Ceramic Vs Steel Bearings Bicycle

Cutting to the chase on ceramic bearings on a bicycle.

Ceramic vs steel bearings bicycle. On a bicycle which is considered a low speed application compared to a formula 1 car or motorcycle engine for example the ball bearing material itself steel or ceramic has little to no effect on the friction of the bearing assembly. Fitting ceramic bearings on your bike may be a bit like fitting a formula one gearbox in your ford fiesta and expecting it to perform as well after 100 000 miles. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. How to get the best performance from ceramic bearings ceramic speed.

Most sealed ceramic bearings are actually hybrid ceramic bearings which combine a steel race with ceramic ball bearings. The material can be polished smoother than any metal reducing friction and wear. They ceramic bearings do run with less friction which offers a significant advantage in industrial applications running at 20 000 rpm. Steel bearings the silicon nitride used in kogel ceramic bearing balls has a set of material properties making them perfect for bicycle wheel 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 required. Steel bearings are commodity items that are composed of hardened steel balls and a steel inner and outer race. The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. Geometrically the contact points inner and outer dimensions and thickness between steel and ceramic bearings is the same so they are interchangeable.

Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings.