What can I say? These bearings are some of the hottest out right now, and for good reasons I’ll get into in a second. Bones Bearings is a skateboard company that has been crafting bearings for longer than pretty much any other vendor– since 1983! Throughout the years, they have developed some of the best bearings in skateboarding history. Bones Bearings are so superiorly crafted, looking at anything else (except for possibly Lucky’s), is just a complete waste of time and money.
First let me start off by saying these bearings are ridiculously fast! I remember the first time I was pleasured with listening to these bearings spin. My friend had just put together a $300 longboard, and these were relatively new at the time and I think he paid about $70 for them (you can get them much much cheaper these days, don’t worry!). He gave these babies a kick with his shoes and they spun and spun for … well about 3 minutes which may not seem like a long time but in reality it is.
I can sense it– you’re an Abec-3 fan boy. Well let’s see your Abec-3’s spin for three minutes!
Speaking of Abec, these bearings do not boast any Abec rating.
This is related to abec being a machinery rating and not being a true indicator of the quality of skateboard bearings. If they did have an Abec rating in a traditional sense, it’d be a +9 for speed and +3 as far as durability goes (lower Abec is better for durability). Therefore it is like a hybrid skateboard bearing.
So what’s so special about these bearings? They have 6 balls inside them (as the name suggests). Normal bearings have 7 balls in them. What does this mean for you? Nothing, unless you’re like everybody else who hates busting your balls after ollying off a landing dock. And by balls I mean the ones in your skateboard bearings, dummy!
You see, normal bearings’ balls are tiny. You like having big balls don’t you? Man, I really need to cut out the psuedonyms in this review and get to the point. The point is, bigger balls means they don’t break as easily, since they can absorb a lot more impact and distribute the energy within its mass. It’s simple physics people, and physics are an important part of your skateboard tricks.
Now let’s talk about cleanability.
You cannot ask for an easier bearing to clean. Period. Everything opens up, allowing you to clean out every little bit of dirt that gets in. But does dirt get in? Not with these bad boys! That is, as long as you clean your balls and lube them up once a month or so, they will take care of you. I think that goes without saying for most things in life.
Of course, Bones reccomends Bones Speed Cream Skate Bearing Lubricant to clean your bearings. I am gonna go out on a limb and say you don’t necessarily need a certain type of lube, but that using the same brand can’t hurt. These bearings come with a guide that tell you how to properly care for them, and it really isn’t difficult stuff people! These bearings are expertly crafted, precision grade, professional level and extremely durable and versatile. And for the price, you can’t ask for better bearings for your skateboard.
