Cardiff Skate Co. Adult S-Series Skates

I have owned my Cardiff S1 skates for over six months so as I write this review it is from the perspective of using those skates almost everyday during that time frame. First my wife bought me these skates as a part of my 65th birthday celebration. We had seen an ad on tv and I was really impressed as I wanted to start skating again and was afraid to move to blades due to weak ankles. One of the first things I learned after not skating for the past 45 years was that skating unlike bicycling which you never forget, has to be relearned. As this implies that means one can count on falling a few times. Based on my experience I strongly suggest the purchase of protective guards and a helmet to minimize the trips to the local ER. So far I've not had to make any of these trips. Once I started using the skates I discovered just how stable they really are. When one starts to go forward the initial thrusts are much like regular quad skates. Once moving however the rear wheels can pretty much remain in contact with the ground at all times. This includes turning which only requires lifting up the front wheel of one skate, pointing it in the direction you want to go and letting momentum and centrifugal force take care of the rest. The other area of learning included what kind of shoes to wear. I included the accessory ankle strap with the S1's. With that in place I've worn everything from slip on deck shoes to running Nike's, leather oxfords and in one case even a set of sandals that had a strap that tightened behind the ankle (not recommended as you can easily get a blister). Without the accessory strap I've found that a good set lace up skate boarding shoes such as Van's, Converse, PF Flyer's etc. do well. It's important to chose a pair that has a stiff insole to keep your foot in the skate when using just the front strap of the skates. As I said earlier, once you get going the skates are pretty much on the ground most of the time and having a skate come off is really not a big issue.When I first started skating again I put on quite a few miles just learning how to skate in parking lots, on skate and bike trails etc. Once I got the hang of it I started using my skates almost everyday to go across our subdivision to the cluster box to pick up the mail. The round trip is .37 of a mile so over 6 months I put on just about 50 miles getting the mail. This past Saturday I was just taking off to do that when my skates broke right behind the left wheel. I was pretty upset so I got on the computer and sent an email with a picture and a scanned copy of the receipt for my skates to Cardiff Skate Company. I was shocked when within 24 hours I received an apology from Cardiff for the product failure and information that a new set of skates was on it's way to my house. They also included a prepaid return label to send my current skates back to the company. My new skates should be here in a couple days. There were no questions asked, there was just the apology and statement of how they valued me as a customer. I was pleasantly shocked. If this behavior on the part of Cardiff Skate Company is there to instill customer loyalty let me tell you it works. I've had to deal with so many companies who put their shareholders ahead of their customers that to find one like this was pure joy. So if you are considering getting a set of these skates please do not hesitate. This is a good product by a good company that stands behind that product and supports their customer base.

This product should be taken off the market. The auto adjustment for each shoe size kept shrinking when I stood up on the skates .. forcing my toes in an upward, unnatural and awkward position. The wheels clanked as I walked across the carpet .. indicating cheap craftsmanship and quality. This is the heaviest pair of skates I have ever worn. Considering the adjuster shrinks when weight/pressure is applied, I was sure they would not be safe for outdoor recreation.Customer Service - worse than the skates. Within 20 minutes of arrival, I was back on Amazon requesting a refund. I was sure the pair I got was defective. I received an email stating that was impossible. The representative was so sure of their product, she didn't want to hear anything else. It took a week for them to accept the return. Then they refused to pay return shipping. I just cut my losses with this product. Cost me $99 to purchase, $35 to return .. so my refund equalled $64 .. Not to mention the gas and time it took to drive 20 miles to the nearest UPS Store.I was so disappointed with this product and the customer service, I considered ending my relationship with Amazon.Yes I am a skater, I own 4 pair of beautiful and wonderful skates and thought I could add Cardiff to my collection. Wrong! It doesn't take an experienced skater long to identify the defects and flaws in the product. For a beginner or a novice skater, I would recommend they start with a skate that has smaller wheels on an inline skate .. they tend to roll slower and offer more control over movement. Skating with Cardiff is comparable to skating in cement boots. Don't be fooled by the suggestion these may be easier for beginners.

These weren't for me. I am an established skater and wasn't able to use these. First of all you can't break going down hill, to turn you must lift up the front of your skate and it's not sturdy. Because of where I live not breaking down hill was a huge danger therefor I needed to return them. Cardiff required me to pay the $31 shipping to return however they did accept the return without trouble. Amazon refunded me the shipping cost.

I liked then at first. Thought the idea was really cool. However, after testing them out, I cannot use the brake at all. The way it is set up on the skate makes it nearly impossible to push down with your foot. I could see these being better for a college student maybe.

Much harder to learn than they make it look on the video. If I would have had more time to spend with them before I had to travel I probably would have sent them back...huge learning curve.

Nice build but the issue is there is no ankle support and its easy to tip the skates and thus twisting your ankle painfully. The are good for just rolling around in a driveway slowly. Anyy speed and you can twist up your ankle or bump the two wheels together and fall over

At 40, trying to get back into roller skating is a task. I tried roller blades, and I rather enjoyed them, but getting in and out of my K2s takes several minutes, time I do not have to spend because I am working out during my lunch hour.Cadiff Skates, on the other hand, pop on and off in just a few seconds. They're VERY stable, and if you are an experienced skater, you will have no difficulties with these skates at all.Only a couple of Cons:1) Be careful of your shoe selection. I normally wear OSWAT boots (size 11), and they are too large to comfortably secure on the Cardiff frame. I bought a pair of high-top Converse sneakers and they did the trick just fine. Don't wear high heels. :)2) Due to the side wheels being on the *outside* of the frame, on either side of the heel, these skates are WIDE. If you're used to inlines, they're going to seem very very fat. Even if you are used to quads, it will still take a bit of getting used to.Otherwise, these skates are amazing. I've been ramping up my distances/laps as I get more used to skating again, and I'm doing 3 miles a day at lunch now.

Haven't really tried them yet outside but indoors there good

Ich hatte diese Skates bereits in den USA entdeckt, wollte aber mein Gepäck nicht mit ihnen belasten, fand die Idee aber total super, immer Skates mit dabei haben zu können, aufzusteigen, loszufahren und wieder runter, wenn ich nicht mehr weiter skaten kann. Auch für die Arbeit hätte ich sie sehr gerne verwendet. Meine Arbeit ist genau so weit entfernt, dass man es nicht laufen kann, es mit dem Auto aber irgendwie fast lächerlich ist. Und das Fahrrad muss ich ein Stückchen entfernt abstellen und mit Auf- und Absperren ist es mir zu aufwändig - also mussten diese Skates her.Positiv:Die Verabreitung ist gut. Das Kugellager ist hochwertig, sie sind also echt schnell.Auch wirken sie am Fuß nicht klobig.Negativ:Sie sind echt schwer.UND: SIe halten nicht am Fuß. Ich habe es mit mehreren Paar Turnschuhen versucht. Es drückt mir die Spitze des Fußes beim EInrasten immer nach oben, so dass das schon schwierig genug ist, dass man überhaupt mal drauf steht. Dazu kommt, dass ich, wenn ich dann mal drauf stehe und ein bisschen skaten will, es mir hinten meine Ferse vom Skate hebt und ich drohe, hinten rauszuschlupfen. Und das ist wirklich richtig gefährlich. Nach zwei, drei Versuchen mit fast hinfallen (und ich bin eine wirklich gute Inline Skaterin, also es liegt nicht daran, dass ich nicht skaten kann), habe ich es dann abgebrochen, weil es mir ehrlich gesagt zu gefährlich wurde. Ich fühle mich darauf nicht sicher.Es wird demnächst wohl auch in Deutschland den Accessory Strap geben, der dann auch den hinteren Fuß halten soll. Vielleicht versuche ich es dann noch mal, aber ohne dem halten die Skates leider nicht, so dass ich sie jetzt wieder zurückschicken werde.

思たほど乗るのが易しくありません。ちょっとした練習が必要です。