Ceramic bearings boast numerous advantages. The hardness of ceramic balls is higher, making the entire bottom bracket lighter with lower friction. Bearings with ceramic balls do not produce debris like all-steel bearings do after friction, making them more durable. Ceramic balls do not rust or corrode like steel balls. All these claims are correct. However, you should be aware that most ceramic bearings only replace the steel balls with ceramic ones, while the inner and outer races of the bearing are still made of steel. This means that debris will still be produced during operation, and the bearing can still rust and seize. In other words, when discussing these advantages, ceramic bearings only optimize certain performance aspects without completely avoiding these issues.
SUMLON believes that bottom brackets with ceramic bearings are worth buying, but their cost-effectiveness is extremely poor. We have seen too many enthusiasts who, after purchasing and using bottom brackets with ceramic bearings, did not achieve higher speeds. Theoretically, using ceramic bearings can save you about 2 watts of power, which is insignificant compared to outputs often exceeding 300 watts. However, you have to pay an extra $200 for this small gain. When you use a bottom bracket with ceramic bearings and manually spin the crank arm, you will feel that the crankset rotates more smoothly. But when you actually ride, almost 95% of riders cannot feel the presence of a bottom bracket with ceramic bearings. SUMLON’s comment on this is that while a bottom bracket with ceramic bearings is a good technological application that can improve riding efficiency, its cost-effectiveness is very, very poor.
Similar products include derailleur pulleys with larger gears. Like bottom brackets with ceramic bearings, they are expensive and can improve riding efficiency, but the improvement is very limited. These might be the new directions for technological development in the future. SUMLON does not oppose the emergence of these new products and technologies. However, from a commercial perspective, if you are not a very passionate enthusiast and if there are other areas in your cycling equipment where you can still achieve improvements, it is better to keep the dollars in your wallet
By the way, SUMLON has been manufacturing bicycle parts for over 15 years. Contact us if you are looking for a bike parts factory or a one-stop wholesaler. Peace
