How Often Do You Clean Your Bearings?

[Bi-eaux Hazard]

I've recently figured out how to remove the dust cover off my bearings without mutilating it.

I have bearing oil and picked up the BSB cleaning speed wash and BSB professional Quicklube from Academy (That is so awesome I can pick it up in town and not have to order it!).

Now, how often do skaters clean their bearings? Is it one of those things you leave alone, but you clean if they are noisy or sluggish? Or, do most skaters have a maintenance schedule like for a car?

[Grrrl Friday]

Wish I could offer some advice, but I'm just as curious as you are. C'mon seasoned rollergirls, weigh in!

[I. M. Pain]

i'd say it varies per skater. as a speed skater, i clean a couple sets before every meet (about once a month). i'm a little more lazy when it comes to my derby bearings since you can't reach the same speeds, it's not as much of an issue. i know plenty of people who have never cleaned their bearings... it also depends on where you use your skates. if you skate outdoor, then i would clean the bearings more often. or if you skate on a dusty floor, same, clean them more often. basically, just check your bearings, see how dusty they look on the outside, spin them a little, see if they are slower, or don't spin as long as usual, if so, clean them. hope this helps!

[Trailer Trish]

I don't clean my bearings.

I tried a few times with the varsol and the margarine carton shaking them around and then using the sewing machine oil some other lubricant, but I just find it's too messy for me.

I have been using only sealed bearings now for a couple of years and they are great. When they begin to lose their function a bit, I pop them out and throw in new ones. I have been skating on the same bearings now for around three months and so far so good. When I pull out the old ones I save them to use in my outdoor wheels where they will likely finish their life.

Keep in mind that I am a blocker and am not really trying for ultimate speed.

Hope that helps a little!

Trailer Trish
E-Ville Roller Derby / Edmonton Alberta, Canada

[I. M. Pain]

there's no reason your bearings should have a life-span. i am skating on the same bearing that i used for speed skating 10 years ago, and they are still in great condition. to clean them, i use mineral spirits. you just pop the shield off, shake them in a tall slender tuber of mineral spirits for a minute, then depending on how dirty that gets, put them in another thing of mineral spirits for another minute and then put them on some paper towels and dry them with a hair dryer on low heat, just to wick away the moisture, then get some lube, like bones speed cream (it comes in a little bottle with a dropper top) and put 1-2 drops in each bearing, then spin each bearing a couple of times to lubricate the whole bearing. then just pop the shields back on and they're ready to go. the whole process should take no more than 20 minutes.