Intro


At first glance, the ways to travel by roller are not obvious. Nevertheless, with a little research and imagination one can find interesting resources on the subject. If you want to make a trip by rollerblade, this is one of the important questions that you will have to ask yourself. The question of the "configuration", you will have to make this choice according to your route, your physical form, your financial means, your talents of do-it-yourselfers and your needs in term of comfort.

The bag pack


This is certainly the first one we have in mind when we imagine traveling long distances with rollerblades. The gentleman opposite (we talk about him in the previous article) is Ken Yamashita, 63, he crossed the United States with his skates. The advantage of this configuration is the practical side, just a backpack and basta. In case of fatigue or steep slope you can attach the rollers to the bag and continue on foot, get on a train, hitchhike ... Anyway, we remain more mobile. Neither do we need to leave business outside if we sleep at night, or when we shop. Let's say that from this point of view it is the most adaptable solution. On the other hand you have to have a very good level of skating to afford to choose this option, it goes without saying. It is also preferable to have a very good physical shape to be able to support the weight of all its material over long distances. Another disadvantage of this configuration is the downhill question, because of course without recognition of slope you start a little blind. Again the weight of the bag, it adds to the difficulty of slowing down, which can be really dangerous. Some travelers like Yincai tries to solve this deficiency, he uses ski poles to stabilize. There is still the technique of our friend Ken, he innovates completely with a kind of homemade pole. Equipped with two point of grip and reinforced with what seems to be a tire, he uses it downhill to slow down his speed by putting pressure on the ground with the pole.

The skate drive


I can not find much information on this product, in any case a sacred invention. When we look at some performance of badass travelers, it allows to do very good distances. It has a lot of advantages. It is light, it has brakes, it looks manageable ... No need to carry the material on his back. I found a lot of French travelers who have made very respectable distances with this small machine that weighs only about 5 kg. Most travelers leave with just over 30 kg total. Again the real advantage in addition to not breaking your back is the braking system. It should be noted that downhill skating with a big load can be almost as tiring as a climb. Apart from this website (last updated a long time ago) which really seems to be that of a manufacturer is the only source of manufacturer that I could find. So, first of all, it's a French invention. Cocorico, of course.

Carrix


Actually it's an hiking trolley, we find several models with one or two wheels, different diameters. Whatever the configuration, the principle is always the same, it is a metal frame composed of two long arms with a stretched canvas where you hang your bags. You can either pull the load using only the handle or using a harness to distribute the weight on the shoulders and hips. This system can easily carry big loads without killing you too much. We see travelers using ski poles as well. The improvement needed to this object is a braking system, a fairly simple operation finally assuming that a model with bicycle wheels is used. Web site : http://www.carrix.ch/

The Trollix


In my opinion certainly one of the best choice for a long distance self-drive rollerblading trip. It's a bit the same principle as the Carrix except that this time the load is distributed on a balanced aluminum platform on two wheels. There is always this story of harnesses that come back to this configuration, which allows the traveler to have their hands free. A non-negligible asset when you skate. Hikers' experiences report their travels with loads of 50 kg ... It's rather positive! By cons it is a rather expensive option, it takes about 600 euros to buy one. However, there are still other advantages, including the option offered by the manufacturer options. We can indeed add to the drive disc brakes, arm rests etc ... You can adjust a good box to secure the equipment, it is really a choice of quality. Web site : https://www.trollix.fr/

Stroller


There are all shapes, all colors, with four or three wheels, with shock absorbers, brake ... May be air conditioning soon! Thule seems to be leading in this area, at least they offer a lot of models that could do the trick as a roller skate stroller. Suitable for running, it is a stable solution, the configuration offers a good impaction and the load is close from the ground. Can be a small problem compared to the load, not sure that putting it 50 kilos on the structure it remains as reliable in downhills and in case of braking. It's still a great option in my opinion. By cons certainly overpriced.

The trailer


I may not be 100% objective towards this last point for the simple reason that this is the solution I chose. The fact of building your own means of transport for your trip is priceless. The design and the realization are the preliminary adventures to that of the road. It's as much a treasure as a burden, just like the road. The charrette opposite was named Misty, a page is dedicated to it on this website.