Bearings advice needed please
My daughter skates on Edea Rondo boots with Roll line variant plate and giotto 47 and 49 mixed set wheels, she's learning her first jumps and spins at the moment.
At the rink today she had 3 falls for no apparent reason and we think at least one of the bearings on her wheels has seized up. We've switched her over to a different set of wheels and bearings taken off my skates (with the same set up) so for the moment she should be ok.
We're planning to get her new bearings to replace the current ones, but we're unsure what to go for. Do we get open bearings or shielded? We looked at the Roll line Abec 5 and the Speed Race, we've also considered bones with the removable covers, but we're at a bit of a loss about what's best to get for her.
What bearings would you recommend? Thanks in advance
Comments
Don't overthink it: Bones Reds or Bones Swiss. Clean them every couple of months and replace every couple of years. Although, if you buy a "quality" set they will last years and years if not decades.
For that skill level I'd go Reds and replace them in a year.
I've tried MANY types of bearings: Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, Bones Swiss Ceramic (waste of money), Roll-line Micro (only bearing I've ever broken), Fafnir (my favorites), Qube Gold (don't hold up well) and a few others I can't remember. I ALWAYS end up going back to Bones Swiss or a set of Fafnirs I've had since the 80's.
For a beginner skater Reds is more than enough bearing. Plain old ABEC rated "bulk" bearings are fine. Don't spend more until the fundamentals are there. You can't buy skill. That part comes from TOF (Time On Floor). ;-)
To put things in perspective, a bulk ABEC 5 rated bearing is certified for 20,000+ RPM. Your skate is at 400 - 500 rpm. The fastest you'll ever see skate wheels turn is 2,000 RPM. And Bones, Roll-line, et al....don't list an ABEC rating
I know a world class skater whose bearing hadn't been cleaned or oiled in 2-years and she was still throwing triples.
If the wheels spin it is unlikely the bearings "locked up."
And since you are a "skate dad," I'd highly recommend buying a bearing puller/press if you don't have one.
Oh...and btw...I'm back ;-)
You can just try to spin the wheels and see if it's actually the bearings that have been locked up. Also check the bottom of the plate and just make sure nothing is coming off. I usually use komplex or roll line bearings, and have used bones in my figure skates. The bearing won't really matter at all if they are clean.
I have our younger skaters on komplex abec 3s because they were about $10 a set. My pairs partner just blew out one of them entering a spin though, but I have used them for a while and they're fine even on double and triple jumps so probably a bad bearing. Right now I'm using a mix of random roll line bearings, komplex, and sure grip 8 ball. All seem fine. I can only say I like the komplex 6 ball bearings for dance because they consistently feel smooth but there isn't really any difference in roll to other bearings.
The open bearings or rubber shields make cleaning pretty easy, the fully closed metal ones are fine just hard to clean (easier to just replace).
Bones Reds are a great option for a beginner/intermediate skater, as Inverse137 said.
If there’s a mad rush for affordable yet performance-loaded bearings, then the Bones Reds Bearings will be the first to fly off the shelves. Even for a few dollars, these bearings deliver notable results.
I am a freestyle skater and had tried various branded bearings including roll-lines. I use bearing I get from bearing dealers rather than the skate manufacturers. The bearings I use now are made for electric motors at 20K revolution speed. When I get bearings like mine and pair them with spacers and a good set of wheels they are pretty much indestructible. My current sets of bearings are sealed both sides, never need cleaning or lubrication. I use spacers as they help insure the bearings orientation and provide a solid rolling cylinder around the axle.