Ceramic Bearings decrease resistance to power by close to 1 watt
1 watt = 2-3 seconds over 40K. And when you consider that more than a twenty Pro-Tour time trials this season have come down to less than a second between 1st and 2nd place you understand why squeezing every precious watt out of your technology is so important.
Tests by the Danish magazine Cykel-Motion (Mar 2005) and subsequently supported by calculation, show how using ceramic bearings can reduce rolling resistance by 50%, saving 22m in just 55 seconds at 32kph. In short, astounding speed improvement of 4%.
Further tests confirmed by the Danish cycle magazine Cykel Magasinet (Sep 2005), describe dramatic reductions in friction compared to conventional cycle bearings. For example:
With a pair of race wheels (total of six bearings), friction with ceramic bearings is reduced 22 fold
While Dura Ace pulleys consume 0.78W @ 500rpm, ceramic pulleys use less than 0.06W
A Record BB @ 100rpm and 400W consumes 0.6W, the same BB with ceramic bearings consumes 0.02W
Such improvement is unheard of, even in this day of advanced bicycle technology.So, it comes as no surprise to learn that top professional riders are already using these amazing bearings to win major races. Full Speed Ahead has been testing ceramic bearings with teams for the past two years. The results are great, teams and riders are convinced.
The friction reduction of ceramic bearings aids a wide variety of riders. Unlike aerodynamic features, which only the fastest riders enjoy, the advantage of ceramic units is greater at lower speeds. This is a crucial difference between aerodynamic resistance, which increases exponentially with speed; and mechanical friction, which increases in direct proportion to speed.From a technical point of view, riders sheltered inside the peleton or riding off road have more to gain with ceramic bearings.
Ceramic bearings last longer, perhaps 5-10 times more. From a strictly economic perspective, theyre less expensive to run even without considering the labor savings.
