is tough on the wet stuff.

Bikes generally take up very little lane space. I used to play roller hockey...most sidewalks are too narrow for my normal stride.

Bike wheels and pneumatic tires are much less sensitive to small changes in the road surface. Ever try to blade on bumpy asphalt?

Heavy loads are easier to carry on a nice smooth bike. Heavy loads in a backpack (high CG) while blading is tough to control.

Don't need knee pads on a bike. I'm too old to blade without knee pads any more.

Concrete to asphalt to dirt...road surfaces are no prob with an MTB. Try this on skates.

You can ride in the street and not get hassled. Very few people kow how to handle a skater on the street

On the other hand...

Blades stop on a dime.

If you know some cool moves you can really style.

They make me about three inches taller. Now I'm even scarier!

I wear hockey gloves instead of those stupid wrist guards. Now Im even scarier!

Gotta go with bikes on this one.

I used to skate street all the time. It was good for getting around on short little jaunts, but longer distance skate sessions in the city can be rough on the system (unless you're doing it on the pathways or park loops). Skates are also a pain in the ass to change in and out of/carry around with.

The bike gets me faster, farther, still gives me the rush. But I still like both.

Well having used both to get around....

Bikes are a lot faster. 15-20 mph is really no problem depending on your fitness level. These speeds, for extended periods, are tough on blades


I was on a bike path for the first time in ages, and fell in behind a particularly graceful blader who was swooping along effortlessly. I paced behind him for several miles at a constant 15 miles per hour before I had to leave the path to go about my affairs. I've never seen anyone who sustained such speed with so much ease on blades. The path had a posted speed limit of 15 miles per hour. I wonder if he was taking it easy...

what a stupid question. BIkes are far superior, more efficient and you get where you wanna go faster. Plus say you wanna go to the coffee shop? Do you plan to roll on in and wait in line wearing those things?

I'm a relatively new roadie - and when I started riding with the groups from the local LBS - there's a guy on blades who's keeping up nicely - and even leading some of the rides! I understand he's a competetive speed skater, but I've seen him on many 25 milers, up to an avg of about 18 or so, and on some 50's. I don't know how far he can go, but he's just about as good on the blades as I've become on the bike - so more power to him.....

I'd think that hitting the coffee shop, and the pisser within would be BETTER on blades, than having to keep an eye on my expen$ive cycle outside.

Since I suck at blading I'm going to have to say biking is better for getting around.

I've done both extensively. I can get a good workout on both. But I can go many more places on a bike, especially if I hit the trails. I love to catch the draft of a cyclist and cruise in behind ;)

In-line skates are evil!!!!!!! :mad:

Evil????

Inlines are not evil, www.cora.org

Again this is bikeforums.net not skaterzrule.org
What did you honestly expect?

Sk8erzr00l.org lol!! Well, I wanted some honest opinions and I got them, thanks everyone!! I do tend to think bikes are better for the longer distances, and I'm sure a better biker than sk8er, but I think blades could be fun too.

I saw this guy on skates that looked like mountain bike boots stop in front the the train station, remove the wheels (in seconds) and walk onto the platform like normal! I never seen that before but it's amazing that skates can give you the ability to use multimode transport with buses, cabs, trains and planes even easier than a bicycle.

I these type of skates are out there and it's interesting that very few people do this.

I'v never seen those, have you found any sites/stores where you can get them?

They would be useful when you only need to go short distances, <10mi.

I love doing both ... bikes are good for longer distances and other terrains though obviously .. but they both have their good points :)

Uh, oh. I thought this was about balding bikers...

No way I'm getting on roller skates at my age. :)

Yeah--blades are better if you have a cute butt. Bikes are better for the rest of us.

Bike then skateboard.

Blading's a good break from the bike and is probably more conducive to having kids than sitting on a bike seat.

Did out and back along the Colorado River near Glenwood Canyon (Colorado) a couple of years ago. Couldn't walk for a week.

sun

Skateboard is old skool for me, I put in my hours and hours and hours.... a day on one as a kid, we used to do these cool tricks now, not the stupid "jump up on a wall and grind then fall down" stuff they do now. No baggy pants either. And, no shoes! Yeah, we had really tough feet!

I don't know, there's some pretty cool stuff people can do on inline skates or skateboards...

I'd rather ride a bike, since I can't handle skates as well... but it's nice not to have to keep an eye on the bike all the time you're not on it.

Blading's a good break from the bike and is probably more conducive to having kids than sitting on a bike seat.


Score another one for the bike. :D

Rollerblades/skateboards and bicycles: mortal enemies! :fight: