Now that was fun! I just came back from a ride with new ABEC 11 70’s Flashback (70 mm, 81a) wheels and Bones Reds skateboard bearings fitted to my Phase One (1) 42″ longboard. Yee hah!
ABEC 11 wheels and Bones Reds bearings
I bought the wheels and bearings off eBay from Australia’s Favourite Skateboard Shop (who are apparently transitioning their online store to Boardshop Australia). The Bones Reds skateboard bearings were $19.50 and the ABEC 11 70’s Flashbacks were $54.99. Postage to Brisbane was $18.
From previous posts (1 & 2), you will note that my experience of the Phase 1 longboard was that it was slow (well slower than my Bling Old School skateboard anyway). The new wheels and bearings have solved that.
The interesting thing to ponder is, “Was it the original wheels or the bearings that were slow?” I guess I will never know, because I am not going to stuff around swapping and replacing bearings and wheels, then doing several runs of my test hill to see where each item stands in the relative roll-on stakes.
However, the original Phase 1 wheels used to come back from rides positively warm, indicating that they had absorbed a lot of energy. The Flashbacks were only slightly warm after the same 40 minute ride, indicating a more efficient wheel perhaps? That is really only speculation.
Anyway, the upshot is that the original Phase 1 board and wheels used to stop about 10 metres to 15 metres short of the Bling Old School on my test hill. Now the situation is reversed, with the Phase 1 rolling past the Bling by about 10 metres to 15 metres.
Phase 1 longboard with ABEC 11 wheels and Bones Reds bearings
Phase 1 longboard with ABEC 11 wheels and Bones Reds bearings
The new wheels and bearings have turned a cheap but quite acceptable longboard into what is, in my opinion, a very good longboard. I think that the Phase 1 longboard is still a bargain, even though I have spent extra money on the ABEC 11 70’s Flashback wheels and the Bones Reds skateboard bearings.
Would I buy another Phase 1 longboard? The answer is that I just did — a Phase 1 40″ dropdown longboard. I am planning to put ABEC 11 Flywheels on it with Bones Reds skateboard bearings …
Update 6 April 2008: It appears that eskatestuff are no longer selling these skateboards under the Phase 1 name. Their current boards are branded Vault.
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