Gliding across a hard surface is one of the most fun activities to do for many reasons and what better way to do it than with roller skates?
Roller skating has been around since the 18th century after John Joseph Merlin famously crashed into a mirror while introducing his product at a party.
As much of a fable that might seem, it’s quite the reality tied to the beauty of roller skating.
However, what Merlin might’ve not realized, why are roller skate brakes on the front?
To answer this question…roller skate brakes are on the front for the sole purpose that it’s easier for you to fall on your toes than on your heels. If you try to brake on your heels and trip, it’s much worse than if you were to fall on your toes. Basically, it’s because you’ll lose balance slightly with whatever way you want to brake, and it’s easier to brake forward than backward.
As ridiculous and straightforward of a notion that might sound, it’s the truth why brakes are placed on the front instead of the back.
Braking on something so small like roller skates isn’t entirely required since many roller skaters take the brakes off entirely.
Still, it’s essential to note that many people need some form of a brake to help them stop, and it makes more sense for them to be on the front.
Whatever the case might be, it’s useful to know where the brakes are in case you need to stop quickly.
Nevertheless, down below, we’re going to discuss everything there is to know about roller skate brakes and them being on the front.
We’ll begin by going over if they’re meant to be on the front, if you can remove them, and some tips involving the situation.
From there, we’ll discuss plenty of information tied to the matter that’ll help you be more knowledgeable about the situation.
Let’s get started!
Are roller skate brakes meant to be on the front?
As noted earlier, roller skate brakes are meant to be on the front for the sole reason that it’s easier for someone to fall forward rather than backward.
You might wonder what falling has to do with skate brakes, but let’s answer that.
For starters, if a person is on roller skates and wants to stop, they traditionally will lightly use the brake or slow down before needing to use the brake.
In fact, most roller skaters will slow down rather than forcefully use their brake.
Still, you never know when you might need to turn to your brake as a way to quickly stop.
Generally speaking, whenever a roller skater needs to promptly stop, they’re prone to falling since roller skates are quite challenging to control.
If they’re easy to stop with, people will accidentally hit their brakes more often, which can cause a severe injury.
Nevertheless, the brakes are on the front since people are more likely to catch themselves on the front than the back.
If they were to try and brake on the back, it’s straightforward for them to go topside and fall over.
On the other hand, the brakes being on the front allow them to go in the direction they’re most used to going.
Plus, most people won’t need to utilize their brakes too often, making it a need for them to not be easily triggered.
Can you remove roller skate brakes from the front?
There are many reasons why someone might want to remove roller skate brakes, and it’s widespread for people to actually do so.
In fact, the process of eliminating front brakes from a roller skate is a lot more straightforward than most people realize.
People might want to remove the brake for starters since it can get in the way of using their roller skates.
Suppose someone wants to go fast or do tricks with their roller skates.
In that case, a brake can cause a reasonably annoying injury if it accidentally gets triggered.
As a result, many people hope to remove the brakes entirely, so they don’t run the risk of their wheels being stopped randomly.
It’s difficult for them to read when you want to brake or not, causing them to be triggered at random points from a roller skate perspective.
Although the history behind roller skates is a long one, the brakes aren’t where they should be yet, which should be seen as a negative.
Still, the process for removing roller skate brakes isn’t overly complicated and can be quite simple if done right.
On the other hand, some people might want to switch the brakes from the front to the back, which is a regular occurrence.
People also enjoy switching out brakes for a better pair as a particular upgrade for their roller skates.
What are some tips for fixing or removing roller skate brakes on the front?
Although the process of removing brakes from anything might seem overly complicated, it’s much more straightforward than most people realize.
All you need to do it is a couple of Allen wrenches and a screwdriver.
If you don’t have either, you can go to a local hardware store to pick some up, or you can order them online and wait a few days before beginning the process.
You can’t remove the brakes properly without both, so make sure you have them before starting.
Nevertheless, flip the skate, so the wheels are confronting you.
Unscrew the securing screws on each side of the brake utilizing the Allen wrench or a screwdriver.
Depending on the model, the brake might be joined to the back pivot, so you might need to totally eliminate that wheel from the edge before the brake can come out.
At this point, the brake should quickly come out.
If you want to add a new brake, follow this process, but in the opposite fashion.
If you’re going to keep the brake on, take a look at the skate and see how the condition is before trying it.
As you can tell, the process of removing the brakes from a roller skate shouldn’t take you any longer than a few minutes.
However, make sure when you go to ride again that everything is copacetic; otherwise, you run the risk of an issue occurring.
What should be avoided while messing with roller skate brakes on the front?
Like anything else, there is a list of guidelines and tips to follow to ensure you don’t mess up your roller skates while editing them.
Considering a lot can go wrong with roller skates, you want to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to avoid any potential error from occurring.
For starters, make sure you do the entire process with the tools necessary.
Trying to cut corners or avoid what you need to do it can cause serious issues.
Whether it’s damaging your skates or them potentially breaking when you finally ride them, all of it is bad.
Also, make sure you follow the instructions on how to do it very closely.
Trying to do it without any guidance is never a good idea, mostly if you’ve never done something like this before.
It doesn’t matter how handy of a person you are; instructions are essential.
Double-check what you’re doing throughout the process to ensure you’re doing everything correctly.
Not doing this can cause you a great deal of annoyance, which, in return, can cause you more harm than good.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Any local roller skate shop will be able to help you in your process and tell you what you’re doing wrong or right.
If you can find something like this, you’ll be on your way correctly taking the brakes off of your roller skates.
Are all roller skate brakes on the front?
Although most roller skates have brakes on the front, some roller skates have the back or heel brakes.
Depending on which brand you go with, the listing should highlight which brake option the pair has.
If you prefer one over the other, make sure you look closely to see which brake option is with the roller skate you order.
A roller skate might have back and front brakes in some instances, but this tends to be rarer.
On the other hand, some roller skates might come with no brakes from the start.
If you’re someone who plans on doing tricks and doesn’t want any brakes, since it can potentially get in your way, be sure to find the right pair for you.
Whatever your preference on the case might be, be sure to look at all of the options available as a way to pinpoint, which is best for you.
Everything is subjective, and what might make for you, might not work for someone else.
Roller skating is a fun activity and sport more people should consider doing, but also know that most roller skates have brakes on the front.
Whether this is an issue for you or not, be sure to check out your local roller skate store.
