It’s not a good idea to take rollerblades out in the rain. Not only does it ruin the bearings - and the uppers, if your inline skates are leather - but there’s more chance of falling over. Nonetheless, in the UK the brightest day can turn into a downpour without warning, so it’s a good idea to know how to handle it if this happens.
Ignoring the obvious unpleasantness of getting wet, what is different about using inline skates in the wet, compared to the dry?

Firstly, the ground will be more slippery, so you will need to increase your speed (cadence) to compensate. Why?  Being slippery underfoot means you won’t be able to push so hard, but by increasing the number of pushes you do, you compensate. The easiest way to do this is by shortening the stride – the exact opposite of those long, sweeping pushes you do in the dry. Do those in the rain, and you’ll take a tumble.

The combination of higher speed and shorter strides means your recovering skate is replaced more quickly under your centre of gravity, meaning if you do start to slip you can quickly catch yourself.

When you use inline skates in the dry, the power should be maximal at the end of the stride. This is the most effective way of skating. However, this doesn’t work in the wet, because applying peak force at any one point in the stride causes loss of traction so as you do each push, apply the power gradually.

We at Skates sell inline skates that will stand up to the worst of conditions – even a typical British summer!