I have done my Masters in Mechanical Engineering and your video taught me more about bearings than I learnt from my Engineering.. Hats off for the details...
Outstanding explanations of how it all works. Nice to see and hear it in clear terminology, based on clear thinking. I'm a retired mechanical engineer, and I fully agree with everything you said. Good job.
You're right on the bearing lubrication. When I was a kid, we used to soak skateboard wheels bearings in solvent to get rid of all grease. Those bearings spun very nicely, but their lifetime was very short as a result.
MasterBata same, I'd put a mix of 3 in 1 mixed with graphite powder. My dad made the mix up and remove the seals. A but messy but I'd oil the bearings every second outing. More noise but they'd last ok. Definitely faster from.memory. harvests in the late 70s mind you.
I was looking into ceramic bearings for my MTB a couple of days ago. I was on a totally different route, but I ended up with the same conclusion. No ceramic barings for my wheels. It was tempting though. I talked to a bearing dealer in Germany. His advice was to choose the highest possible quality of steel bearings. They last longer, need no maintanance, cost way less and take harder impacts. Thank you for your very good vid.
Yup, ceramic is only good in applications with no vibrations and higher rpm,s. The shock loading on most bikes, especially off road bike would destroy ceramic bearings. Hit a ceramic bearing with a hammer, then a ss bearing . The steel bearing absorbs vibration exponentially better than ceramic.
Friction Facts have released reports about BB bearing materials. The major performance difference between steel and ceramic bearing BB is that the latter commonly packaged with less viscous lub and looser seal. This gives a high performance impression of ceramic bearing. The test reports confirmed that high end steel and ceramic bearings have virtually no difference on rolling under load.
Wow - what a video - thanks 1. I found this video while searching about updates to the next Mars mission(!) 2. It explains why all of my bikes as a youngster eventually wore out :)
There's a glaring misstatement in this video, namely that "ceramic bearings last longer." This myth is precisely the sort of marketing hype that now pervades the cycling industry (along with other goodies like the "power transfer" of a bike frame). The reality is that ceramic bearings-let's be specific, we're talking about Si3N4 (silicon nitride) rolling elements on hardened steel races, aka ceramic hybrid bearings-have drastically less load bearing capacity than conventional all-steel bearings. The advantages of these hybrid bearings are higher speed (at a level irrelevant for cycling), more stiffness (at a level irrelevant for cycling), and less rolling friction. In a high-load, super-low-speed application like a bottom bracket bearing, they will last LESS long than an all steel bearing. Another pervasive myth in the cycling that just won't die is that components like the rear derailleur pulleys rob you of significant power, on the order of 4-10 watts that can be saved with a $$$$ ceramic pulley system. NO, not even close! Not even 0.2 watts vs a Dura-ace jockey wheel set. Consider that fact that a bottom bracket with what most would call unacceptable tightness being spun (on a bike stand) by your finger on a crank only amount to, at most, 0.4 watts. Somehow, company after company is able to cash in massively on the technical illiteracy of cyclists dying to hand over wads of cash for the latest technical fad. Power (hp) = applied_force (lbs) x lever_arm (inches) * RPM / 63025. To convert to watts, multiply hp by 745.7. You can use this simple equation to convince yourself just how silly it is to worry about how freely a crank arm spins (or any component) producing finger pressure levels of drag. And here's another related myth, that the friction from bicycle wheel bearings amounts to something significant. Using the same equation, let's consider a 175 pound rider, with a wheel hub bearing race radius of 0.375 inches, traveling at 25 mph with 700c x 25mm tires. A properly loaded conventional steel ball bearing with seals and grease has a rolling coefficient of friction of, to be generous, 0.003. So how many watts are your steel wheel hub bearings robbing you of-maybe 5, 10, maybe even higher? The answer is 0.74 watts max (total, both wheels). And how much could you save by paying mega $$$$ for shiny new ceramic-hybrid wheel bearings? Drum roll...a stunning 0.30 watts max (total, both wheels). Just step back and look at the big picture of how far this marketing silliness has gone. The highest-end road bikes now sell for upwards of $15,000, all to handle a 1/3 hp external 'motor' to be supplied by the customer (i.e., your legs). Now put one of those next to a high-end Ducati Panigale V4 motorcycle, including a 200 hp engine with combustion temperatures in thousands of degrees at a thousand psi and timing to almost 500 firings per second, 200 mph top speed, 300+ lbs of advanced aerospace-grade materials (incl gobs of carbon fiber, titanium alloys, etc), and a comparatively insane number of (actually) advanced technical components...all for $21,000. If the Ducati were priced like our bicycles, it would cost closer to $21 million. Bottom line, these bicycle manufacturers should be laughing their asses off at our technical ignorance and eagerness to part with cash. China, please save us from this overpriced lunacy.
Dear B. Smith, I would like echo all that you have said and thank you for taking the time to write. The ridiculous talk about Watt savings (from bearing choice) by the many can not be stressed enough. Thank you Mr. Oz cycle for producing at great synopsis on bearings for cyclists. It is a very big subject of course. Let us hope the video will reach a very wide market. I think you stressed the facts and downsides of ceramic and hybrid bearings. Good job. More can be said of course: how bearing fit (too much compression from the bore) is so important - explaining the failures of Press-Fit BBs etc, and maybe talking about the old days when a bike would have numerous oil ports/grease ports (yes, there are some components flying the flag). Then we have to praise Shimano and others for still producing great cup and cone bearing components but then 'sadly' throwing down the drain by forgetting to set the cones to the right tolerance in the factory. There are far too many pseudo-engineers/designers in the bike industry who think their tertiary education means they are qualified. Also they are probably having to compromise heavily and have to throw stuff out the door prematurely often - the disclaimers and lawyers will take care of you so you can sleep at night. If you are young and want succeed in competitive cycling you better learn and practice to be the one of the best mechanics before you can afford to have one and pay for his or her life long experience.
I have during my few hours, seen allot of crazy talk about bearings. And i have to say, i love your comment... I am not a cyclist, i'm more into cars...But... those run on Bearings to, and honestly get Waaaaay more load on them then a petty bicycle... i have not looked into your calculations, and i will not :P but, they sounds pretty much on point... And.... if you, as a casual bike user, wants to keep your steel bearings performing... the key ingredient... is lube... metal on metal is not good... it needs lube... if ever your bearing sounds dry, then it might already be worn out... depending on the amount of sideways slack... the point is, if you are using a bearing for a long time, the grease the manufacturer put in there is only gonna last for so long... and you will either have to add more, or you will have to buy a new bearing... refilling is a fair bit cheaper. A bearing, if sufficiently lubed, will last a very long time. ofc, the metal in the bearing needs to have a good hardness ect. but, in generall it will only really start to wear when the grease runs out... This example, should make most people get at what i'm saying... you would not run your car engine without oil.... And it's the same with bearings... lube em, and they will live for ages, run them dry, and they will grind, and die... Cheers :D
I think you are missing something. TIME. 0.30 watts over TIME. 1 minute vs 5 hours in the saddle. Do that equation. Since you are driving the bike with human power over time, SURELY you work less.
@@Geeios1 For those of us with electrical knowhow, the equation is fairly simple. The 0.30 watts are meant to be real time... Thus over an hour, witch battery/house standards are set as, you would save 0.3 watt hours. over 5 hours 0.3Wh x5, you would save 1,5 watt hours... the cyclists are talking about a fit person being able to generate 200-300 watts on a cycle. But lets be conservative, and say we "normal people" would only generate a 100watts... Over one hour 100w=100 watt hours... 100wh x5 hours=500wh. Thus if you were to generate that over 5 hours, you would save... 1,5 watt hours out of 500 watt hours... not to much gain is it? :P
Awesome presentation. I learn so much from watching them. With the oversize jockey wheels I have been looking at the Ridea range. Apart from Ceramic Speed, Ridea has so far been the only company to provide individual stats for the products they offer, rather than the generic spiel.
Hello Mr. Oz. Again, another great video. I will need to watch it several times in order to understand it very well (technical terms and language). I loved it and thanks again for your videos and your friendliness. Regards from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Francisco Alonso Colom
Another EXCELLENT video on bearings. I have had great experiences with HSC bearings. Resonable pricing but really good performance. Best rolling hubs I've ever had were campy wheels with ceramic balls added and some nice grease. Never noticed any difference when I put ceramic bearings in my old BB30 bottom bracket - supported by this video.
Thanks for the info, really glad I watched. Always thought the whole ceramic thing was a bit of a scam. But in regards to the jockey wheels, I loved seeing you hold up the Rockbros. I truely cannot believe people are gullible /vain enough to spend $1500 or more to buy you know who Speed.
23:10 That's a really good illustration: it shows at the same time the influence of bike geometry and rider position, and how the two interact in different types of frames: hybrid to road/hoods to road/drops to TT bike. Nice!
I like your reviews - always informative. I query your comments about lubricating sealed bearings. In my experience, sealed bearings are just that - sealed, and they can't be re lubricated. Shimano bottom brackets are specifically marked - 'Do not disassemble'
I see your view Richard. However, "sealed" bearings are not entirely sealed if water and debris can get into them,which is all too common with bicycles. Hence the need to either replace or clean and relube them.
Ceramic bearings are used on spools for bait casting reels that can reach rpms up to 30,000 rpms. I’ve converted some of my reels already. My mtb has ceramics in the shifter cogs. Liberty makes some pretty good synthetic oils. I’m waiting for a set right now. And English website “ Pimp my reel” upgrades the bearings on request. The anglers can throw weights almost 300 yards. You can order from China 🇨🇳 for cheap.
I can see that on high rpm applications, but bike wheels turn between 200 and 300 rpm . I doubt very much that even a pro rider in a blind test would tell the difference in almost any bearings in the wheels that are properly set up and tuned.
This is a doctorate crash course from bearings, maintenance, bike fitting, rider and bike aerodynamics, health and nutrition, cycling tactics and strategies. Learned alot from you brother thank you so much!
This is why I switched to MG chemicals White Thin Lithium grease. It’s great on firearms sliding metal parts but it’s even better on bike hubs with loose bearings. Since I can’t stand sealed bearings I started using this lithium grease for packing my road bike hubs and also the Older caged bearing bike bottom bracket. It’s a cheaper bike but it is just super quiet, unlike the more expensive bikes sounding very noisy drive trains.
Dude you are an engineer, i think your job is related to engineering. However i appreciated all this information. You mentioned maintenance of bearing is every 70.000km, that is 70 years for me. I will definitely wack the Ceramic bearings everywhere into my bike and forget about them, till i buy a new bike or till i die. 👌😂
Something I didn’t hear him mention is spinning a part and watching how long it coasts really tells you nothing. The resistance of the bearing must be measured with the intended load applied before there is any meaningful data.
Great summary. Especially the $/watt comparisons. I'll not be using ceramic ones for many reasons. I have read also that durability is an issue in pat because of their interaction with the race.
Great info, especially when comparing other ways of reducing watts. One thing you didn't mention at 22:50 (your body) is removing the spare tire. Seriously, the number of lycra clad weight weenies I see that are carrying 10-20kg of extra weight is ridiculous. Perhaps once you're only 5kg overweight people can start worrying about getting more and more efficiency in other ways. Now, a lot who read this will be trim taught and terrific, but a lot will also be trying to spend money more than work off weight. If you're overweight - don't worry about anything until you're weight is under control. THEN spend the big bucks on a highly efficient bike.
My first experience with ceramic bearing was 9 years into my cycling career. I can tell you I noticed an immediate difference. Especially in a pace line. When the front rider stopped pedaling, I would normally stop pedaling to prevent running into the front rider. Now that does not work. I have to pull out into the wind to prevent running into the front rider. And no, it's not placebo. No one mentions TIME in their equation. Saving small amounts of wattage over a long period of TIME adds up. When seconds count in a time trial it matters. On 100 mile bike rides it matters. I've ridden the same mavic wheel set with ceramic bearings, installed by me, in all kinds of conditions for at least 5 years and have had zero problems.
@@BEEBEE159 F1 Ceramic American Made Grade 3 www.f1ceramic.com/ I haven't tried the coated version, they were not available when I bought mine. I put in a mavic elite wheel set.
I bought cheap jockey wheels with ceramic bearings (because i need replacement anyway, so nothing to loose) And "chinese" cheap ceramic wheels was in same price like standard metal "branded" I replacd bottom plastic wheel with steel balls 11T for alloy/ceramic balls 12T, and upper wheel plastic/steel - 11T for alloy/steel 11T as well Just apply a bit of wax based lube just enough for cover balls... Result is beyond my expectations - chain run more freely and quiter. Shifting is better as well... Just one thing - i ordered 3 "chinese" wheels (keep it for spares) and every one is slightly diferent in feel (tolerance). So bear it in mind... But running smooth so far (500miles done at MTB bike in dirty/muddy/dusty enviroment). Just cleaned and regrease it after this distance (still first one is on)
Bearings are made of clusters of atoms. Lubricants are made of atoms too - specifically stuck together as molecules. So good lubricants will be near spherical, stable and chemically inert clusters of molecules which have low Van der Waals (electrostatic) forces. You are just packing lots of nano scale ball bearings around the macro scale ball bearings.
Yes other industries use Ceramic bearings... not hybrid Ceramic bearings like the cycling industry! The best and I mean the best bearings you can use in your bike is high quality steel. Hybrid Ceramic is for people who fall for marketing. Hybrid Ceramic give no real world performance benefit and cost more and don't last as Long. Ceramic bearings are not more round than steel, it depends on the quality of the bearing. Chinese Ceramic bearings are as round as bananas, even an average steel bearing is better. Also steel cages are better than the polymer ones as they cause less friction. Also don't bother with Ceramic bearings if you have a carbon bike BB shell, because the shell tolerance is not good enough for the bearings. I run a bike shop and I see the average Ceramic bearings lasting about 3 to 4 months before they destroy themselves. I wish customers would stop buying them and wasting their money. They are just an expensive way to not go faster.
oz cycle I don't think it's controversial? It's fact, they have the data. The poly cages are normally populated by hand and steel are made by Machine so have better tolerances. Check out the video on how bearings are made at NTN or this video for more information 🙂👍🏻 ua-cam.com/video/o7iZVfSDbiA/v-deo.html PS. Only some manufacturers (the ones I don't use) Favourite poly cages. I have DT Swiss wheels and praxis BB and all come with steel cages. I think the maybe Chinese Brand’s favour the poly?
Reginald Scot ... I've been using CeramicSpeed and Formula 1 ceramic bearings. BB, the harder I press down on the pedal, the easier it spins, been able to go up hills in the big ring, which I couldn't do before. Downhill, the faster I go, the least resistance they have. Big downhills where I'm going between 45 and 55mph, no one can stay with me, coasting, people pedalling have tried to keep up and can't on rides. Ceramic bearings have been my saviour in keeping up with the younger crowd. I'm 57, 6'3" and 200lbs.
@@happydays8171 placieo is that much effective. anyone heavier than 200lbs will be faster at coasting. Physically from the native design of ball bearings, resistance you would get is about 0.3w. From here, the resistance from the ball is about 0.05w. If anyone can feel that... kudos to you...
Reginald Scot so true. Ceramic on ceramic like overused in RC last because the materials are.the.same. basically ceramics are for non load or minimal load applications
Umm one correction grease is just oil with a soap(thickner) mixed in the reason for this is to keep the lubricant in the areas I.e. the loaded zone of the bearings. The viscosity of the oil is what keeps the metal surface apart. My point is use the right grease and not oil. Oil will move away from the area of force! Grease will not as the temperature rises the grease will become more fluid and keep the bearing lubricated.
Great Video!!!! Thanks so much. According to everything you said, why shimano still uses cups and cones on their parts (as far as I know even in Dura-ace and Ultegra)? Does not make any sense!!!
Best coverage of bearings i must admit, would need to be a dedicated rider to take it all in, still, like everything there is a use by date, even me. Might take up swimming.
I feel like ceramic wouldn’t deform.. it would shatter..not at all likely in most situations.. steel may.. (again haven’t seen it) but I doubt it would
Entonces, en estricto rigor ¿cada cuantos kilómetros hay que lubricar y cambiar los rodamientos, si tengo cuenta que he recorrido mas de 8500Kms durante 5 meses y usando "press-fit"?
High tolerance? High spin capability? What do they have to do with bicycle industry? If we care to wiki a little, we are aware that ceramic bearing is used for its characteristic that it is electrically insulating to avoid/reduce degradation of electric motor. And yes, micro porosity keeps it lubricated better under high revolution. And we are talking about tenths of k-rpm here. What's the rpm we are talking about in bicycling? 60mph or 100kph? That's far less than 1000rpm at the wheels of you do manage 100kph all the way. I admit I'm a slow rider at 20kph in average, and that's around 100-ish rpm?
The gentics lab my friend runs has many high end centrifuges, to separate genetic material from the rest of the cells dross. Those centrifuges spin at a minimum of 250,000 revoutions/minute, and those are the older model. Those certrifuges cost 250-300K/each. They must use ceramic ball bearings. BTW, they take turns being "down". Bikes?, bikes are a joke compared to motorcycles, cars, airplanes, simply because the human body puts out .25-.33hp on a bicycle. That is nothing when a 400hp dodge supercharged car buzzes by my head to prove how much faster he is in his fancy sports car. Funny thing is, I usually catch these Aholes waiting at the stop light or at the filling station. Then, I set down my bike and let my 245lb frame greet them properly!.. I am not a small rider nor an intimidated one.
i have boardman road bike with the wheel in the frame normal it’s sitting way to the left. i flipped the wheel over so the cassette was on the left and it’s lined up where is the fault do you think frame shows no damage wheel is true thank you
I have never tried ceramic bearings on my longboard. The longboards commonly use bearings for speed and the ones I am using are really great and fast at its affordable price. Did not require special treatment or care. My question is: how can the ceramic ones be so much better in terms of speed or distance run? Does anybody can make a comparison between both?
Ceramics are better in every way, except that they ruin their races over time, where steel get deformed everywhere, as they get hotter through higher friction, need more lube, get dents in every corner and are not uniform in size. Amphetamine ceramix gold offers SiNi in gold for nice price, btw. They are especially good if you are overweight. The only areas where quality steel are better than ceramics are case of lightweight skaters that do jumping tricks on very hard wheels. Both bearings will be ruined, steel wins because its cheaper to replace.
I have a tcr with slr-1 wheels (rebranded DT swiss 360/370 hubs) slow rolling out of the box. Want better climbing. Would any bearing upgrade make a difference. Or should I get a new wheel set? Or just train harder😅
Rider weight has a massing bearing on wattage losses. The heavier the rider to more effort is requited to propel the rider also the heavier the rider to more load is placed on the wheel bearings and tyres resulting in increased rolling resistance and lost watts. The heavier the rider the more the surface area and losses through wind resistance.
There is another misleading comment here. Steel and ceramic balls can be as round and as ball to ball uniform. This is not dependent on the material but the ball grade and bearing ABMA/ISO class. Nothing to do with material
Hi, I’m looking for bearings of that size for a different application, what bearing model is the one that you are demoing at the beginning of the video?
As a retired military aircraft engineer, Me and my colleagues always got a chuckle out of "cyclists" and the things they do. Ceramic bearings are for very high speed applications, 10,000 rpm+ not a snail pace of a bikes 80 to 90 or maybe 100 rpm, hehehe . And bearing work best under constant load, not pulsating loads like in a bike. hehehe Using axial load bearings for radial load applications.
@@warrenkommers After looking at the data from various sites, yes they are as you say, You actually save 1.33 watts of power exerted, Thats a big saving over 1000 kilometers. That means you have to eat one less energy bar on that 1000 kilometer ride. Great savings
@@gregrobbins9493 Trust me, the great savings will never be as appreciated as your great attitude. Just tested again, coasting it’s a 3.8 mph difference on a 13% grade near 50mph. But hey, I must be imaging things.
@@warrenkommers Then you are the only one with results like tat. All the pro sites I looked at show very little difference. Besides coasting has absolutely no affect on jockey wheels, they don't even turn while coasting. And, the test results for bottom bracket, wheel, and jockey bearings combined is 5 to 10 watts on road bikes with 130 psi tires on perfectly flat pavement. They were tested on pro riders that didn't know which bearings were on the bike. You should contact the bike magazines that do bike and component testing as your results are much higher than theirs, they pay good money to testors
@@gregrobbins9493 Do you even ride? Have you ever raced? Yes, I am talking about the wheel bearing here specifically. My ceramic pulleys however definitely provide less resistance than stock. Very very noticeable. That could be more about how shit the stock Shimano bearing are but none the less. I would agree BB ceramic should make very little difference if at all. Not surprised there but your statement was global. As for the pro peloton, they use ceramic all the time. Sorry.
It all depends upon the quality control(none) in China, where 99% of these bearings are made. The sad fact is the average good rider generates 1/4h.p. when cycling. The limiting factor usually isn't the chassis(bike) but the motor(rider). There is so much marketing B.S. in cycling-especially at the very expensive end of bikes. As Eddy Merckx said: "Don't ride upgrades. Ride up grades." Where the rubber(ceramic) hits the road...or race: road.cc/content/feature/175644-ceramic-bearings-pros-and-cons
So if you have to service your ceramic bearings every few thousands km and they cost significantly more than steel bearings, its better to buy cheap steel bearings in bulk, remove the seals and reduce the fill rate to 25%. Just replace the whole cartridge once in a while and you will gain better performance for the same periodic service, but less time consuming and cheaper.
Hi How are you today? You look like long time ago Which is Mac gayber. Anyway I am looking for Triple layer bearing for freewheel or cassette and bottum bracket. Long time ago when I design bicycle I put triple bearing system but someone took out. They also took out multiple chain system. If you can make triple bearing system then the bike will running at almost 60mph. Could you find out where can I get the triple bearing system? Thank you. Have nice day.
Ok article - some very good engineering tests are on youtube comparing ceramic speed bearings v steel bearings - notes from the test I saw conducted by an engineer under full load testing - ceramic bearings are a complete waste of money for bike applications - they WILL wear out quicker as the hard ceramic ball will wear out the steel facing quicker - DO NOT under any circumstances buy the cheap chinese ceramic bearings or units - you will go backwards in every way and possibly end up with a ceased bearing - the engineers final advice backed up by very clear engineering tests and data is to buy NTN or NSK steel bearing units - the performance is the same as the so called top end ultra expensive Ceramicspeed units - they will last significantly longer as well
I have done my Masters in Mechanical Engineering and your video taught me more about bearings than I learnt from my Engineering.. Hats off for the details...
Outstanding explanations of how it all works. Nice to see and hear it in clear terminology, based on clear thinking. I'm a retired mechanical engineer, and I fully agree with everything you said. Good job.
You're right on the bearing lubrication. When I was a kid, we used to soak skateboard wheels bearings in solvent to get rid of all grease. Those bearings spun very nicely, but their lifetime was very short as a result.
MasterBata same, I'd put a mix of 3 in 1 mixed with graphite powder. My dad made the mix up and remove the seals. A but messy but I'd oil the bearings every second outing. More noise but they'd last ok. Definitely faster from.memory. harvests in the late 70s mind you.
I was looking into ceramic bearings for my MTB a couple of days ago. I was on a totally different route, but I ended up with the same conclusion. No ceramic barings for my wheels. It was tempting though. I talked to a bearing dealer in Germany. His advice was to choose the highest possible quality of steel bearings. They last longer, need no maintanance, cost way less and take harder impacts. Thank you for your very good vid.
Use high quality stainless steel, last a bit less than carbon steel and are more expensive.. but do not get corroded.
Yup, ceramic is only good in applications with no vibrations and higher rpm,s. The shock loading on most bikes, especially off road bike would destroy ceramic bearings. Hit a ceramic bearing with a hammer, then a ss bearing . The steel bearing absorbs vibration exponentially better than ceramic.
Friction Facts have released reports about BB bearing materials. The major performance difference between steel and ceramic bearing BB is that the latter commonly packaged with less viscous lub and looser seal. This gives a high performance impression of ceramic bearing. The test reports confirmed that high end steel and ceramic bearings have virtually no difference on rolling under load.
Thanx too much for all notice for the riding and maintenance to our lovely bikes, cheers from Japan.
Wow - what a video - thanks
1. I found this video while searching about updates to the next Mars mission(!)
2. It explains why all of my bikes as a youngster eventually wore out :)
There's a glaring misstatement in this video, namely that "ceramic bearings last longer." This myth is precisely the sort of marketing hype that now pervades the cycling industry (along with other goodies like the "power transfer" of a bike frame). The reality is that ceramic bearings-let's be specific, we're talking about Si3N4 (silicon nitride) rolling elements on hardened steel races, aka ceramic hybrid bearings-have drastically less load bearing capacity than conventional all-steel bearings. The advantages of these hybrid bearings are higher speed (at a level irrelevant for cycling), more stiffness (at a level irrelevant for cycling), and less rolling friction. In a high-load, super-low-speed application like a bottom bracket bearing, they will last LESS long than an all steel bearing.
Another pervasive myth in the cycling that just won't die is that components like the rear derailleur pulleys rob you of significant power, on the order of 4-10 watts that can be saved with a $$$$ ceramic pulley system. NO, not even close! Not even 0.2 watts vs a Dura-ace jockey wheel set. Consider that fact that a bottom bracket with what most would call unacceptable tightness being spun (on a bike stand) by your finger on a crank only amount to, at most, 0.4 watts. Somehow, company after company is able to cash in massively on the technical illiteracy of cyclists dying to hand over wads of cash for the latest technical fad.
Power (hp) = applied_force (lbs) x lever_arm (inches) * RPM / 63025. To convert to watts, multiply hp by 745.7. You can use this simple equation to convince yourself just how silly it is to worry about how freely a crank arm spins (or any component) producing finger pressure levels of drag.
And here's another related myth, that the friction from bicycle wheel bearings amounts to something significant. Using the same equation, let's consider a 175 pound rider, with a wheel hub bearing race radius of 0.375 inches, traveling at 25 mph with 700c x 25mm tires. A properly loaded conventional steel ball bearing with seals and grease has a rolling coefficient of friction of, to be generous, 0.003. So how many watts are your steel wheel hub bearings robbing you of-maybe 5, 10, maybe even higher? The answer is 0.74 watts max (total, both wheels). And how much could you save by paying mega $$$$ for shiny new ceramic-hybrid wheel bearings? Drum roll...a stunning 0.30 watts max (total, both wheels).
Just step back and look at the big picture of how far this marketing silliness has gone. The highest-end road bikes now sell for upwards of $15,000, all to handle a 1/3 hp external 'motor' to be supplied by the customer (i.e., your legs). Now put one of those next to a high-end Ducati Panigale V4 motorcycle, including a 200 hp engine with combustion temperatures in thousands of degrees at a thousand psi and timing to almost 500 firings per second, 200 mph top speed, 300+ lbs of advanced aerospace-grade materials (incl gobs of carbon fiber, titanium alloys, etc), and a comparatively insane number of (actually) advanced technical components...all for $21,000. If the Ducati were priced like our bicycles, it would cost closer to $21 million.
Bottom line, these bicycle manufacturers should be laughing their asses off at our technical ignorance and eagerness to part with cash. China, please save us from this overpriced lunacy.
Very true, its mostly consumerism
Dear B. Smith, I would like echo all that you have said and thank you for taking the time to write. The ridiculous talk about Watt savings (from bearing choice) by the many can not be stressed enough.
Thank you Mr. Oz cycle for producing at great synopsis on bearings for cyclists. It is a very big subject of course. Let us hope the video will reach a very wide market. I think you stressed the facts and downsides of ceramic and hybrid bearings. Good job. More can be said of course: how bearing fit (too much compression from the bore) is so important - explaining the failures of Press-Fit BBs etc, and maybe talking about the old days when a bike would have numerous oil ports/grease ports (yes, there are some components flying the flag). Then we have to praise Shimano and others for still producing great cup and cone bearing components but then 'sadly' throwing down the drain by forgetting to set the cones to the right tolerance in the factory.
There are far too many pseudo-engineers/designers in the bike industry who think their tertiary education means they are qualified. Also they are probably having to compromise heavily and have to throw stuff out the door prematurely often - the disclaimers and lawyers will take care of you so you can sleep at night.
If you are young and want succeed in competitive cycling you better learn and practice to be the one of the best mechanics before you can afford to have one and pay for his or her life long experience.
I have during my few hours, seen allot of crazy talk about bearings. And i have to say, i love your comment... I am not a cyclist, i'm more into cars...But... those run on Bearings to, and honestly get Waaaaay more load on them then a petty bicycle... i have not looked into your calculations, and i will not :P but, they sounds pretty much on point... And.... if you, as a casual bike user, wants to keep your steel bearings performing... the key ingredient... is lube... metal on metal is not good... it needs lube... if ever your bearing sounds dry, then it might already be worn out... depending on the amount of sideways slack... the point is, if you are using a bearing for a long time, the grease the manufacturer put in there is only gonna last for so long... and you will either have to add more, or you will have to buy a new bearing... refilling is a fair bit cheaper. A bearing, if sufficiently lubed, will last a very long time. ofc, the metal in the bearing needs to have a good hardness ect. but, in generall it will only really start to wear when the grease runs out... This example, should make most people get at what i'm saying... you would not run your car engine without oil.... And it's the same with bearings... lube em, and they will live for ages, run them dry, and they will grind, and die... Cheers :D
I think you are missing something. TIME. 0.30 watts over TIME. 1 minute vs 5 hours in the saddle. Do that equation. Since you are driving the bike with human power over time, SURELY you work less.
@@Geeios1 For those of us with electrical knowhow, the equation is fairly simple. The 0.30 watts are meant to be real time... Thus over an hour, witch battery/house standards are set as, you would save 0.3 watt hours. over 5 hours 0.3Wh x5, you would save 1,5 watt hours... the cyclists are talking about a fit person being able to generate 200-300 watts on a cycle. But lets be conservative, and say we "normal people" would only generate a 100watts... Over one hour 100w=100 watt hours... 100wh x5 hours=500wh. Thus if you were to generate that over 5 hours, you would save... 1,5 watt hours out of 500 watt hours... not to much gain is it? :P
Awesome presentation. I learn so much from watching them. With the oversize jockey wheels I have been looking at the Ridea range. Apart from Ceramic Speed, Ridea has so far been the only company to provide individual stats for the products they offer, rather than the generic spiel.
absolutely love watching your videos, keep it up mate. Lightyears ahead of another aussie cycling channel (named after a tropical fruit).
Hello Mr. Oz. Again, another great video. I will need to watch it several times in order to understand it very well (technical terms and language). I loved it and thanks again for your videos and your friendliness.
Regards from Sao Paulo, Brazil,
Francisco Alonso Colom
Come to Brazil!
Another EXCELLENT video on bearings. I have had great experiences with HSC bearings. Resonable pricing but really good performance. Best rolling hubs I've ever had were campy wheels with ceramic balls added and some nice grease. Never noticed any difference when I put ceramic bearings in my old BB30 bottom bracket - supported by this video.
thank you for your effort, this was fantastically informative. people like you are cycling legends in my mind.
Really love the simplified breakdown. Excellent presentation! Thank you.
Thanks for the info, really glad I watched. Always thought the whole ceramic thing was a bit of a scam. But in regards to the jockey wheels, I loved seeing you hold up the Rockbros. I truely cannot believe people are gullible /vain enough to spend $1500 or more to buy you know who Speed.
23:10 That's a really good illustration: it shows at the same time the influence of bike geometry and rider position, and how the two interact in different types of frames: hybrid to road/hoods to road/drops to TT bike. Nice!
I like your reviews - always informative. I query your comments about lubricating sealed bearings. In my experience, sealed bearings are just that - sealed, and they can't be re lubricated. Shimano bottom brackets are specifically marked - 'Do not disassemble'
I see your view Richard. However, "sealed" bearings are not entirely sealed if water and debris can get into them,which is all too common with bicycles. Hence the need to either replace or clean and relube them.
Ceramic bearings are used on spools for bait casting reels that can reach rpms up to 30,000 rpms. I’ve converted some of my reels already. My mtb has ceramics in the shifter cogs. Liberty makes some pretty good synthetic oils.
I’m waiting for a set right now.
And English website “ Pimp my reel” upgrades the bearings on request. The anglers can throw weights almost 300 yards.
You can order from China 🇨🇳 for cheap.
I can see that on high rpm applications, but bike wheels turn between 200 and 300 rpm . I doubt very much that even a pro rider in a blind test would tell the difference in almost any bearings in the wheels that are properly set up and tuned.
Fantastic video! Very clear explanations, demonstrations, and animations, wrapped up with terrific perspective!
Dr.bearings and biking master, thank you , i Learned an important Lessons today. All the best.
Amazing presentation!
This is an excellent review! It is not only informative, but wise! Thank you!
Great video very informative really delving into every aspect of the science of bearings.. thank you
Great content and excellent presentation! I learned a lot from this. Thank you for posting!
This is a doctorate crash course from bearings, maintenance, bike fitting, rider and bike aerodynamics, health and nutrition, cycling tactics and strategies. Learned alot from you brother thank you so much!
Superb presentation, easy to understand. Thanks for sharing your video.
This is why I switched to MG chemicals White Thin Lithium grease. It’s great on firearms sliding metal parts but it’s even better on bike hubs with loose bearings. Since I can’t stand sealed bearings I started using this lithium grease for packing my road bike hubs and also the Older caged bearing bike bottom bracket. It’s a cheaper bike but it is just super quiet, unlike the more expensive bikes sounding very noisy drive trains.
when i saw the chart I wanted Project Farm's level lubricant tests... which include many improvised lubricants!
Great video, thanks from Colombia South America
You have answered my questions and I thank you.
Dude you are an engineer, i think your job is related to engineering. However i appreciated all this information.
You mentioned maintenance of bearing is every 70.000km, that is 70 years for me. I will definitely wack the Ceramic bearings everywhere into my bike and forget about them, till i buy a new bike or till i die. 👌😂
Something I didn’t hear him mention is spinning a part and watching how long it coasts really tells you nothing. The resistance of the bearing must be measured with the intended load applied before there is any meaningful data.
Great explanation, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable on the subject but you certainly added to what I know now.
Thanks
Man, you are an excellent teacher!
Great summary. Especially the $/watt comparisons. I'll not be using ceramic ones for many reasons. I have read also that durability is an issue in pat because of their interaction with the race.
Yes,very hard races are required otherwise they get chewed out by the ceramic balls.
Holy mackerel! Lots of bike wisdom, here. Thank you, Sir!!
Point taken. I am sticking with my steel bearings. Thanks.
Great info, especially when comparing other ways of reducing watts.
One thing you didn't mention at 22:50 (your body) is removing the spare tire. Seriously, the number of lycra clad weight weenies I see that are carrying 10-20kg of extra weight is ridiculous. Perhaps once you're only 5kg overweight people can start worrying about getting more and more efficiency in other ways.
Now, a lot who read this will be trim taught and terrific, but a lot will also be trying to spend money more than work off weight.
If you're overweight - don't worry about anything until you're weight is under control. THEN spend the big bucks on a highly efficient bike.
You're an awesome professor! Thanks!
Thanks for the info mate. That was another great class.
Nice shirt btw. 👍
My first experience with ceramic bearing was 9 years into my cycling career. I can tell you I noticed an immediate difference. Especially in a pace line. When the front rider stopped pedaling, I would normally stop pedaling to prevent running into the front rider. Now that does not work. I have to pull out into the wind to prevent running into the front rider. And no, it's not placebo. No one mentions TIME in their equation. Saving small amounts of wattage over a long period of TIME adds up. When seconds count in a time trial it matters. On 100 mile bike rides it matters. I've ridden the same mavic wheel set with ceramic bearings, installed by me, in all kinds of conditions for at least 5 years and have had zero problems.
What brand name are the ceramic bearings you use?
@@BEEBEE159 F1 Ceramic American Made Grade 3 www.f1ceramic.com/ I haven't tried the coated version, they were not available when I bought mine. I put in a mavic elite wheel set.
I would tell him to either keep pedaling or get the ---- off the front.
@@Geeios1 Thanks for the info.
I bought cheap jockey wheels with ceramic bearings (because i need replacement anyway, so nothing to loose)
And "chinese" cheap ceramic wheels was in same price like standard metal "branded"
I replacd bottom plastic wheel with steel balls 11T for alloy/ceramic balls 12T, and upper wheel plastic/steel - 11T for alloy/steel 11T as well
Just apply a bit of wax based lube just enough for cover balls...
Result is beyond my expectations - chain run more freely and quiter.
Shifting is better as well...
Just one thing - i ordered 3 "chinese" wheels (keep it for spares) and every one is slightly diferent in feel (tolerance). So bear it in mind... But running smooth so far (500miles done at MTB bike in dirty/muddy/dusty enviroment). Just cleaned and regrease it after this distance (still first one is on)
There are either chainese (from Uncle Lao workshop) and Chinese (from factory). Take your pick.
Very informative video and well edited
Bearings are made of clusters of atoms. Lubricants are made of atoms too - specifically stuck together as molecules. So good lubricants will be near spherical, stable and chemically inert clusters of molecules which have low Van der Waals (electrostatic) forces. You are just packing lots of nano scale ball bearings around the macro scale ball bearings.
Excellent!! Very comprehensive!
Train on stationary rollers to promote riding in a straight line, saving more energy than all this other stuff combined.
Thanks Oz, a lot to take in but all relevant to going faster.
This video.. awesome!!! I will change my bearings!!!
Great. Thank you
Best cycling video ever, thanks so much!
Yes other industries use Ceramic bearings... not hybrid Ceramic bearings like the cycling industry!
The best and I mean the best bearings you can use in your bike is high quality steel. Hybrid Ceramic is for people who fall for marketing. Hybrid Ceramic give no real world performance benefit and cost more and don't last as Long.
Ceramic bearings are not more round than steel, it depends on the quality of the bearing. Chinese Ceramic bearings are as round as bananas, even an average steel bearing is better.
Also steel cages are better than the polymer ones as they cause less friction.
Also don't bother with Ceramic bearings if you have a carbon bike BB shell, because the shell tolerance is not good enough for the bearings.
I run a bike shop and I see the average Ceramic bearings lasting about 3 to 4 months before they destroy themselves. I wish customers would stop buying them and wasting their money. They are just an expensive way to not go faster.
Yes its still contraversial about steel vs poly cages but the bicycle industry favours the poly at the moment.
oz cycle I don't think it's controversial? It's fact, they have the data. The poly cages are normally populated by hand and steel are made by Machine so have better tolerances. Check out the video on how bearings are made at NTN or this video for more information 🙂👍🏻
ua-cam.com/video/o7iZVfSDbiA/v-deo.html
PS. Only some manufacturers (the ones I don't use) Favourite poly cages. I have DT Swiss wheels and praxis BB and all come with steel cages. I think the maybe Chinese Brand’s favour the poly?
Reginald Scot ... I've been using CeramicSpeed and Formula 1 ceramic bearings. BB, the harder I press down on the pedal, the easier it spins, been able to go up hills in the big ring, which I couldn't do before. Downhill, the faster I go, the least resistance they have. Big downhills where I'm going between 45 and 55mph, no one can stay with me, coasting, people pedalling have tried to keep up and can't on rides. Ceramic bearings have been my saviour in keeping up with the younger crowd. I'm 57, 6'3" and 200lbs.
@@happydays8171 placieo is that much effective. anyone heavier than 200lbs will be faster at coasting. Physically from the native design of ball bearings, resistance you would get is about 0.3w. From here, the resistance from the ball is about 0.05w. If anyone can feel that... kudos to you...
Reginald Scot so true. Ceramic on ceramic like overused in RC last because the materials are.the.same. basically ceramics are for non load or minimal load applications
great in depth video oz..
Umm one correction grease is just oil with a soap(thickner) mixed in the reason for this is to keep the lubricant in the areas I.e. the loaded zone of the bearings. The viscosity of the oil is what keeps the metal surface apart. My point is use the right grease and not oil. Oil will move away from the area of force! Grease will not as the temperature rises the grease will become more fluid and keep the bearing lubricated.
What about my Glock, though?
Great Video!!!! Thanks so much. According to everything you said, why shimano still uses cups and cones on their parts (as far as I know even in Dura-ace and Ultegra)? Does not make any sense!!!
True
You should really watch Hambini's videos on bearings. Save your money a buy NTN bearings. End of story
Yes,cant go wrong with NTN bearings.
nah, KOYO ball bearings are much known & more durabale than any japanese brand, end of story ...
Best coverage of bearings i must admit, would need to be a dedicated rider to take it all in, still, like everything there is a use by date, even me. Might take up swimming.
Good for you! I sink like concrete. And, no, I am not black.
Sorry another thing ceramic balls in steel bearings will always destroy the steel bearing raceways. With or without contamination!
Darrell Whitford see my post at the top to prevent this.
Love your stuff dude!
By the way, you're the reason I bought my Chinese carbon clinchers. Couldn't be happier
Amazing explanation, Thanks Sir
Hi, the durability of this type of hub with ceramic bearings is compromised by cyclists weighing over 100lbs?
how do you lubricate the sealed cartridge bearings? cheers
So much of this information is related to speed, I understand speed comes from efficiency but what about touring loads?
Steel bearings for sure
@@stevenleffanue is that because they are slightly more "elastic" and stand up to impact loads better?
I think so Don. Look up 'Tribology' it will have the reasons.
nice tutorial. thanks
I feel like ceramic wouldn’t deform.. it would shatter..not at all likely in most situations.. steel may.. (again haven’t seen it) but I doubt it would
VERY educational--Do you have an opinion on BOCA bearings? I think they are hybrid
What about old models bearing like shimano they don't need prom bearings and stone ball bearings I don't know how it should be right
Best info to date.
Is cutting oil any good as a sealed-bearing lubricant?
Entonces, en estricto rigor ¿cada cuantos kilómetros hay que lubricar y cambiar los rodamientos, si tengo cuenta que he recorrido mas de 8500Kms durante 5 meses y usando "press-fit"?
High tolerance? High spin capability?
What do they have to do with bicycle industry?
If we care to wiki a little, we are aware that ceramic bearing is used for its characteristic that it is electrically insulating to avoid/reduce degradation of electric motor.
And yes, micro porosity keeps it lubricated better under high revolution. And we are talking about tenths of k-rpm here.
What's the rpm we are talking about in bicycling? 60mph or 100kph? That's far less than 1000rpm at the wheels of you do manage 100kph all the way. I admit I'm a slow rider at 20kph in average, and that's around 100-ish rpm?
The gentics lab my friend runs has many high end centrifuges, to separate genetic material from the rest of the cells dross. Those centrifuges spin at a minimum of 250,000 revoutions/minute, and those are the older model. Those certrifuges cost 250-300K/each. They must use ceramic ball bearings. BTW, they take turns being "down". Bikes?, bikes are a joke compared to motorcycles, cars, airplanes, simply because the human body puts out .25-.33hp on a bicycle. That is nothing when a 400hp dodge supercharged car buzzes by my head to prove how much faster he is in his fancy sports car. Funny thing is, I usually catch these Aholes waiting at the stop light or at the filling station. Then, I set down my bike and let my 245lb frame greet them properly!.. I am not a small rider nor an intimidated one.
Great explaining 👏👏👏👏👏
In all my engineering school, this is the first time I heard lubricant absorbed impact/load... Lubricant is meant to reduce friction my friend.
It is mentioned in Tribology
Great video, thank you!
wow very informative ...glad i have come across your channel! thou u just made my life less simple 😂😏
Yes,its an indepth subject....lots of people spend lots of money without being informed tho.
Thanks dude you are a blessing and please forget about my joke I can’t help myself I need to flap my lips 👄 it aerodynamic I think 🧐.
Can I use chain lube on skateboard bearings?
Your presentations could be taught at university and would fulfill STEM!
i have boardman road bike with the wheel in the frame normal it’s sitting way to the left. i flipped the wheel over so the cassette was on the left and it’s lined up where is the fault do you think frame shows no damage wheel is true thank you
I'm sorry to hear that you have a Boardman....
Shave 🪒 or not to shave my legs 🦵 so…..when I am racing should I wear high heels 👠 or flats 🥿 if I want to win 🥇
Best thing is that I have the same polo ahaha
I have used them.and they spin well but they don't last long enough for me. I just use quality abec5 grade angular and non angular.
Hi! Is it better to put ceramic grease to regular steel bearings instead of just regular grease? WIll it spin smoother in time?
Yes you can use ceramic grease on steel products. Protects against salts , acids and moisture.
What is the most effective placebo?
ok, nothing beats 24:50. that is some royal road food.
6:45 according to Hambini the fill rate of grease should be 30%, no more. IDK where the 50-75% number comes from, but I don't trust it.
Thaks for a great intro. The Rockwell rating differance is a bit off. You ment that ceramic is ~30 % harder than steel, not 300 % (3x) harder.
I have never tried ceramic bearings on my longboard. The longboards commonly use bearings for speed and the ones I am using are really great and fast at its affordable price. Did not require special treatment or care. My question is: how can the ceramic ones be so much better in terms of speed or distance run? Does anybody can make a comparison between both?
Ceramics are better in every way, except that they ruin their races over time, where steel get deformed everywhere, as they get hotter through higher friction, need more lube, get dents in every corner and are not uniform in size. Amphetamine ceramix gold offers SiNi in gold for nice price, btw. They are especially good if you are overweight. The only areas where quality steel are better than ceramics are case of lightweight skaters that do jumping tricks on very hard wheels. Both bearings will be ruined, steel wins because its cheaper to replace.
I have a tcr with slr-1 wheels (rebranded DT swiss 360/370 hubs) slow rolling out of the box. Want better climbing. Would any bearing upgrade make a difference. Or should I get a new wheel set? Or just train harder😅
Hill-climbing is primarily affected by your weight, so always good to train harder!
Rider weight has a massing bearing on wattage losses. The heavier the rider to more effort is requited to propel the rider also the heavier the rider to more load is placed on the wheel bearings and tyres resulting in increased rolling resistance and lost watts. The heavier the rider the more the surface area and losses through wind resistance.
Absolutely....except they go downhill fast 😁
@@stevenleffanue Gravity Is your friend on the down hills, but a bitch on the climbs.
There is another misleading comment here. Steel and ceramic balls can be as round and as ball to ball uniform. This is not dependent on the material but the ball grade and bearing ABMA/ISO class. Nothing to do with material
Love you OZ cycle ❤️
Hi, I’m looking for bearings of that size for a different application, what bearing model is the one that you are demoing at the beginning of the video?
You mean the very large one?....its from an auto repair shop.
As a retired military aircraft engineer, Me and my colleagues always got a chuckle out of "cyclists" and the things they do. Ceramic bearings are for very high speed applications, 10,000 rpm+ not a snail pace of a bikes 80 to 90 or maybe 100 rpm, hehehe . And bearing work best under constant load, not pulsating loads like in a bike. hehehe Using axial load bearings for radial load applications.
Despite all that, I am somehow reaching consistently higher top speeds on the same slope and much smoother pedaling from the ceramic jockey wheels.
@@warrenkommers After looking at the data from various sites, yes they are as you say, You actually save 1.33 watts of power exerted, Thats a big saving over 1000 kilometers. That means you have to eat one less energy bar on that 1000 kilometer ride. Great savings
@@gregrobbins9493 Trust me, the great savings will never be as appreciated as your great attitude. Just tested again, coasting it’s a 3.8 mph difference on a 13% grade near 50mph. But hey, I must be imaging things.
@@warrenkommers Then you are the only one with results like tat. All the pro sites I looked at show very little difference. Besides coasting has absolutely no affect on jockey wheels, they don't even turn while coasting.
And, the test results for bottom bracket, wheel, and jockey bearings combined is 5 to 10 watts on road bikes with 130 psi tires on perfectly flat pavement. They were tested on pro riders that didn't know which bearings were on the bike.
You should contact the bike magazines that do bike and component testing as your results are much higher than theirs, they pay good money to testors
@@gregrobbins9493 Do you even ride? Have you ever raced? Yes, I am talking about the wheel bearing here specifically. My ceramic pulleys however definitely provide less resistance than stock. Very very noticeable. That could be more about how shit the stock Shimano bearing are but none the less. I would agree BB ceramic should make very little difference if at all. Not surprised there but your statement was global. As for the pro peloton, they use ceramic all the time. Sorry.
It all depends upon the quality control(none) in China, where 99% of these bearings are made. The sad fact is the average good rider generates 1/4h.p. when cycling. The limiting factor usually isn't the chassis(bike) but the motor(rider). There is so much marketing B.S. in cycling-especially at the very expensive end of bikes. As Eddy Merckx said: "Don't ride upgrades. Ride up grades."
Where the rubber(ceramic) hits the road...or race:
road.cc/content/feature/175644-ceramic-bearings-pros-and-cons
So if you have to service your ceramic bearings every few thousands km and they cost significantly more than steel bearings, its better to buy cheap steel bearings in bulk, remove the seals and reduce the fill rate to 25%. Just replace the whole cartridge once in a while and you will gain better performance for the same periodic service, but less time consuming and cheaper.
Almost,yes. Except the cheap bearing want have super polished rolling surfaces so there will be slighly more friction to begin with also.
Hi How are you today? You look like long time ago Which is Mac gayber. Anyway I am looking for Triple layer bearing for freewheel or cassette and bottum bracket. Long time ago when I design bicycle I put triple bearing system but someone took out. They also took out multiple chain system.
If you can make triple bearing system then the bike will running at almost 60mph. Could you find out where can I get the triple bearing system? Thank you. Have nice day.
Not sure what you mean by "tripple bearing"?..maybe another viewer can help here.
outside ball bearing show half of them middle side normal then inside bearing half of them show. @@stevenleffanue
Ceramic balls collapsing? They will crack and fail catastrophically by shattering or chipping.
Yes. It was only for the demo 😁
What are hybrid ceramic bearings ?
Ceramic balls with steel races
Ok article - some very good engineering tests are on youtube comparing ceramic speed bearings v steel bearings - notes from the test I saw conducted by an engineer under full load testing - ceramic bearings are a complete waste of money for bike applications - they WILL wear out quicker as the hard ceramic ball will wear out the steel facing quicker - DO NOT under any circumstances buy the cheap chinese ceramic bearings or units - you will go backwards in every way and possibly end up with a ceased bearing - the engineers final advice backed up by very clear engineering tests and data is to buy NTN or NSK steel bearing units - the performance is the same as the so called top end ultra expensive Ceramicspeed units - they will last significantly longer as well
Hey Oz, I haven't heard from you in awhile. Is everything ok in OZ land?
Hi. Thanx for concern. Uploading new vid tday or tmora. Hope all well with you too during this turbulent time?
@@stevenleffanue All is fine so far. I've been on the indoor trainer trying to stay in shape.