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ceramic bearings.

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Old 02-06-16 | 08:41 PM
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ceramic bearings.

What improvements i go see if i put on my bike ceramic bearings. What sizes i need for the crank and the wheels? Where i can found that bearings?
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Old 02-06-16 | 08:45 PM
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Post 14: https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...ick-steel.html
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Old 02-06-16 | 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
What improvements i go see if i put on my bike ceramic bearings. What sizes i need for the crank and the wheels? Where i can found that bearings?
Waste of $$.
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Old 02-06-16 | 09:52 PM
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Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

Changing good condition bearings for ceramic, is comparable to finding a quarter on the ground and thinking you're on the way to making this month's mortgage payment.
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Old 02-06-16 | 09:59 PM
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thank you for the answers. I will stay with the steel bearings.
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Old 02-07-16 | 08:37 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Changing good condition bearings for ceramic, is comparable to finding a quarter on the ground and thinking you're on the way to making this month's mortgage payment.
Funny. I would say that you will save some weight, 99% of it from your wallet
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Old 02-07-16 | 10:06 AM
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
Funny. I would say that you will save some weight, 99% of it from your wallet
True, but that only helps if you typically bring your wallet on rides.
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Old 02-07-16 | 10:35 AM
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Other than in lab tests they showerd an ~ 0.0002% decrease in rolling resistance ( isolated not the whole Bike)

You Wont, Now if there was a Sponsor of your race team and they wanted to sell more ceramic bearings
and you were already really a Fast racer , You would Be useful to them to have people think
it was their stuff that gave you the advantage .. causing this question to be asked ..
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Old 02-07-16 | 10:42 AM
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thank you for the answers. i read about that bearings online i never used them. that is means sponsors go with bikes too? I mean race riders ride bikes the sponsors give.
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Old 02-07-16 | 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Homebrew01
True, but that only helps if you typically bring your wallet on rides.
Right. I usually carry my wallet so I guess that ceramic bearings are a real plus for me
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Old 02-07-16 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
Right. I usually carry my wallet so I guess that ceramic bearings are a real plus for me
Buy the ceramic bearing with loose change, and you could save a few pounds !
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Old 02-07-16 | 02:54 PM
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I like ceramic bearings. They came standad on my Fulcrum wheels and on many of my other components.

Not everyone shares my enthusiasm.

c'est la vie.
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Old 02-07-16 | 04:14 PM
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I don't know how they would work in bicycles, but I put ceramic bearings in a daiwa bait casting reel and the improvement was substantial.
Reel was much smoother and cast father with less effort. It isn't my most expensive reel, but became my favorite after the switch.
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Old 02-07-16 | 05:59 PM
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I've been experimenting with Si[SUB]3[/SUB]N[SUB]4[/SUB] Ceramic Silicon Nitride bearings from E-Bay. For enough to build a couple of hubs, they aren't too expensive.

So far I've been happy with them, but I won't really be able to judge for another year or two.

One of the problems with steel bearings is the quality is so variable. I periodically find bearings where it apears as if a thin chrome layer has just pealed off from the bearings, leaving a mess behind
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Old 02-07-16 | 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
I've been experimenting with Si[SUB]3[/SUB]N[SUB]4[/SUB] Ceramic Silicon Nitride bearings from E-Bay. For enough to build a couple of hubs, they aren't too expensive.

So far I've been happy with them, but I won't really be able to judge for another year or two.

One of the problems with steel bearings is the quality is so variable. I periodically find bearings where it apears as if a thin chrome layer has just pealed off from the bearings, leaving a mess behind
Counterfeit bearings are a big issue these days for manufacturers. Bearings off of e-bay? good luck.

Anti-counterfeiting
https://www.skf.com/binary/98-252392/..._12-252392.pdf
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Old 02-07-16 | 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by kickstart
Counterfeit bearings are a big issue these days for manufacturers. Bearings off of e-bay? good luck.

Anti-counterfeiting
https://www.skf.com/binary/98-252392/..._12-252392.pdf
Counterfeit implies marking a brand with another trademark. For example selling Timken knockoffs.

I'm not representing the LOOSE Chinese E-Bay bearings as anything other than Chinese E-Bay bearings.

I suppose there is also a quality or materials counterfeit, selling grade X when it is really grade Y.

As far as coefficient of expansion. I'm seeing Silicon Nitride listed as (2.8 to 3.3) x 10[SUP]-6[/SUP]/°C
Stainless steel is listed as (10 to 17) x 10[SUP]-6[/SUP]/°C

Or MUCH HIGHER. I doubt heat will make a big difference at the speeds I'm riding my bike, but perhaps it will affect cold vs warm days.

So, then the question is whether my Silicone Nitride bearings are as good as the Campy Super Record Stainless bearings. And that I don't know.

I find some companies like Shimano disappointing due to the huge range of product quality.

I've seen too many problems apparently due to poor quality chrome bearings. I suppose I should go to bearing stores (not just bike stores) and insist on single batch quality stainless bearings.
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Old 02-07-16 | 11:25 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Counterfeit implies marking a brand with another trademark. For example selling Timken knockoffs.

I'm not representing the LOOSE Chinese E-Bay bearings as anything other than Chinese E-Bay bearings.
The problem is there's a high probability they are the bearings being used for the counterfeits, and not what they're claimed to be.
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Old 02-07-16 | 11:44 PM
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Originally Posted by kickstart
The problem is there's a high probability they are the bearings being used for the counterfeits, and not what they're claimed to be.
I can tell you they're not steel.

As far as the quality of the ceramic, I don't know. I suppose I could try a hammer test on a couple. But, for riding, time will tell.

Of course, I'm doing a hybrid. Steel races/cones, and ceramic balls.
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