Ceramic Bearings Vs Steel Bearings Road Cycling Wheels

Ceramic bearings are used in industrial machines because they spin at 25 000rpm and there are significant advantages but a bike wheel only spins at say 300rpm so the differences compared to.

Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings road cycling wheels.

What technologies will get them the largest gains for their money. 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. You choose your adventure we build the bearings to match. Quite a few wheel manufacturers state that the use of aftermarket bearings in their wheels voids the warranty.

The ceramic balls are often silicon nitride or equivalent. The hubs can be optioned with ceramic kogel bearings on request. Geometrically the contact points inner and outer dimensions and thickness between steel and ceramic bearings is the same so they are interchangeable. The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings.

As more and more of the cycling masses look to advanced technology formerly seen in use only by the pros the question arises of where the hard earned money of the average cyclist should be spent. Built specifically for road or off road use. 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. So for safety reasons ceramic wheel bearings on bicycles are in fact almost always hybrid design meaning ceramic balls on steel races.

Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings. Because ceramic races are more brittle than steel. Gone are the days when ceramic bearings were a technology limited to the pro peloton. Steel rings and ceramic balls are the gold standard for bicycle wheel bearings.

This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. The wheels come ready to ride as a tubeless application out of the box with pre installed rim tape and valves and freehub spacers. Steel bearings are commodity items that are composed of hardened steel balls and a steel inner and outer race. More durable than high quality steel bearings.