Ceramic bearings: What's the point?

Ceramic IMO: rounder balls achieve a higher ABEC so you have a higher "quality" bearing

So with that you can expect a "smoother" rolling wheel/bb/(headset?!?)

Fine machining costs dorrah so I can only assume that's the reason you have to re-mortgage

I had the option of ceramic or standard when I got my crankset- I think ceramic added another £70, which given how expensive the cranks where was pretty much a non-issue.

I went for standard bearings however, due to lots of reports of the ceramics needing to be replaced after 1-2 months use.

I had the option of ceramic or standard when I got my crankset- I think ceramic added another £70, which given how expensive the cranks where was pretty much a non-issue.

I went for standard bearings however, due to lots of reports of the ceramics needing to be replaced after 1-2 months use.

Sounds like bad design.

If you spray WD40 into your stainless bearings. They will spin more freely, untill they prematurely die. At which point you repeat with new bearings. You can replace a lot of non-and SS bearins for the cost ceramic. There is simply no economic arguement for ceramic.

Interesting reading
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/ceramic-bearings

Personally, I think for longevity it's more important to keep your bearings maintained and properly adjusted. Old Sturmey Archer hubs last donkeys years, mostly due to good labyrinth seals.

Are the people who say, I put them in and there loads better, comparing freshly rebuilt SS bearing and grease to ceramic, or 4 year old knackered comuting wheels that would spin better after a rebuild anyways?

Are the people who say, I put them in and there loads better, comparing freshly rebuilt SS bearing and grease to ceramic, or 4 year old knackered comuting wheels that would spin better after a rebuild anyways?

As has been said. Spinning cranks in the workstand, with a ceramic BB is notably smoother. This just doesnt translate to a notable difference on the road.

Old Sturmey Archer hubs last donkeys years, mostly due to good labyrinth seals.

I would say it's mostly due to the fact that they're oil lubricated, and oiling them flushes the dirt outwards rather than inwards. Unlubricated AW hubs don't last donkeys years!

So the conclusion is that we should all be running old Campagnolo Record hubs with oil ports, and dribbling oil into them before every ride.

So the conclusion is that we should all be running old Campagnolo Record hubs with oil ports, and dribbling oil into them before every ride.

This, I would love some of these hubs, grease is faaaaar to thick ;)

I would say it's mostly due to the fact that they're oil lubricated, and oiling them flushes the dirt outwards rather than inwards. Unlubricated AW hubs don't last donkeys years!

So the conclusion is that we should all be running old Campagnolo Record hubs with oil ports, and dribbling oil into them before every ride.

I was going to add that too, although it's probably a combination of both. Even ones that aren't maintained and left mostly outside seem to last a long time, I've taken apart a few of them.

Hehe, I do miss oil/grease ports generally on bikes though.

Hehe, I do miss oil/grease ports generally on bikes though.

Dmr v8 pedals have a grease port ;)

anyway got any particular recommendations for ceramic jockey wheels?

are they worth shelling out on?

i'm looking for some that are Campag 10 speed compatible..

I swapped my standard 105 ones for some ceramics and they made a difference for me. Not sure if its cos the old ones were a bit clagged up with grime tho! Definitely made the drivetrain quieter will try to find which make they were

BBB BDP-12 RollerBoys Ceramic Jockey Wheels

KCNC ceramic pulleys .. about twice the price and half the weight.

Assuming you're using the original Campagnolo pulleys, in testing by friction facts they'll save you approximately a single watt. They will be noisier though as they're aluminium and not polymer like the originals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7iZVfSDbiA

They guy slated cervelo in another video.
Obvious a very clever guy but does come across rather arrogant.

Perhaps industrial rotary bearings like these https://www.accu.co.uk/en/539-rotary-bearings could be made in a similar fashion for the bikes, i.e. precision machined. The precision machining would be smoother compared to standard bearings and last longer than ceramic.

He hates Tifosi as well.

Not sure why these would be any better than skf, INA or NTN. If you order enough bearings these manufacturers will make ti a higher spec any way.

The only ceramic bearings that seem to work are campagnolo cult.

Arrogant or knowledgeable with a much smaller market department?

I don't think he comes across as arrogant really.

Very knowledgable and confident of that knowledge.

Maybe doesn't quite get it right when he is trying to talk to lay-people about things he knows a lot about (which I think is different to arrogance). Like in that bearing video he mentioned c3 clearance but didn't explain bearing clearances and the impact they might have, just sort of chucks the term into his monologue as if everyone will know what he's on about.

Just thought he could have chosen his words a bit better in order to get his point across.
But I'm thankful for him to be digging out the flaws.

Being a mechanical engineer myself, I think he explains it very well, at least a whole lot better than most engineers can to "normal folk".