Why We Upgrade the V-PRi with Ceramic Bearings and Oversized Pulley Wheels

The Quintana Roo V-PRi is the bike used by our pro athletes, and it’s the fastest, most aerodynamic triathlon bike we’ve ever designed. When we deliver a new V-PRi to a pro rider, it always comes with top-tier components, including an upgraded CeramicSpeed bottom bracket and Oversized Pulley Wheel System. For the pros, the marginal gains can be the difference between finishing in the money or going home with nothing, and we always want to give them every advantage possible. 

When customers purchase a V-PRi, they get the exact same ceramic bottom brackets and oversized pulley wheels as our pros. This is an interesting choice because, despite the bling factor, these upgrades are pretty contentious for amateur athletes. Many say they’re not worth it! Let’s go over the basics of ceramic bearings and oversized pulley wheel upgrades, and explain why we ultimately decided that every customer who chooses a V-PRi automatically gets these upgrades from the factory.    

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Are Ceramic Bearings Worth It?

Every V-PRi bike comes with a CeramicSpeed BB installed. 

Ceramic Bearing Pros:

• Marginally more efficient (~1-2 watts)

• Cool factor

Ceramic Bearing Cons:

• Very expensive

• More maintenance

Ceramic bearings use ceramic balls inside the bearing rather than conventional steel balls. The ceramic balls are made from silicon nitride, and they are harder (so they deform less) than steel balls, which reduces rolling resistance and increases longevity. 

So why are ceramic bearings contentious? If you spend time watching cycling-related Instagram or YouTube content, you’ve probably come across videos of cranksets or derailleur pulleys that seem to spin forever thanks to ceramic bearings. In the comments, though, you’ll likely find people calling them frivolous or snake oil. It turns out, ceramic bearings are one of the worst investments in cycling because they don’t provide significant gains over conventional steel bearings despite their high cost. 

If you look at CeramicSpeed’s own testing data and performance claims (which likely favor their own products), you’ll see that ceramic bottom bracket bearings can potentially save a rider 1.8 watts, and ceramic derailleur pulley bearings can save 0.033-1.337 watts over conventional bearings. Those are VERY small numbers. When you consider that a ceramic bottom bracket retails for around $380, you can see why many will say ceramic bearing upgrades like this are not worth it. 

Interestingly, the ceramic balls used in ceramic bearings aren’t even the component that reduces friction. Yes, they’re harder and more durable. But in cycling applications, they don’t roll any faster than steel balls. Ceramic bearings spin with less friction than conventional steel bearings because of their construction. Conventional bearings are tightly sealed and filled with thick grease to reduce contamination and increase longevity. Ceramic bearings, however, generally use “non-contact” seals and are filled with lighter grease, less grease, or a thin oil to reduce friction. This is why they spin so freely. 

Non-contact seals and thin grease come with a bit of a downside: increased maintenance. CeramicSpeed recommends servicing its ceramic bottom bracket bearings every 5,000-8,000 km (3,000-5,000 miles) or once per year. You’ll have to do it more if you ride in wet or dirty conditions. Conventional bottom bracket bearings, on the other hand, often last longer without servicing. When they fail, the entire bottom bracket is also cheap to replace, making them much easier to live with. 

Is the extra cost and maintenance hassle of ceramic bearings worth 1-2 watts? We’ll dive into that further below. 

Are Oversized Pulley Wheels (OSPW) Worth It? 

Every V-Pri bike comes with a CeramicSpeed OSPW System installed. 

OSPW Pros:

• Marginally more efficient (~1-2 watts) 

• Cool factor

OSPW Cons:

• Expensive

• Potential aero penalty

Pulley wheels refer to the two pulleys inside the rear derailleur cage. The lower pulley provides chain tension and is called the tension pulley. The upper pulley guides the chain onto the cassette and is called the guide pulley. When you upgrade to oversized pulley wheels, it requires swapping the entire derailleur cage so you can replace the stock pulleys with pulleys that have larger tooth counts. 

Larger pulleys reduce friction and increase drivetrain efficiency because the chain doesn’t have to articulate as much when moving over a larger pulley. This is the same reason larger chainrings are generally more efficient than smaller chainrings. Many oversized pulley upgrades, like CeramicSpeed’s OSPW (Oversized Pulley Wheel) System, also use ceramic bearings in the pulleys to reduce friction even more. 

Like ceramic bearings, though, the actual efficiency gains from these systems are marginal, in the realm of 1-2 watts. Compared to something like a ceramic bottom bracket, they’re even more expensive, often costing $400-1,000. In terms of ROI, they’re worse than ceramic bearings! In some cases, the aero penalty of increasing the size of your derailleurs' pulley cage could cancel out the efficiency gains.  

For many riders, the biggest reason to add an OSPW to their bike is that it looks cool and unique. Otherwise, it is one of the most marginal of marginal gains in the cycling world.  

Why Our Pros Get Ceramic BBs and OSPWs

Our engineers worked with our top riders in the wind tunnel and on the road to develop the V-PRi into the fastest bike we’ve ever created. With fast tires, aero wheels, and an optimized riding position, the V-PRi is a world-beater. 

For pro athletes competing at the highest level, though, we never want to leave any stone unturned. That’s why we also build our pro bike with upgrades like ceramic bottom bracket bearings and oversized pulley wheels. These are the types of upgrades you pursue once all other performance avenues (position, tires, wheels, chain wax, helmet, kit, etc.) are exhausted. Yes, the gains are marginal. At the top level of the sport, though, where athletes exist on the ragged edge of what’s possible, every marginal gain has the potential to make a difference. If we ignore 1-2 watts and then one of our athletes lost by a second, then we didn’t do our job well enough.  

Why All V-PRi Owners Get Ceramic BBs and OSPWs 

One of our core values is to treat Quintana Roo owners like they’re a part of our pro team. That’s why we always have mechanics on the ground at major events who will help any Quintana Roo owner get their bike race-ready and perform any emergency repairs. Regular riders like you and me receive the same services as our pros. 

Since the V-PRi is our pro-level bike, we wanted to give V-PRi owners the same riding experience that our pro athletes get. For us, the question isn’t: “Are these upgrades worth it?” It’s: “How can we maximize your potential on race day?” We leverage our industry relationships to ensure we can equip every V-PRi that leaves our factory with a high-end CeramicSpeed bottom bracket and OSPW System, just to give you an extra 1-2 watts. 

We’re triathletes too, so we understand how a lot of Type A athletes tend to think. A V-PRi owner is likely seeking every performance advantage possible. They want the fastest gear they can get. So, they’re probably already thinking about chasing marginal gains with things like ceramic bearings and oversized pulleys. By including them, athletes don’t have to stress about whether or not they’re “worth it.” They’ll already have them! 

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OSPW Aerodynamic Concerns

One thing I mentioned above is that the larger rear derailleur cage used in oversized pulley wheel systems could negatively impact aerodynamics. This will depend on the bike, though. We decided to include the CeramicSpeed OSPW on the V-PRi because wind tunnel testing showed no negative impacts. This is largely because the V-PRi is designed using two of our core aerodynamic technologies: the Shift+ downtube and Leading Edge Absent (LEA) non-drive chainstay. 

The Shift+ downtube is offset toward the bike’s drivetrain to minimize the wind resistance created by the drivetrain (including the rear derailleur cage. It does this by diverting (a.k.a. “shifting”) airflow onto the cleaner non-driveside of the bike, where our Leading Edge Absent (LEA) non-drive chainstay provides a smooth, uninterrupted surface for airflow to move around the rear wheel. This means you get big aero gains, plus the marginal efficiency gains of the OSPW. 

Maintenance and Durability

Our pro mechanics attend events to help Quintana Roo owners dial in their bike before race day.

The biggest concern with including a ceramic bottom bracket and OSPW on the V-PRi is maintenance. If you have a bit of mechanical aptitude, servicing the bottom bracket is pretty easy using CeramicSpeed’s instructions. I have a CeramicSpeed bottom bracket on my race bike, which I service once a year, and it takes me less than 20 minutes. If you take your bike to a mechanic, it’s a small task that could be included in any basic drivetrain service. If you are attending an event where Quintana Roo mechanics are present, they can take care of it for you, too! 

Maintaining the bearings in an OSPW System is even easier because it just requires adding bearing lube to the lube ports on the back of the derailleur cage. I just do this every time I lube/wax my chain, and it takes a few seconds. 

A claimed benefit of ceramic bearings is increased durability. Theoretically, ceramic balls resist corrosion and can survive harsher conditions. But the bearing races are still made of steel, so I don’t really think that matters. Personally, I find my ceramic bottom bracket bearings and pulley wheel bearings last longer simply because I’m more motivated to service them regularly! I love cleaning them out so they spin like new. The ceramic bottom bracket that I currently own is a few years old, and I expect it to last a few more years since I take good care of it. 

What if I Don’t Want a Ceramic BB of OSPW?

While we include a ceramic bottom bracket and OSPW on every V-PRi, we understand that not everyone wants one. This is why the V-PR and X-PR both use conventional bottom brackets and stock pulley wheels. If you happen to want a V-PRi but don’t want the CeramicSpeed upgrades, reach out to our customer service team over chat or email. We want to treat you like our pros, and just like our pros, we’ll work with you to customize your bike so you get exactly what you want!

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