Assuming you meant GCN, for me merely an entertaining infomercial channel advertising most expensive cycling products on the market, frequently just borderline silly. Fun to watch, but you're totally on point stating information on channels like this is more valuable! Cheers!
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...
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.
Dear B. Smith, I would like echo all that you have said and thank you for taking the time to write. The ridiculous talk about Watt savings (from bearing choice) by the many can not be stressed enough. Thank you Mr. Oz cycle for producing at great synopsis on bearings for cyclists. It is a very big subject of course. Let us hope the video will reach a very wide market. I think you stressed the facts and downsides of ceramic and hybrid bearings. Good job. More can be said of course: how bearing fit (too much compression from the bore) is so important - explaining the failures of Press-Fit BBs etc, and maybe talking about the old days when a bike would have numerous oil ports/grease ports (yes, there are some components flying the flag). Then we have to praise Shimano and others for still producing great cup and cone bearing components but then 'sadly' throwing down the drain by forgetting to set the cones to the right tolerance in the factory. There are far too many pseudo-engineers/designers in the bike industry who think their tertiary education means they are qualified. Also they are probably having to compromise heavily and have to throw stuff out the door prematurely often - the disclaimers and lawyers will take care of you so you can sleep at night. If you are young and want succeed in competitive cycling you better learn and practice to be the one of the best mechanics before you can afford to have one and pay for his or her life long experience.
I have during my few hours, seen allot of crazy talk about bearings. And i have to say, i love your comment... I am not a cyclist, i'm more into cars...But... those run on Bearings to, and honestly get Waaaaay more load on them then a petty bicycle... i have not looked into your calculations, and i will not :P but, they sounds pretty much on point... And.... if you, as a casual bike user, wants to keep your steel bearings performing... the key ingredient... is lube... metal on metal is not good... it needs lube... if ever your bearing sounds dry, then it might already be worn out... depending on the amount of sideways slack... the point is, if you are using a bearing for a long time, the grease the manufacturer put in there is only gonna last for so long... and you will either have to add more, or you will have to buy a new bearing... refilling is a fair bit cheaper. A bearing, if sufficiently lubed, will last a very long time. ofc, the metal in the bearing needs to have a good hardness ect. but, in generall it will only really start to wear when the grease runs out... This example, should make most people get at what i'm saying... you would not run your car engine without oil.... And it's the same with bearings... lube em, and they will live for ages, run them dry, and they will grind, and die... Cheers :D
I think you are missing something. TIME. 0.30 watts over TIME. 1 minute vs 5 hours in the saddle. Do that equation. Since you are driving the bike with human power over time, SURELY you work less.
@@Geeios1 For those of us with electrical knowhow, the equation is fairly simple. The 0.30 watts are meant to be real time... Thus over an hour, witch battery/house standards are set as, you would save 0.3 watt hours. over 5 hours 0.3Wh x5, you would save 1,5 watt hours... the cyclists are talking about a fit person being able to generate 200-300 watts on a cycle. But lets be conservative, and say we "normal people" would only generate a 100watts... Over one hour 100w=100 watt hours... 100wh x5 hours=500wh. Thus if you were to generate that over 5 hours, you would save... 1,5 watt hours out of 500 watt hours... not to much gain is it? :P
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.
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.
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.
MasterBata same, I'd put a mix of 3 in 1 mixed with graphite powder. My dad made the mix up and remove the seals. A but messy but I'd oil the bearings every second outing. More noise but they'd last ok. Definitely faster from.memory. harvests in the late 70s mind you.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Yup, ceramic is only good in applications with no vibrations and higher rpm,s. The shock loading on most bikes, especially off road bike would destroy ceramic bearings. Hit a ceramic bearing with a hammer, then a ss bearing . The steel bearing absorbs vibration exponentially better than ceramic.
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 :)
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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'
I see your view Richard. However, "sealed" bearings are not entirely sealed if water and debris can get into them,which is all too common with bicycles. Hence the need to either replace or clean and relube them.
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.
I can see that on high rpm applications, but bike wheels turn between 200 and 300 rpm . I doubt very much that even a pro rider in a blind test would tell the difference in almost any bearings in the wheels that are properly set up and tuned.
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.
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.
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
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.
Please advise if it makes sense to lubricate the crank axle (as so many RUclips 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.
You need something to prevent rust or galling of dissimilar metals. Grease offers some protection however thickened antiseize is better. The interference fit of most crank bearing interfaces prevent any slipping under normal use.
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.
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.
@@janetguzman1985 Companies like NTN, SKF, NSK, KOYO, are OEMs i.e. Original Equipment manufacturers. They don't make a 'better' product compared to others. They make a product that is in accordance with the specifications, dimensions, and tolerances. Take a 608ZZ for instance. The dimensions are the same for the 608 bearing across all OEMs, so it's unreasonable to argue over which manufacturer is the best, when they're all making the same product to the same degree of exactness. I will say that always get your bearings from a reputable source. I get mine from an industrial bearing supply place and they're ridiculously cheap for a roll of fifteen SKF bearings. Genuine OEM bearings beat shoddy ceramic bearings or even Chinese ones.
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"?
Great Video!!!! Thanks so much. According to everything you said, why shimano still uses cups and cones on their parts (as far as I know even in Dura-ace and Ultegra)? Does not make any sense!!!
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. 👌😂
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!
Hi, I’m looking for bearings of that size for a different application, what bearing model is the one that you are demoing at the beginning of the video?
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)
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.
@@BEEBEE159 F1 Ceramic American Made Grade 3 www.f1ceramic.com/ I haven't tried the coated version, they were not available when I bought mine. I put in a mavic elite wheel set.
I have a tcr with slr-1 wheels (rebranded DT swiss 360/370 hubs) slow rolling out of the box. Want better climbing. Would any bearing upgrade make a difference. Or should I get a new wheel set? Or just train harder😅
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.
i have boardman road bike with the wheel in the frame normal it’s sitting way to the left. i flipped the wheel over so the cassette was on the left and it’s lined up where is the fault do you think frame shows no damage wheel is true thank you
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.
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.
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.
I've got more knowledge from this only video than from many noisy videos of GSN. Many thanks for the information, sir.
Assuming you meant GCN, for me merely an entertaining infomercial channel advertising most expensive cycling products on the market, frequently just borderline silly. Fun to watch, but you're totally on point stating information on channels like this is more valuable! Cheers!
@@Charles_Bro-son Agreed!
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...
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.
Very true, its mostly consumerism
Dear B. Smith, I would like echo all that you have said and thank you for taking the time to write. The ridiculous talk about Watt savings (from bearing choice) by the many can not be stressed enough.
Thank you Mr. Oz cycle for producing at great synopsis on bearings for cyclists. It is a very big subject of course. Let us hope the video will reach a very wide market. I think you stressed the facts and downsides of ceramic and hybrid bearings. Good job. More can be said of course: how bearing fit (too much compression from the bore) is so important - explaining the failures of Press-Fit BBs etc, and maybe talking about the old days when a bike would have numerous oil ports/grease ports (yes, there are some components flying the flag). Then we have to praise Shimano and others for still producing great cup and cone bearing components but then 'sadly' throwing down the drain by forgetting to set the cones to the right tolerance in the factory.
There are far too many pseudo-engineers/designers in the bike industry who think their tertiary education means they are qualified. Also they are probably having to compromise heavily and have to throw stuff out the door prematurely often - the disclaimers and lawyers will take care of you so you can sleep at night.
If you are young and want succeed in competitive cycling you better learn and practice to be the one of the best mechanics before you can afford to have one and pay for his or her life long experience.
I have during my few hours, seen allot of crazy talk about bearings. And i have to say, i love your comment... I am not a cyclist, i'm more into cars...But... those run on Bearings to, and honestly get Waaaaay more load on them then a petty bicycle... i have not looked into your calculations, and i will not :P but, they sounds pretty much on point... And.... if you, as a casual bike user, wants to keep your steel bearings performing... the key ingredient... is lube... metal on metal is not good... it needs lube... if ever your bearing sounds dry, then it might already be worn out... depending on the amount of sideways slack... the point is, if you are using a bearing for a long time, the grease the manufacturer put in there is only gonna last for so long... and you will either have to add more, or you will have to buy a new bearing... refilling is a fair bit cheaper. A bearing, if sufficiently lubed, will last a very long time. ofc, the metal in the bearing needs to have a good hardness ect. but, in generall it will only really start to wear when the grease runs out... This example, should make most people get at what i'm saying... you would not run your car engine without oil.... And it's the same with bearings... lube em, and they will live for ages, run them dry, and they will grind, and die... Cheers :D
I think you are missing something. TIME. 0.30 watts over TIME. 1 minute vs 5 hours in the saddle. Do that equation. Since you are driving the bike with human power over time, SURELY you work less.
@@Geeios1 For those of us with electrical knowhow, the equation is fairly simple. The 0.30 watts are meant to be real time... Thus over an hour, witch battery/house standards are set as, you would save 0.3 watt hours. over 5 hours 0.3Wh x5, you would save 1,5 watt hours... the cyclists are talking about a fit person being able to generate 200-300 watts on a cycle. But lets be conservative, and say we "normal people" would only generate a 100watts... Over one hour 100w=100 watt hours... 100wh x5 hours=500wh. Thus if you were to generate that over 5 hours, you would save... 1,5 watt hours out of 500 watt hours... not to much gain is it? :P
Really love the simplified breakdown. Excellent presentation! Thank you.
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.
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!
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.
MasterBata same, I'd put a mix of 3 in 1 mixed with graphite powder. My dad made the mix up and remove the seals. A but messy but I'd oil the bearings every second outing. More noise but they'd last ok. Definitely faster from.memory. harvests in the late 70s mind you.
thank you for your effort, this was fantastically informative. people like you are cycling legends in my mind.
This is an excellent review! It is not only informative, but wise! Thank you!
Thanx too much for all notice for the riding and maintenance to our lovely bikes, cheers from Japan.
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.
Quite possibly the best bicycle video for racers I have ever seen.
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!
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.
This channel is a gold mine of knowledge.
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
Come to Brazil!
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.
Absolutely great presentation... well done!
absolutely love watching your videos, keep it up mate. Lightyears ahead of another aussie cycling channel (named after a tropical fruit).
Dr.bearings and biking master, thank you , i Learned an important Lessons today. All the best.
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.
Use high quality stainless steel, last a bit less than carbon steel and are more expensive.. but do not get corroded.
Yup, ceramic is only good in applications with no vibrations and higher rpm,s. The shock loading on most bikes, especially off road bike would destroy ceramic bearings. Hit a ceramic bearing with a hammer, then a ss bearing . The steel bearing absorbs vibration exponentially better than ceramic.
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 :)
Thanks for all the knowledge sharing and the excellent advice. I really like your videos.
Great explanation, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable on the subject but you certainly added to what I know now.
Thanks
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!
COMPLETELY AGREE! Oz Cycle, please do this!
Thanx Ace and John 👍
I am waiting impatiently for your jockey wheel review.
Keep up the good job.
Great video very informative really delving into every aspect of the science of bearings.. 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.
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!
I feel the same. OCD is a bitch.
Man, you are an excellent teacher!
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!
Best cycling video ever, thanks so much!
You have answered my questions and I thank you.
Great video, thanks from Colombia South America
Superb presentation, easy to understand. Thanks for sharing your video.
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.
Thanks for the info mate. That was another great class.
Nice shirt btw. 👍
Amazing presentation!
You're an awesome professor! Thanks!
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.
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.
Thank YOU for watching Tympan 😁
Very informative video and well edited
Excellent!! Very comprehensive!
Point taken. I am sticking with my steel bearings. Thanks.
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'
I see your view Richard. However, "sealed" bearings are not entirely sealed if water and debris can get into them,which is all too common with bicycles. Hence the need to either replace or clean and relube them.
Thanks Oz, a lot to take in but all relevant to going faster.
great in depth video oz..
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.
I can see that on high rpm applications, but bike wheels turn between 200 and 300 rpm . I doubt very much that even a pro rider in a blind test would tell the difference in almost any bearings in the wheels that are properly set up and tuned.
Holy mackerel! Lots of bike wisdom, here. Thank you, Sir!!
Love your stuff dude!
By the way, you're the reason I bought my Chinese carbon clinchers. Couldn't be happier
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.
Yes,very hard races are required otherwise they get chewed out by the ceramic balls.
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.
Amazing explanation, Thanks Sir
Love your video. Very helpful
when i saw the chart I wanted Project Farm's level lubricant tests... which include many improvised lubricants!
great video as always
This video.. awesome!!! I will change my bearings!!!
VERY educational--Do you have an opinion on BOCA bearings? I think they are hybrid
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
If you going ceramic may as well get the best....'Ceramic speed'.
Great video, thank you!
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.
Best info to date.
nice tutorial. thanks
Great explaining 👏👏👏👏👏
Great. Thank you
Please advise if it makes sense to lubricate the crank axle (as so many RUclips 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.
A small smear of grease on the axle where the bearings contact it is good. In some cases,if the bb creaks, 2 drops of loctite instead of grease.
You need something to prevent rust or galling of dissimilar metals. Grease offers some protection however thickened antiseize is better. The interference fit of most crank bearing interfaces prevent any slipping under normal use.
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.
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.
That is the beast way to do it. You just need to know which quality you need to order.
true, but Koyo bearings are the best known japanese brand 😊😃
@@janetguzman1985 Companies like NTN, SKF, NSK, KOYO, are OEMs i.e. Original Equipment manufacturers. They don't make a 'better' product compared to others. They make a product that is in accordance with the specifications, dimensions, and tolerances. Take a 608ZZ for instance. The dimensions are the same for the 608 bearing across all OEMs, so it's unreasonable to argue over which manufacturer is the best, when they're all making the same product to the same degree of exactness.
I will say that always get your bearings from a reputable source. I get mine from an industrial bearing supply place and they're ridiculously cheap for a roll of fifteen SKF bearings. Genuine OEM bearings beat shoddy ceramic bearings or even Chinese ones.
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"?
Great Video!!!! Thanks so much. According to everything you said, why shimano still uses cups and cones on their parts (as far as I know even in Dura-ace and Ultegra)? Does not make any sense!!!
True
Is cutting oil any good as a sealed-bearing lubricant?
What about the thermal expansion effect of each bearing material?
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.
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
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. 👌😂
Another great video. 😬
how do you lubricate the sealed cartridge bearings? cheers
Love you OZ cycle ❤️
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!
do you know how to repair minor cuts and abrasions to leather saddles? maybe just to seal and reinforce?
Sorry I have no idea on that one. Maybe a car auto dealer or horse saddlery.
Good info.. Tq
Hi, I’m looking for bearings of that size for a different application, what bearing model is the one that you are demoing at the beginning of the video?
You mean the very large one?....its from an auto repair shop.
Can I use chain lube on skateboard bearings?
What is the most effective placebo?
Interesting topic, would like to give the ceramics a try if the cost difference wasn't so large.
Quality SiNi ceramics costs around $6 per 608zz bearing, quality NTN LLB in 608zz cost $5. Not very large.
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)
There are either chainese (from Uncle Lao workshop) and Chinese (from factory). Take your pick.
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.
What brand name are the ceramic bearings you use?
@@BEEBEE159 F1 Ceramic American Made Grade 3 www.f1ceramic.com/ I haven't tried the coated version, they were not available when I bought mine. I put in a mavic elite wheel set.
I would tell him to either keep pedaling or get the ---- off the front.
@@Geeios1 Thanks for the info.
I have a tcr with slr-1 wheels (rebranded DT swiss 360/370 hubs) slow rolling out of the box. Want better climbing. Would any bearing upgrade make a difference. Or should I get a new wheel set? Or just train harder😅
Hill-climbing is primarily affected by your weight, so always good to train harder!
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.
i have boardman road bike with the wheel in the frame normal it’s sitting way to the left. i flipped the wheel over so the cassette was on the left and it’s lined up where is the fault do you think frame shows no damage wheel is true thank you
I'm sorry to hear that you have a Boardman....
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.
thank you for the info, i almost buy unecesary thing for my old everyday use bike
Which is faster axle pomegranate ball 6200 or axle ball bearing🙂
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.
What about my Glock, though?
Train on stationary rollers to promote riding in a straight line, saving more energy than all this other stuff combined.
Is full ceramic bearing better than just ball ceramic bearings?
Hi! Is it better to put ceramic grease to regular steel bearings instead of just regular grease? WIll it spin smoother in time?
Yes you can use ceramic grease on steel products. Protects against salts , acids and moisture.
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.
Good for you! I sink like concrete. And, no, I am not black.