A carbon fibre oversize pulley cage with ceramic bearings - £33 from AliExpress! How bad can it be???
I’m sure we’ve all seen the oversize pulley/derailleur cages from Ceramic Speed that many of the professional riders fit to their bikes. They look pretty awesome and claim to make the drivetrain more efficient by reducing friction. However, I’m also pretty sure that many of us can’t afford to pay the pretty ridiculous prices that Ceramic Speed Charge.
But luckily, AliExpress has it covered with a carbon fibre oversize derailleur cage running ceramic bearings, for £33!!! So for that price, I had to check it out.
After replacing the terrible ceramic bearings, I fitted it to my Shimano 105 R7000 rear derailleur, and honestly, I’m pretty impressed. It looks really cool in my opinion, runs really well, and shifts flawlessly. But is it worth it?
I suspect it makes little to no difference in terms of efficiency, but it’s cheap, adds basically no weight to the bike, and could potentially save you a watt or two… So I’ll let you decide.
Got any questions or comments, stick them in the comments 👇 and I'll try and get back to as many of you as I can!
Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
01:35 – Closeup
02:55 – Ceramic Bearing Removal
05:29 – Installation
07:25 – Weight
08:14 – Performance
10:38 – Marginal Gains
Cheap CERAMIC JOCKEY WHEELS - a fatal design flaw!
https://youtu.be/2MvBrqQkJvY
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - http://www.go2dev.co.uk
Music:
Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)
Fresh Healthy Perspectives
Lakey Inspired (https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired)
The Process
Noir Et Blanc Vie (https://www.youtube.com/user/billyocean2185)
Still Not Rite, MydNyte
DS Productions Music (https://youtu.be/MzXCyO0DcyU)
Sad Emotional Piano
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tracevelo/
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
All products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!