Ceramic Bike Bearings Vs Steel

Ceramic vs steel bearing bb for durability.

Ceramic bike bearings vs steel.

Steel bearings are significantly less expensive than ceramic bearings but expense does not translate to a product of a higher quality. They have the usb ultra smooth bearings which are a hybrid ceramic steel. Cutting to the chase on ceramic bearings on a bicycle. The graph below shows a comparison between two steel bearings skf and ntn and a ceramic bearing enduro.

I have around 8k miles on one set and over twice that on the other. I albeit lighter at 160 lbs use standard bearing in both my rain and training bike and haven t had any problems. Is this the first time it s happened or is this a reoccurring problem. We ve all done it.

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. Even as the forward march of technology makes our bikes more and more advanced bicycles still rely on one of the most fundamental mechanical structures. Inevitably discussion ensues as to which bearings the wheels have and whether they are ceramic or not. If there is one thing we see a lot in comments sections about ceramic bearings it is people claiming ceramic bearings do not offer benefits.

Been to the bike shop and spun the wheels to see which feels the fastest. An eight pack of premium ceramic skateboard bearings along with 4 bearing spacers will set you back 130 as compared to 30 for steel bearings.