Ceramic Bearings Vs Steel Bearings Bicycle Wheels

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Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings bicycle wheels. Because ceramic races are more brittle than steel. How to get the best performance from ceramic bearings ceramic speed. Steel rings and ceramic balls are the gold standard for bicycle wheel bearings. So for safety reasons ceramic wheel bearings on bicycles are in fact almost always hybrid design meaning ceramic balls on steel races.

A tiny percentage reduction in friction here can equate to a worthwhile power saving but when you re only turning at 300 rpm as you do on a bicycle a small percentage increase in efficiency will make a negligible change to your power output. Cracking a race could stop a wheel from turning instantly and no good comes of wheels permanently locking up on a bicycle. Because ceramic bearings are rounder with a smoother surface and more uniform size friction is reduced and that can contribute to a less energy required to turn the cranks or spin the wheels. Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings.

Geometrically the contact points inner and outer dimensions and thickness between steel and ceramic bearings is the same so they are interchangeable. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. More durable than high quality steel bearings. A ceramic bearing is also harder than steel bearings up to 30 which improves durability and they also don t rust so less maintenance should be.

Quite a few wheel manufacturers state that the use of aftermarket bearings in their wheels voids the warranty. The folks at enduro bearings argue that for bicycles the materials are far more important than abec ratings and that for most applications abec 3 and 5 are appropriate for all things bicycle. The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. You choose your adventure we build the bearings to match.

The advantages of steel are not the only argument against ceramic bearings. They ceramic bearings do run with less friction which offers a significant advantage in industrial applications running at 20 000 rpm.