A Survey Of Advanced Inline Skate Braking Systems

In the last couple of years, the braking system used on a particular skate model has become an important consideration to many people considering the purchase of a pair of inline skates, most especially people making their very first purchase of skates. This is the result of the skater's concern with being able to stop quickly & safely in combination with a diversified selection of braking systems to choose from. All this leaves one to wonder though, if there really is a difference between the various choices.
Most major manufacturers now have at least two types of braking systems on the market, a simple friction braking system & an "advanced" system. This guide will provide a description of several of these types of systems & their characteristics. I should add, however, that there are other ways of stopping besides using brakes.
Advanced braking systems often look completely different from their simple friction "ancestors". The different look can be deceiving, as some of these brakes work much in the same way a simple friction brake works whilst others are more like brakes on cars or bicycles.

Simple friction brakes

Compounds of (essentially) hard rubber, the standard brake is rigidly fixed to the back of an inline skate (usually one of the pair) & is designed to cause friction when lowered onto the ground. Raising the front wheels of the boot, thus angling the skate up so that only the heel wheel is touching the ground & lowering the brake pad to the ground activates these brakes. The degree of pressure exerted on the boot &  the brake determines how quickly you stop.

For beginners, this is probably one of the most difficult brake to use as it requires that you have sufficient balance to be able to skate on one foot whilst simultaneously angling the other skate upwards. It can also be difficult to use as the brake pad may catch on cracks or gaps on the skating surface when engaged, thus unbalancing beginners & advanced skaters alike. Further, as the brake wears, the distance between the brake pad & the ground increases, requiring the skate to be angled more aggressively.

Despite their shortcomings, these brakes offer advantages over many of the advanced systems. Chief among these reasons (as any advanced skater may tell you) is its relatively small & unobtrusive nature. Unlike some of the advanced systems which use a long brake arm connected to the cuff of a boot (e.g., Rollerblade's ABT), simple friction brakes are only connected to the heel of the skate & accordingly provide less of an obstacle when doing crossovers. One further advantage is the fact that this brake does not have any moving parts that are likely to loosen & rattle loudly when traveling over rough roads. Due to its simplicity, this brake is also cheaper to manufacture.

UltraWheels' Disc Brake System

The Disk Brake System (DBS) from UltraWheels addresses many of the problems inherent in the simple friction brake. This system replaces the simple brake block with a cylindrical rubber brake, designed to roll (like the wheels) when placed in contact with the ground. Due to friction, the degree of which can be adjusted, the rubber cylinder rolls on the ground more slowly, thereby retarding the movement of the skate.

One of the strengths of this system is its ability to better cope with cracks or gaps on the skating surface than its simple friction counterpart because the rotating brake cylinder is less likely to catch on these irregularities. Like the simple friction brake, it is also small & unobtrusive & is unlikely to affect more advanced manoeuvres like crossovers. UltraWheels also claims that the brake is considerably more durable, to the extent that it may outlast the wheels & allows you to stop whilst going backwards, something that no other skate allows you to do.

Like the simple friction brake, the DBS requires that the skate be angled upwards in order to engage. However, the distance between the brake cylinder & the ground can be adjusted (in the DBS-XT), making it considerably easier to use as compared with a worn simple friction brake. The DBS represents an excellent alternative to the simple friction brake.

Oxygen's Power Braking System

On the surface, Oxygen's Power Braking System (PBS) looks like a simple friction brake. In reality the PBS is a "two-phase braking system". When the boot is angled upwards, as with a simple friction brake, the visible brake pad is lowered to the ground. Meanwhile, a second braking system comes into action by slowing down the rear wheel of the skate. This is effected by the friction created when the second (unseen) brake pad is pushed against the rear wheel.

This system shares much of the advantages & disadvantages of the simple friction brake. These include its small & unobtrusive size, durability & inability to cope with irregular surfaces. Further, due to the second phase of the braking system, the rear wheel is going to experience greater wear than all the other wheels of the skate. According to Oxygen promotional literature, the main advantages of this system are smoother braking, more control & a significantly shorter stopping distance (by up to 40% compared to conventional braking systems).

Bauer's Force Multiplier & Rollerblade's Advanced Braking Technology

The Force Multiplier (FM) system from Bauer & Rollerblade's Advanced Braking Technology (ABT) are very similar, both in outward design & use. These braking systems are equally easy to use & are ideal for beginners.

To activate the brake, the skater slides the braking skate forward, thereby applying rearward & downward pressure on the cuff of the skate. The cuff of the skate is connected to a braking arm & the pressure on the cuff pushes the arm downwards & the brake pad against the ground. Unlike the other braking systems described above, all four wheels of the braking skate remain in contact with the ground at all times, making this system very easy to use. The user, allowing for some control over how much pressure before the brake goes into action, unlike many fixed systems can adjust the height of the brake pad from the ground.

The FM system differs from the ABT system with the addition of a pivot between the brake pad & the upper portion of the brake arm. This pivot is designed to "multiply" the force applied against the ground by the brake pad when the cuff is moved backwards. Minor differences also exist in the methods used to adjust brake height between both systems (& also within different models of the ABT system).

The design of these brakes can make certain manoeuvres more difficult to accomplish. As an example, more room is required during a crossover so that the brake arm at the back of the skate is crossed ahead of the front of the grounded boot. The addition of several moving parts to the braking system also means that when rough terrain is encountered there is a strong possibility that the vibration will travel to the brake arm causing certain parts to "rattle". In my experience, the FM is more likely to rattle loudly than the ABT system as the bolts in the FM pivot can work loose after several skating sessions. As with simple friction brakes these brake pads may also catch on surface irregularities when engaged.

Some postings in the rec.sport.skating.inline newsgroup have claimed that these systems can retard a beginner's development by not forcing one to learn early how to balance on one foot. If this is true, then it is fortunate that both Bauer & Rollerblade have left features in several of their skate models that permit a simple friction brake to be retrofitted in place of the more advanced system.

Choosing a braking system

When choosing a model of inline skate, one must factor into the decision into the decision the braking system along with other specifications of the skate. Each braking system outlined above has unique features, which can make choosing between them difficult. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that these systems are not interchangeable & what you purchase with the skate may be the only braking system available for a particular skate model. I would suggest that you talk to friends who skate, read reviews & try each system out to see if it is suitable for someone of your skating ability & intended use.