Roces Melbourne 2002

Inline skate review

July 2002

by Bill Hicks.

For the last two years, I have been using a pair of Salomon TR9's (2000 model reviewed here) for teaching my inline classes. In the attempt to make them last as long as possible, I started looking for something similar to use. Several members of my local club (the Washington Area Roadskaters) use Roces skates and wouldn’t trade them for anything. Based on their comments, and after much discussion with one of their US representatives (Jeremy Long) I decided to try out the Roces Melbourne.

Specifications/Personal Comments:

• Ventilated Biomex Nylon - HGPU Shell - According to Roces, the Biomex technology allows the cuff to pivot lower on the foot, which provides better power transfer and eliminates the need for a moveable frame.
• Special Shock Absorbing Insole, Super Comfort Footbed, ventilated Ultra Fit Liner with slo-memory foam - Call it what you will. This if the FIRST skate that I have put on and felt comfortable with without putting a different insole in.
• Lace Cover - Racing style lace cover looks cool.
• Easy Entry System - The liner is in two parts, one along the cuff, and a separate foot piece. While it is quite easy to get on, do be careful as the edges of the foot piece have a tendency to roll inwards as you put the skate on.
• Molded Aluminum F1 Frame - Nice solid frame with no apparent give during push.
• 80mm 82a Hyperformance micro wheels - I have a personal dislike for Hyper wheels, they don’t seem to last as long as others that I have used, and I am not sure of the micro wheels/bearings as well. Time will tell on these.
• ABEC 7 microbearings with brass spacers - So far after a couple months of use, they are nice.

First Impressions

Upon opening the box after receiving the skates, the first thing I noticed was the red colored aluminum frame. While I have to admit it does go well with the red, black and silver boot, I was somewhat surprised as Roces shows a silver frame on their website. Since then, I have found other sites that do show the red frame.

The next thing I noticed was that the frame was hard mounted and not moveable. My personal preference is to have the frame centered at the heel and between my big toe and the next so this gave me some concern that I might not be comfortable with the skate.

I have been skating the Melbourne for a couple of months now, using them for my classes and occasionally the Friday Night Skate in Washington DC. In addition, I wore them during a Zephyr Pennsylvania Tour the end of June, 2002. All told, I have put approximately 500 miles on them since purchasing them.

I have to say that the Melbourne is one of the most comfortable skates that I have worn. It rivals the Salomon TR9 for fit and comfort. The stock insole etc. is very nice and absorbs vibration very well. They seem a bit heavy when lifted, but once on my feet I really don’t notice them. They are very smooth rolling and even with 80mm wheels, very easy to turn.

My only complaint is the brake pad. It is very small, approximately 1.25 inches in width, by approximately 2.25 inches long, and very, very, very soft! Because of its softness, it wears out very quickly (I have replaced the brake pad twice in the 500 miles). Granted, I teach a lot of beginning level skaters so I use the brake pad more than the average recreational/fitness skater, but with my Salomon TR9s I never went through more than two pads a year!

Roces Melbourne - Overall Conclusion

If you are interested in a skate that you can wear for hours and hours and still be comfortable, and are willing to carry an extra brake pad around, then you seriously should consider the Roces Melbourne. At around $200 US, it’s a bargain and comfort wise, comparable to the Salomon line.

Bill Hicks
IISA Certified Instructor
Member, National Skate Patrol
Website: http://www.proskateinlineschool.com

Bill is an experienced instructor who's been teaching since 1997, and is a regular long-time contributor on the Usenet newsgroup rec.sport.skating.inline.  He can be contacted via this form.

Images kindly supplied by The Sports Authority, http://www.sportsauthority.com

Comments on this review

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Disclaimer

As usual, this review is only my opinion about these skates, and your mileage may vary.  You should always carefully judge whether the skates you intend buying are best suited for you and for the purpose you intend using.  Remember that fit and comfort are extremely important, and you may wish to read the inline skating buying guide here on this site.

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