Lets talk about gear bags

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos by Sil Willems and stock photos

More and more skaters are choosing backpacks to transport their skating equipment, like their helmet and skates, that must be handled with care. Therefore, I will be analyzing and comparing the two different models on the market with three different brands.

New Bont Backpack

The Australian brand has launched their latest version of their popular backpack last season. They started by offering the bag in black and flash green colors and now they are also offering it in red and black. They are the most affordable of the three bags we compared. Like all models that are presented the skates, whether they are for ice skating or inline, are placed on each side of the bag. The Bont bag is different from the others because the blades are covered at each extremity. The skates are fixed by two belts and the helmet can be place in a compartment under the bag. In addition, to having a big principal compartment, it has two small pockets inside the bag, and a pocket for a laptop. It is an excellent bag for the quality and price. It is the bag that I am actually testing right now.

MapleZ 

MapleZ also launched their new backpack this season. It is in the same price range then the Bont bags. The skates are also placed on each side of the pack and are again tied with belts. It is the smallest bag of all three brands. Compared to the other bags it has more independent compartments inside. It also has a place reserved for the helmet. It is a sturdy bag, and has a good support to prevent discomfort to the athlete’s back. It is an excellent choice for skaters that have less equipment.

The Cadomotus collection

We can easily say that the brand Cadomotus is the leader on the backpack's  market. First known for their inline wheels, the Dutch brand is now getting recognition for their accessories. Their Airflow model is offered in several colors, and is the model that sells the most. The structure of the bag makes it durable. It’s an ideal bag if you have to carry it on long distances. The skates are placed on both sides in exterior pockets. There is also a pocket for the helmet. It has one big compartment for the rest of the equipment. It is identical to their other model Waterflow, except that the Waterflow is water resistant. You can’t go wrong with a Cadomotus backpack.

All models are available at Marchands de Vitesse!

Don't forget to enter our contest to win a 150$ gift card on any speed skating item from Marchands de vitesse by joining our weekly newsletter HERE.

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Summer experimentations

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos by Carl Savard and stock photos

Summertime for speed skaters is usually the time where they can recuperate from the last season, and prepare for the next. Generally, the recuperation/rest period is short compared to the summer’s physical preparation, which is specific to skating for the season to come. More and more skaters and clubs have access to rinks during the summer, making it easier for them to skate year round. Therefore, it is the ideal time for you, as a skater, to experiment new equipment. This article’s objective is to share a couple of ideas and give you advice on how to take advantage of the summertime training to optimize your skating equipment.

Why wait until September?

First of all, too many skaters wait until the month of September to buy new blades, when the first speed skating competition is often just a few weeks later in October. In other words, summer would be a better period because the skater has more time to adjust to the new blades before the first competition. It can take time for skaters to adapt to their new blades because they can be higher, more rigid or longer. It can take up to a month for the skater to find the same feelings they use to have on their old set-up. If you are thinking of getting new blades we advise you to reread our article published in December, so that in September you will be ready to face competitions with confidence on your new blades.

Developing your autonomy

Now that your blades are chosen, it’s time for you as a skater, to find the best position and the best combination of bend and rocker for your blades. It is essential for skaters to understand the basics of this. Summer is the best moment for skaters, with or without the help of a coach, to try new things on their blades. Do not hesitate to move blades because the impact can make you discover new feelings on the ice, but also make you understand things that can make you improve as skater. Overall, you may like the new position of your blades better. You do not always have to wait after a coach to move your blades. It’s time for you to experiment! The only thing we advise you to do before moving your blades is to mark where your blades were at the beginning. Moving your blades teaches you a lot, and helps you during the season to make adjustments with confidence.

Summer again is the perfect time to try new rockers. We advise you to reread our article written in January to give you more information on rockers. Furthermore, it will be a pleasure for us to give you advice on the bend that fits you the best. If you have the chance to use a gage on blades to read a bend, don’t hesitate to try it. Most coaches and clubs have one and will be happy to show you. At a higher level, it can become very useful for you to have your own gage. Learning to use that tool correctly in the summer period can be beneficial to eventually try new things and make verifications during the competition season. In other words, you will be more independent and will be able to find answers to your problems faster. Bad feelings on the ice are often related to the bend and rocker of the blades.

In any case, it will be a pleasure for us at Marchands de vitesse to help you in those future experimentations!

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Let's assemble our inline skates

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse 

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating 
Photos by Carl Savard & Skateworld Backstage ( @skateworldbs )

If you read our latest article, guiding you into buying an inline speed skating kit, you may have all the pieces of your new kit in hand without really knowing how to build it. To fully enjoy your new skates, it’s important to assemble them properly. This article will present all the steps you have to go through to assemble your skates.

When you skate long distances on the road, the comfort of your boots is primary. If you can't afford full custom boots, a lot of the standard boots can be heat molded easily. The heat molding process will remove the pressure points and adapt the boots to your feet. The Australian brand Bont is a pioneer and a leader with its heat molding technology. Its boots can be molded many times without losing its initial proprieties. You can heat mold all the Bont models. In all cases, it’s important to follow the procedure suggested by the company.

Once the boots are ready, you will be able to install the frames. Without the wheels, it’s easier to install them. Be sure to use the screw provided by the company so the wheels can roll freely. Generally, those screws will have a flat head and you will need an Allen key to tight them up. It is important to use the right Allen key. At this moment, do not tighten the screws too much because you'll need to be able to realign the frames at the end.

Then, the hardest part for a newcomer in the inline speed skating world is clearly the preparation of the wheels. The installation of the bearings is simple, but you need to do it the right way. First, you need to install the first bearing. To do it, place the bearing on a solid table. Put the wheel above it and press it with your hand until the bearing is fully inside the wheel. Now put a spacer, place the second bearing and turn the wheel on the other side back on the table. To align the bearings and the spacer properly, you can insert a pen trough it before pressing the wheel with your hand until the second bearing is fully inside. Your wheel is now ready. Repeat those steps for all your wheels. Some tools like the MapleZ Mushroom exists to help you with this.

You are now ready to install your wheels on your frames. Set each wheel on the frames with the axles provided by the company without tightening them too much. Those axles are generally made with aluminum and they can easily be ruined. It’s better to verify your axles often before or right after your rides. Once the wheels are installed, you can align the frames with your boots before tightening the screws on your boots for good. Normally, we center the frames based on your foot. You may have to change this alignment if, for example, your ankles are not strong enough.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

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Buying guide for the inline season

Summer is coming and the inline season too. When you want to buy a pair of inline speed skates for the first time, it might be hard to find a way between all the possible options. While the ice speed skates have essentially two parts, the boots and the blades, the inline speed skates have much more parts to consider. This article will guide you through the buying process of a pair of inline speed skates.

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos by Carl Savard and stock photos

Boots

The boots are an important part of a pair of skates. It is important to understand that a pair of inline boots have its own characteristics and are different from short track boots. First, an inline boot is lower on the ankle than a short track boot. It gives more latitude to our ankles. Since we skate long distances with practically no corners, we don’t need as much support on the ankle than short track skaters. In addition, the inline boots are generally more resistant given that we skate on asphalt most of the time. Then, the more you pay for a pair of boots, the more it will be rigid and light because of the highest quality of carbon used. 

Finally, the inline boot has generally a 195mm spacing between its two points of support. It is important to know it because it is not the same as a short track boot which has a 165mm spacing. Not every frame will fit a short track boot however it is possible to put wheels on it as you will see later.

Frames

The frame is the second part of a pair of inline skates. There are many type of frames on the market with many different options. To be sure to have the right frame, we need to verify the spacing of the frame. As I wrote earlier if you have an inline boot the norm is 195mm. Normally, it is easy to find this information in the description of the products. On the contrary, if you have a short track boot, you will need a frame with a 165mm spacing. There are few models with this spacing. The MapleZ Vector and the Cadomotus Neo Transformer are two good examples. In addition, it is important to know the number of wheels and the size of wheels you want. The bigger the wheels will be, the faster they will be. On the other hand, they will be heavier which can cause fatigue and they will be higher which can be a challenge for the skaters with weaker ankles. The more common combination are four wheels of 100mm, four wheels of 110mm or three wheels of 125mm. A more upscale frame will be more rigid and lighter.

Wheels

Despite the size of the wheels, hardness of the wheels is an important thing to consider. There are two ways to measure the hardness of a wheel. Some companies will use a number followed by the letter “a” like “85a” and others will use the scale “Firm” to “XX-Firm”. The harder the wheel, the faster it will be, but it will also make you feel more vibrations caused by the road and it will have less adherence. Generally, if you skate on asphalt, the “84a” or “85a” wheels and the “Firm” and “X-Firm” wheels will be the best.

Bearings and Spacers

Finally, when you buy a new pair of skates, it is important to choose the bearings you want. You need two bearings for each wheel. Most of the skaters will use Abec 7 bearings and will replace them when needed. The company Bones offer excellent bearings at an very good price too. For the ones looking for the ultimate performance, there are ceramic bearings. They are more expensive and you will probably want to clean them few times before replacing them. The spacers come between the two bearings and they are normally included with the frames.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more advices and to be sure to have the right skates for you!

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The Jig, the essential tool

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos: Martin Holtom and stock photos

If you have read our last article on sharpening stones, you will now have a better understanding of how to use and choose them. In light of this, this article will also help your sharpening skills by teaching you about another sharpening tool; the base consider as a sharpener, usually known as the “jig”. The biggest question is; is it worth it to pay for an expensive and recent jig?

First of all, it is important to know that whatever jig you have; you will be able to get a blade that is sharp. However, the time it will take you to get that result, and the precision of the sharpness won’t be guaranteed. In other words, some jigs have a better exactness, and how they are made can also have an effect on the rapidity you get your blades done. Therefore, the challenge while sharpening is to be able to always place the blades in the same manner, while having a 90 degree angle. Ideally, you should never undo your jig, place your blade always the same way and manner, and also to always tighten the bolts with the same pressure. This procedure will help you with any type of jig to have a good sharpening with precision and done quickly.

Regardless, certain jig models allow you to get this result easier than others. For example a company from Quebec, Nagano Skate, has been able to do this. This company has taken the concept developped in the United States by Staybent and has simplified it. As a result, the jig Silver 1.1 lets minimum contact with the blade, which places the blades perfectly the same way without having to stress about the tensions with the bolts. In addition, the curve in the blade will not be affected by the sharpening like it would with other jigs.

Nonetheless, Nagano jig is more expensive. Is it worth it? The answer is yes, if you want the certainty of an easy regular sharpening with a 90 degree angle each time. Furthermore, a quality jig will last you longer. Although, the famous Maple jig, which is dominant in the Canadian speed skating world, is a great sharpening tool if you have a good constant technique. 

Last minute advice, if you decide to shop for a jig you must remember that not all blades are compatible to certain older models.

Don’t hesitate to contact us, if you have any questions or need advice.

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One year of passion: Happy birthday Passion/Speed/Skating!

By Carl Savard

Photos by Schaats Foto's, Patrick Charbonneau et Carl Savard

Passion/Speed/Skating is now one year old. I still recall talking about this project with my partner Jackob just a few weeks before it took off. We officially launched during the holiday season with a first Facebook post talking about Olivier Jean, an athlete we have had the chance to meet quite a few times and who represents exactly what we wanted to bring into this project: passion. Passion when it comes to short track, long track and inline speed skating.

We thought we would start slowly and we were mainly counting on our love of the sport to make it something fun to do as a father and son project. It grew much faster than we thought, mainly because the athletes and speed skating fans showed interest from the get go. From that first publication on December 26, 2016  to writing this text this morning, here are a few facts representing the efforts we have put in our project.

Even though most of the 88 articles have been written by Jackob and myself (166 when you count that they were all done in french and english, something we are really proud of) other people added their words to our project. Catherine Mailloux wrote an amazing piece in August and helped us many times along the way. Julie Doyon wrote two great articles in the first half of 2017 and recently, Marc-Antoine Caron from Marchands de vitesse started doing gear oriented articles for Passion/Speed/Skating. Thank you!

Our website at passionpvss.com would not be the same without the help of passionate photographers. Especially Tony Chung (@SHORTTRACKHD), Oscar van den Bosch (Schaats Foto's), Martin Holtom and Patrick Charbonneau. Thank you all so much!

We are also writing articles in collaboration with the FPVQ (Quebec’s speed skating federation) this season. This collaboration is something we are really happy about. Thanks François-Olivier Roberge.

We posted on Facebook everyday since the beginning of the project and this week we reached 1000 followers on on the platform. In my mind, after a few months, I was hoping to reach 1000 for the Olympics. I'm happy to see it came faster. We also posted daily on Instagram and have close to 1400 followers. We presently have 66 videos available on our Youtube channel and we will develop it even more in 2018. We are also on Twitter and plan to be more active on it now that we seem to have found a rhythm on the other platforms.

Since we are Canadian boys, it’s normal that Canada comes in first when it comes to pages viewed on our website with about 46% of the 105 762 views, but we have a strong following in the USA, France and the Netherlands. I would like for us to develop Asia in 2018. Dream big!

To be quite frank, Passion/Speed/Skating is the biggest highlight of 2017 for me. Thanks to everyone involved, thanks to the athletes who have been so open and generous and thanks to our loved ones who understood how much this was important for Jackob and I. Finally thanks to YOU, our followers who showed us right away that you want to hear and read more about speed skating in the media. We are celebrating one year today, but it's only the beginning.

Here are the links to our different platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter

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The blades in short track

The blades are probably the most important component of a speed skater equipment. When the time comes to choose a new pair of blades, it is important to know that not every model fits every skater. So here is a small guide to help you understand all the components of the short track blades.

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos: Schaats Foto's and stock photos

When skaters ask me for advice to choose the best blades for them, I need to know two things: their weight and their level of skating. With these informations in mind, I can suggest the the right category of blades. We can separate de blades in four categories. The differences between those categories are the tube of the blade and the runner.

The tube

The tube of the blade is the most important part when comes the time to judge the stiffness of a blade. Each company offers different types of tubes which gives more flexibility or more stiffness. It is important to have a tube that fits with our weight and level of skating to be able to have the right feelings on the ice. A skater that has too much flexibility in the tube will overwrite too much his blade and it will result in a loss of energy between his feet and the ice when he pushes. The bend of the blade will also be affected. On the other hand, a skater that as too much rigidity in the tube can have difficulties feeling his blades. Finally, a few years ago, we saw pre-bent blades arrive on the market. It is now a standard on all new model of blades and it allows the tube to keep its rigidity for a longer time. A pre-bent blade has already a bent in the tube. There is less work to do on the blade to get the perfect bent. It allows the blades to conserve its initial attributes.

The runner

The runner of the blade is the part that touches the ice, the part that we sharpen. It becomes more sophisticated as we advance in the different categories. The runner will be harder, it will be stiffer, it will keep its sharpness longer and it will glide more. There are essentially three types of metal, there is the standard steel, the bimetal and the powder metal (PM). First, the entry level and some of the intermediate blades uses standard steel. It offers a good flexibility and it is easy to sharpen. Then, there is the bimetal which is the perfect combination of softer steel at the base of the tube and a harder steel that touches the ice. It combines flexibility and solidity and offer an excellent glide. Finally, there is the powder metal which is the fusion of powder steel. It gives a very pure metal that offer an exceptional glide, an incomparable sharpening and a very high rigidity. However, it has one inconvenient, his fragility. Most of the blades that brakes are made of powder metal. But at a certain level, it is a risk worth taking!

Here is an overview of the four categories to guide you through all the models available. Those categories are based on my observations made in the last years.

Entry level blades

Those blades fit perfectly for the young skaters and the beginners: the Maplez Premium PB, the Bont Ultrasprint, the Pennington Begginer and the Evo Futuro.

Intermediate blades

Blades like the Bont GT3, the Pennington Katana (Bimetal) and the Evo Krypton 12C27 have stiffer tubes than the entry level blades to fit skaters who enter the provincial circuit.

Advance/Intermediate blades

They are made with bimetal and have a stiffer tube. It is perfect for provincial skaters and up. Some skaters of lighter weight will skate all their career on this type of blades. They are the Maplez Gold PB, the Pennington 8005 and the Evo QuarQ.

Advance blades

The Maplez Curvado PB, the Bont Platinum, the Pennington 9005 and the Evo Argon blades are very stiff and made of powder metal. They only fit advanced skaters.

All the models mentioned above are available online at Marchands de vitesse.

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Helmets in short track

Concussions are a phenomenon that is very present in our sport. In short track, there are two elements that are essential to avoid concussions: the mat system and the helmet. The skaters do not have much control on the mats system, however they can always choose which helmet they wear. Here is what you need to know before buying a speed skating helmet.

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos: Schaats Foto's and stock photos

The new shape

A few years ago, a new style of helmets came to the market. Those modern helmets are much rounder, examples are EVO/Skate-tec helmets and the Cadomotus ones. They can remind us of the old speed skating helmets, which disappeared during the early 2000s. This new shape of helmet is not only for the style, but for the effectiveness in protecting athletes from concussions. Furthermore, tests have shown the importance of decreasing the tail of the helmet because it reduces the rotation movement of the head during the impact, which causes less head injuries.

A new standard

This season there will be the return of an influential brand in the speed skating equipment. Louis Garneau has launched a brand-new model of helmet, the VITESSE helmet. Evidentially, it has the new round shape, but they additionally integrated the MIPS technology, which is already present in the bike industry. In brief, MIPS allows the helmet to move independently from a shell put inside the helmet. As a result, this latest technology reduces the rotation of the head at the impact. You must see it to believe it!

Choose the matt finish

The type of finishing on the helmet can also make a difference in the event of a crash. Notably, the matt finish must be privileged when it’s time to choose your helmet. The reason for this is that the matt finish will allow the helmet to slide on the mats vinyl. On the other hand, a gloss finish will be more likely to stick on the mat. Consequently, when the helmet slide’s, there is less rotation for the head. EVO/Skate-tec, Cadomotus and Louis Garneau offer the option of the matt finish. However, you must know that the helmet covers in competition will do the same as the matt finish.

Adjustment is the key

It is critical that the helmet is well adjusted to your head to have the maximum protection in case of a skating fall. In the first place, you need to verify that the shin attach is tight enough, to do so the space between the shin and the attach should be of approximately a finger. Secondly, most of the helmets now have a tightening system behind the head, therefore be sure that it is tight enough. Finally, the helmet must be as close as possible to your head. To do so the cushions inside the helmet must touch all around your head. If it is not the case, it is recommended to add cushions. It is important to know that if your helmet is not well fitted during an impact between your head and the mat, the helmet will rapidly hit your head which can cause a concussion. In general, the helmet would have been useless.

All the models mentioned above are available online at Marchands de vitesse.

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