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Skate Preview: the 2006 Rollerblade Collection The New 100mm Lightning The 2006 Lightning TF Men's By Robert "Just the Factoids" Burnson The new Lightning TF essentially replaces this year's popular Lightning 10, the company's first 100mm fitness-marathon skate. The new skate appears on the surface to be a repeat of last year's model. But it's essentially a different animal. For starters, the Lightning TF is built on a plastic shell, rather than one made of carbon-fiber, like this year's Lightning 10. Most racing skates -- and a few marathon models -- are built on carbon shells. But carbon shells are expensive, and Rollerblade decided to invest instead in giving its new model a lightweight frame. It gave the TF the same frame as the one found on its top-of-the-line Problade: the Top Fuel 4x100, which weighs a modest 190 grams. Rollerblade also cut two minor features from the new skate: the two lower power straps and the plastic "Siderace" scratch guards. Taken together, the cuts make a significant difference on the price: the Lightning TF is expected to sell for $299, $50 less than this year's Lightning 10. The skates will come with Rollerblade's new Spiral HP 100mm/84A wheels and with the company's own ABEC 7 bearings. The skates should begin to appear online and in stores in mid-January 2006. The skates will come with a brake in the box. *** (Skaters in Europe get the best of both worlds. Rollerblade will be offering them the ProMarathon model (see photo, below), which is essentially the 2005 Lightning 10 with the new Pro Fuel frame. The skate will not be available in the United States.) (Photo: Rollerblade) (Talk about the new skates in the Forum)
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