is it worth fititng ceramic bearings in my wheels?

toadontheroad
toadontheroad Posts: 27
edited February 2010 in Workshop
Hello,

I have an 08 Boardman road team which i love and has been very good to me. The wheels arent the best though (Ritchey Pro OCR) and it feels - and sounds - like the bearings are in need of replacing.

I am quite keen on a set of ceramic bearings as the reviews are good and the wheels are used for everything, commuting, racing and training so it would be nice to keep them in good condition.

any thoughts? and if its a good upgrade, are there any preferred stockists?

Comments

  • SpiderNdc
    SpiderNdc Posts: 137
    Hi i think it is not because for ball bearings (normal) you pay like 10 p each and for ceramic 5 £ so dot think so if something go yo yours bike shop and ask for advise
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    I'd consider replacing the whole wheels rather than just the bearings. I'm not sure anyone would be able to appreciate the difference between regular and ceramic bearings on a regular set of wheels? The wheels may just need a bit of a service or re-adjustment if they don't feel right.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    If you want faster wheels, use a light oil or remove the bearing seals as these both contribute the most to drag. (I wouldn't actually recommend any of these, btw) I can't see the value in cermaics personally.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Ceramic bearings = hype = ££££ for no reason. I know - I've spent a small fortune being duped. :)
  • toadontheroad
    toadontheroad Posts: 27
    thanks for the advice, i'll probably service the wheels i have and leave it at that.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Pokerface wrote:
    I know - I've spent a small fortune being duped. :)

    Well, you're certainly not alone in that respect. We ALL get sucked in from time to time.
    As I get older I get more and more like Moriarty, the tank mechanic in the movie Kelly's Heroes. You know, "It's a piece of cr*p" "It's a pile of junk".
  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    No, if you're going to spend money on pointless bling it should be somewhere visible so friends and neighbours can admire it properly.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Wow, 7 no's and not a single yes. I would have thought someone would have chimed in
    about going 10 MPH faster etc., etc.
  • mmacavity
    mmacavity Posts: 781
    Ceramic ball bearings might be harder than steel ball bearings. But steel ball bearings tend to be harder than the bearing surfaces (raceways) , so the weakest part is possibly the bearing suface/ raceway. See Hertz Contact Theory.
    http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/Hertz ... actStress/

Categories