Changed my mind on ceramic bottom bracket bearings after 3 months on a salty winter commuter

I was always team steel bearings for bottom brackets, thought ceramic was overpriced bling for weekend warriors. But after 3 months of riding a salty winter commuter in Cleveland, my steel BB started grinding while my buddy's ceramic one on the same route is still smooth. He's got a Wheels Manufacturing BB in his Surly and it's holding up way better than I expected. Has anyone else had ceramic last longer in wet conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulw6327d agoTop Commenter

Cleveland winter salt is no joke, I've seen chains turn orange in a week. Did he do anything special to weatherproof that Wheels BB or just slap it in and ride?

mary_patel5927d ago

You're talking about "chains turn orange in a week" but honestly, most corrosion is just surface level and doesn't actually hurt the bike. A little rust on the chain or a cheap bottom bracket isn't going to stop the thing from rolling (and frankly, it's a Wheels BB so who cares if it gets crusty). He probably just threw it in and rode, which is totally fine because Cleveland salt only really eats through stuff if you leave it sitting wet for days.