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Inline skating is for people who can’t sit still, have a need for speed and enjoy the wind in their face. It’s also for ideal for people who want the fat burning benefits of cycling and running without paying for an expensive bike or putting stress on the joints. While you roll along listening to tunes on your headphones, and concentrating on perfecting a stride and glide that looks powerful and effortless, you’ll also be toning your body and conditioning your lungs and heart aerobically.

This beautiful sport has been around since the eighties when a company named Rollerblade, Inc. out the wheels in a line on roller skates and the activity was dubbed “rollerblading.” But Rollerblade isn’t the only company that makes the skates anymore, and over the past two decades, ice skate, skateboard, and ski manufactures also began designing equipment for the sport correctly known as “inline skating.”

If you’re looking to get into this sport for fitness, speed thrills, or street hockey, you’ll be surprised at how affordable it is and how its popularity is booming.

Gear Up: What Equipment Do You Need?

For less than $200, you can get a decent pair of skates,  plus a helmet ($30 – $40), and a pair of wrist guards/gloves ($10 – $15), which is the least amount of equipment you’ll need. Prices for the better quality skates with liners can reach $500, but if you’re looking for a decent recreational pair, expect to start around $125. Don’t be a cheapskate and buy a crummy pair of inlines ($100 or less) – because a poor skating experience will only dampen your enthusiasm for the sport.

Here’s a breakdown of the equipment:

The Boots

Your first selection is the boot which in the past has been either soft or hard, as well as hybrid designs of the two. Soft boots generally feel like hockey skates and are laced up; while hard boots are made of a carbon fiber shell and buckles. The wheels are attached to the boot by a chassis, or rail, which will be made of plastic on cheaper skates, or lightweight aluminum on better quality skates. The best boot/rail combo will allow you to change wheel sizes as your ability improves.

Since the boots are the most important piece of equipment, it goes without saying that they should your feet comfortably. It may not be the most expensive pair that feels the best, so try several brands to find the best for your wide or narrow feet.

Know Your Wheels

Selecting a set of polyurethane wheels for your skates will depend on size (measured in millimeters) and hardness (the “durometer”), which will be determined by your weight, ability and style and speed level. Wheels are inexpensive ($3 to $7 each) and replacing them is easy, so go ahead and lay down the miles.

The hardness of recreational wheels range in durometer from around 72A (softest) to 85A (hardest), and most stock wheels are at about 78A. Hard wheels last longer and are faster but don’t have the grip of softer wheels, nor do they absorb road vibrations. All four wheels on your skates don’t have to be the same matching durometer; you can mix them to give you better traction and shock absorption.

Lower-quality skates will come stocked with the smaller wheels of 72mm, while most people will want a skate model that can take at least 76mm wheels. Ask the salesperson if the chassis on the boots you want will be able to fit larger wheels once you want to step up in speed. (And don’t confuse wheel size with durometer rating.) Taller wheels will provide more speed but be less maneuverability; and pro racers are now gliding on big wheels ranging in sizes of 90, 100 – even 110mm.

Clothing, Pads and Helmet

Smart skaters venture out fitted in padded armor that resembles something seen on a banked Roller Derby track. You can wear most any type of shorts and a tee-shirt, and your socks should be double-layered and anti-blister. A helmet is strongly recommended, and if you already have a bike helmet, that will do just fine. You can also consider wearing knee and elbow pads, but be sure to get a pair of padded gloves/wrist protectors because the most frequent skating injury is to the wrist as most people instinctively try to catch themselves when falling.

To Brake Or Not to Brake

Skates come with brakes … or without. Each manufacture makes their own brakes and they are not interchangeable with other skate models. Rollerblade, for example, calls their system the ABT (“Advanced Braking Technology”) which is a name for a pad contraption on a long screw that runs up the back of the skate from the heel. It can be “activated” by leaning back on the ankle portion of the boot. Other manufactures have wildly different designs, such as disc brakes that apply pressure to the last wheel. More advanced skaters will do without brakes, but beginners should definitely consider using them since they are a sure way to stop speeding skates.

Brakes can wear out quickly and although they are inexpensive, it can be a pain to keep replacing them. The alternative is to get skates without brakes. If you take a lesson from a skating pro, you’ll be taught how to use a snowplow or “V” technique, and not rely on a gadget – or the nearest telephone pole or grassy slope – to stop. With instruction, you can work on brake-less stops such as spinouts, toe drags, T-stops and chop stops, as well as skiing techniques for speed control (parallel or slalom turning).

Speaking of instruction, most beginners would do well to take a lesson or two from a qualified instructor who can show you the little things to help you advance more quickly. You’ll learn the fundamentals such as basic position and stopping; perhaps the flamingo (gliding on one skate); how to stride and glide; handle speed; skate backwards; and practice turns, spins, tricks … maybe even grinding rails.

One more alternative to brakes is the hockey stop ice wheels. They are new on the market in 2005 and allow for ultra fast hockey-style stops on streets and indoor surfaces – without the cool spray of ice of course. Look for the feel of ice blades on these wheels to revolutionize not just roller hockey but other forms of inline skating as well.

The Outdoor Experience

Asphalt is faster under the wheels and therefore a lot more zippy than concrete, so keep that in mind if you’re new at the sport. Known as “black ice” to skaters, a recently paved level road is the ideal skating surface, however, if it’s downhill, it’s best left to advanced skaters. Unfortunately, you won’t always be striding on a good surface, and cracks, potholes, erosions, sand, and other obstacles are a part of road riding. Consider these variables to be good reasons for wearing protective gear, and not because you feel you can rely on your ability to stop when sprinting on a flat at 30mph. Surprises happen and it’s no fun to go flying off the asphalt trail, so always skate at your ability. Fatigue can also cause injuries at the end of the day, so be prepared for anything.

Despite a few hazards, studies have shown that compared to the other recreational activities such as soccer, baseball and volleyball, inline skaters have had far fewer injuries, especially when they wear a helmet and pads. And the sport is not just for fun and fitness: a 1996 study by the International Inline Skating Association found that 35% of avid skaters used their inline wheels as a mode of transportation.

The hours spent blading on the roads will increase your stamina, poise, lower body strength, and heart rate-in other words, you’ll get an abundance of fitness benefits. And for sheer fun, there’s nothing like the rush of putting wheels on your feet.