Is there any better sealing arrangements? Do the seals/shields change the bearing quality?
The seals have nothing to do with the quality of the bearing, only how well the bearing keeps out the dirt and moisture. You could try using a non-contact rubber seal. These will keep out the dirt very well and won’t lose you any speed. You may notice a slight drag if you rotate these bearings by hand, but once they are assembled and your weight is on the skates you won’t lose any speed. Non-contact sealed bearings are not overly expensive, so it won’t cost you a fortune to trial them.
