rollerblades

Question
I purchased new inline skates yesterday.  I'm 4'10 and 104 pounds.  I do all of my skating in the metroparks.  The paved trails are hilly.  (I would go downhill quite fast in my last set of skates that are very old) The rollerblades are Activa 6.0. The wheel size is 90mm and the bearings are 9.  My question to you is, "do you think the skates I bought will be too advanced?  I didn't know if the wheel size and bearings would give too much speed going down a few steep hills.  (I would say I'm probably at an intermediate level with recreational skating.

Answer
Melissa,
I'm surprised you didn't ask this question at your skate shop before you bought your inlines. I feel that your wheels & bearings are more suited to racing than for skating hills. 90mm is a tall wheel which coupled with ABEC 9 bearings is meant for speed. They will be less stable & not as easy to control as a smaller wheel would be, especially on hills.
In my opinion these are the wrong wheels for your purposes & your skill level & even your size. They are for speed skating, not for cruising in the park.
I recently had a question from a racer whose coach wanted him to use his 80mm wheels for practice, but he felt they didn't perform as well as his 84mm wheels. Here you are not with 80s or 84s but 90mm wheels & ABEC 9s - to me that's like using a formula 5 racing car to go shopping in the mall.
You say you are an intermediate skater - do your skills include techniques for skating hills that moderate your speed & control your descent, like T glide (using the T position with just enough pressure on the inside edge of your back foot to slow you down to a manageable speed on the hill)? Or any of several types of hill turns, similar to the turns skiiers do to negotiate hills in complete control. I teach 3 different hill turns in my outdoor classes that would make your new skates less problematic.
If you have some of these techniques in your repetoire & really love these wheels I'd say give them a try, on the condition that your skate shop will swap them out for a nice cruising, say, 78mm wheel (which would give you much greater stability & comfort) if your 90s don't fit the kind of skating you enjoy doing.
I don't think these are the right wheels for you. The ABEC 9s don't concern me as much as the wheels. That rating really indicates the potential of the bearing & gives you the means to achieve higher speeds if you want to go for it. Most skaters don't max out that potential.
I hope this helps you to make an informed decision. Skate safe.
Roll on!!!.................................Lezly (Lezly Skate School - NYC - estab. 1979) www.SkateGuru.com