Been Thinking About Bearings...

I think about bearings often, and how fast they have multiplied around me. The Sonic Cruisers I used this year came with ABEC 1's, which I replaced with Sure Grip ABEC 5's for outdoor use. My Reidell She Devils came with ABEC 9's, which I replaced with Rush Ceramic. I bought a pair of sneaker skates the other day at Play It Again Sports just so I could have the wheels they came with (outdoor use, so no more excuses derby sister(s), I have extra wheels for you to use on the bike paths), and they came with the most unusual bearings I have ever seen, but work really well, SCORE! So, lets see...in the past six months, I have accumulated five sets of bearings, three sets of wheels, three sets of skates, multiple pads, tons of fishnets, two skate helmets, three skate tools....the list can keep going on, but this post isn't about my "inventory" it's actually about bearings, because I've been thinking about them a lot lately. I listen to roller skaters (and skateboarders) to find out what they roll in their wheels, and why. I also ask peeps how often they skate and where, and ask how often they clean their bearings, and with what. I have one friend who only rides swiss ceramics, she has them in both 7mm and 8mm (you can tell if a bearing is 8mm if a pencil fits the center, a 7mm will not). There are some people who exclusively ride one brand of bearing only. I have heard some skaters buy brand new bearings and ride them until it is time to clean them, and instead of cleaning them, sell them to a skater wanting a good deal on newer bearings (then they put that money towards a brand new set, over and over again). It just depends on your personal preference. Any way you slice it, skates need bearings, and bearings need maintenance. How do you clean your bearings? If you are not cleaning yours, you better start, or you will be breaking them prematurely. I will list below my simple bearing cleaning ritual, feel free to tweak it however you like, but just remember, water causes rust, and rust is not good to have in your bearings.


You will need:

1. safety pin (or eyeglass screw driver) - remove both shields on each bearing
2. cup or bottle - filled with rubbing alcohol
3. rubbing Alcohol - soak bearings in after removing the shields
4. old tooth brush - scrub soaking bearings
5. paper towel(s) - set cleaned bearings on the towels to air dry
6. bearing oil (sewing machine oil) - place one or two drops in* clean bearing(s)
7. dust off the shields and pop them back onto the clean bearings, spin each bearing, add a drop more oil if needed for smooth movement, replace in clean wheels.

Additional Items (to clean wheels):

1. container - fill with water and dirty wheels
2. dish Soap - add to container
3. dish scrubber - scrub the soaking wheels
4. towel - to dry each wheel before replacing the clean bearings

*it is very important to only apply lubricants to the insides of your bearings, not the outer bearing itself, or it is possible that your axle nuts may unscrew and you can potentially loose one or more wheels while skating.

Example of a what can happen if you don't take care of your bearings. This particular example is from a longboard wheel that almost hurt the rider when it seized up on him.

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"Happy Skating, Happy Blogging! Derby Derby Do!"

- Muttpuppy

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