READ BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW WE MOUNT ROLLERSKATES AS STANDARD - IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS PLEASE DO LET US KNOW BEFORE WE MOUNT 'EM!
We take great care when mounting plates to boots. We love roller skates and we know how important yours are to you. Different boots and plates can require slightly different mounting specifications and this can change according to things like size and shape of the boots and plates. We are very experienced in building skates and always make sure that we mount your skates in the best way we can.
A lot of boots we deal with are hand made and custom built. This means that there are sometimes inconsistencies in the shape of the boot sole or the way the leather has been glued/stitched or nailed to the boot. To the naked eye this is not noticeable, however is you look closely it can make the mounting between boots look slightly irregular. We will always mount for best SKATING PERFORMANCE rather than for best visual look. We operate within a 2-3mm margin of error depending on the build, the materials and whether it is a re-mount where holes have needed to be filled or worked around. Sometimes there are nails in the soles of the boot which can also throw off where we can drill.
Additionally, if you have ordered custom sizing (split sizing in length or width), this will affect the way you mount looks.
We take all of this into account when building your skates and will always choose a centreline that will give you optimum performance and control. We use a centreline marking tool to mark the middle of the boot. We usually use a 2-3mm offset to the inside of the boot as standard, however we know folks may have a personal preference so we're always happy to mount to your specifications. Standard mounts are generally 3-5mm forward of the heel, depending on the boot. We have mounted literally thousands of roller skates so you can trust us ;)
We have noticed that a lot of factory mounted beginner skates seem to put the plate directly in the middle of the boot visually rather than using the centreline or even an offset centreline which results in those plates having almost a 6mm offset. This can mean that when you upgrade to a custom mount, your plates might feel in a very different position. This is by no means wrong, it might just take a while to get used to as your weight distribution on your edges may feel different. Lots of beginner skates also have really long plates - meaning the wheelbase is very long to give you stability.
In addition, these plates just tend to be longer overall and often means they will go ''end to end'' on the boot. Please do not expect that this is ''how skates should look'' when you get a new setup. We can absolutely assure you that it is 100% normal for there to be a gap! This is because different plates all have different overall lengths, and this can often not necessarily be linked to the wheelbase - eg: some plates have a larger gap between the front trucks and the toestops. Did you know the Arius and Reactor Pro have different overall lengths regardless of wheelbase?
Please see below photos for an example of Wifa's standard mounting for their packages (this package was mounted by Wifa). You can see it's mounted just off the back of the heel and there is a lot of space at the end of the boot. So please trust us that this is normal :)
In the case of Bonts, we use a pre-marked centreline to mount your boots and will only move away from this on occasion.
Re-Mounts may require us to fill in the previous mounting holes with glue. This can look a little cosmetically ugly but we assure you it does not affect the performance or longevity of the boots - see below photo of Kitty's old boots!
We will occasionally miss out a bolt when mounting plates. This is usually to avoid hitting the leather, nail, rod or something else in the build of a boot. We will only do this is if it is necessary and will not affect the quality or performance of the skate. In addition, if we are doing a re-mount, we may glue the holes. This might make your boots look a little ugly but we can assure you, it doesn't affect the performance or longevity.
Regarding plate size - we often work with you to find out the best plate length for your setup, as well as going off standard sizing recommendations for your boot size. Depending on what type of skating you are doing, we may recommend a ‘long’ option or ‘average/shorter’ option. This might feel very different to what you have skated on before for a variety of reasons. Don’t be daunted! Plate lengths (specifically the wheelbase) and their placement are hugely based on personal preference, which can take some trial and error as you go through your skating journey.
Please note: While we are always careful, we cannot guarantee plate mounting without the plates being marked.
If you have any questions with your mount please do not hesitate to contact us.
Double Threat Skates are not liable for any injury that might occur from having a new setup that feels different to your old skates or indeed if these are your first skates - please make sure that you ease into any new setup, testing out where the new wheelbase and pressure points might be, and working out adjustments to weight distribution. Check over all parts prior to taking them on their maiden voyage.