As it builds up this portfolio, CeramicSpeed could then look at offering these bearings to aftermarket customers. Instead, it will focus on partnering with OE brands and manufacturers to include the bearings as standard with new bikes. CeramicSpeed says because of the huge number of sizes and standards, it cannot currently offer the SLT bearings to aftermarket customers. So how much will all this increased durability sting your wallet? Well, nothing at the moment. Perhaps the brand synonymous with decreased friction drivetrains is not yet ready to do a 360 on its hubs and bottom brackets, even if it does mean increased durability. The SLT bearings’ staggering durability claims likely come with the caveat of some increased friction. Too stiff and the bearing can’t move freely too soft and the lube can break down. A major factor in developing suitable solid lube bearings is getting the polymer right. Given we have already seen SL bottom brackets, it is perhaps somewhat strange then that CeramicSpeed says SLT bottom brackets and hub bearings are currently not possible in its bottom brackets.
MAGIC BALL 3 CRACKED CRACKED
Now the Danish brand has seemingly cracked the formula for a solid lube headset bearing.
CeramicSpeed’s own launch back in 2018 only included mountain bike suspension pivot bearings. Enduro and Cane Creek both offered bottom brackets, and despite Enduro planning further applications, we were warned not to hold our breath for solid lube headsets. There are a few differences here, though. CeramicSpeed itself first announced SLT bearings for suspension pivots as far back as Eurobike 2018, Enduro debuted its ultra-durable solid lube bearings earlier this year, and Cane Creek briefly offered its Hellbender Neo bottom bracket with promises of care-free durability, although that’s seemingly discontinued now. The cycling industry has long understood the potential benefits of solid lube bearings. This self-lubricating design was first patented in the 1970s and is commonly used in the food manufacturing industry, where constant cleaning processes would quickly destroy standard greased cartridge bearings, potentially contaminating machinery and food in the process. Solid lube bearings such as this are not exactly anything new. The bearing looks just like any regular bearing, but all the magic is hidden inside. CeramicSpeed claims the new SLT bearings require zero maintenance. Such lifetime warranties usually carry some requirement to adhere to the ongoing maintenance requirements not so here. So confident is CeramicSpeed in the new SLT bearings it is covering those bearings with a lifetime warranty. CeramicSpeed claims it shut down its testing on the new SLT bearings at 1.8 million repetitions as the bearing was showing zero signs of wear and was still fully functional.
MAGIC BALL 3 CRACKED FULL
Emil Dahl Mathiasen of CeramicSpeed told CyclingTips several colleagues had tested the bearings for two and a half years with zero maintenance yet the bearings showed zero signs of wear.įurthermore, the Danish brand’s in-house testing found a “market leader full ball pivot bearing failed at 600,000 pivot oscillations”. CeramicSpeed even claims attempts to kill its new bearing proved unsuccessful. What does this mean on the road? In theory, the design means a lack of lubrication, dirt ingress, and grease contamination – the main causes of bearing failure – are no longer possible. Microscopic pores allow the oil infused in the polymer to lubricate the bearings and the polymer itself becomes a second seal, ensuring any contaminants that penetrate the outer seal effectively have nowhere to go. This polymer is injected into the cartridge and fills the cavity between bearing and race. At the heart of the solid lube technology is a solid oil-infused plastic polymer. Durability, you say? Tell me moreĬeramicSpeed says SLT is “the secret ingredient behind our toughest bearings to date”. The Danish brand has already partnered with Factor (and several other manufacturers yet to be announced) to include its SLT headset bearings as standard for some models. SLT (Solid Lubrication Technology) bearings are said to offer staggering levels of durability, potentially offering some light at the end of the tunnel for painful headset replacements on frames with internally routed wires/cables and hoses.
MAGIC BALL 3 CRACKED UPDATE
CeramicSpeed has quietly rolled out what could be a significant update for headset and suspension pivot bearings.