Benefits of the 4XS Disc Brake System

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Benefits of the 4XS Disc Brake System

ByLiz Miller

Stopping Injury Four Wheels at a Time

After two hours of tests on a hill, I'm convinced that inventor Alex Bellehumeur's 4 wheel disc brake technology (recently renamed 4XS) is a superior innovation that the skate industry must adopt as soon as possible. Thoroughly satisfied with my comparison tests on July 27, 2007, I outline here the many benefits I believe this system would bring to skaters, inline instructors and the industry--one of the biggest being overall growth of the sport.

Current Market Status:2/29/08, Leap Day! And I've received fantastic news that a major manufacturer and marketer of inline skates has leaped at the chance to launch this "earth-braking" new technology. Although there are still many more hurdles to leap, this progress opens the possibility that good-quality skates with 4Xs (four-wheel disc) braking technology will be on the market by the end of 2008. Stay tuned!

Recreational skaters

Safe and very easy to use without raising the toe (cuff-activated)
Delivers smooth stops in half the distance of standard and ABT brakes
Inspires confidence and relaxation for first-time skaters
Provides silent, smooth and secure control on downhill descents
Expands choice of skating terrain
Offers friction adjustment to suit ability or slope pitch
No hindrance to normal wheel spin or existing skating expertise
No protruding rubber stopper because it's inside the wheel frame
No replaceable parts - designed to last the life of the skates
Equally effective stops with long frames/tall wheels as on short/short setups

Inline instructors

Decreased time and effort spent on braking instruction
More lesson time available for teaching other skills
Increased repeat lessons due to students' success
Increased new skaters taking up the sport once the word is out

Inline industry

Increased market growth due to next-generation braking technology
resolving a critical weakness that has always limited participation
Increased skater motivation to stay with the sport
No wheel damage or flat spots incurred by the technology
Increased sales due to buyer confidence about safety and control
Curent skate owners likely to trade up to gain the benefits

If you have not already done so, read my impressions and test results.

Groundswell of support

Budding Beginner: Reader response to my request for alternate name. Barb suggested calling it the lifesaver brake. "And here is why," she went on. "As my new friend (a self proclaimed street skater) headed off ahead of me, I had my doubts about the technique. As we came to the downward section of a steepish hill which ended in an intersection, my doubts became reality as this new friend zizzed down the hill out of control and into the middle of the intersection. BY SOME MIRACLE a butt stop was achieved along with a broken finger and only a very small dent in the front end of a late arriving vehicle. This new brake in my mind could save many lives........this friend no longer skates. THE END" -- Barb

Downhill Racer: While at the Inline Downhill World Championships in Germany and at another race in Austria in July I heard a lot of talk among the racers about the need for a better braking system. The kind of testing we would do...would be in the context of downhill racing ...very different from the testing [Liz was] doing. If it worked well, though, as it seems it might, your product could revolutionize our sport. Good luck with your product. It seems a very promising idea. -- George Merkert Inline Downhill Multi-Medalist

Inline Retailer: Query to the Inventor "Want more info and skate to test!!!" -- Jon Hoag, Skate designer, inline racer, park rat, and owner of Black Diamond Sports in Northern California.

Online Inline News: "Sounds very promising. I wish Rollerblade (or one of the players) would investigate." -- Robert Brunson, Publisher of Inline Planet news site

Skating with the Grandkids: "The 4Wheeler brake sounds so logical and obvious, and might be just the thing to re-ignite rollerblading back to where it was in the 1990's. The baby boomers and generation X-ers that didn't try it then would be the market. They like to have things packaged, they like to look good, they want to be safe, and they are happy to spend money on themselves, so think in terms of the whole outfit. 4Wheeler skates + all the protective gear + snazzy clothing:- from $1,000." -- Trevor Brown, retired executive

Inline Insider: Note to Rollerblade R&D on 8/1/07:" Liz is one of our guides, a long-time professional instructor, and a technical writer for her day job. She is qualified to judge this." Note to Liz on 8/8: "I don't blame the others for being skeptical but, at the same time, you are an expert and the only one who has tried these. I think others might keep an open mind." --Allan Wright owner of Zephyr Adventures

About the Inventor

I met Alex a week after our first conversation. That was a long telephone discussion where he convinced me that he and his new braking system were the real deal. He contacted me because he is just as passionate about expanding the market and safety of inline skating as I am, even though he is not a skater himself!

However, he is not without skating credentials. Alex was a co-founder of Roller Hockey International (RHI) in 1992 and in the same year invented the JOFA Speed Puck(TM) used for the game. Currently he is the holder and inventor of 13 patents, with two more in process. Besides the 4XS, his latest venture is co-founding a new professional hockey league, SpeedHockey(TM), poised for formal launch next year. In person, he is a trim and youthful man with silver hair and a warm personality.

Benefits of the 4XS Disc Brake System

Stopping Injury Four Wheels at a Time

Recreational skaters

Inline instructors

Inline industry

Groundswell of support

About the Inventor

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