In the worlds of inline and board skating, you will find many areas of much debate. However, one of the most contested areas you will encounter is that of skate bearings. German? Swiss? Ceramic? Stainless Steel? ABEC rating? So many choices, and so many opinions on what is better and what is not. When I was in grade school and into skateboarding, most boards had one of 2 types of bearings: cheap, crappy “American” bearings universally known by their shape which could be described as either mushroom, or T shaped like the Tetris piece, or “German” bearings, which were flat in that profile.
Needless to say, “German” bearings were the bees’ knees. They rolled smoother, longer, and generally faster. They were of much higher quality through and through, while the “American” bearings had cheap shields, generally a press fit cap style. They were sloppy and wore out quickly, as well as being slow in general. If you were rich, you could buy a pack of Bones “Swiss” high precision ceramic bearings, and you would get all the notoriety that came with it, provided you could skate worth a darn. One of the terms tossed around with the “German” bearings was “German Industrial Grade 3” bearings. Those, per all of my skateboarding buddies, were the best, bar none. They made you roll faster, ollie higher, kick flip more accurately, and anything else that could be attributed to such mythically awesome bearings.
If only us kids knew then what can be known now, we would have saved ourselves and our friends some cash, which we could then have spent on more important things like Garbage Pail Kids, marbles, skate shop stickers, and M.U.S.C.L.E. men, among other things. But I digress. Today’s ABEC ratings share a lot of similarities with the bearings of old that I and my friends knew, especially when it comes to sales pitches. Most notable of all being that a higher number equates to a better bearing. Now this is not entirely a lie. In certain industries, a higher number is indeed better. But this would be for reasons that pretty much mean jack for inline skaters and skateboarders alike.
You see, ABEC ratings cover a whole load of tolerance requirements for a bearing, but not much in regards to component quality, lubricant types, or any of that. So basically, ABEC ratings mean next to nothing for skaters at all. The tolerances and precisions that ABEC ratings deal with get mangled in the first few minutes of the bearings life by the simple act of getting on and riding down the sidewalk.
What am I talking about exactly? Well, let us just use the facts: ABEC ratings only specify the eccentricity of the bearings inner ring, or rather, its out of roundness. ABEC 1, the lowest grade, the max allowed out of roundness is .0075mm. As you can see, that’s pretty darn precise already. ABEC 3 is .005mm, ABEC 5 is .0035mm, ABEC 7 is .0025mm, and ABEC 9 is .0012mm.
Continued in part 2.
Photo Credits: Josh [unemployed IT dude]
Originally posted 2009-09-21 03:15:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Common Braking Mistakes There are a number of common mistakes that occur in braking when it comes to skating. Here is a look at some of those common braking mistakes that beginners make, and even more importantly, what it is that you can do in order to eliminate them simply by improving your...... -
Gear Basics for Kitesurfing Kite surfing is a sport that has gained significantly in popularity over the past couple of years. This is very understandable, at least if you watch some of the champion Kite surfing events and see how much fun it looks. Kite surfing is also known as kite boarding or fly...... -
High Tech Deck Skate Park Choices There is a great deal of interest in high tech deck skate park materials today as more and more people are becoming interested in the sport once again. As you watch the interest in skateboarding becoming more popular every year, there is more reason than ever for the innovations in...... -
How are Roller Blading and Inline Skating Different? Roller blading is a name that has been applied to the inline skating sport as a result of the large role that the "Rollerblade Company" played in creating popularity out of the inline skating sport. Rollerblade, Inc. was not responsible for inventing, manufacturing or designing the very first inline skates....... -
The Tony Hawk Foundation The Tony Hawk Foundation is an organization that is geared towards providing youths with the resources to safely and legally hone their craft of skate boarding. In November of 2008, the entertainment elite and action sport pros met to raise money in the fifth annual Activision Presents Stand Up For......
Related Websites -
Acoustic Guitar Basics The first thing you think of when you think about acoustic instruments is likely the acoustic guitar. What most people do not know is that “acoustic guitar” is a retronym. Until electric guitars were invented, they were simply called guitars. The differentiation was necessary upon the invention and adoption of...... -
Explore the World of Collectible Teddy Bears There are a number of famous collectible teddy bears that you can buy or sell and build a collection out of. Here are some of the collectible teddy bears that you may want to consider looking for and perhaps adding to your collection of unique bears from all eras. -...... -
Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf User Reviews Send this to a friend Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No...... -
Stevinson Ranch Golf Course, Stevinson, CA Phone: (877) 752-9276 Website: http://www.stevinsonranch.com/information/golfrates.html Course History: This truly incredible course went under construction in 1995 and was opened to great fanfare one year later. It immediately hosted several championships and was soon named one of the best courses in California. Once you've played here, it's easy to see why...... -
Acoustic Guitar Basics The first thing you think of when you think about acoustic instruments is likely the acoustic guitar. What most people do not know is that “acoustic guitar” is a retronym. Until electric guitars were invented, they were simply called guitars. The differentiation was necessary upon the invention and adoption of......