Rollerblading the Grey Silo Trail with Roller Derby Elite Alpha Inline Skates

rollerblading grey silo trail roller derby inline skates

One of the things I love doing in my free time is lacing up my inline skates and going for a rollerblade.  For me rollerblading is a way to get out of the house and into nature while also breathing fresh air, listening to music and enhancing my body with some high intensity exercise.  When the weather is nice I often use rollerblades to travel from my home to the office.

In my current hometown of Kitchener, Ontario there is an extreme lack of smooth pavement suitable for rollerblading.  Anyone serious about rollerblading will tell you they’re always on the hunt for smooth pavement.  Because of this, I often take up the entire lane on city streets when no cars are passing by.  When a car does approach from behind, I switch to the sidewalk.  And once they’re gone, I move seemlessly back onto the road.  This requires some quick thinking, head movements and problem solving skills if you blade at full speed 100% of the time like myself.  It can be quite dangerous at times but that’s part of the reason I love it.

If you live in Southern Ontario, the best place to rollerblade that I know of are the trails along Lakeshore road anywhere between Toronto and Niagara Falls. These are usually very well kept paths.  But be careful, many people have the same idea as you and you’ll be dodging runners and people looking like lost sheep left and right.

My New Roller Derby Elite Alpha Inline Skates

Recently I upgraded my rollerblades to a brand new pair of Roller Derby Elite Alpha inline skates with massive 125mm wheels.  My previous skates were made by Rollerblade and they had 100mm wheels, which were great until I wore them out.  With my new rollerblades in hand, I decided to film the first time using them on one of my favorite trails at Grey Silo Golf Course and rate the rollerblades for you as I go.


Roller Derby Elite Alpha Review:

When I first got my new 125mm skates, I’ll admit I was a bit afraid to test them out.  The wheels were 3.5cm bigger and to top it off there are only 3 wheels under each foot rather than four like my previous skates.  My biggest fear was that they would be hard to control in some way.

After using them a number of times now I can say for sure that not only are they not difficult to balance on or control, they’re better in a number of ways than my previous set of skates, which had 4x100mm wheels.  Here’s the breakdown…

Performance Rating:

  • Quicker:  The bigger wheels give you more reward for your stride.  This has to do with the Gold 7 race bearings that the 125mm wheels come with, but also to the size of the wheels themselves.
  • Smoother:  The larger wheels make going over bumps, which could normally send you head over heels if you’re not careful, a much easier situation.  If you’re ever forced off the road in some way and have to rollerblade onto grass or dirt, the larger wheels on these inline skates can handle it much better than smaller ones.
  • Comfortable:  The Roller Derby Elite Alphas come with a robust boot and combination lace-dual strap system for a very secure fit around your foot.  Like any footwear, the first time you wear them they aren’t the most comfortable; the first time I wore these skates I noticed a bit of pain from the pressure of the boot squeezing my ankles.  After wearing them about 5 times now, the boot has now completely adapted to the shape of my foot and there is no pain or pressure so I can focus entirely on enjoying the experience of skating.

Where to get Roller Derby Elite Alpha Inline Skates

If you’re experienced at rollerblading and want to buy a great pair of skates, I recommend the Elite Alpha skates from Roller Derby.  Note: These do not have a stopper on the back of either skate, so I don’t recommend them for beginners.

Click here to see the skates on Amazon.

If you’re considering trying rollerblading, I highly recommend you wear protective gear.  Elbow pads, wrist guards and a helmet are all important.  Since the ideal surface for rollerblading is extremely hard, the risk of injury can be high.  At the same time, rollerblading can be highly rewarding once you get the hang of it.  Wear safety equipment and take it slow on remote roads or paths and you’ll get there.