Don’t you hate it when your wheels fail you just as you’re all balanced and comfortable on your skateboard? It’s a familiar story and usually happens just as you’ve built a sensible amount of balance to pull off an awesome trick to stun and astonish your friends.
Listen: if you want to keep your wheel rolling smoothly, there’s only one remedy- get your hands on some sensible bearings. Here’s why.
Why do you need good bearings?
If you’re just learning about skateboard bearings, and you can’t decide if they’re a necessity, don’t sweat it. Let’s dig a little deeper into this. You can’t compromise on good bearings.
All skateboards come equipped with two bearings. There are round metal pieces, which fit inside the wheel. They consist of a large outer ring and a smaller inner ring. The bearings are used to mount the wheel to the axle. Regardless of the size of your wheel, all skateboard sizes are standardized and will fit in any other wheel. They are sold in a set of eight since each wheel needs two bearings. Now let’s get down to business.
If you’re looking to ace the skateboard game, you need solid bearings. There’s no better way to maintain balance without good bearings. More so, if you’re missing a single bearing, your daily routine will come to a grinding halt, as they need to be situated in every wheel.
Think about it this way; your bearings work behind the scene to make you move, balance, cease, push, turn, and make that positive fall. Bearings allow the metal situated outside the wheel to roll around the hinge while protecting the wheel from any damage. So, if you’re aiming to make cool skateboard tricks, all you need is good skateboard bearings. Skateboard bearings are made from steel, ceramic, and titanium material to increase the potential speed.
Check this out: steel bearings come as an industry standard, and thus you’ll find them in any skateboard. However, the quality of steel bearings vary, but they are generally durable and economical. Ceramic bearings are heat resistant, which means that they’ll expand less, thereby creating less friction at high speeds. As such, it deforms less compared to steel bearings and is less prone to rust.
Finally, titanium bearings are lightweight, resistant to rust, and last-longer. Titanium bearings work similarly to steel but last longer. However, you’ll need to keep both titanium and steel bearings lubricated to reduce friction.
Optimizing your wheel’s functioning
Ever tried tightening your wheel axle all the way, and went to take your skateboard for a spin? Yes? Have you wondered why the wheels were unable to spin? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it sounds like you already know how essential bearings are to you. When your bearings are faulty or don’t have enough room, this can be an issue for you.
If you’re a first-time skateboard purchaser, or you wish to deal with the squeaky noises, replace your bearings for an experience of a lifetime.