Talk:Road skating

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Below is the To-Do list for Road skating. Click the "edit" link to the right to edit it. PegArmPaul 16:01, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

To-do list for Road skating: edit · history · watch · refresh

This entry is currently being actively collaborated on. One skater/philanthropist has offered $1000 in fundraising money towards one of the key roadskating events in the US (the Tour to Tanglewood in Greensboro, North Carolina, a fundraiser to fight Multiple Sclerosis) for people who contribute to the road skating entry. To be considered, send email to dreeves@gmail.com with a one-sentence summary of your contribution. Here is a growing To-do list to get everyone started:

 [A2A] Special mention of Athens to Atlanta (and perhaps a dedicated wikipedia entry for it)
 [TTT] Tour to Tanglewood, and special mention of Joey Cheek, with appropriate cross-citations to ice speedskating
 [BRK] Discussion of braking with links to several different braking options, including the Gatorbrake.
 [MAR] Discussion of marathons, especially the huge ones like Duluth
 [EUR] Racing in Europe and Korea
 [WHL] Wheels and a history of the evolution of wheel sizes
 [LNK] Appropriate cross-linking with the other wikipedia entries
 [FNS] Friday Night Skates around the world (move this from where it's currently listed under roller skating or somesuch)
 [PIC] A couple pictures, of skaters in a paceline perhaps
 [ICE] Link to ice touring like Elfstedentocht
 [STR] Merge or link with the Street skating entry
 [REA] Rearrange the main section under various headings like Drafting, Braking, Social Skates, Equipment, Racing, etc
 [MSC] Other things!  add them here...

Is this a todo list for the (I assume, out of band) active collaborative rewrite, or for anyone to jump into and just do? A few comments occur to me:

  • a lot of this (mechanics of drafting, cross-training benefits) apply to inline speed skating in general - whether conducted on roads or on closed courses - and could be moved into that article. Indeed, a lot of the proposed additions likewise (anything equipment-related, for a start) would be better suited to other articles. If i want to find out about wheel sizes on inline skakes, I would look for articles about inline skates.
  • the section about legal issues is by its nature applicable only in some jurisdictions - so, which? In the UK, for example, there is no legal compulsion for skaters to obey the same laws as cyclists (though it's often prudent). Indeed, the article seems incosistent with itself there bcause it then goes on to describe places where skating on the roads is entirely illegal (but cycling presumably is not)
  • "Like cyclists, skaters should always wear helmets" is dangerously close to POV - see www.cyclehelmets.org for another POV.
  • "Road skating" as described here is a very different beast from the marshalled Street skating described in the article of that name (I made this comment on the Talk page there as well) which makes the two articles unlikely candidates for merging.

See also my comments on Category talk:Roller skating Daniel Barlow 00:05, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

  • Road skating or Roadskating encompasses Street skating as defined in the latter article as groups skating together in organized fashion.
  • The term "street skating" is less preferred in the USA at least (this may be principally a European term?), in my view, due to the easy confusion with "aggressive street skating," which occurs on predefined and specially constructed "street ramp" courses and in the urban landscape, where tricks and grinding are common features.
  • In an aggressive competition, "street" and "vert" are often the categories.
  • I'm unaware of any similar ambiguity with the term, Roadskating, as I have never heard street ramp or urban cityscape skating or even freestyle slalom as being referred to as roadskating, even though they sometimes occur on roads or streets.
  • Thus in my view Road skating or Roadskating is the preferred parent of Street Skating if they should be combined. I see no real problem with them remaining separate and cross-referencing each other.
  • At that point I prefer Street Social Skating as a term, as the principle feature of many such events (the Empire Skate excursions incluing the Big Apple Roll, NYC Wednesday night skate, the Miami Great Esskate, the Philly Free Skate and such) is that the group stays together or frequently regroups enroute. There will be spanking, yes, but after the sprints up front the group will gather at a water truck or convenience store or similar.
  • Roadskate touring might be a term for relaxed roadskating such as occurs in conjunction with the Greensboro NC Tour to Tanglewood for Multiple Sclerosis and similar bike "club rides" or non-competitive tours, and Roadskate racing might be a term for roadskates where a clock is in use, such as the Athens to Atlanta Roadskate.

--Blake Lambert, Roadskater.net and RSN2.com