It's a novel idea, and with practice they clearly work very well. The motion and behaviour of the users looks very much like normal inline skates, so I guess if you can use those, then it'll be an easy transition.
Braking does look "interesting", although I would imagine that if you can t-stop competently on inlines, then it won't be a lot different on these (my t-stopping is useless however!)
The price is what worries me. From their FAQ:
How much will they cost?
We are still developing aspects of the design and manufacturing process so production costs are not yet finalized. However, a good indication of price can be drawn from a comparison with carbon fiber bicycle frames. A large pair of Chariot Skates has a total of nearly 2.5kg of carbon fiber (includes two large wheels and foot/leg supports). A quality carbon bike frame has around 1.2 to 1.6kg of carbon fiber and retails for around US$3,500 to US$8,000. Manufacturing products using carbon fiber is not cheap because, apart from the material cost, it is a very labor intensive process.
Which seems to be leading up to a price of several thousand dollars (if and when they ever appear on the market).
I think I need to pop over to
Serpentine Road and see how scathing they are of them.
