Ceramic bearings: All they're cracked up to be

[HMS_Dave]

I deleted my original response as i was talking a bunch of nonsense after doing some reading... So after doing some digging while thinking about this i will link the following pros and cons listed by a bearing manufacturer.

https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Pros--Cons-Of-Ceramic-Bearings-105-a

Also read in another article that sudden shocks to the bearings can cause issues such as cracking or damage to the steel races from the ceramic itself leading to fast premature wear...

I still think they're best left to the pro's who want to 'take it to the limits'...

 

[betty swollocks]

This is what Hambini says.....

 

[I like Skol]

Another POV/consideration. Are ceramic bearings the ultimate in corrosion resistance and therefore giving maximum lifetime? Normal steel bearings are often killed by water ingress causing bearing ball and race corrosion. Perhaps ceramic avoids/reduces this problem?

EDIT: not interested in power savings, but very interested in reduced servicing/longer lifetime.

So it seems not, ceramic bearings have steel races anyway. OK, I'm out.....

 

[Ian H]

The problem (IMO) with many modern BB bearings is quite simple...quality and environment.
I've had BB bearings that aren't caged, the cheapest, nastiest way design possible. The balls can clash, increasing the possibility of damage.
They are not of reputable manufacture (ie from any of the major bearing manufacturers) and so the material and design quality is poor in comparison. Even the seals wont be as good in design...therefore they allow ingress of foreign objects, fluid, quicker
It's down to cost. Probably made in China, possibly cost a fraction of what one from a major manufacturer would.

Question is, if they used real quality bearings, would average Joe public want to pay triple the price ?

Bearing cages are for ease of assembly and do not improve performance. You'll notice that traditional cup & cone bearings do not usually have them.

 

[Tenkaykev]

This is what Hambini says.....

Thanks for the link, I found it a fascinating read👍

 

[gbb]

Bearing cages are for ease of assembly and do not improve performance. You'll notice that traditional cup & cone bearings do not usually have them.

In 'cartridge' bearings (I hate that term, no-one in industry using bearings uses that term) you wont find a good manufacturer that doesnt have them in it's best standard bearings...or even mid range ones.
Ironically, cageless are (or would be if they were made to higher standards ) capable of managing higher loads at lower speeds (more balls, more contact surface) but invariably are not made to the best specs, that's why I always replace mine with quality caged bearings, which will always last longer anyway due to better manufacturing quality and standards.
But of course, theres a cost. Buy aftermarket cageless bearings on Ebay etc, or buy SKF etc, the SKF will be double the price at least...but are far far superior in quality, life expectancy etc etc. Cup and cone are a different kind of thing altogether tbf.

 

[rogerzilla]

The cages in sealed bearings are there because ball-ball contact is an issue at high speeds. It's not an issue in bike bearings. They are used in BBs and headsets for ease of assembly. You can't usually get more balls in a BB by losing the cage but you often can in a headset. I usually toss them after first use because they're awful to clean out and they sometimes fail in a bad way, filling the bearing with scraps of metal.

You need them in Sturmey-Archer axle bearings or Ashtabula BBs, as assembly is nigh-on impossible otherwise.

 

[faster]

In 'cartridge' bearings (I hate that term, no-one in industry using bearings uses that term) you wont find a good manufacturer that doesnt have them in it's best standard bearings...or even mid range ones.
Ironically, cageless are (or would be if they were made to higher standards ) capable of managing higher loads at lower speeds (more balls, more contact surface) but invariably are not made to the best specs, that's why I always replace mine with quality caged bearings, which will always last longer anyway due to better manufacturing quality and standards.
But of course, theres a cost. Buy aftermarket cageless bearings on Ebay etc, or buy SKF etc, the SKF will be double the price at least...but are far far superior in quality, life expectancy etc etc. Cup and cone are a different kind of thing altogether tbf.

Surely it wouldn't even be possible to manufacture a cartridge bearing without a cage - not the deep groove bearings normally seen on bikes anyway. I've never seen such a thing.

I'd love to know how they would assemble them.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I tried them and it increased my average speed by 10 mph. They really are the nuts

 

[Ajax Bay]

the benefits of ceramic bearings..

Repeating:
https://www.hambini.com/ceramic-bearings-vs-steel-bearings-an-engineering-analysis/
And the video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7iZVfSDbiA

and an appraisal by an Aussie who sells stuff who has "some years experience in . . . cycling application. I have upgraded bearings in new hubs" - so unspecified experience but without an engineering background (kudos for anyone who reads his critique all the way to the bitter end).
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/...ybrid-Ceramic-Vs-Steel-Bearings-Article-2.pdf

 

[Kryton521]

^ Found the video very informative and well made. Enjoyed his presentation too. Still not spending money I don't have on ceramic though!

 

[DCLane]

For anyone one Zwift this month's 'challenge' gets you a Ceramic Speed rear derailleur set; it's 0.331% faster and is supposed to replicate real life.

So, do you want to go 0.331% faster? Or is the £350 better spent elsewhere?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

For anyone one Zwift this month's 'challenge' gets you a Ceramic Speed rear derailleur set; it's 0.331% faster and is supposed to replicate real life.

So, do you want to go 0.331% faster? Or is the £350 better spent elsewhere?

It’ll take my speeds closer to the sound barrier then, hmm?

 

[fossyant]

Spend that little bit extra on better quality bearings.

 

[I like Skol]

Spend that little bit extra on better quality bearings.

Save your money by keeping the old bearings instead. They loosen up a treat once they have started to rack up the miles and the frictional losses drop off massively. Much bigger gains to be had by running good condition, worn in, old bearings than tight and draggy new bearings/seals.