Best products from r/rollerderby

You didn't ask about this but you did mention bras so I'm going to address the neep situation (LOL, sorry, I mean the nipple situation) - for people who have piercings:

I do not have piercings in my neeps, but I do regularly use silicone nipple covers for other reasons, and I adore them (for example, under all bathing suits - I personally don't care for my nipples to poke out, but then I'm old LOL and that's just me). I feel confident that they would protect nipple piercings for people who are concerned about them getting bumped or tugged on or something by accident. They cost around $10, are reusable (I've used and then washed mine in the sink with soap and water about 40 times so far since I got them about 15 months ago and they're not degrading one bit yet), and I find them as comfortable as if they weren't there at all. They're about the diameter of a soda can, so cover most people's areolas completely.

This is the brand I bought. I got them at either Kohl's, Target, or Walmart (pretty sure it was Kohl's though). This particular link is the first one I saw, and is for amazon and they cost a little more through it, but this way you can see the brand and what to look for or google.

https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Fashion-Secrets-Silicone-Coverups/dp/B01J4AWF6S/

Hope this helps someone now or in the future!

I have found that these are really cheap but actually pretty nice. I’ve tried a couple others similarly priced to these but for me, these give you a great roll and are actually affordable. I’m sure there are much better for more money but I’ve been happy with these.

I'm not sure what your price range is, but if you're looking to save up, the 187 Pro Derby Pads are amazing. I fall SUPER hard on my knees sometimes (yay being 6' 4"), and these are like falling on pillows, especially with gaskets.

They strap behind your knee, unlike other 187's which are slide-on. They're also semi-customizable, machine washable with instructions, and even come in colors :)

Other than that, I think upgrading your bearings is one of the cheaper and easier ways to upgrade your skates.

i'm two weeks in, my team practices 2x a week but i can only make one most weeks because of an evening class: i want to get better at skating outside of that since once a week is not a lot, but i am a broke grad student and will have to save for a while before i can afford good skates. would it be worthwhile to get some cheap-ass children's skates (looking at these specifically) for outdoor use while i'm working towards that mst, or would that money be put to better use elsewhere? (i mean obviously it would be better not spent on amazon but what can ya do)

Large arms and legs here.

For knee pads I used Deadbolts XL for awhile, but they twisted a lot and I was afraid of landing on my knee. I now just switched to the S1 knee pads in 2xl and honestly I could go down to an XL but luckily their straps are adjustable as they stretch out over time.



For elbow and wrist I use this set from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JBM-international-Adult-Guards-Protective/dp/B00GG7AYLG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521169840&sr=8-3&keywords=jbm%2Bpads&dpID=51mZntlwyeL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1&psc=1
The wrist guards have saved my wrists multiple times and the elbow pads work fine. The straps on the elbow pads are long enough but I added in an inch or so of fabric to the sleeve for comfort, although they were wearable before.

Read “the Inner Game of Tennis” to turn off the over-analytical part of your brain and just keep skating. :) The more you skate, the better you get, which means less penalties. Reading that book for me was a great help in getting me out of my own way. I’m also a big believer in one jam at a time. If something happened in a previous jam, let it go and focus on the next one. Mistakes are good to help us see how to improve - we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over them!

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314

I would recommend investing in something like this: balance pad It'll help you develop some stability and increase your balance over time. PT encouraged me to get one to practice at home. It's great for working on maintaining balance while shifting your center of gravity.

EZeefit booties help, jam straps help, there are awesome these AWESOME toe inserts I use that snug my toes in: https://www.amazon.com/Powerfoot-Hockey-Skate-Performance-Insert/dp/B01A9EMLR6

I got my Reidell Darts for under $100 (I think they were $85) because I wanted recreational quad skates, and they were the minimum if I later decided to join roller derby. They served me very well skating outdoors with outdoor wheels, and my stock wheels got me through roller derby fresh meat when I decided to join about a year later. I'm looking into better skates for derby now, but still love my Darts and they'll become my outdoor skates.

EDIT: These are my skates. Looks like the price went up a bit. Pay a lot of attention to sizing if you order skates--you will need a smaller size than you think.

It's fairly easy if you are just replacing a standard plate with another standard plate. (Mounting on virgin boots, doing a short-forward mount, or things like that get a bit more technical)

Chances are you will need to drill new holes in your boot (often you can get 1 or 2 holes to line up, which is a good starting point). What you want to do is match the centerline of the old plate (kingpin-to-kingpin in the case of a non-symmetrical plate) with your new plate, and marking the axle and toe stop locations on the side of the sole is a good reference for the front-to-back placement.

I use a two-part epoxy stick to fill the old holes.

There was a good beginner's guide that was published in Five on Five a few years ago.

Med Spec 264015 ASO Ankle Stabilizer, Black, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TZTO0TO

This was recommended to me after returning from an ankle break (in 3 spots). It’s been awesome and no need for a new boot. Can also attest that strength and flexibility and rehab exercises are more reassuring than a few more inches of boot.

My league does 2 skaters at a time, we're small enough that it usually takes about half a practice. Most phones have lap timers on the clock app, so everyone has a partner and the partner just has to hit the 'lap' button while their partner skates and counts their laps themselves. I usually make sure we have some bumpin' tunes. Everyone else sits on the sidelines and cheers and encourages eachother on.

You can use a lap counter, I find them to be useful and cheap.

My biggest advice is, do laps every practice. Don't worry about doing them in 5 minutes, or doing them as fast as you can. Just do 27 laps, every practice you can. It can make a big difference.

They have them on Amazon for fairly cheap (https://www.amazon.com/SLS3-Temporary-Race-Number-Tattoos/dp/B07K8TGN4X) and the contrast on those is great. So refs love them!

I sent back the original one and after chatting with the girl at the store, she recommended the TSG Kraken Helmet.

It'll be here Friday. I'm hoping for the best!

I basically destroyed my ankle in my first year of play, and now almost always wear a brace. I've been trying to wean off and down onto tape the last few months but I feel super insecure because of how the break was before. If you have someone who knows how to tape, try that. Otherwise, perhaps try one of these braces?

I used this one when I first came back

I use this one now (less rigid)

I like both of them and they fit in my skates without feeling bulky at all. I still go back to the first one when the weather changes and my ankle gets super painful.

How old are your kids and what are you looking for?

Roller Girl has been around for a little while and is popular. I liked it and my daughter just finished it and seemed to enjoy it.

So Im using a pair of Chicago roller skates, It was something for my big feet that I could learn on and I love them - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chicago-Mens-Rink-Skate-Black/dp/B000G17FXS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1541706154&sr=8-5&keywords=chicago%2Broller%2Bskates&th=1&psc=1 - When I've been skating on them they start making a really awful noise, as if they are grinding and clicking together. Its a really awful thing to constantly hear and when I take the bearing out and spin it in my hand I can feel that something is off with it, it doesn't spin smoothly in my hand and feel like something is clicking around. It also has more drag on it and I really don't enjoy replacing bearings every skate session because of this. I'm still using the basic wheels that came with the skates, they're very hard wheels but they haven't really caused me any issues and I enjoy skating on them. And I don't tighten the wheel much, as long as it doesn't move side to side that's about as tight as I go, so that it spins and doesn't move other than that

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A colleague from work who deals with building bikes and fixing broken bikes/scooters and outdoor equipment says that the axle could be bent. I cant see any bend of deformity in them but the only things I can think to change are the wheels or the trucks. But at this point I'm probably better off just getting new skates...

I swear by THIS BAG.
The rolling part will hold my skates and pads easily. The rolling part of the bag has a zippered pocket that is the perfect size to hold a spare set of 8 skates. The front part (which detaches to become a backpack!) is perfect for everything else. I'm a student, so I use the backpack for my laptop and books. It also comes with a nifty spot to hold your tools and helmet. I keep a first aid kit, a change of clothes, my spare shoes, etc. in it.

I'm a total mom-friend, which means that I carry EVERYTHING, just in case someone might need it. Markers for bouts? Got it. Scissors? Yup. Extra (cheap but new) mouthguards in case you forget one? That's me!

There's a terrific graphic novel called RollerGirl.

I use "no blister" socks meant for running or hiking. They work great!

https://www.amazon.com/Balega-Blister-Resist-Quarter-Orange/dp/B07BBYHCXM/