Bones REDS™ Skateboard Bearings

The wheel is argued to be one of the most important inventions in history. Today wheels are seen everywhere from car tires to things the general consumer does not think about such as the cogs/gears inside the products they own. Wheels are often connected to something such as an axle. To create a smooth and minimal friction coefficient between the wheel and axle another part is necessary, and this is where the bearing comes into play. The bearing is a medium for the wheel to spin with a low friction coefficient. Without the bearing connecting the wheel to the axle, the wheel would not move. Bearings has been developed since ancient time but in 1794 Philip Vaughan was awarded a patent for designing the first modern ball bearing. In 1869, Jules Suriray fit a bearing inside of the bicycle wheels that James Moore rode to victory of the first bicycle road race (Online Archive Library). This innovation of adding a bearing to the wheel of the bike introduced the practicality of bearings and aided James Moore to defeat the competition. Today many skateboarders use Bones REDS skateboard bearings in their pursuit for a balance between speed and longevity.

The Bones REDS skateboard bearing is top of its class due to its incredible performance to price ratio. Without a bearing a wheel would not spin. Bones REDS can enable a skateboard wheel to spin for on average four minutes compared to its competitors which spin for on average less than one minute. This major difference in spinning time is why Bones REDS are worth $18 versus their $10 competitors. With its high quality internal parts, it produces a smooth and longer ride for the user like no other bearing at its price range. These statistics prove that Bones REDS outperform their competitors by over a factor of four. Bones REDS bearings are crucial for all skateboarders because cheap bearings either do not last for very long or do not decrease the friction a substantial amount. The friction is the reason why skateboard wheels either do not spin or slow down spinning over time. With a higher quality bearing, the friction is lowered which allows the wheel to spin for longer. With constant forces being applied directly to the wheel when doing tricks, there needs to be a strong bearing to withstand the forces.

As shown in Figure 1 Ball Bearing (Powell, G. A.), Bones REDS bearings have five parts in total. These five parts are; the 1) outer race, 2) retainer, 3) balls, 4) inner race and the 5) shield.

[Figure 1] Ball Bearing

Each part in the bearing is crucial for the maximum performance expected from Bones REDS. The first part is the 1) outer race. The outer race a circular piece of steel that has an indented groove throughout the inner circumference. This groove is crucial because it keeps the balls in line or else the balls and retainer would fall out of the system. The next part is the 2) retainer. The retainer nylon part used to hold the balls all at equal distance constantly. This retainer increases speed and strength of the system by not allowing the balls to touch each other. The next part is the most crucial in this product, the 3) balls. The balls are made of high quality steel that are then lubricated with “Speed Cream™” (Bones) to ensure maximum performance. As stated by Bones, “Speed Cream™ (Bones) is the top of the line bearing lubricant offered by Bones to ensure maximum performance out of the consumers Bones products” (Bones). The fourth part is the 4) inner race. The inner race is a smaller version of the outer race except instead of having the groove inside of the circle, the grove is indented on the outside circumference of the circle which is the other component that keeps the balls in line. The last piece is the 5) shield which prevents dirt and foreign objects from contaminating the bearing. The shield is crucial because any contamination inside the bearing can decrease performance. The shield sits on the outside of the bearing which makes it nearly impossible for the bearing to become contaminated.

Each part works with each other seamlessly. Firstly, the balls are fitted into the retainer. The balls need to be fit inside the retainer so they are kept at equal distance all throughout the life of the bearing. The retainer and balls are then fit into the inner and outer race at the same time to ensure a snug fit. Having a snug fit keeps the balls inside of the groove which keeps them properly oriented. Lastly the bearing is lubricated with Speed Cream™ (Bones) and closed with the shield which will prevent most foreign objects from contaminating the system. This bearing can now be used in a skateboard.

When used in a skateboard, two bearing are installed into each wheel. In total, eight bearings are used because there are 4 wheels. In between the two bearings there is a washer which separates the bearings so they do not touch. Once the bearings are installed in the wheels, each wheel can be fitted on the axle of the skateboard truck as shown in Figure 2 Skateboard Schematic below. Figure 2 Skateboard Schematic (Summer|street) is a schematic of how the skateboard wheel should be properly attached.

[Figure 2] Skateboard Schematic

As shown in Figure 2 Skateboard Schematic, after the wheel has the bearings installed a washer which is a subpart is placed in between the truck and the wheel so the bearing will not touch the truck. Next, another washer is placed between the wheel and the nut so the bearing does not touch the nut. After repeated on all four wheels the skateboard is ready to be used.

With the bearings installed into the wheel and the wheel put onto the axle of the truck, there is a very low friction coefficient between the wheel and axle. The bearing makes it possible for the skateboard to travel further with less power.

Bones REDS bearings are installed in the same manner you would install a generic bearing except for the difference that the user would experience after using the bearings. Statistically Bones REDS spin a wheel for four minutes (Bones). This is a four-time increase compared to its closest competitor in its class which spins for one minute. This entails that by using Bones REDS, the user can ride four times longer off of one push compared to using competitor’s products. In addition to being able to spin for four times longer, Bones REDS lifespan is six times longer than its competitors. After being put under stress tests and many other physical tests, the Bones company concluded that “under regular use by an average male skateboarder, Bones REDS bearings had a lifespan which is 6 times longer than its nearest competitor” (Bones).

Ball bearings have been around for centuries but as all things do the technology advanced tremendously. Bearings are necessary in creating a low friction environment to allow the wheel to spin for long periods of time. Bones REDS bearings are the best bearings in their price range due to their high quality internals and astonishing performance. When buying REDS bearings, they come in a set of eight bearings so you can complete one skateboard for less than $20. Enjoy the high performance of Bones and ride safe.

References

Bones, (2019). Bones Speed Cream Lubricant. Retrieved 2019, March 26 from https://bonesbearings.com/bones-reg-speed-cream-reg-lubricant

Online Archive Library (2013, May 2013). Double- Row Angular Contact Ball Bearings. Retrieved 2019, March 26 from https://web.archive.org/web/20130511155609/http://www.intechbearing.com/5200Series-DoubleRowAngularContactBallBearings-SealsandShields-Shop.html

Powell, G. A. (2019). Maintaining your BONES^® Bearings. Retrieved (2019, March 26) from https://bonesbearings.com/support/maintenance/       

Summer|street. (2014). Skateboard Anatomy 101. Retrieved 2019, March 26 from http://www.startskateboardingnow.com/skateboard-anatomy-101.html