Originally Posted by
Smallwheels
The Doop Skates sell a model with inline wheels that are larger and it has just three wheels. Would that be ideal for lower friction and at the same time being large enough to not be affected by pebbles and small debris on the roads?
Smaller shoe sizes sometimes require 3 wheels instead of 4, especially women's hockey and little kid skates. I do not see any advantage to three wheels over four or five for utility transportation for normal shoe sizes.
Inline skates can bridge gaps but wouldn't a gap with the far side being higher than the lower side cause the skate to bounce once per wheel too?
Yes, but just step up over that type of crack. You don't even need to slow down. But since you brought that up, longitudinal grooves in the road can be a real fiasco, same as on a skinny tired road bike. I have had my speed skate wheels "track" in a groove that would not have effected quads or skateboards. But all in all, inlines with 4 wheels are the most practical and versatile skates IMO and I am very advanced with both inlines and quads. My longboard skills are pretty white-bread. I can push with either leg and cover about 30 miles before having enough of it. No tricks. My only crash involved my push foot making solid contact with a rear wheel. "Look...I'm a BIRD!"