roller hockey wheels (grip problem)

[domm17]

for the league i am in we play indoor on smooth painted concrete. it is very smooth and slippery. this is my first time playing indoor. i have been using 76a labeda grippers and am sliding all over the place. i have no grip when trying to make a tight turn, or when trying to accelerate quickly. its pretty bad. i gave the wheels 2 games to see if things would get better and it didnt. i had used them a few practices before that as well. i thought maybe it would just take some time to get used to indoor, but im pretty sure i should be getting more grip than this. whenever i played outdoor i was always one of the fastest more agile players, but now im struggling. i just want to make it clear that when playing outdoors i am a good skater. really good at starting and stopping, turning, etc. just wanted to make that clear so people dont try to tell me i dont know how to skate. ive been playing outdoor roller hockey for years, never indoor though.

i only weigh 155 lbs or so, so im thinking i should be using 74a wheels for indoor. i have two sets of 74a wheels i got from a buddy, brand new. one is the labeda milleniums and one is the labeda original dynasty's. i am going to try one of those at the next practice and see how it goes. but i would love to hear suggestions from you guys. do you think my wheels being too hard was the main problem? you think 74a or maybe even 72a would be better for someone of my weight? do you guys have any wheels you would recommend for getting a lot of grip on a very smooth painted surface? also is there anything i can do to my wheels to help me get more grip out of them? how should i be cleaning or soaking them after a game? the rink is pretty dusty, and they dont take very good care of cleaning it, so i think that plays into this as well. also, one of my buddies said i should use my new 74a indoor wheels outside a few times to "break them in" before using them indoors. this doesnt sound like a good idea to me but i dont really know. i would think that would just wear off the grip. anyone else ever done this? any and all help and suggestions will be appreciated, thanks!

 

[Ozz]

I have never "broken in" nice, soft wheels. I think the lower durometer will help alone. 74a is very soft and grippy, but each person will "feel" a wheel brand or line differently than the next. You won't exactly wear off the grip as if it's a coating on the wheel, but you could damage and weaken them by using them on a rough outdoor ground.

I am not a fan of Milleniums, but only because they split on me very quickly. They did grip well enough that I can't put them down for that, though.

 

[domm17]

I have never "broken in" nice, soft wheels. I think the lower durometer will help alone. 74a is very soft and grippy, but each person will "feel" a wheel brand or line differently than the next. You won't exactly wear off the grip as if it's a coating on the wheel, but you could damage and weaken them by using them on a rough outdoor ground.

I am not a fan of Milleniums, but only because they split on me very quickly. They did grip well enough that I can't put them down for that, though.

cool, thats what i am thinking too. dropping to a lower durometer should hopefully do the trick. thanks for the reply. as for the milleniums, i will give them a try at some point but im gonna start with the dynasty's next game i think.

 

[Nibbler]

I had the same problem with Milleniums splitting and chunking on me, but they were pretty grippy.

I weigh about 150, and I use 74a's on a sport court indoors. Most of he time I get very good grip. I've never skated on painted concrete but I would think you'd want the softest wheel possible on that considering your weight.