Wheels - Hambini Engineering

Testing to Find the Fastest Bicycle Wheels

***Please note the graph and the data on this page will no longer be updated. The main issue being the control tyre is no longer manufactured by Continental. Additionally, test methods have moved on and Dnitriev number will be used as the basis for future testing*** Precursor - The critics and those with a vested interest I have added this section to the start of this blog post. The method this test uses is called transient state and it is used when aerodynamics…

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2 December 2020

Bearings / Wheels

Testing to Find the Fastest Bicycle Wheel Hubs

The aerodynamic performance of wheels often grabs the headlines and the marketing budget but the reality is the hubs and the bearings within them will have more of a performance differential for the average cyclist. As an example, the power differential between wheels of an equivalent depth at speeds of less than 35km/h will only be 1-2W, the difference in bearing friction can easily exceed that. Wheel hubs and freehubs account for around 60% of the rotational friction in a bicycle drivetrain. The…

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11 December 2019

Bearings / Bottom Brackets / Wheels

Ceramic Bearings vs Steel Bearings… An Engineering Analysis

One of the most controversial topics in the cycling industry is with regards the topic of Ceramic bearings and whether they do or do not reduce friction dramatically in riding. This article will address some of the concerns and topics associated with this debate and quantify the numbers. Internal Bearing construction - Ceramic bearings are not 100% ceramic Ceramic bearings are in actual fact hybrid. They use ceramic balls and usually a steel inner and outer race. The ceramic balls are often silicon…

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11 December 2019