Do Ceramic Bearings Make A Difference

Fitting ceramic bearings will make the bike feel like it is rolling smoother.

Do ceramic bearings make a difference.

Riders using ceramic bearings can also expect a smoother riding experience. Replacing them with low quality ceramic bearings doesn t make sense as they will very soon be worse than the original ones. While regular bearings are made from stainless steel ceramic bearings are made from ceramic silicon nitride si2n4. It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands.

On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn. The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. The only real big noticeable difference between the two is the bearing clearance. Despite the small difference in design hybrid bearings requirements differ quite extensively from full ceramic bearings.

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. If a cyclist has ridden a bike fitted with ceramic bearings and then returns to steel bearings it is likely that slightly more vibration will become noticeable. Rolling resistance is the key trump card promoted by ceramic bearing fans. For example while full ceramic bearings do not require lubrication hybrid bearings do.

This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings.