Micro vs Standard bearings

[whizod 0]

As the title states, I was wondering what the differences are between these two types of bearings. The pros and cons etc., how do you guys go about judging how good a bearing is? I know that just because a bearings ABEC is high it doesn't necessarily mean it's a great bearing.

Any information would be much appreciated! Thanks

[fatwabbit 93]

Micro bearings reduce the overall weight of the skates, and for me so far they have been some of the best bearings that I've used...

One major issue i've had would be the availability of the wheels... not every store is going to be selling micro bearing wheels, and if your wheels get screwed during the session/game, you may have difficulty getting some spares.

[jpeaslee 30]

One thing to consider is often times micro bearings don't reduce the weight as much as you'd think. While the bearing is smaller, more mass has to be added to the wheel. One problem i've found (i'm 6'2, 240) is that on some of the micro hubs aren't as strong. I went through 4 of the Rink Rat MB816 (or whatever they're called) in 2 games.

[ncbrock 0]

love my micro bearings. They spin much faster/freely than my standard swiss. You can realy notice it while skating too. Just be sure to clean and lube them more often or they will go bad faster

[Okeetee 0]

The micro bearings I had on my Wicked 3s didn't last long. Not only was the availability of wheel options limited, but I haven' noticed any significant weight difference after swapping them out with regular bearings.

[jpeaslee 30]

Another thing worth mentioning, I've pretty much always played on a semi-outdoor rink. By that i mean its got a roof, but no sides. This probably played a factor in the minis not lasting too long for me. However the hubs on the rinkrats all broke while i was using them strictly indoors.

[whizod 0]

I guess my next question would be... is there a difference between 'hockey' bearings as opposed to regular abec bearings you find on the internet? and if so what makes them different, is it the lubing?

[Okeetee 0]

I guess my next question would be... is there a difference between 'hockey' bearings as opposed to regular abec bearings you find on the internet? and if so what makes them different, is it the lubing?

Not sure if it's a wise thing to do, but I've been using skateboard bearings in my front two wheels in both skates. The back two wheels on each have my remaining micros.

Seems to be working out fine so far.

[Makoto 3]

I guess my next question would be... is there a difference between 'hockey' bearings as opposed to regular abec bearings you find on the internet? and if so what makes them different, is it the lubing?

I grew up skateboarding and always used Bones Reds. I use the Bones Reds for inline hockey now and have no complaints. Relatively cheap and spin great with minimal maintenance. Do some searching on this forum for bearings and you're sure to find some good info on them. I have not had great experiences using the Abec system as a sole determinant...as I've had some Abec 3's from back in the day that were decent and I've had Abec 9's spin pitifully. Bearings are a pretty integral part on an inline skate, so I would recommend spending a little more dough on some bearings with good reviews. Just my $.02. Good luck.

[DavidT 11]

I hate micro bearings only because the wheels never hold up.

[phs hockey 21 0]

My first time using micro bearings were in my Tour E-2's. I still use them and I love the wheel/bearing combo. I'm 5'10" 170 and they have held up for quite some time now. (~3years)

[Johnny Law 0]

I guess my next question would be... is there a difference between 'hockey' bearings as opposed to regular abec bearings you find on the internet? and if so what makes them different, is it the lubing?

I grew up skateboarding and always used Bones Reds. I use the Bones Reds for inline hockey now and have no complaints. Relatively cheap and spin great with minimal maintenance. Do some searching on this forum for bearings and you're sure to find some good info on them. I have not had great experiences using the Abec system as a sole determinant...as I've had some Abec 3's from back in the day that were decent and I've had Abec 9's spin pitifully. Bearings are a pretty integral part on an inline skate, so I would recommend spending a little more dough on some bearings with good reviews. Just my $.02. Good luck.

The ABEC system only applies at ridiculous rpm's as far as I understand it. That's not to say an ABEC 9 won't work better than an ABEC 3 but it's no guarantee. In my experience the Bones are great for the money.

[start_today 770]

I'll second/third/whatever the negative comments about microbearings. I don't have a small enough scale available, but the weight reduction is not all that much. Lots of people, myself included, crap through the hubs faster on mini-bearing wheels. Limited wheels options, etc...

There are a bunch of threads and links to articles about bearing quality and abec rating. It basically comes down to buy bearings from a good company, not for a high abec rating. The abec rating is for machines going at speeds way higher than any hockey player is ever going to reach.

This thread is has a decent discussion of it: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index...294&hl=abec I just searched for abec and got 6 pages. I only looked through the top 2 pages.