Rollerblade TRS Access

I had seen the new TRS series skates before, when over in Paris just after they hit Europe, so had an idea of what to expect. They have a very different look to most skates on the market, due to their soft-boot design. What I didn't know before is that this is only really a skin over a tough plastic endo-skeleton, making them every bit as strong as a "normal" hard-boot design yet looking like a pair of trainers.

For reference, these skates are the same size as my current skates (Salomon ST90) but immediately felt smaller on the foot. Comparing the external dimensions I found that they were longer and wider, but this must be at least in part due to the double layered build. The sole space on these skates is -huge-. Both sides are perfectly adequate to accommodate a barbecue and picnic should the need arise! The negative space is larger than any I have skated before by a long way.

Having considered the extra plastic on the moulds on this skate, they were surprisingly light. Possibly a little heavier than some of the current range of skates out there, but lighter than I am used to. The skates weigh in at 4.1kg for the pair. Unfortunately this contributed to the "cheap" feel that I had when first skating them. You may feel it too, but it will soon wear off. After half an hour of skating they felt very smooth and well built.

Other skates in the TRS range are the top of the range TRS Estilo and the mid-range TRS Detail. The TRS Access are the value end aggressive skates in the range. The range is designed for aggressive street and park skating, not vert.

TRS Access Boot

It's one of those designs that some people will like, but others won't simply because it is so different. Having said that, everyone I spoke to did actually like the look of it. When wearing the skates, you look down for a while it's weird to see a pair of trainers where your skates should be. Definitely a "New Shoes" feeling.

The buckle on these confused me for a few minutes due to the innovative setup - lifting the metal "buckle" does not actually open the boot, but tightens it on a ratchet mechanism. It's the plastic lever in the centre of the metal which actually releases the tension. Once you work this out they work very well. I didn't manage to make it slip or open at all, and it was never difficult to open when tight unlike some buckles I've used in the past.

One thing I feel let this skate down was the liner. It looks great, and is quite padded, but when using it I was aware that it wasn't as comfortable as I am used to. This is something that has been addressed in the other skates in the TRS range however, and the foot bed has also been improved in the Detail and Estilo Pro models. I would love to try these out, as my main concern with the skates is that I like a skate that I can wear 24 hours a day comfortably. Unfortunately, after a few hours, I needed a break. Tip number 1 make sure you are 100% comfortable in them before buying.

After a couple of days, I put my Salomon ST90 liners and foot beds in the skates, which gave the skates a different feel.

Roller blade ® Ankle Support

Coming from a vert skating background, I found the skates didn't have as much ankle support as I'm used to though this did help with the street skating. Stunts such as royales and topsides (things I have never been truly comfortable with) are a lot easier.

The front to back movement is very easy. The hinge is very loose making it easy to get low down. The side to side movement is a little less easy, but then that's what you need. In the past I have noticed that boning the skate over sideways for royales and the like made the top of the cuff dig into my ankle on the inside. This did not happen in these skates. This is probably due to the cuff being both low and flexible.

This skate are not designed for vert, though for miniramp and park it certainly fits the bill. It took me a while to get comfortable without a lot of ankle support when skating miniramp, but when I did it performed well.

Heat moulding

This is not relevant to this model, but can be used in the other models in the TRS range. Heat moulding generally improves the fit and comfort of most skates, and is most common on skates that require a close and accurate fit such as hockey and speed skates.

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Rollerblade ® UFS Frame and Sole

The frame is very nice but limited. Be very careful grinding however as you may find it shockingly fast. Combined with the excellent (both in size and grind-ability) sole plates makes this a dream to grind on. It is fast, but smooth and predictable. It will take you over the rough sections of that planter you've been trying to grind, and let your slide forever.

The way the frame is set out makes it quite central on the boot, meaning that the negative space is huge, but also that you really have to be on top of the grinds to make sure you don't come off. Once you are on though, you will feel so secure that you won't want to stop grinding. It makes switch-ups difficult (psychologically) as you are so smooth and comfortable in the grind you don't want to disturb it...

Everything is replaceable as you can see from the pictures, but they do need to be, because the parts wear quickly than with other aggressive skates. This is a very small price to pay however for the grinding and other tricks you will get in these skates. In fact, they are the first skates I have been able to grind on un-waxed ledges (as long as they are smooth).

I would liked to have seen a little more configuration options in the frame personally, like being able to move your wheels forwards/backwards, but now I'm being picky because I can't find any real faults with the setup.

Wheels, Axles, and Bearings

The wheels are not great. For street they are OK, but that's as good as it gets. They wear reasonably fast, but I have not cored or chunked any yet. They do slide quite predictably making cess slides easier, and they don't hang up on ledges if you catch them.

What lets them down slightly is that they are so slow. Much effort required for little speed. This makes them absolutely useless on ramp, but then I feel they are not a skate that was designed with ramp in mind generally anyway.

The bearings are fine, and stood up to a couple of days skating in the rain (including puddles and mud etc) needing only a few minutes of skating to get them back into shape once they dried. I am of the opinion that bearings make little difference to your skating as long as they are in reasonable condition. That said, the label queens among you will be happy to hear they are using SKF ABEC 5's.

I do like the axle system. As is now standard on a number of skates, they are using a "1 tool" approach, meaning that you only need a single tool to remove the axles, the other side being moulded into the frame. It makes removal and refit a lot easier. The tool they supply is woefully inadequate however, so go out and buy a decent 4mm Allen key if you want to remove the wheels.

The axles are now the 8mm type with self centering spacers in the wheels. This makes them a lot stronger than the original 6mm diameter axles used in the past. By all accounts, they give a better fit as well, otherwise I doubt that speed skates would use this same design.

After some experimenting on the Team Rollerblade wheels, I swapped the wheels for my personal favorites - Cozmos. If ever there was a way to make this skate shine it is to put some quality wheels on it. Interestingly, the top-of-the-range TRS Estilo comes with 58mm Cozmo Fly wheels. :)

Rollerblade ® TRS Access - Overall Conclusion

A full on street skate, unless you start changing the wheels and the like. I can't fault it at all when it comes to style or usability. The only concern I have is the comfort. Try them on for yourself and see what you think. If you feel comfortable in them, they will serve you well.

Having changed the liner, footbed and wheels, I would recommend these aggressiveskates to anyone. It now qualifies as a top park/ramp skate as well as an excellent street skate, and I think that they are the best skates I have skated in!

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About Duncan Clarke

Duncan is the webmaster of the well-known UK skating site inlineskate.co.uk, and has been skating for over 10 years. He's also spent years interacting on the newsgroup rec.sport.skating.inline, and has added a lot of value there through advice to new and other skaters. You can contact Duncan here if you have any questions about his 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.

Rollerblade ® review - TRS Access 2002

Aggressive in-line skates

May 2002

by Duncan Clarke.

First Impressions