Don't forget your spare parts

Don't forget spare parts. You wouldn't forget to bring your skates to a competition. You wouldn't forget to bring the wheels you plan to skate on (well, most wouldn't). You wouldn't forget your uniform, or your helmet...

And yet...

Almost incomprehensibly, there will always be a skater or two, at any meet, who is getting around with one old wheel on their skates amongst a set of new ones. Why? Because they can't get that axle off - the head is stripped and their wrench just turns in it. Their wrench is worn out of course, an unavoidable side-effect of constantly using worn-out mounting screws that damage its hex profile. Or another skater who is wandering around with a sad face, carrying their boot and frame asking if someone can help get their mounting screw off because its become rounded. Perhaps someone who asks you to have a shot at tightening their mounting screw because their frame keeps coming loose every time they skate (and it will be because the screw head is rounded and can't be tightened enough).

Then the prepared skaters get hit-up by their friends for their spares. Spare wrench, spare axle, spare mounting screw...

Not cool.

Skates need fastenings and tools just like they need components. Frames, boots, wheels and bearings are no use without mounting screws to hold them together, axles to assemble them, and wrenches to adjust and change them. You don't risk your safety or performance by racing with worn-out wheels that are close to failure, so don't risk damaging your skates with worn-out bolts, axles and tools.

Tip

Keep more than one wrench in your bag - and keep them sharp (so they don't damage screw and axle heads) by grinding the worn end off from time to time on a bench grinder. Keep 4 spare mounting screws in your bag - and be ready to change them onto your skates if your existing screws become worn, rusted or if their heads have a loose fit on your wrench. Keep a spare axle or two as well - your skates just won't perform well, and neither will you, if you have to leave a wheel out because you misplaced an axle at the wrong time.

And if your boots have microbuckles and index straps, keep a spare one of those with you too. They're relatively inexpensive, very easy to change on/off your boot, and save you skating with what feels like a loose sandshoe on one foot if you have a crash and damage one of your buckles.