Yesterday we talked about the term “durometer” and what it means to the skater. Today let’s touch upon the term “ ABEC” and what it means to the roller skater.
Bearings
ABEC is a term used in conjunction with the bearings that fit inside the wheels of your roller skates. It stands for Annular Bearing Engineers Committee. All that mouthful means is that “ABEC” is a rating to determine the heat tolerance, rotating accuracy and other measurements of a bearing.
Basically, at least in theory, the higher the ABEC number the better the bearing. What I mean is, not all bearing manufacturers rate their bearings and some of those are the best bearings available, Powell-Bones for instance. Also, the difference between a high rated bearing and a lower rated one can be very hard to detect at the rink.
The long and short of this term is that it gives you a tool for comparing skates but don’t depend on it as the final determing factor when buying. Don’t hestitate to talk to your fellow skaters and get their opinions.
Champion