u/wannaridebikes

I'm from the US and have a trip to Germany coming up in the fall, specifically to Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. I want to bring my skates but I don't want to bring a lot of sets of wheels. Any versatile wheel recommendations? Ideally I want to bring 2 sets of wheels at most.

Some factors for me:

- I'm mostly an indoor rink skater, but I'll try to get some outdoor skating experience before the trip

- I'm an "intermediate beginner" - I've caught up to my beginner skill from when I was a kid, but at 35+ I'm working my way up to crossovers, transitions, etc

- I'm 5'5", ~160lbs, I cross-train so I have some muscle. Probably not enough yet for skating because I'm more comfortable in harder (A-scale) wheels than most people recommend here; for a given surface, I have a harder time pushing through softer wheels

Bonus: If anyone knows about any skate events in Berlin, Munich, or Hamburg, that would be great. We're heading there in September

A suggestion for new folks getting back into it later in life: try Zumba! ​​​I'm getting back into roller skating in my late 30s from being a casual (rink) skater when I was a kid. But I've been doing physical activities like Zumba/DSKO for a few years now and it's giving me a solid foundation to start back with.

My class incorporates hip hop with the Latin aspects​, so it's a lot of squatting​​​​​​​​​​, footwork, and transitions where you have to balance on different parts of your foot to stay on beat. Plus, you learn basic rhythm, although you'll get the rare instructor who can't keep time, drives me nuts lol

It doesn't do everything, I still need to increase my ankle strength with consistent skating practice. ​​​​​I just feel very in touch with my body, and it seems like taking dance fitness classes (esp w/ moves from Afro-Caribbean style dances) helps me in my skating​​​​​​​​​​​​​