There's a glaring misstatement in this video, namely that "ceramic bearings last longer." This myth is precisely the sort of marketing hype that now pervades the cycling industry (along with other goodies like the "power transfer" of a bike frame). The reality is that ceramic bearings-let's be specific, we're talking about Si3N4 (silicon nitride) rolling elements on hardened steel races, aka ceramic hybrid bearings-have drastically less load bearing capacity than conventional all-steel bearings. The advantages of these hybrid bearings are higher speed (at a level irrelevant for cycling), more stiffness (at a level irrelevant for cycling), and less rolling friction. In a high-load, super-low-speed application like a bottom bracket bearing, they will last LESS long than an all steel bearing. Another pervasive myth in the cycling that just won't die is that components like the rear derailleur pulleys rob you of significant power, on the order of 4-10 watts that can be saved with a $$$$ ceramic pulley system. NO, not even close! Not even 0.2 watts vs a Dura-ace jockey wheel set. Consider that fact that a bottom bracket with what most would call unacceptable tightness being spun (on a bike stand) by your finger on a crank only amount to, at most, 0.4 watts. Somehow, company after company is able to cash in massively on the technical illiteracy of cyclists dying to hand over wads of cash for the latest technical fad. Power (hp) = applied_force (lbs) x lever_arm (inches) * RPM / 63025. To convert to watts, multiply hp by 745.7. You can use this simple equation to convince yourself just how silly it is to worry about how freely a crank arm spins (or any component) producing finger pressure levels of drag. And here's another related myth, that the friction from bicycle wheel bearings amounts to something significant. Using the same equation, let's consider a 175 pound rider, with a wheel hub bearing race radius of 0.375 inches, traveling at 25 mph with 700c x 25mm tires. A properly loaded conventional steel ball bearing with seals and grease has a rolling coefficient of friction of, to be generous, 0.003. So how many watts are your steel wheel hub bearings robbing you of-maybe 5, 10, maybe even higher? The answer is 0.74 watts max (total, both wheels). And how much could you save by paying mega $$$$ for shiny new ceramic-hybrid wheel bearings? Drum roll...a stunning 0.30 watts max (total, both wheels). Just step back and look at the big picture of how far this marketing silliness has gone. The highest-end road bikes now sell for upwards of $15,000, all to handle a 1/3 hp external 'motor' to be supplied by the customer (i.e., your legs). Now put one of those next to a high-end Ducati Panigale V4 motorcycle, including a 200 hp engine with combustion temperatures in thousands of degrees at a thousand psi and timing to almost 500 firings per second, 200 mph top speed, 300+ lbs of advanced aerospace-grade materials (incl gobs of carbon fiber, titanium alloys, etc), and a comparatively insane number of (actually) advanced technical components...all for $21,000. If the Ducati were priced like our bicycles, it would cost closer to $21 million. Bottom line, these bicycle manufacturers should be laughing their asses off at our technical ignorance and eagerness to part with cash. China, please save us from this overpriced lunacy.

I've got more knowledge from this only video than from many noisy videos of GSN. Many thanks for the information, sir.

I have done my Masters in Mechanical Engineering and your video taught me more about bearings than I learnt from my Engineering.. Hats off for the details...

Another EXCELLENT video on bearings. I have had great experiences with HSC bearings. Resonable pricing but really good performance. Best rolling hubs I've ever had were campy wheels with ceramic balls added and some nice grease. Never noticed any difference when I put ceramic bearings in my old BB30 bottom bracket - supported by this video.

Really love the simplified breakdown. Excellent presentation! Thank you.

Outstanding explanations of how it all works. Nice to see and hear it in clear terminology, based on clear thinking. I'm a retired mechanical engineer, and I fully agree with everything you said. Good job.

Fantastic video! Very clear explanations, demonstrations, and animations, wrapped up with terrific perspective!

Quite possibly the best bicycle video for racers I have ever seen.

Thanx too much for all notice for the riding and maintenance to our lovely bikes, cheers from Japan.

This channel is a gold mine of knowledge.

You're right on the bearing lubrication. When I was a kid, we used to soak skateboard wheels bearings in solvent to get rid of all grease. Those bearings spun very nicely, but their lifetime was very short as a result.

Fascinating video. Ive been in to cycling and sports my entire life as many of us have. I also have grown up with a family sporting goods shop which just had its 30th anniversary. You're presentation is awesome and very educational and useful for my line of work. Really bolstering things i am very familiar with.

Friction Facts have released reports about BB bearing materials. The major performance difference between steel and ceramic bearing BB is that the latter commonly packaged with less viscous lub and looser seal. This gives a high performance impression of ceramic bearing. The test reports confirmed that high end steel and ceramic bearings have virtually no difference on rolling under load.

This is an excellent review! It is not only informative, but wise! Thank you!

Dr.bearings and biking master, thank you , i Learned an important Lessons today. All the best.

Wow - what a video - thanks 1. I found this video while searching about updates to the next Mars mission(!) 2. It explains why all of my bikes as a youngster eventually wore out :)

thank you for your effort, this was fantastically informative. people like you are cycling legends in my mind.

Awesome presentation. I learn so much from watching them. With the oversize jockey wheels I have been looking at the Ridea range. Apart from Ceramic Speed, Ridea has so far been the only company to provide individual stats for the products they offer, rather than the generic spiel.

23:10 That's a really good illustration: it shows at the same time the influence of bike geometry and rider position, and how the two interact in different types of frames: hybrid to road/hoods to road/drops to TT bike. Nice!

Great explanation, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable on the subject but you certainly added to what I know now. Thanks

absolutely love watching your videos, keep it up mate. Lightyears ahead of another aussie cycling channel (named after a tropical fruit).

These videos are great, you are really good at teaching! Thanks from 🇸🇪

Great content and excellent presentation! I learned a lot from this. Thank you for posting!

I am waiting impatiently for your jockey wheel review. Keep up the good job.

Hello Mr. Oz. Again, another great video. I will need to watch it several times in order to understand it very well (technical terms and language). I loved it and thanks again for your videos and your friendliness. Regards from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Francisco Alonso Colom

Absolutely great presentation... well done!

Man, you are an excellent teacher!

I was looking into ceramic bearings for my MTB a couple of days ago. I was on a totally different route, but I ended up with the same conclusion. No ceramic barings for my wheels. It was tempting though. I talked to a bearing dealer in Germany. His advice was to choose the highest possible quality of steel bearings. They last longer, need no maintanance, cost way less and take harder impacts. Thank you for your very good vid.

Amazing presentation!

Great Video. Thank you for the informative content that has made complicated engineering information simplified for non-technical bicycle enthusiasts like us. Hope you could cover more components i.e. bicycle frame, wheels (spoke numbers), and if possible, all the parts of a bicycle, including maintenance. Your presentation style is so professional and comprehensible! Thank you!

Thanks for the info, really glad I watched. Always thought the whole ceramic thing was a bit of a scam. But in regards to the jockey wheels, I loved seeing you hold up the Rockbros. I truely cannot believe people are gullible /vain enough to spend $1500 or more to buy you know who Speed.

You're an awesome professor! Thanks!

Thanks for all the knowledge sharing and the excellent advice. I really like your videos.

Holy mackerel! Lots of bike wisdom, here. Thank you, Sir!!

Point taken. I am sticking with my steel bearings. Thanks.

You have answered my questions and I thank you.

Very true, I cleaned all the grease from my pedals as I noticed how stif they appeared and applied some light oil as an experiment. The pedal spun much more freely afterwards. I did replaced the grease with much lighter grease before use. It just means I have replace the grease more often, it’s only a 5 minute job once a year. I have BBinfinite bottom brackets, maybe it’s the placebo effect but I’m sure its much easier to pedal. Plus using your waxed chain. I cant ride faster i just feel like i get upto speed faster.

Great video, thanks from Colombia South America

Excellent!! Very comprehensive!

Man, you really know what's up! Great, no, fantastic information here. You really put alot of details and work in to videos for sure! I thank you, this has helped me personally in many ways. Only thing is now my OCD has kicked in, hope I can relax about the fiction, bearing information, and a thousand things more...And some say, yeah go and enjoy your ride... uffff, now I will be thinking of so many more things than just enjoying a long ride and getting some training in... Still thx for all of it!

Best cycling video ever, thanks so much!

Great video very informative really delving into every aspect of the science of bearings.. thank you

Thanks for the info mate. That was another great class. Nice shirt btw. 👍

Thanks Oz, a lot to take in but all relevant to going faster.

Very informative video and well edited

great in depth video oz..

Superb presentation, easy to understand. Thanks for sharing your video.

you crystallized what I thought I knew already and that, for me is priceless. You are a natural born teacher. Also, the knowledge you share about lubricants, fill rates and seals is so useful and easy to remember, because you explained it so well. Thank you.

This is why I switched to MG chemicals White Thin Lithium grease. It’s great on firearms sliding metal parts but it’s even better on bike hubs with loose bearings. Since I can’t stand sealed bearings I started using this lithium grease for packing my road bike hubs and also the Older caged bearing bike bottom bracket. It’s a cheaper bike but it is just super quiet, unlike the more expensive bikes sounding very noisy drive trains.

I like your reviews - always informative. I query your comments about lubricating sealed bearings. In my experience, sealed bearings are just that - sealed, and they can't be re lubricated. Shimano bottom brackets are specifically marked - 'Do not disassemble'

Great summary. Especially the $/watt comparisons. I'll not be using ceramic ones for many reasons. I have read also that durability is an issue in pat because of their interaction with the race.

Thank you for this very impressive tutorial. You have the ability to impart your deep understanding of these concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand and grasp. Thank again.

Love your stuff dude!

Amazing explanation, Thanks Sir

Ceramic bearings are used on spools for bait casting reels that can reach rpms up to 30,000 rpms. I’ve converted some of my reels already. My mtb has ceramics in the shifter cogs. Liberty makes some pretty good synthetic oils. I’m waiting for a set right now. And English website “ Pimp my reel” upgrades the bearings on request. The anglers can throw weights almost 300 yards. You can order from China 🇨🇳 for cheap.

Great video, thank you!

great video as always

Dude you are an engineer, i think your job is related to engineering. However i appreciated all this information. You mentioned maintenance of bearing is every 70.000km, that is 70 years for me. I will definitely wack the Ceramic bearings everywhere into my bike and forget about them, till i buy a new bike or till i die. 👌😂

when i saw the chart I wanted Project Farm's level lubricant tests... which include many improvised lubricants!

Love your video. Very helpful

Great. Thank you

Best info to date.

Great explaining 👏👏👏👏👏

This video.. awesome!!! I will change my bearings!!!

nice tutorial. thanks

This is a doctorate crash course from bearings, maintenance, bike fitting, rider and bike aerodynamics, health and nutrition, cycling tactics and strategies. Learned alot from you brother thank you so much!

I don't buy bearings from niche home made brands(enduro, Ceramic Speed, and etc), I buy bearings form renowned brands, SKF, NBN and NSK. You are paying for the real quality rather than cheap play on grease and non contact seals.

Another great video. 😬

Please advise if it makes sense to lubricate the crank axle (as so many KZfaq videos recommend). I'm of the opinion that you don't want the crank axle to slip inside the bearing effectively forming another bearing withing the BB bearing only this time without the advantage of having ball bearings to reduce friction. Thanks for this very comprehensive, informative and no-BS look at bearings and cost vs gains for ceramic bearing and other places to seek watt savings at less to no cost. Love your in-depth and mature way of looking at things. Cheers from Italy.

I bought cheap jockey wheels with ceramic bearings (because i need replacement anyway, so nothing to loose) And "chinese" cheap ceramic wheels was in same price like standard metal "branded" I replacd bottom plastic wheel with steel balls 11T for alloy/ceramic balls 12T, and upper wheel plastic/steel - 11T for alloy/steel 11T as well Just apply a bit of wax based lube just enough for cover balls... Result is beyond my expectations - chain run more freely and quiter. Shifting is better as well... Just one thing - i ordered 3 "chinese" wheels (keep it for spares) and every one is slightly diferent in feel (tolerance). So bear it in mind... But running smooth so far (500miles done at MTB bike in dirty/muddy/dusty enviroment). Just cleaned and regrease it after this distance (still first one is on)

Fantastic video. I'm not a biker I found this channel looking for RC bearings and thinking what's the difference in normal stainless and ceramic? All my questions was answered thank you.

Love you OZ cycle ❤️

one of the best video. thank you so much for the info.also what brand of ceramic bearing would you chose? and what brand makes a hight quality steel bearing? thanks

Bearings are made of clusters of atoms. Lubricants are made of atoms too - specifically stuck together as molecules. So good lubricants will be near spherical, stable and chemically inert clusters of molecules which have low Van der Waals (electrostatic) forces. You are just packing lots of nano scale ball bearings around the macro scale ball bearings.

My first experience with ceramic bearing was 9 years into my cycling career. I can tell you I noticed an immediate difference. Especially in a pace line. When the front rider stopped pedaling, I would normally stop pedaling to prevent running into the front rider. Now that does not work. I have to pull out into the wind to prevent running into the front rider. And no, it's not placebo. No one mentions TIME in their equation. Saving small amounts of wattage over a long period of TIME adds up. When seconds count in a time trial it matters. On 100 mile bike rides it matters. I've ridden the same mavic wheel set with ceramic bearings, installed by me, in all kinds of conditions for at least 5 years and have had zero problems.

VERY educational--Do you have an opinion on BOCA bearings? I think they are hybrid

Entonces, en estricto rigor ¿cada cuantos kilómetros hay que lubricar y cambiar los rodamientos, si tengo cuenta que he recorrido mas de 8500Kms durante 5 meses y usando "press-fit"?

Something I didn’t hear him mention is spinning a part and watching how long it coasts really tells you nothing. The resistance of the bearing must be measured with the intended load applied before there is any meaningful data.

Great info, especially when comparing other ways of reducing watts. One thing you didn't mention at 22:50 (your body) is removing the spare tire. Seriously, the number of lycra clad weight weenies I see that are carrying 10-20kg of extra weight is ridiculous. Perhaps once you're only 5kg overweight people can start worrying about getting more and more efficiency in other ways. Now, a lot who read this will be trim taught and terrific, but a lot will also be trying to spend money more than work off weight. If you're overweight - don't worry about anything until you're weight is under control. THEN spend the big bucks on a highly efficient bike.

Good info.. Tq

Train on stationary rollers to promote riding in a straight line, saving more energy than all this other stuff combined.

Umm one correction grease is just oil with a soap(thickner) mixed in the reason for this is to keep the lubricant in the areas I.e. the loaded zone of the bearings. The viscosity of the oil is what keeps the metal surface apart. My point is use the right grease and not oil. Oil will move away from the area of force! Grease will not as the temperature rises the grease will become more fluid and keep the bearing lubricated.

thank you for the info, i almost buy unecesary thing for my old everyday use bike

Thanks dude you are a blessing and please forget about my joke I can’t help myself I need to flap my lips 👄 it aerodynamic I think 🧐.

Good on ya

wow very informative ...glad i have come across your channel! thou u just made my life less simple 😂😏

What about the thermal expansion effect of each bearing material?

Interesting topic, would like to give the ceramics a try if the cost difference wasn't so large.

another choice "Super Lube " spray or grease - fully synthetic and food grade

Best coverage of bearings i must admit, would need to be a dedicated rider to take it all in, still, like everything there is a use by date, even me. Might take up swimming.

do you know how to repair minor cuts and abrasions to leather saddles? maybe just to seal and reinforce?

Is cutting oil any good as a sealed-bearing lubricant?

What is the most effective placebo?

In all my engineering school, this is the first time I heard lubricant absorbed impact/load... Lubricant is meant to reduce friction my friend.

I have used them.and they spin well but they don't last long enough for me. I just use quality abec5 grade angular and non angular.

how do you lubricate the sealed cartridge bearings? cheers

I Have a c-bear ceramic bb and there is no difference to the Japanese steel bearings that I had before! People spin their cranks on KZfaq without any load and think they’re amazing, but the point is they aren’t under any load. Once under load I cannot sense any difference.

Dont let Hambini find out about your love of ceramic bearings or he'll give you a reaming.

What about old models bearing like shimano they don't need prom bearings and stone ball bearings I don't know how it should be right

Colleges and universities should offer students class credits for studying this video. Thank you.