Bearings are essential components that help in restricting the movement of the bike in the desired motion. The bearing is used in reducing the friction between two surfaces. The bearing is one of the most essential parts of bike construction and found in both road bikes and mountain bikes. A stainless steel bearing is a better choice for mountain bikes while the ceramic suits the smooth roads.
When you are planning for customizing the bike based on your requirement, it is best to have an understanding of the different materials available under the bearing. It helps in ensuring to create a superior performance vehicle.
In this article let us check the two types of bearing – ceramic and hybrid bearings.
Hybrid bearings have stainless steel inner and outer rings or races, and the balls made of ceramic material that sits inside. Most people mistakes identifying the hybrid bearings due to the ceramic balls. The stainless steel and ceramic combination offer higher speeds than the full ceramic option. This is due to lesser brittle metal rings that help to avoid the sudden failure at a higher speed, and when the load is higher. The hybrid bearing helps in cope the marginal lubrication due to lower friction co-efficient and lightweight balls.
The full ceramic bearing is smoother, lighter yet, stronger compared to the hybrid bearings. The ceramic bearing has both rings and balls of ceramic material. The ceramic bearing has a low weight compared to the hybrid bearing. The ceramic wheel bearing in the bikes helps in reducing the friction within the bearing. It does not need any grease with self-lubricating that helps with greater rotational speed. The consistency of the rotation is better.
The disadvantage of full ceramic bearings is the higher chance of chipping & cracking when the bikes fall in the potholes or damaged roads. Hence the full ceramic bearing is ideal for the use of the bike on the track but should be carefully used on the road.
Hybrid and ceramic bearings last longer than completely steel bearings. When comparing the price of hybrid with ceramic bearing, the former is twice the price of the full ceramic. Ceramic bearings are corrosion and temperature resistant. Another benefit of full ceramic bearing is that these bearings are non-magnetic. Hence it requires less maintenance and can be comfortably used even in highly hostile environments. The hybrids with metal rings are more susceptible to corrosion resistance compared to the full ceramic bearing.
To conclude, when you are deciding on the customization, choose the bearings keeping in the mind –
- The cost
- The kind of surface the bike will be mostly used
- Maintenance requirement
- Repair requirement
- Durability
- Quality
The thumb rule – if you are buying the bearing for a bike that will be generally used on road, opt for the ceramic bearing with well-built better quality material. The ceramic bearing has higher longevity and assures outperforming the steel bearing in all terms. To find out more information on the hybrid bearing and ceramic bearing, call the customer care representation with us today!
