No matter which type of skate you’re talking about – inline or quad skates – the main difference between indoor and outdoor skates is in the wheels. Skate boots, liners and chassis/frames remain the same whether the skate is designed for indoor or outdoor use. Choosing the right wheels for your skates has a big impact on your grip and speed potential whether indoors or out.
Wheel Hardness
The hardness of skate wheels is measured using the durometer scale. This scale ranges from 74A – the softest – to 95A – a very hard wheel. Softer wheels provide improved grip but slightly lower top-end speed potential while harder wheels provide just the opposite – faster top-speeds but less grip. Outdoor skates will generally have a medium-to-soft wheel setup to provide grip on outdoor surfaces. Indoor surfaces are smoother and tend to grip better, so a harder wheel is often the best choice. That said, personal preference also plays a role in this decision.
Types of Wheels
Skate wheels come in two primary sizes: standard 608 wheels and micro 688 wheels. The difference between the two is the size of the center hole that houses the bearings – 608 bearings feature a 22 mm diameter opening while micro bearings have a smaller opening. The type of wheel, in terms of 608 or 688, does not make a difference when it comes to using one over the other for indoor vs. outdoor purposes.
Wheel Size
The size of skate wheels plays a role in its performance but does not make an impact on indoor vs. outdoor use. Larger wheels are designed for increased speed, which is why speed skates are fitted with 100 mm diameter or larger wheels. Smaller wheels are designed for increased maneuverability, which makes them ideal for aggressive inline skating and quad skating. Recreational skates usually feature medium size wheels between 72 mm and 80 mm.
Bearings
Skating outdoors exposes your skate bearings to dirt and debris more than skating on an indoor surface would. This can eventually cause your bearings to seize up or not spin quite as well as they did when they were new. Using high quality bearings, labeled as ABEC 9 and/or Swiss bearings, ensures you are using top-quality bearings that were manufactured with the tightest tolerances possible. This helps to keep dirt from entering the bearing assembly. It’s also a good idea to clean bearings on outdoor skate more frequently than on indoor skates using oil or grease according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
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