Ceramicspeed (Ceramic) bearings versus Steel Bearings... An engineering explanation

Ceramic bearings versus steel bearings, the debate has gone on for a long time. I decided to test the capabilities of Ceramicspeed, Enduro, A cheap ebay bearing and the big bearing manufacturers.
The big bearing manufacturers win hands down. The vast majority of friction comes from the type of bearing seal. Contact bearings have significantly more friction than non contact types. The choice of balls has little effect.
Conclusion: Ceramicspeed are overpriced and inferior.
Checkout my website
www.hambini.com
Don't forget to subscribe to this channel!
/ hambini

[@Guoenyi]

Surprised you didn't get objections from ceramicspeed. They were fighting back hard on fastfitnesstips channel after being called "Not worth it".

[@Hambini]

One of their UK outlets has threatened me with legal court proceedings. I told them to have a go and see how much damage they would do to their brand when they lost.

[@ameraldas3641]

well i would say for nearly all people its not worth it, there may be a few who just want something different.

[@rcg9573]

Ceramic Speed would never in a million years take on a guy like Hambini in court or anyone for that matter. Their strategy is to threaten legal action to shut people down from telling the truth about their BS claims and skewed videos without ever actually going to court. It’s all about posturing! If there ever was an actual trial case there would be a funny little thing called “discovery” and they would be forced to provide all their internal data to back up their BS performance gain claims, etc.... In open court they would lose such a case badly and be exposed big time for what they are. It would be a death sentence to their business model selling pixie dust ceramic parts at nosebleed prices based on bullshit marketing claims. They’d be dumber than dumb to ever go to any such trial.

[@razor1uk610]

@@rcg9573 in UK courts & legal system, CS could be found to be in breach of contract of sale as sold, for false advertising claims, if someone takes them (or they) go to court.

[@David-rb3tk]

@@rcg9573 Sounds a lot like how Specialized operate.

[@jpnelson7606]

There is little more satisfying than watching really smart people do really awesome (and tedious) science for the benefit of all. Huge thanks for this. Very enlightening.

[@drewpatnode6691]

Agreed. The dude is unabashed and genuinely hilarious too. His content is one of the only things that actually make me laugh out loud on a regular basis. And I always learn something. ~10:54 "If we come on to this next slide and talk about, uuhhh... it." I lost it there.

[@firstmkb]

What a crazy idea - to collect and USE data to inform a presentation on KZbin! I don't ride significantly, but subscribed. Thank you for raising the bar!

Fellow engineer here, enjoying your vids, subscribed yesterday! Good job bro. The simple bearing cage's purpose is keeping balls separated because adjacent bearing surfaces rotate opposite of each other. High precision bearing systems use alternating slightly smaller balls or rollers so they can be loaded without the need for the separation cages. Ceramic bearing applications are typically for rotation speeds in excess of 20,000 rpm as they don't expand from heat and can, therefore, run much hotter. They run hard steel (62+RC) races so corrosion is an issue, just like standard precision bearings. Stainless bearings are typically looser toleranced allowing for some environmental contamination without seizing. Standard bearings are rated ABEC 1,3,5,7, etc but the actual assembly tolerances primarily affect the outside diameter only so be careful thinking that ABEC9 is better, they won't roll as easily due to tight assembly tolerances. As a competitive racing roller skater we found that the race winners used a secret trick: buy cheap bearings, run them wet to corrode slightly, then clean & oil with superlight skate oil and they were the fastest skaters. It depends on the RPM requirements, skating & biking use very low RPM but quite high loading. Bearings are a science of their own deserving much respect.

[@firstmkb]

Well, yay me for having the same ideas to replace the cage, only like a hundred years + after engineers. Thanks for posting - it kept me from asking an ignorant question!

[@notamouse5630]

Another fellow engineer here, this makes interesting sense. Run the bearings in a way that smoothes them out and ensures loose tolerances, use low viscosity lube just slightly heavier than WD40, use low friction seals if any, and derate the lifetime to days or weeks and you have a winner. Any Cheapo will work as it wears smooth, and you don't want anything that will hurt to throw away.

[@davidburgess741]

Back in the seventies the common practice was to remove the cage and Install an extra ball into the race. The myth was this spread the load over more area. Cages were believed to be there to ease assembly. Hambini explained the true purpose of the cage. Every other ball or roller undersized makes sense to me now also. As long as we don't use turbofan engines on our bikes that dwarf rpm any bearing on a bike sees we're fine with steel bearings! No use for ceramic on bike.

[@andrewwade5604]

@@davidburgess741 Cages are there so you CAN assemble. Inner and outer are placed non concentrically and enough balls placed in the gap. the inner and outer are then placed concentrically. Now the balls cannot fall out, but the gaps would be inconsistent, hence the cage is added. The number of balls you can put in a normal bearing is defined by the geometry of the balls and inner and outer races (how many balls you can fit in with the cages non concentric) and the design of cage you can then fit around them.kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5CzY2aAa8xopZI There is such a thing as "Full compliment" bearings, where the races are jammed full, but there is a notch in the races to get the balls in. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5yweHt8rp5mmqc

[@aguswahyudi710]

I guess thats what engineers talk about at coffee shop lol, good thing we have Hambini in this world

[@LGFITNESS1]

After 30 years of being an avid roller skater, FINALLY someone explains bearings (the physics and all else involved in bearings and cages) in a way that I can actually understand! Not a lot of “science” involved in roller skating but when it comes to knowing and understanding wheels and bearings, which is a must for avid skaters, there are so many worthless videos that I was loosing hope of finding out the difference between ceramic and steel bearings...until I came across your video. I opt for Bones Super Elite Swiss bearings, which has worked perfectly for my indoor roller skating. Thanks so much for this video. You’re on “a league of your own” and it’s much appreciated! Besides, I hate to waste my God-given time in less than appealing, completely off topic or personal bias opinions from click bait folks. Cheers from the USA and again, thanks so much!

[@tbrowniscool]

Lu! What bearings do you use these days?

[@LGFITNESS1]

@@tbrowniscool Hi! That’s a good question…My Bones (wheels) came with steel bearings. I’ve never used ceramic bearings. I miss skating!!! Our local rink has been closed to the public since the pandemic started. 😞

[@tbrowniscool]

@@LGFITNESS1 Same! It was so simple back then! Small groups enjoying skating...when I really think about how how fucked the 2000's babies it's depressing. Im 32 and remember knocking on the door of my best mate! If I could change the timeline I would pick being 18 in 1953 in the USA.. BTW anyone reading this buy some bitcoin... Its a better chance than having your amazing inflation coin..

[@LGFITNESS1]

@@tbrowniscoolThere’s pro’s and con’s to every timeline and generation…but I understand your point. By the way, wish I could afford to buy 1 bitcoin… 😂 But the bitcoin market has crashed and is pretty low at the moment compared to what it used to be. I just count on my husband’s and my own faithful “hard work” and income and try to enjoy life and be grateful (to God) in all circumstances. I do hope to roller skate again in the near future. If our local skating rink never reopens, I guess I’ll need to find roller skating rinks somewhere else…

[@tbrowniscool]

@@LGFITNESS1 hey, quick tip...buy more and don't worry. For the last 18 months I have been kicking myself why I didn't sell when the bullren manifested itself. But I also didn't sell when I was homeless in my van in January 2020. Bitcoin may suffer for the next 2 years but as I felt in 2017 its the future... Its such a tempting/logical solution!

[@achedrien5477]

This guy saved 109 000 cyclist not to go bankrupt because of ceramic speed marketing. Respect and good video and explanation 🙏

[@thedave7760]

I am not a cyclist although I have a bike. So how much money do you guys spend to save 6 FRIKIN Watts every 1000 Km? That is like what a quarter of a slice of bread or how many grams of fats??

[@veryveryintense]

@@thedave7760 I thought that was an average constant loss, so its like 6 watts being lost between cranks and wheels in real time. I don't think he would use watts to express power over time. I should say I do basically agree with you though, waste of money to consider most of these unless you are racing or your bearings have already failed, in which case go for it

[@shamuslamont100]

@@thedave7760 you're not even going to lose 6 watts between wheels and BB. Use steel, and just go harder. That's not where to spend money.

[@kalijasin]

Cyclist: a person who rides a bicycle. Definitions from Oxford Languages

[@bimmerbent]

He tried to save 109k cyclist, but 99k couldn't understand the mechanics, so they bought the Marketing and will forever justify the purchase.

[@theillegalimmigrant9314]

That is the most comprehensive analysis I have seen. It's interesting to see that a spin test is not a good measure of friction as that is what everyone seems to use to advertise the benefits. Ceramicspeed must be crying.

[@rcg9573]

Well remember that Ceramic Speed does not even use an unbiased so called spin test. They intentionally load the non ceramic parts they are supposedly comparing to their own with thicker more resistant grease, etc... to make the non ceramic component usually look more inefficient compared to their own product. Not only a pseudo science invalid comparison, but a completely intellectually dishonest one given how they rig their so called comparison tests as well. If I run across a rider sporting their snake oil products I just laugh at them. If they ask why I’m laughing I’ll actually tell them why too. 🥴😊😊

[@AndyRRR0791]

The reason the steel cages have lower friction is that they hold the bearings at their point/axis of rotation whereas the polymer cages snap onto and contact the balls at their rolling periphery

[@uweclaunitzer7170]

Conclusion: Invest in good steel bearings. If you want to reduce losses, look for appropriate seals and suitable bearing cages! Well done. Appreciated!

[@johnturnbull7798]

This is a great review of bearing technology. It covered the basics for the guys who know nothing then it went into detail giving a balanced assessment of the pros and cons for each type of bearing. If I hadnt seem this I'd almost certainly waste my time and money follwing marketing hype for ceramic bearings.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

I am not even slightly in the market for bearing upgrades, and I always assumed that Ceramic Speed were effectively snake oil, or, at least a way to make merely expensive drive trains, hideously expensive, but I never thought that they could make things worse.... Good grief. Great video. Glad I finally watched it.

[@wint3rsmith42]

Excellent video, very educational, I've been a mechanical engineer for 30 years and still learned a lot here. Thanks

[@lifeafterlon]

Still love these videos. Everyday I'm wading through a sea of cycling industry BS over here. We need you back, Hambini!

[@gplama]

Great video and brilliant information.

[@Hambini]

Thankyou!

[@howienordstrom1290]

Well, I got taken by CS advertising hype. ...but not anymore! Thanks for all the time you take to educate us.

[@andy.robinson]

KZbin has only just started serving me up your videos. They're great! I can't understand why so relatively few subscribers. Anyway, you have 1 more from me. Thanks 👍

[@stevebaker5254]

I am a bearing engineer working for one of the manufacturers highlighted in the video. Your conclusions are correct although there are some additional factors not considered or understood. For example cage clearance is one reason why you measure torque differences at low speed between pressed steel and plastic cages. Bicycle bearings ALL rotate at low speed ;-)

[@Hambini]

On the next occasion I'm in Litchfield, I will come and say hello.

[@dustyblowsgoats6584]

So how important is it to cup the balls? I’m asking for a friend...

[@zarkeh3013]

When they are on fire...

[@Jabba1625]

When they in kneeing distance

[@ccronn]

Not as important as it is to use the correct lube...

[@zizusaid]

@@huss03 :DD

[@miketorres9048]

I stumbled onto to your channel this morning, and as a consequence I've spent most of my time watching your detailed, objective, well-arranged and coherent presentations. Scientific!! Well done!! I've subscribed. Thank you!!

[@Hambini]

Mike Torres thanks for the feedback! these videos take a long time and i put a lot of effort in so your comments are valued

[@curvs4me]

Excellent video, ceramic is really only needed for high temperature high speed environment like a turbocharger that spins 110k rpm at 950C. A whole different animal.

[@henseleric]

@RollinRat Hambini did a clip on why cartridge bearings are faster than angular contact in bicycle wheels. You must have missed it.

[@JunkCCCP]

@RollinRat slow day at work huh?

[@arcboy2011]

Best video on ball bearings for the cycling industry that I have seen! Thank you for explaining things so that a five year old can understand them.

[@SLR6700]

Great video! We need more honest people like you in the bicycle industry. You're very bright too of course. I found your website recently while researching some bike stuff and you explanations helped me a lot. Thank you!

[@deNudge]

I always wanted to know how bearings are working, with all these tiny balls between the rolls. Today I stumbled across your video and have learned a whole lot. Thank you!

[@martinhuweler4056]

Amazing content, finally some scientific, no none sense explaination, i subscribed after à few minutes

[@falfield]

Good content, but what I want to compliment you on is your articulacy and English usage. When words are all we have to understand each other by, a premium is placed on our choice of them. And in contrast to those who pepper their sentences with redundant "So," and "like" and banalities such as "amazing", your clarity & fluency is a pleasure to listen to. Bravo!

[@johnbailey520]

Super high quality tech talk. The thought of Darkinstall giving same talk about all these balls frightens me.

[@Hambini]

Thankyou for the feedback.

[@freewheeling-drifter]

Absolutely terrific video! Reminded me of systems analysis lecture: just changing one piece - in this case the ball bearings to ceramic - does you no good, because addressing the whole system - in this case the bearing assembly, was ignored!

[@cyclenutter2715]

top quality video Hambini, taught me a lot... Funny going back to these old vids and not hear you swear lol. Full watch from me :)

[@thomaslane2866]

Brilliant presentation. Thanks for the info. My road guy has impressed this upon me for years. Not in the specific way you did but he knows his stuff and doesn’t rip me off. I like that

[@tonusbarronus4824]

Sorry i'm late to the party....But..What an Excellent breakdown on bearings! Thank you so much Hambini! I would love to see you do a similar vid on chains and lubrication. Wet lube and dry lube and their effects on performance and longevity of drive chains. Look forward to the next engineering masterclass my friend!!! :-}

[@Hambini]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@kuanhau4323]

Well explained, I think I have a massively better understanding (in comparison) than before. Now all I need to do is find the right ntn bearing for my 2012 Mavic wheels!

[@Hambini]

thanks for the feedback

[@BMH1965]

After reading and seeing many articles and videos in preparation to building a lightweight road bike I have come to the conclusion that many riders place their priorities as: fashion, tradition, and then data - and, to a larger than expected extent, this also applies to the professional riders. I think many riders will be shocked by the real world data relating to the over-priced 'ceramic' bearings. I will now start looking at some of the manufactures you highlight towards the end of this video with regard to bottom bracket bearing options.

[@Hambini]

+BMH1965 I would buy a look any day of the week now

[@michaelmann3636]

I’m a newbie to the channel respectively. I find your presentations to be some of the best on KZbin, keep up the great work.👍

[@Hambini]

I appreciate that!

[@driventomadness117]

You are the lock picking lawyer of the cycling world.

[@bonzer5]

The best comparison of the steel vs ceramic bearing debate i've seen. thank you!!!!! I am always looking for the fastest and smoothest bearings for bicycles, skateboards and rollerskates. Thank you!

[@Hambini]

Thank you very much!

[@foxdmulder]

I've always said bearings need to be tested under load, Gcn have brainwashed numpties. Ave done a video on ceramic vs steel bearings a year or so ago. Well worth a watch also

[@bknapp9728]

Another outstanding, objective, data-driven assessment preventing foolish cycling investment. Thank you Hambini!

[@bigkification]

57 thumbs down... presumably employees and owners of Ceramicspeed lol I guess their bearings are only good if you are competing.... and only if you can afford to replace every 500 miles or so!

[@Geeios1]

I have over 8000 miles on my F1 ceramics...just say'in.

[@bigkification]

@@Geeios1 Nobody is denying the ceramic bearings don't last. The issue is for the price, you aren't getting many benefits. Not to mention, the low friction benefit doesn't pan out over time, it becomes the same or worse as stainless bearings that cost a fraction of the price.

[@davidlewis3924]

@RollinRat www.campagnolo.com/media/files/035_180_Catalogue_spare%20parts_tools_Campagnolo_2000_part_C.pdf Out of interest, just went back to the year 2000 Campagnolo spares catalogue. They've been using the same bearings, cups and cones for 20 years at least. I guess if it's not broken, don't fix it. The old 8-speed Record hubs were pretty bulletproof too.

[@richardwallinger1683]

excellent presentation .. my gas turbine has 688 ceramic GRW bearings . and they are still going strong after 20 years of occasional use in my model helicopter.

[@mark-1234]

6:35 - It's also a crap test because of the difference in grease used.

[@shannonharris2816]

Excellent explication. I am now empowered and informed. If one rides to burn calories though, frictional losses are irrelevant. Counterpoise: if one has mechanical sympathy, any mechanical system should be optimised. Shannon

[@deanoturn1985]

Do you think you could do a video or would have any interest in making a video on how to DIY the fastest bearing by buying a steel Bering and then replacing the grease with faster smoother grease or oil or something? Could make some interesting content.

[@Hambini]

+deanoturn1985 thanks for this. I'll take a look at the idea

[@malcolmcog]

If you were to post a video that claimed training harder would win more races no-one would care. But, if you post a video that claimed using secret extra special grease would give a 0.005 watt advantage per kilometer you would be the most popular youtuber ever !

[@javandermerwe]

Great video, thank you. Question: your point about testing the bearings without load being misleading makes a lot of sense. Did you load the various bearings you tested for your analyses of power absorption at 90rpm?

[@cecilordono6326]

Just make sure you don’t get old, we need you.

[@mansson111]

31 people use ceramic speed.

[@Hambini]

That has tickled me...!

[@rcg9573]

Looks like it is now up to 57 easily duped and gullible fools using Ceramic Speed. LOL

[@Hambini]

up to 193 now. Useless bell ends.

[@orionmobile6545]

​@@rcg9573look who's fool now. Drag racing motorcycle,car all were using ceramic bearing now. Better lap times better mil per hour times faster mph. Whoe bimbo now huh

[@brianheaton5521]

Damn, came for a quick answer, experienced Ph.D level lecture. Thanks, keep up the good work.

[@jt-wy8qc]

you are smart that's what I was thinking I like steel .Ceramic it hard and will eat up the steel so what will last longer hot steel or Ceramic eating steel I think after the Ceramic eats the steel it will spin faster by hard so is its tricking people now a full Ceramic might last long but in some uses but Ceramic is so hard that it can brake easy maybe in a wheel bearing hitting rock idk I like to see testing. next we will have diamond bearings

[@abisaasireti65]

this needs to be shared around. Pure GOLD

[@MrBilld75]

You are indeed correct about how bearings under load, behave differently than free spinning them with no load. That's that big difference, for sure.

[@shooting-x-ringsvideoserie7338]

Thanks for sharing your in-depth study results. You have just saved us a lot of headaches. That must have been an expensive study to perform. You are a generous and dedicated man. Best wishes for your future!

[@durianriders]

I remember I worked for a bike shop who sold bling. A barrister walked in with his cervelo and started telling me how impressive his new ceramic bearings were in his zipp wheels. He told me they were about $2000. I asked him where he got them from and he pointed at my boss. After he left I asked my boss 'what the f? $2000 bearings??'. My boss who never laughed did his best to not piss himself laughing. This was back in 2004.

[@fourustwentius]

Mr. Hambini, thank you sincerely for keeping this video understandable, using visuals, and considering your American viewers! Great work!

[@Hambini]

I love my american viewers they write in with some hilarious questions!

[@BrowFinGarf]

What did your setup look like to measure the wattage absorbed? How did you measure these? Thanks.

[@rabishop4684]

Excellent technical explanation. Very useful for those of us who change their own bearings.

[@felixar90]

Ironically the enduro bearings have the least endurance...

[@InCountry6970]

The graph at 12:00 explained it perfectly for me. The extremely small ball deformation percentage makes steel and ceramic bearings very close in performance indeed at lower speeds. Nice video

[@WHERESSS]

I don't understand how this channel and DarkInstall have so little views.

[@EllasPOSEiDON]

'Cause most of the people doesn't care about reality. Not just in cycling but in anything.

[@waynosfotos]

People don’t want to hear the truth, they just want to be believers. Example, most people believe they know something about eating and dieting, but ask them where does the fat go? All these lunch time experts have no idea. Same with most things. The power of marketing and propaganda is really unbelievable! Why it is such a big industry.

[@4vickiekaye]

Too technical for most.

[@jairoluna9822]

@@waynosfotos that right people dont like some body told them they were wrong that how human works in their head

[@Advcrazy]

Awesome video!! Thanks for all the info!! Ceramic speed bottom brackets come with a 4-5year warranty which is why I put one on my winter/gravel bike 😂 figured they aren’t 4 times the price of the alternative BB I would have bought which probably would last a year with all the crap I ride it through in winter.

[@CamRStanford]

'Balls--which everyone should be familiar with' lolllll

[@Norman92151]

Thanks for all the hard work. You've certainly cut through the ceramic bearing hype.

[@Hambini]

Thankyou for the feedback.!

[@sabamacx]

Outstanding video, bravo and well deserving of accolades. Never expected any of the contact mechanics laws from my PhD to appear in a youtube bicycling video. Would swapping wheel bearings (say from a common DT Swiss hub) to some of the well made bearings you have examined be a worth while investment of time, or just plain vanity?

[@Hambini]

Thanks for the feedback... I don't know what DT swiss has in as OEM, if they are decent units, I would leave them in. If they are unnamed garbage then swapping them out will make the ride smoother and the wheel will roll better - but you won't notice it. The bit you will notice is the increased life of the bearings.

[@Hambini]

I'm not a fan of stainless steel bearings. By the fact they are stainless steel, they are more likely to gall (cold friction weld) than standard ones and they also have a much higher rolling friction coefficient. I'm of the opinion that the bearings should be changed more frequently. It should be noted that even stainless steel bearings will corrode if you ride in a salty environment - Coastal or Winter

[@childrensbread1308]

We lost the mega-hour wit of a Sheldon Brown but have gained a Hambini. Some folks just have more tools. Meaning, they have the raw ability to learn, do and teach what I can barely grasp... Very thankful for human beings like these.

[@KhunAdam]

Wonderful engineering advice, thanks Hambini. I will save money!

[@michaelevans691]

Thanks again, great video! I personally have ceramic speed because that’s what came with the bike. They seem very durable. 13K miles and still feel new.

[@1982aston]

fantastic video .you saved me a lot of money confirming what Darkinstall said about ceramic speed...overpriced snake oil.

[@TheDarkInstall]

danny oneill :)

[@Hambini]

You are alive!?

[@TheDarkInstall]

Hambini Performance Engineering not really mate. Still very poorly. :(

[@Hambini]

oh dear. hope you get better soon.

[@TheDarkInstall]

Hambini Performance Engineering thanks mate. This video is absolutely excellent, by the way. Can I link it into my laymans version so people interested in the full info can watch yours?

[@jacksyee]

Thanks for this, I am interested in being more self reliant on bike maintenance and this is fascinating and convincing.

[@mirage4554]

hi. and what about cup and cone bearings? after watching this video i start to think that there are the fastest because no cage in it. thanks for video

[@bretmohler9719]

it is worth mentioning here that it is not just that they have no cage.. but that they are angled toward the loading. since, from what i have observed, the load is coming from the power part of stroke on the crank that is pitching the the bike so the BB and even the wheel hubs have a more lateral induced load and not vertical. so cage or not i have seen good info to suggest that using sealed linear bearing like these are fundamentally worse off than the angled races used for cup and cone designs. interestingly enough the cup and cone seem to outlast sealed bearings, though more services has to be performed during its life to insure that. but sealed def win on application where just keeping debris out will offset what lack of vertical load they are designed for. wet dirty salty roads.. go sealed on the BB..

[@cbremer83]

I work for a company that rebuilds industrial electric motors. Everything from little 1-5 HP motors to multi-thousand HP motors that are over 100,000 lbs. Pretty much everything is running steel bearings. They are the only thing that can run 24/7 for multiple years. Only getting shut down for oil/grease changes. There are some very special cases that use ceramic. From my understanding, it's mostly for high temp applications. Must the motors we work on do not spin fast enough to need ceramics but some are used inside furnaces for steel mills and places like that where temps get pretty insane.

[@daviddegaray7735]

Chad Bremer Not only, for temperature. We use them widely for making milling machines in high speed spindles up to 10k rpm. If you want precision and speed the only way is ceramic. The weight of the metallic balls at that speeds stretch the outer rings and destroys the spindle.

[@cbremer83]

@@daviddegaray7735 I understand the high speed applications. I specifically stated that most of our use cases are for lower speed motors. It is not a hard and fast rule, but most really big motors/generators that we see tend to be sub 2000 rpm. The real bid stuff is less than 1000 rpm. I don't see everything that exists, obviously. Most of what I see is from power plants, mines, rail, and paper mills. Not a lot of crazy high speed stuff in that. At least it is not coming to our shop.

[@daviddegaray7735]

Chad Bremer Everything you say is correct, I'm sorry, I wasn't correcting you, it just explained another specific use of ceramic bearings. As you said it’s a kind of a special case in mills. In our case is to take advantage of the smoothness running, low weight and highest precision (grades 2-3). The combination let us to design tough, very precise and very fast spindles. The hot it’s produced both for low precision housings and misaligning and extra oil, we are always introducing and removing the oil with a pump in order to evacuate it and avoid cumulations. The less oil the lowest the hot. The applications less than 6k RPM, can be done perfectly with steel ball and permanent grease.

[@cbremer83]

@@daviddegaray7735 no offence was taken. I was just clarifying myself. Needless to say, none of us know about or have experience with all applications out there.

[@saynotothegreatreset]

You've got balls to mess up with ceramic speed 😂😂

[@richardtickler8555]

what could they do? go to court: theyre fucked bitch on the internet: cause more attention to the issue and make more people discover why theyre shit a mate worked at canyon when their video hit and he said the time was a hell for customer service

[@Jabaltaya]

After many insufficient videos i ended up here looking for an answer for (inline skate) ceramic bearings. Well that's out of the way now. Many thanks!!!

[@howardkaye6104]

Shit, I'm getting rid of my Enduro ceramic bearings!

[@ervie60]

Some extra notes ; Proper use of ceramic (hybrid or full ceramic) ; high to superhigh speeds. Think of of sp9ndles in machine tools. The forces of heavier steel balls severely limits both load capacity and speed ( huge centripetal forces!). Combine that to the use of precision machines brass cages and oil mist lubrication and extremely tight tolerances and there is the real world answer to demanding aplpications and proper use of ceramic material in bearings. Mind you; things are now complicated and very expensive. Clearance classes ( C2/C3 or higher). Several applications benefit form a higher clearance ; think of thermal expansion ( shaft of electric motors) but one of the main reasons is the better cope with combination of axial and radial forces. With extra clearance and a preloading, a radial or conrad type of ball bearing will act more like an angular contact bearing. This is of interest in cycling applications of course. Final word; even the rubbiest of el cheapo bearing will outlast and outperform a top quality one IF mounted correctly, so use proper tools and procedures!!!!

[@schnecks2180]

Honestly, how could you make this video without laughing? :-) God, I still must be 12.....

[@LordxJoe]

in here are balls... which i'm sure you're familiar with

[@anfrae25]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video. It was truly informational, and I appreciate you passing on the indepth analysis, and findings of your testing! Great job! I was considering ceramic bearing for a different application, and I believe the findings would be the same. Again thank you.

[@garelius]

Dear Mr Hambini - your presentation skills and your attention to detail are really impressive. I have a question from the last century on which I hope you or your following will satisfy my curiosity. In the 1950s I would watch my grandad strip the wheel and bottom bracket bearings of his trusty Raleigh once a week. This is the bike that enabled him to earn his living as a bricklayer cycling to jobs all over Cambridgeshire. Sit-up-and-beg, rod brakes but a 4 speed Sturmey Archer at the back and a hub dynamo at the front. Also a tube of zinc chloride batteries on the front of the down tube which he said were to keep the lights bright when peddling slowly into the wind. My question is ‘how efficient were his bearings in relation to modern ones?’ given that there was no seal friction or cage friction. Or , come to that, no grease friction. I think I remember 3-in-1 oil. In addition to the weekly strip he also inspected the balls carefully and replaced any in doubt. He obviously felt this weekly task was of benefit. So was he wasting his time or was he maintaining his bearings at a higher level of efficiency than our modern ones? Or just using it as an excuse to hide from granny!

[@mtnbikehead]

I did have an enduro ceramic bearing bottoms bracket on my last road bike. It was noticeably smoother than the one that I took off. Maybe the previous BB bottom bracket bearings were wearing. Anyway, I had previously upgraded the the wheels, to DuraAce C35s, and they felt like I had an emotor, because the wheels compared with the stock aluminum wheels, which felt like they were dragging in comparison while coasting. Acceleration was noticeably better, but they were lighter. I attributed most of the performance gains to the better bearing races. I was a heavier rider at 92 kg. I figured a smoother rolling surface and less deflection of inner race. Better to have good steel balls and races than crappy races with nice balls. The findings on this channel are consistent with a few others and what I have learned through trial and error.

[@zingbopdelux]

So there you have it! … I knew there would be absolutely no reason for me to suffer my guitar lessons by studying more physics back in high school … I had a funny feeling that a type of “KZbin” phenomenon would eventually make it into the main stream and I would simply just be able to “hang out” with the geniuses, living vicariously through their brain functions … but I do play a mean guitar now, so it’s all good! Thank You Hambini!

[@TheMadMagician87]

Finally, a channel about bearings that isn't full of supposition and/or deliberate BS. Great stuff mate!

[@kevinrtres]

Hambini, Thank you very,. very much for all the work you've put into this research, which most of us cannot do. The information is invaluable!

[@Hambini]

Thankyou for the feedback

[@stephenmanley4097]

That was very informative, so I will stick with good steel bearing's. On my bike bearings I pop out a seal wash the bearing grease out. I then put a drop of synthetic oil in then replace the seal.

[@BreakawayB]

So glad I found this channel. The truth is in the data!

[@brunoj6146]

Thanks for this brilliant video. Even for French native like me, it’s easy to understand. Well done.

[@leroyusa935]

Wow, a very excellent presentation and your expertise and the manner in which you share your knowledge is impressive. Very articulated and easy to grasp your explanation on the fundamental differences of these two bearing designs. I wish you were my college instructor back in my younger years. I would be facinated and intrigued with every one of your in depth lectures. You have me as one of your new subscribers. Thanks a million for this brilliant video.

[@thegee-tahguy4877]

I use a full ceramic Chinese bearing on my Neato robot vacuum cleaner's roller brush. The entire bearing is ceramic with an ABS cage. The reason this works out well is b/c the normal greased bearings with rubber seals cannot handel the dirt and hair the brush picks up. Plus, the grease attracts the dirt! The ceramic bearing needs no lubricant at these rpms and it only has a shield on one side, but even so, the dirt and hair do not seem to slow it down. When it gets real dirty, I just run it under hot water and it's good to go.

[@jasper12785]

Thanks so much, this helps a ton and cleared up A LOT. I'm loving the no-nonse, intelligent, rational, functional and practical approach, the visual aid is superb! Keep up the great work and more videos are always welcomed and greatly appreciated!! Your scientific approach and real life applications are spot on!

[@Hambini]

Thanks for the feedback

[@makantahi3731]

i agree with you, you made big effort to cut this topic on tiny slices

[@Dorkbike]

Well that makes that decision much easier. Thank you for the simple study comparison and explanations.

[@josh33172]

Long time ago I made this exact statement "At the speed that bearings in bicycles, especially bottom brackets and headsets, there is no benefit to ceramics", and really not even in the hubs. I am not an engineer, it was just something that made sense since I always attributed the benefit of ceramic to lower friction at higher temps due to higher RPMs. The only real high RPM bearings on the bike are the jockey wheels, and I even find that to be a stretch. I am so glad a proper engineer that is generally interesting in this top took the time to apply his knowledge and experience to squash this marketing garbage. I roll my eyes everytime I walk into a bike shop and see a couple guys standing around the CeramicSpeed display spinning the jockey wheels marveling over them spinning under no load.

[@Hambini]

spot on and you hit the nail on the head.

[@michaellitzkow8123]

I find your analysis very nice and easy to understand. Thanks for all your work on this.

[@jfcote42]

Very interesting about the hybrid bearings. I've heard that one advantage of full ceramic bearings, apart from their ability to perform at high heat, is that they can tolerate contamination better since the material is harder than sand. Their ability to crush sand without deforming apparently makes them last longer. Would like to see full ceramic compared to the rest in the video. Probably still not worth the price but I think it would be interesting

[@shamuslamont100]

not so sure. I've had ceramics grind up to dust while riding.

[@CoolCityCycling]

@@shamuslamont100 You probably used the Sin3 full ceramic bearings in the ceramic races like I did. Those aren't built for wheel hubs. If you tried the full ceramic white zinc ones they work in the rear but the ceramic races can crack if installed with shock forces. They work best in the front wheel. However, the sin3 loose bearings will take a pounding and the rolling resistance will be far less. I use ceramic bearings in anything I can get them in on my two bikes. They're superior. Even the chinese ones. And now the chinese ceramic bearings are becoming more expensive now that some cyclists are hip to the positives.

[@bandogbone3265]

Thanks for all your good information! Just a minor point: I suggest you get a lapel microphone. The microphone that you were using was too far away and picked up more room sound (echo and reverberation) than direct sound. Also, the sound changed a lot when the camera was moved.

[@martinda7446]

The 'spark and nuts' annotation demanded a subscription. Very funny, very good too.

[@Hambini]

thanks for the feedback

[@davidsoftley4648]

Hambini, thanks, you've just saved me a lot of money with one video. Great explanation backed up by facts and figures.

[@gartasaraykrar1080]

that website is a proper reaming of hambini🤣 my god i was not expecting to see an oil refinery job.

[@SprayIgniteBoom]

You are TRULY a guru!!! Thank you for your dedicated knowledge of the bits that help you ACTUALLY go faster and farther~✌️🖖⚡️

[@Hambini]

Thankyou!

[@tbas8741]

Thats why i prefer Journal Bearings over Ball Bearings for Turbos (yes more drag slower spool in turbo with journals but only 300-500rpm diff)) But journal bearings are 100% contactless bearings as the shaft floats on OIL and never touches the sides. Unless not enough or Old oil used or incorrect weight oil. Just like trains have Oil Journal bearing in axles as no roller bearing could hope to withstand those loads of 15-20,000 PSI Per wheel given about 4-6" in contact at time 80-120,000 Pounds force.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. With the controversy, it was nice to get some good data to sort out the truth.

[@rodrigosolleropaulo7577]

Dear Hambini, Your videos are awesome. I would like to make a suggestion for a complementary video testing the Token Premium and Token Tiramic bearings. Best Regards, Rodrigo.

[@davewallace9048]

Chris King probably makes some of the best bearings in bicycle business!! I’m using onyx hubs right now with hybrid ceramic bearings so far so good.