The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings.
Ceramic bearings better than steel.
Ceramics are inert whereas metals are reactive making ceramics resistant to corrosive materials such as seawater and many chemicals including acids and alkalis.
The ceramic balls when manufactured by a top quality bearing manufacturer are rounder lighter and smoother than steel balls.
They are more corrosion resistant harder and last longer in everyday use.
Campagnolo chooses to put ceramic bearings in all of its wheelsets from mid range upwards.
This reduces friction by up to 40 as well as energy loss allowing your equipment to run more efficiently with ceramic ball bearings.
While a formula 1 engine revving to 15 000 rpm can create a lot of heat that can deform and swell steel bearings.
Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed.
It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands.
On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn.
Ceramic bearings exist to help manage heat in high rpm applications.
Full ceramic bearings have races and balls that are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common steel bearings in many ways.
They don t expand or deform when they contact each other hertzian stress as much as steel bearings when they get really hot.
As ceramic bearings do not.
In our higher end cult.
Another common difference in bearing construction is the cage type.
A ceramic bearing is also harder than steel bearings up to 30 which improves durability and they also don t rust so less maintenance should be required.
The bearing clearance is a measurement given to the small gap between the inner race outer race and balls.
Most sealed ceramic bearings are actually hybrid ceramic bearings which combine a steel race with ceramic ball bearings.