April 26th, 2009 by 
pro review
Installation was simple, we removed the stock pulleys, in our case, a set of Shimano pulleys off of an Ultegra SL rear derailleur. Snapped off the proper spacers from the tree, popped them into the VCRC pulleys, and secured them back onto the derailleur - we were back in business within minutes. The easiest test anyone can do to see a difference after installing ceramics into anything is the “spin” test. So we spun the crank backwards to see if the drag was any less. And though it wasn’t spinning for days, there was a slight difference in smoothness. But how does that translate into real world riding difference?
Therein lays the often heated debate. Many tests have been conducted over the years on several sites and magazines trying to prove and disprove the advantages of ceramic upgrades, and you can find them with a good search on the internet. But we’ve found that the bottom line always tends to be, there is a difference… albeit minor and in very optimal conditions you may be able to squeeze out an extra couple of watts. How important that small little edge is though, is up to you as the consumer.
In the case of these pulleys, our testers found them to compliment the VCRC bottom bracket nicely, adding just a little bit more smoothness to the drivetrain. To the owner of a bike equipped with both, it might just give him/her an added advantage knowing they’re squeezing every last bit of performance out of their drivetrain. But replace that rider with someone else, not knowing the change, and the difference might be so minor they may not notice.
Conclusion
For anyone that is already running a ceramic bottom bracket, these pulleys will serve you well and finish off that drivetrain nicely. Given the ease of installation and relative price of the upgrade, we’re not sure why these pulleys aren’t offered in some sort of bundled deal along with the bottom bracket. The two upgrades would serve anyone who’s looking for every last bit of performance out of their rigs to gain that special edge.
Value - Compared to others, it’s hard to beat VCRC’s value
Overall - For what they are, they work well
If you have any thoughts on the ceramic upgrade or if you’ve done any ceramic upgrades (bottom bracket, pulleys, wheels…) we’d like to hear your opinions on what difference it made, please leave a comment.
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April 28th, 2009 at 12:28 am
I have enduro ceramic bb bearings and FSA ceramic pulley bearings. I can feel the difference rotating my crankarms by hand as compared to my other bike without these mods. If you can feel it by hand, then the legs must notice it too. Now as to how much this difference is measurable for a cyclotourist such as myself, I would agree its all in my head (my head is important though). If I had serious competative goals I would consider these upgrades a must. An engineer friend of mine noted that the pulley upgrade is the most important; because of their relative high rpms, the frictional savings of a ceramic upgrade is greater. I’ve also bought into the hype of corrosion resistance and durability, but I’ve never had problems in those areas before anyway. Having my upgrades doesn’t keep me from being dropped on Sierra Rd. but maybe I get dropped a few inches later:). Ceramic bearings are therefore bling for my bike, sort of like having drilled brake rotors on the car you drive to work. . .I like knowing they are there.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I have a HOPE ceramic bottom bracket and BB ceramic pulleys. I was not really looking for a dramatic change in the feel, I just wanted the best quality, least resistance and most importantly… the most durable and reliable parts for my drivetrain. When will they start producing pedals with ceramic bearings? I’ll be waiting there with my wallet!