Inline Skate Bearings and the ABEC Scale

If you think you need new inline skate bearings, it's best to check your bearings for wear using the tests in this section. Your bearings are at the core of your wheels and serve to reduce friction so you can skate smoothly and efficiently. Hence, they need to properly maintained from season to season.

The following are indications of major bearing wear from a no-load finger-flick spin test:

• One or more of your wheels sticks periodically



• One or more of your wheels are seized



• One or more or your wheels require(s) a lot of force, and still spins 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 in skating mode, you hear a loud, grinding noise from the bearings, like a metal-to-metal sound



• It takes a great deal of effort on your part to pick up and maintain speed when you skate
  
  
• Your bearings are hot to the touch after skating

The other reason you may want to replace your inline skate bearings is if you want to switch to a different type of bearing. You may want to change from shielded bearings to sealed or racing bearings.

Defining ABEC Ratings

Bearings are rated on the Annular Bearing Engineering Council or ABEC scale. The higher the ABEC number, the greater the manufactured precision of the bearing. There are no required materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings simply have to be made to a certain precision. ABEC ratings are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Selecting new bearings

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 existing bearings. Don’t forget to flip the bearing over and include the information that’s on the other side.

If you’re happy with the original bearings that came with your skates or the last set that you installed, then 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 OEM that your skate manufacturer recommends.

On the other hand, if you have non-serviceable bearings like NMBs, GMNs, or sealed bearings and are squeamish about doing your own cleaning and lubrication, even periodically, you may want to stay 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.

Buyer beware

TwinCam ABEC-1 608 ZZ

Normally, the manufacturer or brand doesn’t make a lot of difference within the three categories of shielded, serviceable bearings, serviceable bearings with pop-up caps, or sealed, non-serviceable bearings. Furthermore, 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 or not a skater can go faster with ABEC-5 bearings versus ABEC-1 bearings is still largely debatable. Why?

The higher precision may not make a significant difference for the recreational skater who travels in the 10 to 20 m.p.h. range. The average inline 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 learning how to cut down on wind resistance, as well as improving your technique, which are guaranteed to make you a quicker and more efficient skater.

So, unless you’re racing and want every conceivable edge, just get the most affordable ABEC-1 or ABEC-3 bearings you can find, clean and lube them with oil on an annual basis, and you’ll be just fine.

Summing up

When it comes time to purchase new bearings, make sure you write down the information that's inscribed on the outer casing of your bearings and bring it with you when 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, just go for it!

For the complete lesson

The above article deals exclusively with the rationale you can use to select new bearings for your wheels. To find out how to remove, clean, and lubricate your existing bearings, as well as how to replace and install new bearings, refer to the section entitled Bearing Inspection, Cleaning, Lubrication, and Replacement in Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance.

You can also check out the Maintenance Module, which contains both Lesson #1 Basic Maintenance and Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance.

About the Author

Jim Safianuk is the writer and publisher of the three-part series entitled Skating Lessons, as well as the two-part series named Skate Maintenance. He is also the developer and owner of the Inline Skating Center. The site was recently established to act as a hub for the recreational, inline skating community. For information about our skating lessons, maintenance module, and trail guides, send an e-mail to .

You can also e-mail Jim at the . The Toronto Trailbladers is an adult, inline skating club based in Toronto, Ontario, which he helps to organize in the summer months.