Road Bike Ceramic Bearings Or Not

Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings.

Road bike ceramic bearings or not. The hubs can be optioned with ceramic kogel bearings on request. Leading industry wheel dynamics expert and ceo of edco wheels paul lew backs this up and reckons it makes ceramic bearings a poor choice for hubs and headsets also adding that they offer no weight savings and are only beneficial in environments where high rpm revolutions per minute are required. This is different from a full ceramic bearing which would have both the balls and the races made of ceramics. The silicon nitride used in kogel ceramic bearing balls has a set of material properties making them perfect for bicycle wheel bearings.

The material can be polished smoother than any metal reducing friction and wear. We have perfected the bearing selection manufacturing processes assembly and fit. However ceramic bearings do not perform well when lubricated with grease lubricant. For bottom bracket applications the maximum sustained rpm may be 130 explains lew.

Everything you need to know needle bearings they re just like they sound instead of ball bearings they re in the shape of a needle or cylinder. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. Petroleum or ptfe teflon based bicycle greases can cause damage to carbon fiber bicycles so make sure you have a carbon safe grease on hand. Kogel is the gold standard for podium grade ceramic bicycle bearings offering high quality ceramic bottom brackets for your road mountain or gravel bike.

The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. Additionally silicon nitride does not deform under load keeping contact points with the bearing races to a minimum. Bicycles that have ceramic bearings need ceramic grease or ceramic safe grease to maximize performance as well as protect the bearings from unnecessary wear. Grease lubricant is the most commonly used type of lubricant in the cycling industry because it provides consistent lubrication over a long period of time with little to no maintenance.

We ve all done it. Hybrid means that the balls are made of a ceramic material but the races or rings are made of a hardened steel. Two types of ceramic materials there are two materials that are common. Performance ceramic bearings have an enemy.

Do i have a carbon fiber bike. Inevitably discussion ensues as to which bearings the wheels have and whether they are ceramic or not. Been to the bike shop and spun the wheels to see which feels the fastest.