CeramicSpeed Ceramic Titanium Coated Derailleur Pulleys - SRAM 1-11 Speed

CeramicSpeed Ceramic Titanium Coated Derailleur Pulleys - SRAM 1-11 Speed Info

CeramicSpeed has designed pulley wheels that work as better than perfect replacements for SRAM’s 1x11 systems. Specifically, the XX1 and X01 rear derailleurs. They’re CS’s Ceramic Coated Titanium Derailleur Pulleys, featuring CNC-machined titanium pulleys, ceramic balls, and coated, hardened steel races.

Titanium is an upgrade from aluminum alloy. It should last four times longer than aluminum, which itself lasts longer than the plastic pulleys that are standard.

CeramicSpeed utilizes Grade 3 Silicon Nitride balls that possess the best possible surface finish and roundness. In testing, the balls are 400% smoother, 128% harder, and 58% lighter than standard steel balls found in most bike components. They’re more than 100% smoother and 15% harder than standard ceramic balls. The balls are installed into hardened steel races in dust-free clean rooms and then checked again before assembly is complete. The bearings should outlast conventional sealed races by an order of three to five times the service life.

Part of CeramicSpeed’s commitment to having the lowest-friction bearings on the market is keeping up their research and development. That led them to a special metallic coating that can be applied three microns thick on the races. It makes the treated surface 80% harder than hardened steel. In terms of friction, the already low-friction CeramicSpeed bearings with the treatment see friction reduced by over 50%. In terms of service life, these coated bearings last even longer, like over 60% longer, than the standard CeramicSpeed bearings. Better yet, the coating means the races better resist contamination from water, dirt, degreaser, etc. Aka, the risk of bearing failure due to corrosion has been reduced to near zero. They can even run without grease or oil, though CeramicSpeed recommends their oil for longer life and lower friction.

When testing company Friction Facts ran a pulley test in 2013. CeramicSpeed was the clear winner with a set of pulleys having a frictional drag cost of .033 watts. These coated races probably possess half the drag found it that test. It’s not no drag, but it’s as close as you can get to no drag.

Installing them is easy. All you need is a 2.5mm Allen head tool. There’s an upper pulley and lower pulley. Make sure you put them in the right places,  saving and re-using the spacers that come with the SRAM pulleys. The upper is a bit narrower to make centering less important. The logo is placed inwards, aka to the left. The pulleys should be serviced periodically with a little thin oil, by putting a drop or two on the tiny gap between the seal and the edge. CeramicSpeed suggests doing this each time you lube the chain, or after a bike cleaning, or after riding in mucky conditions. This will lengthen the life of the bearings and keep frictional drag at the minimum.

The kit comes with two pulleys, CeramicSpeed oil for lubing the bearings, and a sticker sheet.

CeramicSpeed Ceramic Titanium Derailleur Pulleys for SRAM 1x11-Speed rear derailleurs makes this simple shifting system even simpler and faster than it was designed.