There's been a lot of buzz in the bike industry about ceramic bearings in the past few years, maybe more buzz than any other new product.
Let's face it, the allure of going faster with less energy is appealing to almost anyone. On the other hand, you can pay a lot for that free speed, and those on a budget will find themselves weighing whether the speed and efficiency gains are worth the cash layout.
The first thing to ask is where the speed advantage comes from. It comes from reduced rolling resistance, increased durability, increased stiffness and reduced weight.Rolling resistance is reduced because the balls are generally ground smoother, rounder and more uniform in size than steel, so they are each carrying close to the same load, rather than larger balls carrying more than smaller ones within the same set. And unlike aerodynamic friction, which becomes more of a drag as riding speed increases, mechanical friction is linear.
Because ceramic bearings are harder than steel bearings, they are more durable, lasting anywhere from five to 20 times longer. This also equals an almost zero risk of bearing seizure. Consequently, since they also do not rust, they are less sensitive to moisture and lubrication, and some even come with no lubricant at all.
Ceramic balls and races are also stiffer than steel ones, resulting in less flex in the bottom bracket. Finally, ceramic bearings are lighter, because ceramic is less dense than steel (silicon nitride, for instance, has a 60 percent lower density than steel). When combined with special seals and optimized lubrication, the friction in ceramic bearings can be 20- to 30-times lower than steel bearings with standard seals and lubrication.
Types of Ceramic Bearings
All ceramic bearings are not created equal. Just as there are various ABEC grades of steel bearings that rate smoothness and rolling resistance, a similar rating system applies to ceramic bearings. There are two types ceramic bearings—hybrid ceramic bearings and full ceramic bearings. Within those categories there are gradations based on smoothness of both the balls and the races, and in the uniformity of size.
Hybrid ceramic bearings have steel races and ceramic balls. They are a bit lighter than steel bearings only because of the weight difference in the balls alone. They roll a bit faster than even the best steel bearings because the balls are smoother, harder, rounder, and more uniform in size, and the steel races are often ground smoother as well.
The friction in a typical bearing with silicon nitride balls and steel rings is about 10 percent less than in an all-steel bearing of the highest quality.
Full ceramic bearings have both ceramic balls and races. They are lighter, due to the ceramic rings in which the balls ride. They roll faster due to smoother bearing races, and they are more durable and less sensitive to moisture and require little, or no, lubrication.
The bearings do not have to be cartridge bearings, either. As many Shimano, Campagnolo and Fulcrum hubs and Campagnolo headsets and jockey wheels (as well as many older hubs, bottom brackets and headsets) use a cup and cone system instead of a plug-in cartridge, ceramic balls can be obtained for them.
Different types of ceramics are used in bearings. Silicon nitride, Si3N4, and Zirconia, ZrO2, are perhaps the most common ceramics used in bearings, but there are many ceramics that would work well in this application. There are also different grades of both hybrid and full-ceramic bearings, based on smoothness and uniformity of the balls and races, and a ceramic bearing also has an ABEC rating reflecting these characteristics.
There are also different levels of seals available. All of these variations result in differing prices. And of course, price is also a function of supply and demand, and the demand among cyclists has been quite high lately.
Boca Bearings
Bocca only offers the nitty gritty, no nice pulley or bottom bracket packages here, only numbered bearings and loose balls. You can send in your own derailleur pulleys and have them fitted with ceramic bearings for $50 to $55. Bocca is one of the only manufacturers to offer full ceramic cartridge bearings (balls and races); prices range from $15 for a package of 10 grade 5 loose balls to $210 for ABEC#1-rated single Si3N4 silicone nitrite ceramic cartridge bearing.
Ceramic Speed
Ceramic Speed bearings were traded on the professional circuit long before ceramic bearings became a retail rage. Many professionals buying their own ceramic bearings still go to Ceramic Speed first. It sells neat wheel packages at retail as well as derailleur pulleys, bottom bracket bearings and whole bottom brackets. Ceramic Speed pulleys cost $167, a Shimano bottom bracket is $315 and wheel kits start at $255.
Enduro Bearings
Enduro's bearings are ceramic hybrids built with grade 5 pure silicon nitride balls and cryogenically-treated carbon chromium alloy races. This year, Katie Compton has been putting Enduro bearings to the test on the cyclocross course—with great success. Its pulley wheels cost $100, its bottom bracket costs $120 and wheel kits from $90.
隨著近三年流行樂和hiphop樂界的電子浪潮再起，以及電子樂界dubstep這股宛如變形金剛般的聲響統御吸納了新興創作和聆聽者的注目，又有神似「新一代Moby」架勢的Diplo在北美竄出頭，更宣示了電子和嘻哈的界線模糊化與無縫接軌。21世紀第一個10年從electro, tech-house, nu rave, dubstep相繼的融入，再加上電子舞曲兩大主流techno與trance的交互影響和自我進化，某種程度上來說，電音在這20年間也完成了搖滾樂在1960至1980年代的形態建構，就像當時的民謠搖滾、迷幻搖滾、前衛搖滾、金屬與龐克。
本名Brian Transeau（因而藝名叫BT）一年前以「Laptop Symphony」（筆電交響樂）為名的一個網路電台計畫，只花了半年工夫就累積了快50集的set，並且以一張錄音室同名混音作品《Laptop Symphony》在線上與實體同步在2012年中發行，生涯從來沒有發表過BT在他出道17年後首次正式推出DJ Mixed專輯，然而這一出手，幾乎可以當作這20年來電子舞曲百科來解讀。
更詭異的是，BT在2010年推出《These Hopeful Machines》回歸作品前，他在舞曲界幾乎消失了7年，他潛心製作科幻電影配樂、電玩配樂、偏向實驗性的ambient音樂，甚少在外頭接場子表演，可能還有不少人以為他30多歲就提早從這電音版圖退休。然而即便他2010年推出回歸大作，並也未帶來太多驚喜，隔年的葛萊美獎最佳電子舞曲專輯提名，從專業評論圈的評價來看甚至也不是件好事。
不過隨之在今年發表的《Laptop Symphony》，我得驚稱這混音輯是電音百科劇場的呈現。在風格類型的交疊上，混合了trance和techno起承揚頓和硬蕊激進的特色外，從搖滾、饒舌的取樣到 dubstep，無一不與。在過往有大半混音輯裡總是以前曲接下曲的機械式接歌，但在《Laptop Symphony》內，卻可以再三將原以為退場的曲子反覆調度登場，如以「序列、規則、機械、不可復返」來形容一般舞曲混音的潛法則，那麼「座標、不規則、化學、re-wired」則是BT操作筆電交響樂的一種特色，這才漸漸明白BT過去以多領域涉獵的企圖，而且並進在跳舞音樂與實驗聆聽領域的佈局成果，甚更可直言，這是一種實驗的必要，若形容BT天生就是作為一個電音界的大型歌舞劇導演，但他就是需要古典的音樂教育，即使那不是他的志向，但他也同等需要去摸索實驗音樂或配樂的調度，即使那樣的創作場合可能一點也不適合他。
電子音樂於音樂世界的最大貢獻，是它讓人類的聽覺慾望從拜物性解救了出來，它讓使更多人不用靠太多包裝就成為明星，讓更多人丟下沉重的樂器、學院規則、偶像海報、徽章、囉嗦的唱片，和電腦同步在工具理性上瓦解形而上與形而下的精神負擔和物理學費，從而回到身體與自己。同樣叫BT的Bit Torrent P2P技術協定，何嘗不是個讓音樂封建系統頭痛的好傢伙？BT是個劫富濟貧的網路廖添丁，它讓那些被上鎖在唱片行架上、在白領品味階級書房架裡，只能靠金錢贖來物質感受，重新回到心境裡。而那個少年成名的電音BT，他不是大DJ，卻是解放電音資料庫的駭客大導演。
