Ceramic bottom bracket bearing replacement suggestion

[bianchi10]

The ceramicspeed bearings in my 2018 Sworks Tarmac seem to be shot. I have enjoyed the feeling of ceramic bearings as they gruly are more smooth, however if I understand it correctly, ceramic bearings come at a cost of durability when compared to steel bearings.

Are there any other suggestions to ceramic bearings that may be more durable? I've heard C-Bear and Kogel produce very good options (I've heard/seen reviews of even better).

Any suggestions?

[zmalwo]

The ceramicspeed bearings in my 2018 Sworks Tarmac seem to be shot. I have enjoyed the feeling of ceramic bearings as they gruly are more smooth, however if I understand it correctly, ceramic bearings come at a cost of durability when compared to steel bearings.

Are there any other suggestions to ceramic bearings that may be more durable? I've heard C-Bear and Kogel produce very good options (I've heard/seen reviews of even better).

Any suggestions?

It's off the track but, instead of BB bearing balls being ceramic I would look into replacing all of the ball bearings in your pedals to ceramic. one of the most neglected yet important bearing when it comes to fully ceramic-nize your bike. It's the bearing closes to your power source
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHIMANO-2-bearing-sleeves-in-TITANIUM-Ceramic-Balls-XTR-XT-Ultegra-Saint-105-/202076570032

[gibbo]

Go with high quality steel, replacing BB Bearings every year is less than ideal!!! Your frame will thank you. :-)

[oldpotatoe]

The ceramicspeed bearings in my 2018 Sworks Tarmac seem to be shot. I have enjoyed the feeling of ceramic bearings as they gruly are more smooth, however if I understand it correctly, ceramic bearings come at a cost of durability when compared to steel bearings.

Are there any other suggestions to ceramic bearings that may be more durable? I've heard C-Bear and Kogel produce very good options (I've heard/seen reviews of even better).

Any suggestions?

The 'problem' with most ceramic cartridge bearings is that they use mild steel in their cups and cones so..get a wee bit of grit in there and the very, very hard ceramic ball+grit kills the steel parts. 'Some' use hardened steel(Campag CULT), most do not.

So, YMMV. I see you 'enjoy' the 'feel' of ceramic but in actual performance gain, it is really, really tiny. IMHO, I think there are better places to put your $..

[speedevil]

Considering that (properly maintained) steel cup and cone bearings will work well for decades, and the fact that the rotation speeds and loads that bicycle bearings have to handle are quite low, it seems to me that your $$ could be better spent elsewhere.

But I'm not the marketing guy trying to sell ceramic bearings, so there's that.

Your bike doesn't have cup and cone bearings, I'm certain. But a good quality cartridge bearing BB or cups with cartridge bearings will last for years. And if you wanted to replace it annually anyway, you'd still be $$ ahead.

If you're scrambling for every watt up the Angrilu, then my perspective isn't relevant to your use case.

[FlashUNC]

Couple buddies have used Kogel and they're fans.

[jemoryl]

One could buy a really nice case of wine with the difference in cost between Ceramic Speed and good steel BB bearings. Just saying.....

[simonov]

Well, how many miles do you have on the bottom bracket? What kind of conditions? How many would you have gone through if using standard bottom brackets? I've found ceramic bearings, when cared for, to be on par or better in terms of durability. Also, Ceramic Speed has a great warranty, so you may want to see if yours is covered.

But if you're looking for a change. Kogel are also very good. And I'm a fan of Hawk Racing.

[nublar]

https://www.hambini.com/bottom-brackets.html

[dimitris77]

Hambini seems to know his stuff. Look him up on youtube as well.

[John H.]

I 2nd Hambini- If not his bb, the bearings that he likes.

He explained why the really good steel bearings are as good/better than ceramic.
He also talks about all the pitfalls with various types of frames and bb's- Explains how misalignment of the two sides can cause more issues than anything.

My takeaway is that if your 1st set of bearings lasted a long time, you likely do not have alignment issues.
If you wore out bb bearings very quickly, It is likely that either you have alignment issues with the two sides, or that the BB and/or bearings were mis-installed when new.

Hambini videos caused me to reflect. I can specifically recall Specialized SL2 and SL3 BB30 bikes that I owned that went through bearings about every 6 weeks.
Also, SRAM GXP BB's where the non-drive side wore out quickly.

[bianchi10]

Well, turned out that it wasn't my bearings after all. Luckily it was an easy fix with my spider that was causing the creaking. But this is all great information to consider for when that time comes. Thank you all!