As one of the newer skateboard bearing manufacturers on the market, Bronson Speed Co have quickly established a strong reputation for manufacturing high quality bearings at the top end of the mid-price range.

At first glance you may be wondering whether or not upwards of £40 for a set of bearings is quite an outlay but, when you take into account that these are the engines of your set up, it quickly becomes obvious why splashing out on high quality bearings is a saving in the long run.

Bronson Speed Co manufactures a number of different types of skateboard bearings with models offering both shielded and shieldless technology in their range. Whilst each type of bearing offers its own pros and cons it is Bronson Speed Co’s RAW Shieldless Skateboard Bearings that have created the most interest in the innovations that Bronson offer.

“Bronson Speed Co. RAW Shieldless Bearings offer technical innovation, engineering advances and the raw sound and feel of consistent bearing speed at the top end of the mid-range price bracket”

With a traditional cheaper skateboard bearing you get a sealed unit, with the bearing ring, raceway channel, bearing cage and the bearings themselves hidden away behind a metal shield, whereas the Bronson Speed Co’s Raw Shieldless Bearings dispense with the shield entirely.

This means that the internal components of each bearing are visible and, more importantly, allows you access to clean the bearing’s moving parts as and when required. A bearing with shields, whilst nominally protected, is actually more likely to end up with a build up of grit and dirt inside, which you will be unable to clean because of the shields. Additionally, bearing shields can become damaged and bend during usage and if this happens, it can impede the free movement of the internal components.

The Bronson Speed Co RAW Shieldless bearing removes this problem entirely allowing you full access to clean your bearings as they need it. Internally the Bronson Raw Shieldless bearings are on the cutting edge too, with a micro thin tungsten dry lubricant coating on the deep-cut races (the channels that the ball bearings roll along – deeper races means a more consistent bearing movement), and a fiberglass filled orange nylon cage that hold the individual ball bearings.

Bronson Speed Co Raw Shieldless Bearings also come in nitrogen-filled sealed packaging to insure non-contamination and reduce metal and oil oxidation during transportation and storage.

Another additional advantage of a shieldless bearing is the audible sensation of speed as you can hear the bearings spinning underneath you, as opposed to the muffled semi-silence of a bearing with shields.

Bronson Speed Co. RAW Shieldless Bearings offer technical innovation, engineering advances and the raw sound and feel of consistent bearing speed at the top end of the mid-range price bracket. Highly recommended.

• BRONSON SPEED CO – RAW
• RRP: £44.99
• BRONSONSPEEDCO.COM