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Baseball: Reviving the Sport
Baseball: Reviving the Sport
What things are more American than baseball, red, white, and blue, and apple pie? Unfortunately, this revered sport has earned a rather tarnished image over the past years due to strikes, increasing ticket prices,...
CAN I JUST LOSE FAT FROM MY LEGS, HIPS, OR JUST MY STOMACH?
The most common and everlasting question I receive as a personal
fitness trainer continues to be based on the myth of spot
reduction. The questions tend to be, "Eduardo, show me an
exercise to lose my love handles, "Eduardo, I just want...
Easy Navigation in the Woods or on the Water with the Garmin eTrex GPS Handheld
I am an expert navigator with a map & compass but neither is as effective or as easy as the eTrex. I highly recommend the Gramin eTrex as a basic navigational aide. It's also a great starter for learning about GPS systems. It does everything it's...
Eden Rocks Shore Dives in Grand Cayman
When we took a cruise of the Western Caribbean, it included Grand Cayman as a port. We were able to scuba dive one of the shore dives there. There are actually two shore dives off the downtown area of Georgetown which were recommended to us. For...
Exhilarting Electric Scooters - A Thrilling Ride for All!
Get that adrenaline pumping with an electric motor scooter. Take a joy ride and find out first hand how much fun electric scooters can be.
Looking for some new excitement in your life? Want to find it cheap? Imagine the adrenalin rush you’re...
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Inline Skate Bearings and the ABEC Scale
If you think you need new bearings for your inline skates, it's best to check your bearings for wear using the tests provided in this article. Your bearings are at the core of your wheels and reduce friction so you can skate smoothly and efficiently. Hence, they need to be maintained properly from season to season.
Checking for wear
The following are indications of major, bearing wear from a no-load, finger-flick, spin test:
- One or more of your wheels stick(s) periodically
- One or more of your wheels (is) are seized
- One or more or your wheels require(s) a lot of force to spin
- One or more of your wheels spin(s) freely for only a second or two
In addition, the following are signs of major, bearing wear from a spin test with the skater as the load:
- While skating you hear a loud, grinding noise from your bearings
- It requires a lot of effort to pick up and maintain speed
- Your bearings are hot to the touch after a roll
You may also want to replace your inline skate bearings if you decide to switch to a different type of bearing. You may want to change from shielded bearings to sealed or racing bearings.
Learning the ABEC Scale
Bearings are rated on the Annular Bearing Engineering Council (ABEC) scale. Ratings are numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 on the ABEC scale. The higher the number is, the greater the manufactured precision of the bearing.
However, there are no required materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings only have to be made to a certain precision. That's all!
Servicing your bearings
Inline skate bearings usually come in sets of four to eight. Before you head out to your favorite sporting goods store, write down the information that’s shown on the outer shields of your bearings. Don’t forget to flip the bearing over and include the text that's inscribed on the other side.
If you’re happy with the original bearings that came with your skates or the last set you installed, by all means buy the same bearings. If you have serviceable bearings like TwinCams or YAKs and you don’t mind doing your own cleaning and lubrication than you may want to stick with the double-shielded type, especially if they are the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that your skate manufacturer recommends.
On the other hand, if you have non-serviceable or sealed bearings and are squeamish about doing your own cleaning and lubrication, even periodically, you may want to stick with this type of bearing and just replace them when they need to be changed.
In addition, if you have shielded bearings with pop-out caps, like Powell Swiss or Black Hole brands, and like them for their ease of maintenance, it’s probably best to go with this kind of bearing
again.
Buying new bearings
My K2 skates have 8-mm, TwinCam, ABEC-1, double-shielded bearings with the following inscribed on the casings:
Normally, the manufacturer or brand doesn’t make a lot of difference within the three categories of shielded, serviceable bearings, shielded, serviceable bearings with pop-up caps, and sealed, non-serviceable bearings. A bearing size of 8 mm and the 608 designation are fine for recreational, inline skaters. The ABEC rating is another story!
ABEC-1, 3, and 5 are the most common bearings that come with inline skates, as well as the newer ABEC-7s, which are gaining in popularity. Whether a skater can go faster with ABEC-5 bearings versus ABEC-1 bearings has never been proven, scientifically or otherwise.
Furthermore, the higher precision may not make a significant difference for the recreational skater who travels in the 10 to 20 mph range. The average skater doesn’t require a higher-rated bearing because the difference in performance is so minimal that it would only become apparent at speeds an inline skater never attains.
In addition, the higher precision eventually deteriorates down to ABEC-3 or 1 due to dust, dirt, and regular wear and tear. To increase your skating speed, you’d be better off to improve your technique and learn how to cut down on wind resistance. These are proven ways to make you a faster and more efficient skater.
So, get the most affordable ABEC-1 or ABEC-3 inline skate bearings you can find, clean and lube them with oil or grease on an annual basis, and you’ll be just fine.
Summing Up
When it comes time to purchase new bearings for your inline skates, make sure you write down the information that's inscribed on the outer casing of your bearings before you head to your local, skating shop. In addition, beware that an ABEC rating is nothing more than a bearing precision. If you find a set of bearings at the right price that are suited for your skates, but they have a lower ABEC rating, go for it anyway! You'll probably never notice the difference.
About The Author
Jim Safianuk is the writer and publisher of the three-part, inline skating series entitled Skating Lessons, as well as the two-part, maintenance series named Skate Maintenance. He is also the developer of the Inline Skating Center, a site which serves as a hub for the adult, recreational, inline skating community. To visit their Skate Maintenance department, click here: http://skatemaintenance.inlineskatingcenter.com/
Copyright 2005, by JKS Publishing. All Rights Reserved
jims@inlineskatingcenter.com
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