Name/TitleSkate Bearings
About this objectPair of Kwik brand skate bearings made of a gold-coloured metal, with residue of glue, paint and glitter.
MakerKwik Bearings
Date Madec.2010s
Period2010s
Medium and MaterialsInorganic, metal
Inscription and MarksEmbossed on one side:
KWIK BEARINGS ~ ABEC-5
MeasurementsH: 7 x Dia: 22 mm
Subject and Association Keywordssport - roller derby
Subject and Association Descriptionhttps://rollerskatenation.com/bearings-101:
Roller skate wheel bearings sit inside the wheel hub and are what allows the wheels to roll. Each wheel has two bearings in it; so how many bearings do you need for a pair of quad roller skates? You need 16 bearings in total. In the past bearings were always rated on an ABEC rating scale, and many still are. ABEC ratings were designed for high speed applications like high speed motors and precision measuring instruments. Now, most bearings are considered above the ABEC rating scale. The result is many bearings made today are not rated on an ABEC scale. Bearings rated on an ABEC scale are not "better" than bearings not rated on an ABEC scale.
A higher rated bearing will NOT make you “go faster”, but the quality of a bearing does affect your roll out. The roll out is how long your wheels will continue spinning after you push off. A better bearing will keep you rolling longer, so you can put in less effort to cover the same amount of space. In the past roller skate wheel bearings were actually put in by the skater with loose balls. This is very rare now. All ball bearings for roller skates made today come put together and have the same 5 components. So how do bearings work? Read about them below [continues].
Named CollectionNMRD @ Glasgow Women's Library
Object TypeBearings
Object numberGWL-2025-119-10
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved