5 Reasons EVERY Rollerblader Needs A Rockered 4x90 Frame

Last year, a lot of people asked me whether they should get a 4x90 or 4x100 or another setup. My answer’s almost always the same: it depends on what kind of skating you want to do. But if you’re looking for an allround setup, then 4x90mm is the way to go.
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THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!
💪 MY 5 REASONS
1. Rockered Frame
2. More Stability than 4x80
3. Short & Agile, more so than 4x100 or 5x80
4. Fast, even on Rough Surfaces
5. Perfect Allround Frame
6. BONUS TIP: Still Think 4x90 is Too Short? Try the Rockin’ MIX4!
⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️ MY 4x90 FRAMES
Kizer Flux • Getting better (a lot)...
Endless 90 Trinity • AWESOME SETUP! First R...
Rockin’ 490 • MUCH NICER than Expect...
Wizard NR90 • KIND OF MAGICAL: Wizar...
🔗 LINKS
Spectacular Skateflow Powerslide Next Endless 90 • Antwerp is AWESOME for...
First Ride Rockin’ 490 • The Skate Flow Tastes ...
First Ride Wizard NR90 • WIZARD NR90 Raw Silver...
First Ride Rockin’ MIX4 100/90 • 3 Reasons Why I LOVE t...
Letterbox Effect: MrAlexTech • CINEMATIC mode enabled...
🛼 MY SETUP
Boot: Powerslide Zoom Rental ‪@PowerslideInlineskates‬ bladeville.com/powerslide-zoo...
Frame: Endless Trinity 90 ‪@endlessblading‬ www.endlessblading.com/produc...
Iqon Access wheels 90mm 85A ‪@IQONBRAND‬ www.thisissoul.com/products/i...
Wicked ABEC 9 bearings
🎥 CAMERA USED
Insta360 One X2 www.insta360.com/product/inst...
✂️ EDITED IN
Davinci Resolve 18 www.blackmagicdesign.com/prod...
🎵 MUSIC
Locus
Artist: Iliaque iliaque.bandcamp.com
Source: enoughrecords.scene.org/relea...
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
#PowerslideZoom #Endless90 #Rollerblading
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***
5/6/2022, Boulogne-sur-Mer (France)

[@TheRollingRaptor]

*ALSO WATCH THIS!* _First Ride with the Endless 90 Trinity_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJjVhXptp8Z-g68

[@rerollinginline]

My personal favorite is also 4x90 rockered. Love my Endless 90s! I think it ultimately comes down to preference, but for me 4x90 makes me the happiest for my foot length (265mm) and the style of skating I do. I feel like you can’t go wrong with it.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Yeah, a 4x90 seems suitable for every situation. I know big bodybuilder type of guys with large feet who keep clinging to their Endless 90, even though you’d expect they’d prefer its bigger brother. :-)

[@endlessblading]

Great summary, Tim! I wholeheartedly agree with all your points.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Thanks, Brad! 🤘

[@WheelyArt]

I agree Tim,for travelling I chose my 4x90 wizard frame,I can do everything on them. I have Roka 4x100,they are great,fast and smooth over rough roads but a bit heavy I find for jumping up and off things etc.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Yeah! A 4x90 is the more playful option, eh. And indeed: you can do everything on it. Thanks for your comment!

[@WheelyArt]

@@TheRollingRaptor plus I still have basic gaps to work on ( suppose there will always be things to work on) e.g backwards crossovers and the 4x90s are so much better to learn/master the basics than bigger or longer setups.

[@laidbaqq]

Tim, you bring up some good points. I really enjoy my 4x90/3x110 setup (Iqon) -- but I believe I recently watched you review the Rockin' Mix 100/90 frames -- how would you compare it to a 4x90?

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Well, first of all: the MIX4 is specifically designed for boots with the 165mm mounting system. Its wheelbase is a mere 1cm longer than a 4x90 and it’s a bit less agile, but its ride height is equal to a 4x90, while it feels faster. So for 165mm I’d have a hard time choosing between the MIX4 and a 4x90 (but I haven’t got a 4x90 frame for 165mm, so I don’t have to choose). If I’d be planning on riding the bowl a lot, I’d probably choose a 4x90, but overall, the MIX4 is an enhanced 4x90. For Trinity and UFS it’s easy: there’s no frame like the MIX4, so the 4x90 is without any doubt the best allround frame.

[@miguecamargo9057]

Thanks @TheRollingRaptor for being so straight forward! my feet size is EU46, does the 4x90 still meet the all-around factor or should I better consider 4x100. I'm standard Twister Edge 3x110 and I miss playing around as when I used to do aggressive in younger times 😅

[@TheRollingRaptor]

My pleasure, thanks for your comment! Now, having a EU 42 myself, it's impossible for me to say something with certainty about riding a 4x90 with a EU 46. But: a friend of mine has got a EU 46 too and the Endless 90 is still his favourite frame. If you're doubting whether it'd be too short, I still wouldn't recommend a 4x100. Granted, a 4x100 is fun too, especially when you want to make a lot of speed, but it doesn't feel as playful as a 4x90. There is another option though: the Endless 90 ES. It's a 4x90 with a longer wheelbase, aimed at people with bigger feet. www.endlessblading.com/products/endless-90-es-frame#features Or you could have a look at the Rockin' MIX4, which is an awesome combo of 4x100 and 4x90: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6KzdaeJf9aWeKssi=mWnFapvhVIaxyl0c

[@seblanoue]

I am a size 12 (mondo 30) and have the rocking mix4 on FR Igor and Endless 90 on Twister XT. I love both and skate each at least twice a week but I most confortable one is the 4x90, it feels the most natural for urban skating, jumps and wizard style. Note that the 110mm wheel in front does not fit, need another boot or a used wheel to fit with my big boot.

[@DashDrones]

Never had a rockered setup. I'm used to a 4x100 or 3x110. Gonna try this as I sometimes want more stability. Thanks very much 👍😎

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Oh, you’re first time on a rockered frame will feel like magic on your feet! The agility can feel a bit weird at first, but thanks to the 273mm wheelbase, a rockered 4x90 still has got awesome front- and backwards stability.

[@DashDrones]

@@TheRollingRaptor ok, you sold me! Gonna have a look at the options you linked and make a purchase on payday 🤣👍

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@DashDrones Haha, great! 🙌 I feel sorry for your wallet though. 😬😉

[@DashDrones]

​@@TheRollingRaptor Yeah just having a look now, looks like I'll easily be down €350 with wheels and bearings 🤣 Quick question, I see there's standard Endless 90, a Low Rider and enhanced stability. Which one do you recommend? I'm leaning towards the LRs..

[@DashDrones]

@@TheRollingRaptor Thanks for all your advice bro 😎

[@vincentc2466]

Cool vid, couple questions for you... first, exactly how many mm is the endless 90 rockered?? 2nd, are you saying endless 90s are more stable than flat 80s? I can't imagine that would be true bc 4 wheels on the ground has longer wheelbase than 2 wheels on ground. I'm thinking about getting flat 90s rather endless 90s. I've skated rockered 80s and it just felt silly and only useful for slalom skaters.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

It all depends on the rocker. A slalom rocker is much more noticeable, making your setup very agile, even too agile for casual skating. But Endless, NN, Rockin’ and Wizard frames have a more subtle rocker, making the setup manoeuvrable, without reducing stability too much - though it takes some getting used to. When landing jumps or riding stairs, a rockered 4x90 feels more stable than a flat 4x80 because of the 273mm wheelbase, 30mm longer than a 4x80. Your weight also compresses the wheels slightly, enhancing actual contact with the ground. A flat 4x90 wouldn’t be a bad idea though: if you rotate your wheels in place, you’ll soon get a natural rocker that feels really nice. The first weeks, it’ll just feel less nimble than a 4x80. A 4x80 with a slalom rocker isn’t to my taste as well. ;-) That’s jazz, while I’d rather rock. 🤘

[@vincentc2466]

@TheRollingRaptor thanks for the reply! I guess im just baffled why so many ppl complain about manueverability in flat frames. At the start of every wheel rotation I'm actually on a slight anti-rocker until they wear in and it doesnt bother me. I feel like the rocker is really only appreciated for wizard skating type moves but maybe it's just me... The compression makes sense for jumps. I'll take your word for it. I'm still curious what the rocker is in mm for endless frames. I emailed them but I don't expect an answer. They don't list it anywhere which is strange. Seems like some highly classified information!!!

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@vincentc2466 Yeah, my first 4x90 setup was flat and it was perfectly manoeuvrable. No need for complaining. But a slight _does_ add a bit of magic to your ride. I know quite a lot of people that don't practise wizard skating, but still like the feel of their Endless frames very much. I guess the rocker of most 4x90 frames is about 1mm, or less. But it's difficult to just put on number on it. The rocker of the first and last wheel probably isn't the same and the third and second wheel aren't on the same level too. The idea of a banana rocker for slalom skating is easy: front and back wheel 2mm higher than the middle wheels and there you have it. The 'balanced rocker' Endless introduced, is slightly more complicated. I kind of understand they don't want to share it openly. (Lots of copycats on the market. 😉)

[@vincentc2466]

@TheRollingRaptor everything you said makes sense. Thanks. Ill give it a try eventually. Endless should know that any copycats will just buy 1 frame and measure it and they will have the secret formula. Seems like they really just don't want the customers to know so they are perceived as special/revolutionary even though there's prob other frames on the market with same rocker. I'll find out one day and tell the world!

[@loicerp927]

Hi Tim, how tall are you? you pourred cold water on my dream of a 4x100mm setup ^^ but I do love my 4x90 rockered setup though, you are right, a little more nimble than flat 4x80 and so much more stable

[@TheRollingRaptor]

I'm 1m83. I've got pretty small feet for my length though: EU size 42 (268mm). If you're used to 4x90 and go to 4x100, I think a 4x100 feels a bit boring. It's not as agile and light, and thus less playful, if you get my drift. 4x100 is great to go real fast though, and I still regularly skate 4x100. But as an allround frame, I prefer 4x90.

[@loicerp927]

@@TheRollingRaptor I'm 2m et size 44 (small feet too ^^). I'd like a little more stability, but I'm not too nimble myself already, so maybe 4x100 would not be a good trade off. Thx for your answers.

[@loicerp927]

@@Terry-1973 Hello Terry. I do have the FR UFR Intuition :) I'm with you, nothing less than 270mm for us. Learning on 4x80 MF500 was a chore, it took me way too much time :( I never sensed unstability with a wizard style rocker (around 1mm rocker, but you need to turn your wheels very often to not increase it, if you don't, you will sense it!). Right now I have a rockin 4100 frame and it's really stable. Less nimble than the 90, especially at first when you are not used to it but I'm quite happy with it, it's a lot like skying ^^

[@anjarakrimullah8987]

Have you tried it on pavement surface ?? I noticed something weird. With 4x80 flat, the vibration that comes from the pavement gap feels not so noticeable; meanwhile, with 3x110, my foot feels numb, and the vibration that transferred from the wheels to my foot is crazy. Now I'm curious: with a 4x90 rocker (only 2 wheels on the ground), will the vibration get absorbed by all 4 wheels like 4x80 flat. If only you have ever tried it on pavement surfaces, I would love to hear your experience.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

I've skated this frame (and other 4x90 setups) on _any_ surface you can imagine! 😀 (Check out this video's description, my channel page or my playlists for many more videos on 4x90 frames.) Now, first of all: my experience is that a longer wheelbase with small gaps between the wheel's contact points offers a smoother ride than shorter wheelbases with larger gaps. What comes down to is: a longer frame with 4 or 5 wheels feels smoother than a short triskate frame, even though the triskate has got bigger wheels. So yeah, a 4x90 usually rolls pretty smooth over rougher ground - even cobblestones. Now, I do have to say that I won't hear my complaining about 3x110 setups. I've skated the Oxelo MF900 and Powerslide Next No War many times on rough surfaces and that felt smooth enough to me. There could be other reasons for the vibrations you're feeling than the frame setup in itself. For example: harder wheels with little rebound, a boot or liner without shock absorber or bad technique. The best way to roll over rough ground, is by placing all your weight on your heels, and most of all on the heel of your back feet. That's how I roll over cobblestones at great speed. Hope this explanation helps to get some clarity? Keep rolling! 🤘

[@anjarakrimullah8987]

@@TheRollingRaptor Woahhh, thank you very much, mate!!! I've been looking for this kind of answer for months. Now I know what kind of frame I should purchase!!! You're the best!!!

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@anjarakrimullah8987 🤘🤘

[@rururu5630]

I love my flat 4x90. When i get more advanced, I want to get a rockered frame.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Yeah, 4x90 is lovely, isn't. You don't have to be an advanced skater, though, to ride a rockered 4x90. You know, Leon Basin developed the NR90 precisely to make it easy for _beginning_ skaters. 🙂

[@mra8692]

I've only been skating 6 months and have been using the endless 90 frame for four months of that. I love them.

[@rururu5630]

@@mra8692 you and I have about the same experience. I guess when I get some more techniques learned, I will try the endless 90. Money is also tight. I am happy to hear someone with my experience level likes the frame!

[@codyscorner4337]

@@TheRollingRaptor that’s what I wounderin, I’m a new skater 4x90 but wasn’t sure if Rockered was the way to go or flat ?!

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@codyscorner4337 I'd go for rockered. Thanks to the pretty big wheelbase, you've still got lots of stability, but the subtle rocker of frames like the Endless 90, Rockin' 490 or Wizard NR90 makes turning so much more comfortable. Once you've tried a rockered 4x90, a flat frame just feels boring. 🙂

[@charleyweinhardt]

when the sides of the middle 2 wheels wear down do you have same speed as a non rockered when in full dash?

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Absolutely no idea. Haven’t really measured that, so I can’t honestly say something about that. The only thing I can say: a rockered 4x90 feels as fast as a flat 4x90. The reason is quite simple: when you push off, your foot is angled so that all four wheels touch the ground, just as a flat setup. The rocker’s too subtle to make any difference when going full dash.

[@charleyweinhardt]

@@TheRollingRaptor awesome, I'd really like to try these frames somewhere down the line. but I modified a powerslide 4x90 3x100 rapid frame to accept 3x110 only 3 mm longer then the endless, super low with the 110s paired with seba HL's so I'm just missing a rocker..

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@charleyweinhardt You can create that natural rocker yourself! Just rotate the wheels in place, and eventually the front and back wheel will become a tiny bit smaller than the middle wheels. Et voilà, you've got your natural rocker on a flat frame. Took me a couple of weeks on my Kizer Flux 4x90 frame. It doesn't feel _quite_ the same as a real rockered frame, but it certainly feels more manoeuvrable than a setup where the wheels are rotated the "official" way.

[@charleyweinhardt]

@@TheRollingRaptor word👍ill keep that in mind!

[@filipemarques3294]

do you advice for those who has a boot of 39eur? or is too long?

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Okay, that is a very good question. And I'm a bit reluctant to say: _go for it!_ I can't imagine what it's like skating a size 39, because that's way shorter than my EU 42. Maybe the 4x90 setup will feel too long? A safe choice could be the Endless 80/84 or the Endless 84 Trinity: 4x84 will give you more stability than the 4x80, but it's not als long as the 4x90. Of course, you can always ask the good people of Endless Blading for some advice. 👍

[@fathimukhlisrozali5049]

This might be a bit late reply but if you still undecided, I can give you a little bit insight since I'm size 39 with height of 173 cm (5'8 feet) and having no problem using endless 4x90 now. Before I'm using 4x90 rockered, I skated with 4x80 flat. Most people tell you the wheelbase it's not much difference between them that's only 33 mm ( 4x90 is 276 mm and 4x80 is 243 mm). But when using longer frame the problem is doing crossover and tricks like criss cross. If you doing these 2 moves, the wheel length is the one you have to take into account. The wheel base is only measure from first axel to the last axel. The wheel length between 4x80 and 4x90 is 40 mm and that is huge difference. If I'm doing parallel turn it is very agile and stable on 4x90 because you can lean a lot forward and backward on 39 size boot with 4x90 frame. But when doing crossover it is more cumbersome than 4x80. You have to learn how to crossover like speed or rink skater. If you crossover like most urban skaters do (the choppy running crossover type), you will risk tripping your own feet. Also when skating forward and backward try put your weight on 2 middle wheels. Because the first and last wheel on size 39 will stick out a lot and you feel weird if you put lot of weight at the 2 back wheels or 2 front wheels of your skate.

[@MrMokey24]

4x90 rockered if you want to be agile in the city or in the park, 3x100 flat for if you want to go really fast on a trail or marathon. It's perfect.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

My Endless 90 frames are even 4x90 / 3x110. But I haven't tried that 3x110 option: I've already got 3x110 triskates (the Oxelo MF900). 3x100 is a setup I don't like. I've had a 231mm version, which was way too short for urban skating, and I had a 250mm and 273mm version, which both lacked agility and weren't fit for stair riding due to the (very) large gaps between the wheels. Also, I never considered the 3x100 a fast setup, certainly not when you've skated a 3x110, a 3x125 or a 4x100. 🙂 3x110 is cool, 3x125 is awesome. (And my SUV skates are 3x150, but that's something else completely. 😀)

[@MrMokey24]

@@TheRollingRaptor 4x90 is king. I have to try a 125 speedskate setup some day. Seems to me it would be less agile and less stable though, but definitely interesting. SUV is something I am not interested at all in, I don't see myself doing that kind of thing ever haha.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@MrMokey24 Yeah, 3x125 is _very_ interesting. 😀 The wheelbase of 255mm is stable enough for me, but the lack of lateral stability is something inexperienced skaters complain about (the solution is working on pronation and more knee bend). It's not as agile as a rockered frame to begin with, but the big wheels make it easy to use your edges. Also, due to the front and back wheel wearing off, this setup develops a slight natural rocker, with the middle wheel acting as a pivot point. Best of all, this setup holds a lot of power. Big fun to push off and accelerate real fast. SUV skating is indeed not everyone's cup of tea. But I like the thrill of rolling down a grassy hill. 🙂

[@lukemarleau5701]

Rockered rules! Would you say that 4x100 is noticeably faster and smoother than the 4x90?

[@TheRollingRaptor]

Rockered rules indeed. Almost all my setups are rockered nowadays. 🙂 A 4x100 is undeniably faster, but since we're talking about rockered frames, you've got to ask yourself: does that really matter? The point of a rockered frame is to flow through the city, not going as fast as possible, right. And though a 4x90 may not have an equally high top speed, it's still pretty fast as well. As for the smoothness: big wheels and a longer wheelbase are always a little bit better for riding over rough surfaces, but a 4x90 still does a good job as well in that respect. And a 4x90 has got another kind of smoothness: due to the short wheelbase, the rocker feels more pronounced, which makes for smoother swivelling. For me, 4x90 is more fun than 4x100.

[@lukemarleau5701]

@@TheRollingRaptor thanks for such a thorough reply! Everything you say makes sense, the 90 feels so agile and I'd hate to lose that. I do have a trip coming up to Switzerland to skate their network of inline routes...I'd love to use the 3x110 for that, but when i put even 3x100 wheels in, i felt my carving and stopping skills went back to basic. The routes there are pretty flat, so maybe I'd adapt, but 4x rockered feels like the only setup i have now which allows me to safely descend and deal with obstacles. I thought if the 100 was similar agility but faster, it could be worth it...but I'm thinking not.

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@lukemarleau5701 With a 4x100, you lose a lot of that sweet agility. The 3cm longer wheelbase really makes a huge difference. I mean, _obviously_ it's still more agile than a flat 4x100, but it hasn't got that same magical flowiness of a 4x90. If you feel comfortable on a rockered 4x90 (some people don't), 4x90 is the way to go. (Unless you'd be interested in the Rockin' MIX4, which is like a 4x90 on steroids.)

[@lukemarleau5701]

@@TheRollingRaptor we love the flowiness! I'll check that other frame out. Thanks for the advice 💥

[@TheRollingRaptor]

@@lukemarleau5701 Cool! Here’s a playlist of my videos about the MIX4: kzbin.info/aero/PL0w3YAJyQKGxbQnYwzNPR3FM-xPADFTpT