Skating Wheels manufacturing

 We took advantage of a trip in the French region of Doubs stop by Chézery (Ain), near Oyonnax.  This small village of 400 inhabitants is home to the only French manufacturer of inline skate wheels, RollX. The family business established here some decades ago by Alain Myallonnier has made a name for itself on the French market among giants like Matter or MPC. Olivier (son of Alain) leads us on a tour of the premises...

Recent Technological Innovations for Skate Wheels

Polyurethane (PU) is a plastic composite material (thermoplastic polymer) used in the manufacturing of inline skates. It was used for the first time in 1979 in the making of rollerskate and skateboard wheels. Since then, it has spread to all models, with but a few exceptions (tires on specific all-terrain models and very low range skates). Beforehand, wheels were made of wood (box wood for speed skating), ivory, metal, rubber... even tires. They wore out quickly or transmitted vibrations too much. The use of PU enabled to mix flexibility, comfort and resistance to abrasion. Some low range products distributed in supermarkets have PVC wheels. That material is hard and provides rudimentary rolling comfort.