Skateboards

[Little Jim]

Does anyone know the size of bearings required for the skate board wheels?  LJ junior has started doing a lot of skateboarding and built one up from spares in May.  He bought a new set of bearings from a boarding shop which he now says are worn out.  I've not actually checked the bearings to veryfy this, but if so then there is no point in buying a new set from the same shop, and I thought I would try and source them from our local bearing supplier.  It may well be that the bearing supplier knows exactly what size skateboard bearings are.  I assume that they will have some type of reference number on them, any idea what this should look like as plan B is to take the beairngs out and look for the number (plan C is then to take the beairngs to the supplier)

[PaulF]

The last time I skateboarded (admittedly about 30 years ago ) the 'best' bearings were sealed units about the size of a bottle top and the whole unit had to be replaced.

Things may of course be different now....

[andygates]

They're all cartridges these days.  Skate shop will carry them.  I was looking into 'em for building a street-luge a couple of years ago...

[Little Jim]

Thanks, gentlemen.  Paul, despite all that time the bearings are still very much like you remember!  Andy, yes, there is a "skate" shop in the town - lots of over-priced clothes and a few bits if hardware out the back if you ask one of the spotty oiks nicely, trouble is that that is where he got the last ones from, which have now (allegedly) packed up/worn out.  Admittedly they didn't sell him the most expensive at about £8 for the whole set of 8 bearings, but they haven't lasted very well at all.  I am sure that he has never put any oil or grease any where near the bearings since getting them, and they have probably just been mis-treated to death, but 10 or 12 weeks is still pretty poor.  He tells me that the shop does have more expensive sets of bearings in stock.  I was just concerned that he might be getting another poor deal that just costs him more money.

[PhilO]

A quick google suggests that they are almost always 608 size.  A lot of the pictures show dust-shielded bearings (608-2Z) - DON'T get these. If you want them to last any time at all they need to be sealed, so you want 608-2RS bearings from your friendly neighbourhood supplier.

These are tiny bearings, though, and skateboarder don't half abuse them, so expect to be replacing them fairly regularly, irrespective of quality. 

[Little Jim]

Thanks for the reference Paul, and a quick google shows that you are quite correct, with prices ranging from £2 each to over £20! (and you need 8 of them I think for one skate board!)

[vorsprung]

A quick google suggests that they are almost always 608 size.  A lot of the pictures show dust-shielded bearings (608-2Z) - DON'T get these. If you want them to last any time at all they need to be sealed, so you want 608-2RS bearings from your friendly neighbourhood supplier.

These are tiny bearings, though, and skateboarder don't half abuse them, so expect to be replacing them fairly regularly, irrespective of quality. 

I used to use ones that had a proper seal on the outside and a dust seal on the inside
I never relubricated them, I just bought new ones every year or so
This was 25 years ago
I still have the skateboard wheels but have new bearings/trucks/deck.  The wheels are pink Belair Lipbombs

[Mr X]

A quick google suggests that they are almost always 608 size.  A lot of the pictures show dust-shielded bearings (608-2Z) - DON'T get these. If you want them to last any time at all they need to be sealed, so you want 608-2RS bearings from your friendly neighbourhood supplier.

These are tiny bearings, though, and skateboarder don't half abuse them, so expect to be replacing them fairly regularly, irrespective of quality. 

Worn ones run faster, new bearings suck big time until they are almost borked.

Signed - a former skateboarder.

[Jacomus]

Also as an ex-skateboarder - buy cheap and often, rather than expensive and often. Don't be tempted to buy anything with an ABEC rating higher than 5, because it is a complete waste of money considering what they are going to be put through.

[mattc]

Also as an ex-skateboarder

I wish I'd written a list of members who would probably reply to this topic ...

[fuzzy]

Ex skateboarder here too

Oh the joys of a Logan Earth Ski deck, Gullwing trucks and Kryptonics as running gear

[Little Jim]

Oh the joys of a Logan Earth Ski deck, Gullwing trucks and Kryptonics as running gear

I don't understand a word of that - does that mean I am an old git now?

[vorsprung]

Also as an ex-skateboarder

I wish I'd written a list of members who would probably reply to this topic ...

but you're not ex-skateboarders you just don't skate* anymore 

*(much?)

The last time I had a go at skating was about 5 years ago.  I was 38 then.

I was taking my daughter to swimming lessons and there was a ramp round the back of the pool
I went up the ramp came down, fell off and got a dead leg from the mobile phone in my pocket

You forget how many minor injuries you get while skating.  When you are older you just don't heal

The other thing that puts me off skating is the lack of a good route or places.  When you are a kid you will skate anywhere, anytime.  Adults need to be going somewhere.  I live a mile out of town on a road that is "poorly" (ie not babies bottom smooth) surfaced for skating.  Cycling to the shop is just fine but skating would be a pain in the butt.  I think I did it a few times when I moved there. 

The last time I was skating regularly would be about 10 years ago when I worked at Exeter University.  It's on a great big hill and there are some highly suitable places to zoom along.