Do Ceramic Bearings Make A Difference

If only high quality ceramic bearings are used marginal gains will.

Do ceramic bearings make a difference.

On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn. The bearing clearance is a measurement given to the small gap between the inner race outer race and balls. It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands. Rolling resistance is the key trump card promoted by ceramic bearing fans.

While regular bearings are made from stainless steel ceramic bearings are made from ceramic silicon nitride si2n4. However while the ceramic balls will still abrade the steel rings hybrids will cope with marginal lubrication better than steel. Despite the small difference in design hybrid bearings requirements differ quite extensively from full ceramic bearings. Fitting ceramic bearings will make the bike feel like it is rolling smoother.

The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. Replacing them with low quality ceramic bearings doesn t make sense as they will very soon be worse than the original ones. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. Cost of purchase for ceramic and steel bearings.

Riders using ceramic bearings can also expect a smoother riding experience. 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.