Ceramic Bearings

[Ivanb]

I need opinions on these.We are looking at adding these bearings from CeramicSpeed to our range but I want to know your feelings.

 

They are 'pricey' but fact shows better rolling resistance, better effeciency more speed, longer life.

 

They make bearings for the pulley 'jockey' wheels', BB's, wheels and pedals.

 

Any opinions?

[TNT1]

Have a look here: https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=10082&KW=ceramic+bearings

[Gumpole]

send me a set to test and I'll give you an impartial assessment

[FanieFiets]

hoeveel kos die balle van ceramic?

[Christie]

I'm sceptical about cycling gadgets. Most of it has to do with bike companies trying to sell more stuff.

The ceramic bearings may be rounder, lighter more expensive etc. The question is: Would Jan have beaten Lance if he had ceramic bearings? NO!

Will it improve my race results by 10 seconds? NO!

 

But like somebody with a black bib who wets himself, no one will notice, but it will give the owner a warm feeling, so I guess you will sell some of them, Ivanb.

[slowjoe]

If you think they will make you faster, they probably will

[Ivanb]

Apparantley it help Tyler hamilton in theOlympics. It gave him 0.8 sec per km. But the again so do Q rings and Rotors so maybe all together you will be as fast as light

[AndreZA]

Apparantley it help Tyler hamilton in theOlympics. It gave him 0.8 sec per km. But the again so do Q rings and Rotors so maybe all together you will be as fast as light

 

Wasn't it the drugs that made him faster?

 

 

[Thug]

I suppose it's like headsets. I bought a Chris King which was 60% more

than a Cane Creek one, but I get a 10 year warranty with it.

 

So I don't think it's a question of making you faster, (because in my opinion they wouldn't) but it's more of a question of longevity.

 

Is the higher price justified based on the additional lifespan (perceived or otherwise).

 

 

The Thug2007-03-06 06:09:29

[Ivanb]

That is true but I have some studies done on effeciency friction etc if you want i can email them. Remember the less the friction the further you go!

 

A sudy was done with a 12 gr weight on a wheel it was allowed to spin buy dropping the weight and allowing it to spin. he highest regular wheel spun 52 times the highest ceramic bearing wheel 300 times. 

 

we also look at jockey wheels where the most tension and resistance is. This also makes a huge difference as well as the BB bearing change.

 

The key is not always weight but pedalling effeciency. IE new effecient ways of pedalling smoother, less friction, less energy consumed, better performance.

[Windbreaker]

 

 

That is true but I have some studies done on effeciency friction etc if you want i can email them. Remember the less the friction the further you go!

 

A sudy was done with a 12 gr weight on a wheel it was allowed to spin buy dropping the weight and allowing it to spin. he highest regular wheel spun 52 times the highest ceramic bearing wheel 300 times. 

 

we also look at jockey wheels where the most tension and resistance is. This also makes a huge difference as well as the BB bearing change.

 

The key is not always weight but pedalling effeciency. IE new effecient ways of pedalling smoother' date=' less friction, less energy consumed, better performance.

[/quote']

But the real question is whether the difference between spinning 50 times and 300 times is going to make as much difference any one of many other things that one can do to improve performance. The point is that the bearings used on bicycles are stock standard bearings used in applications with a much higher specification.

 

For instance I would guess that having tyres pumped to the correct pressure for the rider + bike weight and road surface would have much much more effect than these super duper bearings.

 

Working on your position on the bike will improve aerodynamics and that will definitely have vastly more benefit than the bearings.

 

And both cost nothing.

 

It's all relative!

Windbreaker2007-03-06 12:25:15

[bikemonster]

"new efficient ways of pedalling".

 

Lovely!

[BaieSukkel]

Let's say you've pumped your tires and made sure of your aero position, then whats left is to get your bearings right!

 

Every second counts!

[bikemonster]

Copy-and-paste...not my own work:

 

UNCLE AL:  Ceramic Bearings<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

When a roadie asked about the merits of ceramic ball bearings, I said to myself, "Self, how hard can the answer be?"

 

After nearly three weeks of research, I may as well have been trying to get the lowdown on the latest super-secret weapon the military is working on.

 

There is not much hard information, just claims made by manufacturers. They say ceramic bearings (silicon nitride or Si3N4) are superior to typical steel bearings for a number of reasons, such as:

 

---They're harder.  But to be honest, I've never really wondered if steel balls are hard enough.

 

---They're 60% lighter.  A 1/4-inch (6.35-mm) steel bearing weighs about 1 gram. A Dura-Ace rear hub uses 18 bearings that size. 18g x 60% = 10.8g, a savings of 7.2g. Not bad.

 

---They withstand higher temperatures.  Ceramic bearings can handle heat up to 2,552F degrees (1,302C). That's important if your sprint is so hot it can melt steel.

 

---They're rounder.  Grade 3-5 ceramic balls mean accurate roundness to 0.00003-0.00005 inches. The standard Grade 25 chrome steel bearings used by Shimano and Campagnolo in their best equipment are accurate only to 0.00025 inch. Check this with your tape measure and you'll see.

 

---They withstand high loads as well as high speeds.  One manufacturer actually compared this feature to the ceramic tiles of the Space Shuttle upon reentry. I think it means you may need a fireproof suit for that next big descent.

 

---They reduce friction by at least 40%.  That's a pretty impressive figure, but I could not find proof of it anywhere.

 

---They last 3-5 times longer.  If you overhaul your hubs every year, this means you need to replace the bearings 3-5 times less often. Sounds good to me.

 

Interested? Oh, I forgot one other thing -- ceramic bearings cost 48 times more than Grade 25 chromium steel balls.

[Oiltrash]

I would give them a try but that all depends on how much more expensive....double the price of conventional bearings????

[Mudsimus]

all depends on how much more expensive....double the price of conventional bearings????