Richard Taylor Jam 2016

Back to Barry again this year for the Richard Taylor Trophy. As always it was a great day with loads of people turning up to skate, chill, meet up, relax and generally enjoy the day. With some competitions and generous prizes thrown in there was something for everyone.

Thanks as always to Gaynor, Rob and all of the locals who put on the event and the sponsors that supported it.

Of course, if you want some video…
Continue reading Richard Taylor Jam 2016

A little tip about bearings

Next time you hear some incredible claims about how some proprietary bearings are so good, particularly backed by claims about how long they spin for, remember:

– 608 bearings were designed for low radial load, zero axial load, high speed operations. In skates they are expected to do the opposite, so tolerances measured on the ABEC rating are pretty meaningless

– most of the bearings you will see for sale come from one of a very small number of Chinese factories. They will mostly be identical products to their competitors with different branding and packaging. 

– there are many factors which affect your speed far more than the bearings you use. For example, the wheels you use (size, profile, hardness, rebound) the frames they are in, the types of spacers used and obviously your own fitness. Bearings don’t even figure as long as they aren’t wrecked

– which brings us to maintenance. Simply cleaning and lubricating your bearings occasionally will extend their life immeasurably. Longer than the wheels, frames or even your skates. Don’t neglect them to the point they no longer turn then fork out for the latest ABEC 11’s.

– and finally, don’t believe people who demonstrate how great their bearings are using the “spin test”. For reference see below

In short, don’t fall for the hype. Don’t get screwed.

Looking back a decade – Rampworx

Do you remember what you were doing ten years ago? Fortunately I’ve been carrying a camera most places since long before the #selfie became a thing so I can roll back the years quite easily. In this case, on the 8th of May 2004 I was skating Rampworx with a few friends and a camera. If you never saw the park back then, or if you did and feel like getting nostalgic check out the main room image below. The first panoramic stitch I ever did…

Rampworx 2004 Panorama

Also, keep an eye out as I’m uploading all of my old photos to the gallery so these should start appearing over the next few weeks. For now, see what other shots I got on that day: