Most skaters train hard for months and then leave time on the clock through preparation, not fitness. A bolt that worked loose in the warm up, a wheel choice that was wrong for the surface, bearings that were cleaned the night before and never bedded in, a suit that came out of the bag creased and damp. None of these are dramatic. All of them are quietly expensive on race day, and every single one is avoidable with a routine.
This guide sets out that routine. It is written around the way a normal race weekend actually unfolds, so it is split into three time frames. What you do in race week, what you do the night before, and what you do in the hour before your start. The rule running through all of it is simple. Race day is not the day to try anything new. Everything you race on should be something you have already skated on, and preparation is about making a known setup reliable rather than making it different.
Race week, settle the setup
The most common mistake in the week before a race is change. New wheels, new bearings, a new frame position, a fresh suit that has never been worn. Each one introduces an unknown at exactly the point where you want none. If something genuinely needs replacing, do it early in race week so you get at least two or three sessions on it before you have to trust it.
Race week is for three things. Confirming your wheel choice for the surface you will actually race on, servicing your bearings so they are clean and settled rather than freshly stripped, and going over the hardware so nothing is running loose. Everything else is training and rest.
Push every decision as early as possible so race day is only about checking, not choosing.
Choosing wheels for the surface you will race on
Wheel firmness is the one setup variable that genuinely should respond to the venue, because the surface changes what a wheel does. The instinct many skaters have is that harder always means faster, and on a rough or dusty surface that is often true. On a hard, smooth, dry track it is not, because a wheel that is too hard starts to slide instead of holding your line through the corner. Slip costs far more than a small difference in roll.
The JUNK Road Reaper 110 XFirm sits at 84 to 86A, which is the softer and grippier of the two Road Reaper options, and it is the one made for hard, smooth, dry race surfaces where you need the wheel to hold. The Road Reaper 110 XXFirm is harder at 86 to 88A, which trades some grip for more roll and outright speed. Both are 110mm and both come as a set of eight, which is a full set for a pair of four wheel skates.
How to decide at the venue
- Walk the track or the road circuit if you can, and feel whether the surface is smooth and polished or coarse and open.
- Note the temperature and whether there is dust or damp. Both reduce grip, which usually favours the grippier option.
- Think about the shape of the course. Tight, repeated corners reward grip. Long straights and sweeping bends reward roll.
- If in doubt, race the wheel you have trained on. Confidence in the corner is worth more than a theoretical gain.
Both are 110mm Road Reapers. The only question is how much grip the surface is asking for.
Bearings, clean and settled rather than freshly stripped
Bearings are the classic race day mistake. Skaters strip and reoil a full set the night before, then find the wheels feel heavy and noisy for the first few laps because nothing has bedded in and there is too much oil sitting in the races. Service bearings early in race week instead, then skate on them at least once before you race.
The routine itself is straightforward. Take the wheels off and pull the bearings out of the hubs. If they are dirty, clean them and let them dry completely, because oil binds to grit and oiling a dirty bearing traps dust inside. Then add one drop of Speedslick Pro bearing oil per bearing, spin each one by hand for a few seconds to spread it, and wipe away any excess. One drop is the sweet spot. More oil is not faster, because a flooded bearing collects dust and drags.
Remember the arithmetic when you are checking what you have. A standard pair of four wheel inline speed skates runs sixteen bearings, so a spare bearing or two in the bag is cheap insurance. If you are choosing a set for the season rather than servicing what you have, the full range sits in the speed bearings collection, and even ceramic bearings, which handle heat and water better than steel, still need clean light oil to run at their best.
The night before, hardware and packing
The night before is a mechanical job, not a performance one. Work through the skate methodically and then pack the bag so that the morning is only about skating.
Hardware checks
- Check every axle is properly tight and that no wheel has side to side play.
- Check the frame mounting bolts on both skates, since these loosen slowly and silently.
- Spin each wheel and listen. A rough or rattly bearing tells you before the race, not during it.
- Look across the wheel profile for uneven wear, and rotate if one wheel is clearly further gone than the rest.
- Check your boot laces and any buckle or strap hardware for fraying and cracks.
If you are running a frame from the LiveLica AI frames range or any other setup where you have recently moved the mounting position, confirm the position is where you expect it before you pack. Frame position drift is easy to miss and instantly noticeable in a start.
Packing the bag
Pack the night before, not in the morning. A checklist beats memory when you are nervous and short of sleep.
Four groups, packed the night before, so nothing important depends on your memory at six in the morning.
Your suit, and why it belongs on the list
A race suit is equipment, not just clothing. It should be dry, uncreased and already familiar on your body, because a suit that binds across the shoulders or rides at the knee changes how you sit in the low position. The LiveLica Pro Skin Suit is cut for the racing position, and the same rule applies to it as to everything else. Wear it in training before you wear it in a race, and never take a suit out of its packaging on the start line.
Practical points that catch people out. Put the suit on before you do your final skate checks, so you are not fighting a zip with cold hands. Have a warm layer to pull over it while you wait, especially at outdoor venues in the early morning. And carry a dry change for after the race, because sitting around in a wet suit is how you spend the following week ill instead of training.
The hour before your start
By now nothing should need fixing. This last hour is about confirming, warming up and staying calm.
- Spin each wheel once and listen for anything rough that has appeared overnight in transport.
- Run a hand over each axle to confirm nothing has worked loose in the bag.
- Do a short easy skate on the actual surface, so your first contact with the grip level is not in the first corner of the race.
- Set your laces the way you always set them, and resist tightening them harder than usual just because it is a race.
- Drink, eat something simple and give yourself time. Rushing the last fifteen minutes is how equipment mistakes happen.
Between heats
If you are racing multiple distances, keep the between heats routine short and repeatable. Wipe the wheels of grit, keep warm, drink, and only touch the skates if something has actually changed. The temptation to fiddle between rounds is strong, and it is almost always a mistake.
After the race, the ten minutes that protect your kit
Race day preparation ends with a small amount of tidying, and it makes the next event easier. Wipe the wheels and frames down, especially if the surface was dusty or damp. Check for any wheel that has taken a chunk out of it in the pack, since damaged wheels are easy to forget and impossible to trust. Loosen laces, let the boots air, and do not leave a damp suit balled up in the bag. If your bearings sounded gritty by the end, note it now and service them at the start of the next race week rather than the night before the next event.
Frequently asked questions
Should I fit brand new wheels for a race?
Generally no. A wheel that has been skated a little has a settled profile and you know how it grips. If you must fit new wheels, do it early in race week and skate on them at least once.
Should I clean my bearings the night before a race?
Better to do it earlier in race week. Freshly serviced bearings often feel heavy for the first few laps, and any excess oil needs a session to settle. Clean early, skate on them, then race.
How do I choose between the XFirm and XXFirm Road Reaper?
Match the surface. XFirm at 84 to 86A is softer and grippier, which suits hard, smooth, dry race surfaces where a harder wheel would start to slip. XXFirm at 86 to 88A rolls faster when the surface allows it. Both are 110mm and both come as a set of eight.
How many spare bearings should I carry?
A pair of four wheel inline speed skates runs sixteen bearings, so carrying two or three spares plus the tools to fit them covers you for the most common mechanical failure without weighing your bag down.
What is the single most overlooked check?
Frame mounting bolts. They loosen gradually rather than suddenly, so nothing feels wrong until the day it does. Check them the night before every race.
How much oil does each bearing need?
One drop, spun through by hand and with the excess wiped away. Extra oil attracts dust and adds drag rather than speed.
