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Chris King Adds Ceramic Bearings for All Mountain Bike Hubs

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chris king mountain bike hubs now available with ceramic bearings

Chris King announced their first ceramic bearing option in August 2011 with the R45 road hubs. As of December 1, they’re now offering ceramic bearings on all of their ISO mountain bike hubs.

The Santa Cruz Syndicate team has been race testing them on the World Cup DH Circuit (they get all the best toys, don’t they?). Benefits are that they’re lighter, stronger and rounder than steel balls. They produce their own ceramic bearings in house and even suggest running them with minimal silicone grease for “ultimate race day performance.” That said, there’s no appreciable weight savings, just smoothness improvements, and look for about a $80 upcharge.

Unrelated but interesting, the PressFit bottom brackets they announced at Eurobike are still on schedule for Spring 2013 release. They are still finalizing the design and testing them to ensure they’ll hold up to expectations, but they’re close. What we do know now is they’ll use their angular contact bearings and grease purge system, which lets you adjust the bearing tension like their outboard threaded bottom bracket and flush the old grease out without removing it from the frame. So, you’re wearing them in and adjusting to take up play rather than wearing them out. We’re as anxious as you are to try them!

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michael
michael
11 years ago

I am not “anxious” but I am eager to try them.

xcgeek.com
11 years ago

good things get better…

Stephen
Stephen
11 years ago

I wonder if there will be an option to upgrade existing ISO hubs.

Bendik
Bendik
11 years ago

Accordibg to sources who have tested there are no difference in drag between good steel bearings and ceramic bearings. However there are plenty of cheap steel bearings out there that can be improved but I did not think CK used these?
I will spend my dollars elsewhere..

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