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BANANA ROCKER SETUP

Banana rocker = wheel height difference from center to ends. 2mm is standard, 4mm is "big banana" — more agile but harder to control.

What the rocker does​

  • Wheel drop creates an arc (like a banana's curve) under the foot
  • More drop → faster turning response, less effort to change direction
  • Less drop → more stability, better straight-line performance

Standard (2mm) — 普通香蕉​

  • Default on most skates — neither pure slalom nor pure speed
  • Two wheels slightly smaller in the center create 2mm height difference
  • Balanced between turning agility and straight-line stability

Big banana (4mm) — 大香蕉​

  • Used by serious slalom skaters
  • Advantages: much easier turning, less effort on reversals, saves energy
  • Disadvantages: very unstable, requires long adaptation period, demands strong balance
  • Transition from 2mm → 4mm takes weeks of dedicated practice

The extended-frame trick​

To get 4mm agility with more stability:

  • Keep 4mm wheel drop, but use a longer frame
  • 219mm frame → swap to 231mm
  • 231mm frame → swap to 243mm
  • Longer frame = more stability, offsetting the instability of big banana
  • Keep wheel sizes the same to maintain consistent ride height and center of gravity

Alternative: big-banana frame + reverse-banana wheels​

  • 2mm wheel drop (stable) on a big-banana frame design
  • Frame height itself adds turning responsiveness
  • Front/back larger wheels improve single-wheel experience
  • Compensates for the poor single-wheel feel of standard big banana

See also asymmetric_rocker for a more nuanced approach.

Context: why slalom needs more rocker than speed​

  • Speed slalom / 刹车: uses flat or reverse banana — sacrifices turning for maximum ground contact and acceleration
  • 花桩: needs to turn constantly in 80cm cone spacing — more rocker = less effort per turn = longer sessions

References​