Nord Boards
Archive for the ‘Longboard Wheels’ Category
Holiday Help for Extreme Sports Enthusiasts
If you have a snowboarding, parasailing, sky diving, skateboard enthusiast on your holiday list this season, here are a few gift ideas sure to slake their desire for extreme sports.
Snowboarding Goggles – no snowboarder should be without a good set of goggles, which can range in price from twenty to several hundred dollars.
Skateboard Wheels – if your skateboarder uses their board frequently, they’ll probably go through wheels like nobody’s business; it’s always nice to have extras at the ready.
Extreme Sports Video Games – whether they like off road ATVing, skiing, or rollerblading, you’ll find a game out there sure to help occupy those rare times when they’re not outdoors (also great for unfortunate sport related injuries!)
IPod – no extreme sports enthusiast should be without their music, an integral component of building adrenaline.
Know Your Board
Today I want to focus on some aspects of the longboard, particularly riser pads and wheels. Riser pads are located between the trucks and deck of a longboard. Made of rubber or plastic, the pads help prevent damage to wooden decks from metal trucks. Riser pads also help prevent wheel bite and rail bite on drop decks.
Typically, longboard wheels are larger than average skateboard wheels. The reason for the difference in size is that larger wheels allow for more stability at high speeds. They can also handle rolling over rocks, sticks, and other obstacles in the street. Longboard wheels tend to fall in the 65 to 85 mm range.
ABEC Ratings: A Brief Overview
Introduction
Hi all! Gee I guess it has been awhile since the last post. That’s life though, things come and go. I was thinking about what to write about today when I heard someone mention the ABEC rating system and the confusion surrounding it. To us here at the shop the ABEC bearing rating system is like the Durometer rating of wheels, we just live around it enough that we hardly notice it anymore. Not everyone is lucky enough to be involved with skate components on a daily basis though, so we get asked questions about it all the time. Considering that, I think today is a good day to give you guys an informative summary of the ABEC system and clear up a bit of that confusion.
Bones uses their Skate Rated™ system instead of ABEC
What is the ABEC system?
The ABEC rating system is an industry standard that defines ball bearing engineering tolerance levels and allows consumers to make an informed decision about the quality of bearing they are purchasing. It was originally developed by the Annular Bearing Engineering Committee (ABEC) of the American Bearing Manufacturer’s Association (ABMA). The exact definition of “Annular” varies according to your source but it simply means a shape that is or forms a ring. The ABEC ratings are:
- ABEC 1 (Lowest Required Engineering Tolerance)
- ABEC 3
- ABEC 5
- ABEC 7
- ABEC 9 (Highest Required Engineering Tolerance)
Note that the ABEC standard IS NOT associated with the skateboard products company Abec 11!
Well what does that mean?
Engineering tolerance levels in machine manufacturing refer to the limit of variation of (usually) a physical dimension. For example a mechanical part that has to be 1 inch tall could have a tolerance of +- 0.0001; meaning that it can vary AT MOST 1/10,000th of an inch from the specified 1 inch height. The higher the ABEC rating the smaller the tolerance (variation in size) for the part. The problem with larger tolerances (or lower ABEC ratings) is that that extra room between the ball bearing and the track it rides in will allow the ball to ‘wiggle’ from side to side while it rotates around the track in the bearing case. This ‘wiggling’ eats up energy (slowing down the bearing’s rotation) and decreases precision of the bearing. The precision of the bearing (and other concepts such as lubricant sheerdo not really concern us, but it is helpful to be aware of. What we are really concerned about is the ‘wiggle’ that absorbs energy. By bouncing back and forth along the track instead of rotating in a straight line, energy is stolen from the rotation and we slow down.
What is ABEC not?
The ABEC rating defines ONLY the engineering tolerances for annular bearings. There are many critical parameters that are left to the manufacturer to decide on (find a good manufacturer and you find a good bearing). It does NOT define:
- Materials quality
- Rotation speeds
- Component polish ratings
- Seal quality
- etc.
How do I choose an ABEC rating?
When it comes time to purchase that new set a bearings it is almost possible to become overwhelmed with the choices. This is where it all comes down to the ‘Price vs. Performance’ conundrum. For the average beginner, cheap skater, or hardcore smasher the best option is probably a cheaper set of disposable bearings rated at 3 or 5 that can be used, abused, and replaced fairly cheaply. The more performance minded skaters though (downhill skaters, speed skaters, professionals) will probably benefit more from the precision and speed that 7 or 9 can provide. Whatever bearing you do decide to go with, it is important to remind you to regularly clean and maintain your bearings for maximum performance. You can check out my post on how to clean bearings for more information.
Parting words…
The ABEC rating has become something of a mythological figure in the world of skateboarding. Everyone sees it and thinks they know what it means… but often even seasoned professionals don’t know it’s true purpose. However, the ABEC system only designates one small factor in the bearing’s overall performance. Ask your friends, neighbors, and other skaters what they think the best options are and try some of them out to see what you prefer. If you already know what kind you want or are just looking to shop around, check out our Skateboard Bearings page in the NordBoards store.
Skate to live, live to skate!
Thanks for reading,
Clayton C.
Wheels ‘n Deals: Stella & Sector 9 wheels on Sale now!
What did the inventor of the wheel think of his/her creation? Well we might never know… but we CAN know how to score some great deals on longboard wheels (if you know where to go). For a limited time only Boards on Nord is having a sale on Stella and Sector 9 slalom wheels!
This deal applies to the following wheels (while supplies last):
- Sale Price: $19.95
- Size (height): 69mm
- Style: Slalom
- Colors:
- Black
- Yellow
- Sale Price: $19.99
- Size (height): 69mm
- Style: Slalom
- Colors:
- Green
- Blue
- Orange
- White
- Ghost (opaque)
Longboard Coupon Codes, Longboard Discounts
Ok so here it is! The first longboard coupons for the Christmas Holiday.
Shop Boards on Nord
3 DAY ONLY!- OK, so the Cyber-Monday coupon of the year. Save 10% off any order equal to or over $169.99, Yep that’s correct 10% off any order. The more you spend the more you save. Example spend $280, save $28. Spend $5,000,000 and save $500,000! and this one EXPIRES MIDNIGHT OF CYPER MONDAY 11/29/2010. Coupon Code: cybernords
So you love the sector 9 bamboo boards, yeah we know! Well spend over $200 on a customized bamboo sector 9 longboard by customizing it and adding some better wheels like some o-tang in-heat wheels or retro zigzags along with some trucks like the gullwing charger, or gullwing stalker and don’t forget the bearing upgrade like some bones swiss! Customize it however you want and bring the total of $200 and we’ll take $15 off the purchase with this holiday coupon code: s9bamboosave15
This next one is going to have 2 different options. The better the board, the more you save! For all custom arbor complete longboards when you spend over $200 we will take off $15 from the total. Just remember this coupon code: arborsave15
Want an even better arbor longboard with better parts like some bones ceramics and gullwing stalker trucks and orangatang wheels? Well we’ve got you covered. Spend over $250 on a custom arbor longboard and save $20 with coupon code: arborsave20
And are largest savings coupon for the best of the best! Looking to buy a high priced board? nah! Just want 2 boards or maybe even 3 for all the kids or maybe the neighbor kid? Well again we’ve got you covered. Spend over $300 and we’ll knock $30 off the purchase with coupon code: savethirty
Please remember these expire December 23rd unless otherwise stated.
Sector 9 Super Shaka longboard review
The Sector 9 Super shaka longboard is the perfect downhill/cruising board for any expereience range. The super shaka is cut specifically so that you don’t have to worry about wheelbite unless your foot is hanging over the side and scraping your shoe. Another really great thing about the super shaka is the long wheelbase, it’s as long as ANY longboard will ever get, this will give you the maximum stability you can get as well as the cleanest feeling you could possibly get from this type of longboard. I recommend the Super Shaka to anyone that takes long commutes or is really into doing downhill.
The Super shaka is perfect with san clemente trucks and wheels however the deck itself isn’t making it our most popular board. For wheels I definitely recommend sector 9′s or orangatang. For trucks I recommend getting gullwing chargers, or bombers. The Super shaka also comes with abec 5 bearings that would be much better replaced with some bones reds or if you have the money some sector 9 ceramics, they’re definitely worth it.
Gravity 39″ carved stained glass longboard
The stained glass from gravity longboards is a really amazing carver/cruiser and introduces a unique shape albeit just cool and functions just as well as other gravities, just looks cooler. The stained glass has a really long wheelbase which makes turning in and out of the bowl in parks a breeze. The stained glass also has a kicktail for longboard tricks for those who do them as well as give that extra bit of comfort and stability while on long rides or in the park. I recommend the stained glass to anyone looking for a longboard that will hold against the test of time and someone who wants a board that can do it all.
The stained glass comes with san clemente trucks and wheels but I highly recommend buying some quality trucks and wheels. for trucks I recommend getting some sidewinders ( for carving/crusing) or chargers (for cruising, mild downhill, or if you’re just beginning). But For wheels I recommend sector 9′s, abec 11′s or orangutangs or any wheel in a 60mm or higher for that matter. The stained glass also comes with abec 5 bearings but I highly recommend getting some reds, they’re only 10$ more and they’re the best you can get for the price unless of course you really want to rip through the streets then i suggest getting some ceramics of any kind I especially like sector 9′s.
Gravity 37″ diamond tail indian arch longboard
The Diamond Tail from gravity longboards is another awesome cruiser/carver from gravity that can really tear up the streets. The Diamond Tail has a long wheelbase for it’s size which makes for really smooth long turns that can only compare to surfing. The diamond tail also has a cambered layer of “eco-fiber” which is the equivalent of carbon fiber which is what makes this board extremely durable. I recommend this board to anyone looking for a real easy to ride board for small commutes through town.
The Diamond Tail comes with san clemente trucks and wheels but I suggest buying some of our premium trucks and wheels. For wheels I suggest sector 9′s in a 70mm or higher, I especially like and orangatangs. For trucks I recommend getting sidewinders, these are extremely responsive and will make your carving at the park like riding through hot butter. The Diamond Tail also comes with abec 5 bearings but I recommend getting reds because they’re only 10$ more and make 10 times the difference.
Gravity 27″ classic mini
The 27″ classic mini from gravity longboards is the perfect cruiser/ramp board whether you’re a beginner all the way to being an intermediate. The classic mini is great because of it’s size for cruising in high traffic areas such as bike lanes, and busy sidewalks. Another awesome thing about the classic mini is it’s wheelbase it has a really small wheelbase which makes for really sharp turns that really help go weave in and out of traffic. I recommend the classic mini to anyone looking for an awesome cruiser.
The classic mini comes with san clemente trucks and wheels but I recommend buying some of our premium products. For trucks I recommend independents, chargers, or even mission 1′s. For wheels I recommend getting sector 9′s in a 60mm or getting any wheel in around that size I especially like abec 11′s, zig-zags, and orangatangs. The classic mini also comes with abec 5′s but I highly recommend getting some reds they’re only 10$ more and they make quite a difference.
Loaded Tan Tien Longboard
The Tan Tien from Loaded longboards is one of the best on the market right now for downhill boarding. The Loaded Tan tien is really awesome for downhill due to it’s uber long wheelbase which makes for really smooth turning and more stability than you could possibly need at high speeds. To top it all off the Tan Tien has a flush mount truck which gives it a lower center of gravity for higher speeds and stability. I recommend the Tan Tien to any harcore downhill rider or anyone looking for a hardcore downhill board.
The loaded Tan Tien is perfect with san clemente trucks and wheels however the deck itself isn’t making it our most popular board. For wheels I definitely recommend sector 9′s or orangatang. For trucks I recommend getting randal 150′s, gullwing chargers, or bombers. The tan tien also comes with abec 5 bearings that would be much better replaced with some bones reds or if you have the money some sector 9 ceramics or if you really want to get quality out of this I think we still carry the bones ceramics, although they’re pricy they’re definitely worth it.