The quality and condition of your bearings can make a big difference in your skating, whether you realize it or not. For the longest time, I was skating with old bearings when I picked up my old board and started skating again. Moreover, I had become accustomed to them; my body was working against the resistance to power-through and compensate for the excess friction exerted on my old, damaged bearings.
Manuals were almost impossible; leaning onto my back wheels would cause too much resistance and send me forward, leading me into a bout of rage.
“Why can’t I balance?” I wondered.
I received new bearings as a gift for Christmas and excitedly went to try them out. So much smoother! I had no idea the struggles I was pushing through until I experienced the buttery-smooth new bearings. The bearings that I received were none other than Bones Reds, a successful brand with skateboarders worldwide. But what about all the new labels that are recently coming to light? One of these names is is Andale Bearings.
Andale Bearings
Andale supports a strong and diverse team of riders from aspiring amateurs to full-blown pros. The skater owned and operated company, founded in 2010 by Joey Brezinski and Paul Rodriguez, is backed by a few notable names, such as Daewon Song, Marc Johnson, Tiago Lemos and Manny Santiago.
General Product Info
Andale offers four basic bearings and four signature models. The regular series begins with Andale Blues, then Abec 5, Abec 7, and best of all Andale Swiss.
The Signature series consists of “Guy Mariano Wax Hot Sauce,” “Marc Johnson Notepad,” “P-Rod Fine Gold,” and “Daewon’s Donuts.”
About Andale Blues Bearings
Andale Blues Bearings are Andale’s entry-level bearings: featuring G5 precision ball bearings inside a high carbon, chromium alloy steel race, making them resistant to cracks and deformation as well as a removable blue-colored rubber shield for easy and efficient cleaning.
The name Blues appears to be a smart marketing ploy to demonstrate these bearings as a definite competitor for the cheap, tested, reliable and world-renowned Bones Reds.
Both brands come in around the $15 price point.
My Review
These bearings roll incredibly smooth out of the box, but this detail is mostly insignificant. What matters most is the performance under load and after sustained impacts. After getting out and pushing around, only one word comes to mind: “Wow!”
Whether I have once again adapted to the resistance of old bearings or forgot what new bearings feel like, these Blues feel amazing! They didn’t take very long to break in; soon after I began skating, I found myself going just a little bit too fast as I attempted my flat ground tricks and approached obstacles. I was getting more speed, holding it longer and rolling much smoother than I ever remember. The sound of the bearings as I threw down my board was sharp and “clicky” in a healthy way. Based on this, I decided the ball bearings seemed to be harder than the ones in the Bones Reds I was customary to install in my setup.
There’s no question about the dependability and reliability of Bones Reds; however, the performance alone of the Andale Blues makes them a strong contender for the title of “Best Bearings” in my book.
¡ándale! is a Spanish phrase that roughly translates to “Hurry up!”. If you squeeze these buttery spinners in your wheel holes, there’s no doubt in my mind you will do exactly that. I recommend you give them a try next time you’re in the market for a new set of inexpensive bearings.
Only time will tell if Andale Blues will hold up to the strenuous trials brought on by skateboarders and their environment.
You can find out more on Andale Bearings from their website
http://www.andalebearings.com
SkatePunk 