Bones Reds Skateboard Bearings

Skateboard/Longboard Bearings are often an afterthought even for the most experienced and knowledgeable skater. This is a tragedy, as I often find that my a large portion of how enjoyable any ride I go on longboarding is dependent on the bearings, and how well the bearings allow my wheels to spin. Powell Bones Reds are perfect because I haven't ever used a faster spinning bearing at its price, and they're low maintenance to boot.

Reds are an excellent deal, as a set of eight will run you about $15 at most skate shops. That's about as little as you're going to pay for almost any set of bearings, and these are superior to anything near its price range. Like most bearings, these are made in China. These bearings are pretty in demand, so it can be hard to find a shop that has them in stock. Although I hear you can also shop on this thing called the internet, and it's unlikely you'll strike out at all of the online shops.

So what makes Reds so special? First, they're pre-lubed with Bones Speed Cream. This stuff is great, it lasted lot of rides until I had to re-lube my bearings. Not only that, but these babies are fast right out of the package. This makes those long rides in which you find yourself pushing and kicking your way up hills or across flat sections of pavement. Not to mention, you'll pick up more speed on the downhill sections of pavement, which is good or bad depending on your skill and experience level.

To make the deal even sweeter, getting at the inner workings of these Reds is much easier than any other skate bearing I've ever had. The plastic inner shield is removable allowing you to apply cream or any other lubricant such as WD-40 on the inside of the bearing case. This gives you a more complete and effect lube job than just spraying or applying cream to the outside and hoping it will work its way to the inside. Keeping the inside clean keeps these bearing spinning fast and allows the bearings to last longer. I rode the same set of Reds for over a year with my old longboard and could have kept using them on my new board but decided to invest in a new set. The year old bearings run just as well as new bearings with proper maintenance.

Final Thoughts

There's a reason that I see the distinct bright red color of Bones Reds Skateboard Bearings on the majority of longboards and skateboards. It never surprises me to see these red bearings when I catch a glimpse of someone else's board. They're heavily favored for three simple reasons; they perform well, they're easy to maintain, and they are affordable and last longer than any other similarly priced bearings.