Thursday, May 11, 2017

Settling Into A New ROH

So my skate sharpener had taken me from 1/2 to 15/32  because I was afraid 7/16 would be too grippy. I like the float I got out of 1/2, but due to the rink's ice temperature, it was taking waay too much knee bend.

So I skated on 15/32 for a while. I didn't really like it. It was actually LESS grippy than 1/2. I mean, it should have had more grip than 1/2, but nooo. Somehow it didn't.

So last week I asked my sharpener to take me down to 7/16.

He ran his thumb over my edges. "They still have plenty of wear left," he warned me.


This reminds me of the time I called the roofing company when I needed to replace my roof on my fixer upper house. My roof with FOUR layers of shingles (two layers over code).  Let's just say, there was a period during a blizzard I trembled in fear that the roof would collapse.

"I need to replace my roof," I said to the salesman.

"Is it leaking?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Who waits til it does that?"

"Everyone."

So apparently, people with a bad roof, in order to get the last penny of wear out of their roof--so they can go to their grave having not expended a nickel more than necessary in their lifetime--run the risk of major water damage to their trusses and ceilings.

These are the like the people that are miserable on their blades but refuse to get a new ROH or new boots because "they still have wear in them."

"Fuck it," I said to my sharpener, "I want a new ROH and I want it now. It's worth the $10."

My sharpener and I have a little ritual. When he does a change to my blades, he drops my boots off at the rink. I pick them up and text him a report. On the 3rd or 4th text I wrote:

"Ran into Jim and Jane and they both have 7/16.
 My sharpener replied: 7/16 is a popular cut. Maybe the most common.
  
I feel so ordinary now. No more kinky cut, just one that works for me.




 


5 comments:

  1. Yep, common. I even have that.

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  2. How do you like 7/16? Too grippy?

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    Replies
    1. No, it's almost summer and I need the grippy due to my rink's ice quality.

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    2. That's strange. By your comment, do you mean that the ice is getting softer? If so, typically a larger ROH (more shallow hollow, less grippy edge) is used for soft ice than for hard ice.

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    3. @Anonymous
      You are correct, but that logical approach is not working for me. As summer came, I got less comfortable with 1/2, and more comfortable with 7/16. It may be due to the rink may be managing the ice in some way for the summer I'm unaware of. I just know 7/16's is working well for me now.

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