Review on 🏻 Assorted Loose Bicycle Bearings Kit by Ronnie Segobiano

Finding a reputable dealer for quality bearings can be a bit of a chore if you are a home bike mechanic. My family and I own seven bikes ranging from decent to very expensive, and some of our cheaper models use Shimano Cup and Cone hubs that need repairs every six months to a year. The problem is that when you look for individual packs of ball bearings, they are often quite expensive (i.e. around $10 for 25-quarter-inch bearings) and there is no way to tell if the listed grade is correct. As some DIYers know, ball bearings come in various grades from 1000 to 3. (Actually it's 2000 to 3, but bearings under 1000 are never sold for use even on the cheapest bikes). the sphericity, size and integrity of the spherical surface (but the main thing is not how hard it is). A 300 class bearing is a crappy bearing (say used in a mainstream Wal-Mart bike), a 100 class bearing is mediocre (say used in a $150 bike), a 50 class bearing is decent (you can use it for six months) to a year on a $300 bike) and a class 25 bearing is a higher level (but not higher) (use it on a $500+ bike or with a hub like Shimano Dura-Ace, Ultrega, XTR or XT). If you want a truly superior ball bearing, you can order grade 5 or 3 ceramic bearings for use in something like a Dura-Ace or Campagnolo Record hub. Surprisingly, the grade doesn't indicate the hardness of the ball, as most bike mechanics will tell you. Hardness is not a measure of ball quality and is measured on a different scale called Rockwell hardness (which corresponds to the HRC specification for steel and ceramic ball bearings). Then the question arises; Are these 25 grade steel ball bearings and what is their hardness? I am happy to report that I have tested them in another lab next to ours and that they are indeed class 25 bearings and their hardness is 61 HRC which is actually suitable for stainless steel bearings. And it's a nice comfort to know that you get what they have to offer. And at only $12 for 500, which is a reasonable aftermarket price. These bearings are also supplied in individual small ziplock bags with the size clearly marked. Just make sure to use a bearing gauge like the Park Tools SBC-1 when pulling out old bearings to get the exact size you need. Especially with small bearings, it is very easy to mix up the size. Are there any disadvantages with this bearing set? Just one thing, they don't include 3/32 bearings. This size is used in countless Shimano and Campagnolo products and is often found in pedals. So it's a shame they were left out, but all the other bearings that most home mechanics need are included and are actually class 25. For $12, that's five stars!