Skateboard Bearings Review

What Bearings should you get??

Well there are a couple of things you need to understand about bearings first before you should make a decision on what bearings you need for skating...

One of the main things is understanding what the Abec rating is, The Abec rating system is a scale from 1-7.
The higher the number the faster and more seamlessly the bearings should spin (Or so it should be!). This means lower rated Abec 3 bearings dont run quite as smoothly as others.

So what bearings do you need?

• If you are really keen on skating and just cruising around you should really invest in some Abec 7 bearings for ultimate comfort and performance.
• If you are a novice skater who is just keen on rolling around and popping a few ollies Abec 5 bearings will do the job just perfectly.

However some bearings are purely made for skateboarding. These provide unrivaled quality and performance. An example of these would be Bones Reds Bearings.

I have tried a few of these bearings out and here is a quick review:

Fracture Premium Precision Bearings (Abec 7) :

These bearings provide great comfort and control. They run smoothly and speed can be held very well. They can be bought quite cheaply. For their price they are a steal and they will be a purchase you wont regret.

Quality: Very Good

Smoothness: Very smooth

Price: £10

Fracture Premium Precision Bearings (Abec 5) :

These bearings are perfect for novice skaters. They feel solid and run reasonably smooth. They don't quite feel as good as their Abec 7 rivals but they can be bought for cheaper and in general they do quite a good job.

Quality: Good

Smoothness: Medium smoothness

Price: £8.50

Jart Blue Abec 3 Bearings (Abec 3 obviously) :

I tried these bearings out on my first board and really I dont have that much good to say about them. They seemed to labour when anybody above 9 stone used them and they could not hold speed very well. They felt a bit rough but they certainly wont break very easily as they are solid as rocks. Considering their price they really can't compare to the Fracture Premium bearings. They are more expensive and aren't as good so dont bother getting them.

Quality: Bad

Smoothness: Not very smooth

Price: £14

Bones Reds Bearings (Abec: Unrated) :

These are the best bearings I have come across so far. They are purposely made for skating and they are some of the best bearings on the market. So smooth and comfortable and they hold speed very well. Slightly more expensive but totally worth every penny.

Quality: Top Quality

Smoothness: Extemily Smooth

Price: £15

 This is my short but hopefully helpful review.

 All prices are got from routeone.co.uk.

When to Skate?!

When to skate:

So many people around the world like to skate. One of the only problems people have is getting time to and knowing when to skate.


When to skate:

Well this is simple enough. Skating quite often depends on the weather. If the grounds wet i'm afraid you won't be able to go outside and skate.
~ The wheels will slide and finding your lines will be way more tough.
~ A second problem is wet weather destroys your grip tape. The moisture will seep under the tape around the edges and it will start to peel up and come loose which may unfortunately lead to you needing to re-grip your board :(
~ The third problem is that your skate shoes will get wet and you wont be able to get good grip and your slide control won't be as good.

The only good thing about skating in the wet is that you will be the only one there at the skate park: leaving a lot of space to try stuff out....

The only solution to stop the weather getting in your way is to go to an indoor skate park. Unfortunately there aren't that many indoor parks around and if you are into street skating they might not have any street like areas in the park. Also these indoor places sadly have membership costs or day fees to pay to skate there. This can be very costly in the long term.

The Beginning of Something Great!

It all starts somewhere:

For me it's a few weeks back with some friends.
I came down to the skate park on my rubbish little cheap superstore skateboard.
Its wheels made from some squeaky plastic and the deck from what seemed like a major limb of a tree.
The boards bearings scratching the trucks with every revolution.

I didn't care it was my board and that's what mattered to me. At the start i thought all boards were the same. All just a simple Board With Wheels. How wrong could I be :)

I was hooked from the start, the simple fact of rolling and cruising around on my board was fantastic. Feeling  the world pass by through your feet and the wind brushing against your face. I got what all skaters want, The buzz of skating and the shear happiness. That's whats really needed to skate.