What type of bearings do I need ?
Most Skateboard Bearings have an ABEC rating system and skaters often get confused with what this means.
ABEC stands for Annular bearing Engineers Committee and it is quite simply a general bearing rating system used to rate bearing accuracy and tolerance.
Generally the higher the rating starting in odd numbers from 1 the higher the quality and speed but they are usually more expensive and more delicate the higher you go
General Skate ratings
ABEC-1 Cheap, slow but durable
ABEC-3 Basic will work OK for skateboarding but wont roll very fast or smoothly
ABEC-5 Considered the norm in skateboarding. You get a reasonable amount of speed at a reasonable cost. Great for park riding where durability is needed with less speed.
ABEC-7 These are very fast and smooth and are a perfect bearing for longboarding
ABEC-9 The top of the line in fast and smooth Abec bearings suitable for longboards but they are more delicate so may not be suitable for the thrashing of a skate park.
