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I called ceramic bearings a gimmick until I put them on my own race bike

For years I told customers the extra cost for ceramic bearings was just for bragging rights, not real speed. Then a friend gave me a set of Enduro bearings for my old Tarmac, saying I had to try them. I swapped them in, thinking it was a waste of an hour. The first ride felt smoother, but I wrote it off as placebo. After a month and about 300 miles, I checked the old bearings and the new ones side by side. The steel ones had that gritty feel starting, while the ceramics still spun like they were on ice. It's not a huge speed boost, but the lack of drag maintenance is real. Has anyone else done a long term test and seen the same thing, or did I just get lucky with this batch?
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2 Comments
barbara_hall9
Yeah, that "lack of drag maintenance" is the real thing. My friend's old track bike felt brand new after a year on ceramics, while his buddy's steel ones were totally shot.
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harper_rodriguez97
My buddy swears by them for his gravel bike now too.
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