Ceramic bearings aren't hype, and they aren't a secret anymore. In any application where overcoming mechanical resistance is key, it's a relevant and very-tempting technology to indulge in. For a cyclist, mechanical resistance is second only to wind resistance when it comes to the forces you're fighting to go fast. Why ceramic -- (or Grade 3 SISN4 high performance silicon nitride to be exact)? It's because reducing friction is no different than shedding weight on the climbs: There's a direct correlation to be made between reducing drag, and getting increased speed for constant wattage. These ceramic balls are the definition of round, and it's this roundness that gives them their rolling slickness. According to FSA, the use of their ceramic bearings (including the specially formulated lubricant they roll in) gives you an added 20m-40m per 1km ridden. And keep in mind that mechanical drag is utterly unlike aerodynamics -- it becomes more and more critical the lower your speed is.

Available in both English and Italian cup options. Please note that the Ceramic BB-8000 is NOT compatible with the FSA K-Force Light, SL-K Light, and Neo-Pro cranksets. Rather, it is only compatible with the FSA K-Force, FSA SL-K and FSA Energy cranksets.

Ceramic technology can seem awfully pixie dust-like without some substantive information, so here's a bit more insight:

Ceramic balls are key to lower friction, but FSA's ceramic bearings benefit from a number of integrated features, including the raw ceramic ball material, their, tolerances and ball matching, their seal design, their special grease, and their Ultra low friction bearing retainers.

Raw pellets – the basic ingredient for ceramic balls is silicon nitride that has been pressed under extreme pressure, then scintered into incredibly hard pellets. FSA's come from a small Swedish firm spun off from SKF, the originators of ceramic bearing technology. This company has a secret process that, for 10 years, has made their product unapproachable for hardness and consistency.

Bearing manufacturing – turning a silicon nitride pellet into a precision ceramic bearing is difficult and time consuming. The manufacturing process takes 70 days. The majority of this time is consumed by a lapping process using diamond grit. FSA balls are created in a high tech workshop in Connecticut.

Raceways – FSA sources their carbon steel raceways from Switzerland. Technically speaking, FSA Ceramic bearings are hybrid; that is, ceramic balls running on specially chosen steel raceways. This pairing delivers the best combination of performance, longevity, and value.

Retainers – often overlooked, the retainer that separates the balls from each other. It's essential for lowest friction because it prevents neighboring balls from touching. Contact, balls are rotating in opposite directions, is a cause of unnecessary friction. FSA retainers are made in Germany.