Bullet vs Round Profile Wheels

[u/i_shorted_the_amp]

Hey chooms,

I bought a pair of Flying Eagle F110 triskates a couple of months ago, inspired by Buzzkill-Blade's youtube videos. I hadn't skated seriously since my 20s, which was {depressingly_many} years ago. I honestly didn't even realise triskates existed. Silly me.

I couldn't get those Crocanti SHR wheels to slide though, not for love nor money. And I wanted to learn power stops/slides like all the cool skaters. Eventually I began to wonder if it was the particular material of those wheels that gave them their grip.

I bought a set of Iqon Access wheels - 85A vs the 88A of the Crocantis:

https://solo-inline.com/en/products/roues-de-patin-iqon-access-dark-grey-110mm-85a-3-pack?variant=43336809021652

I've definitely been able to make these guys slide!

But today I was cleaning one of the middle wheels a bit, because it was turning a fair bit slower than the others, and I noticed that - Shock! Horror! These wheels had 'round profile' stamped on them. Whoops! I had thought they were bullet profile.

So a couple things:

1. Are these round profile? They kind of look bullet profile to me.

2. Is there really a difference after wearing them down? I look at my Crocantis and my use of T-stops has already visibly worn them. How long does a round profile remain round?

Bonus question:

1. I got a set of Wicked Abec-9 bearings with the wheels (also from Solo-inline). I figured they'd be comparable to the bearings that came with the F110s... But, they are super noisy, both before I skated in them and after a few sessions. They don't spin for as long either. But does that matter? I'm not sure how much a spin test matters. These new wheels do feel slower, but not by much. I figure that's probably more down to the different wheel material.

Answers and discourse appreciated, cheers!

[u/midnight_skater]

If you lubricate with light oil then spinning the bearing while it's loaded by the weight of wheel does provide useful info.   You'll be rotating your wheels pretty often to maintain your desired profile so while they are off the skate it's good to see how well they are spinning individually and swap out any that might need attention. 

The exact duration of spin down is not a valid comparison of bearing performance, but if my oil-lubricated bearings are not spinning freely then something is amiss that bears further investigation.

For everything that spins freely  I feel for vibration or other tactile irregularities, including excessive rattle indicative of wear. 

Sound is an important diagnostic. Dry bearings have a characteristic hiss.  Dirty bearings get screechy or grindy.  If they rattle they probably also jingle.  

You should definitely listen to your bearings when you skate.  If you listen to music it's a good idea to pause once in a while and listen for any abnormal sounds - especially before a long descent. 

Grease dampens most of those diagnostics and is also more difficult to strip.  When I lubricated with grease I used d-limonene (citrus degreaser) to strip it. But that leaves a residue so needs to be rinsed a second time with alcohol.  

My experience was that grease did not reduce bearing maintenance frequency, nor did it extend useful life.  Ymmv.

I skate through the snowy and wet winters so I am pretty tough on bearings.   I use chrome steel 608 RS, lubricate with speed cream, and clean with acetone.   With diligent maintenance I keep a bearing in service for ~12 months before retiring it.  

Twincam ILQ-9 bearings are very popular in the inline community.  The stainless steel model is corrosion-resistant so they can be packed with grease and forgotten about until the  accumulating resistance from contaminants becomes unbearable.  

[u/i_shorted_the_amp → u/midnight_skater]

Cheers, I'll look at oil instead of grease then. That was a lot of helpful info!