Do Ceramic Bearings Make A Difference

It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands.

Do ceramic bearings make a difference.

Despite the small difference in design hybrid bearings requirements differ quite extensively from full ceramic bearings. 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. On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn.

The only real big noticeable difference between the two is the bearing clearance. If only high quality ceramic bearings are used marginal gains will. Fitting ceramic bearings will make the bike feel like it is rolling smoother. The bearing clearance is a measurement given to the small gap between the inner race outer race and balls.

For example while full ceramic bearings do not require lubrication hybrid bearings do. 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. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball. 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.

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.