Not “Off the shelf” bearings
Specifically tailored for the needs and demands of cycling, Enduro Bearings uses high spec bearing steel and unique cycling-specific bearing test machines in the R&D process. We take a deep dive into the world of bearings with Andy Searcy, Brand Manager for Enduro Bearings at Extra UK…
Can you fill us in on the beginnings of involved in such notable projects as the Enduro Bearings?
Matt Harvey and Mike Alders founded Enduro Bearings in 1996, in the attic of Mike’s father’s forklift repair shop. 30 years later, Enduro is a global company with two divisions. Mike leads the industrial division while Matt leads the cycling division.
Enduro Bearings’ California headquarters totals 60,000 square feet with additional manufacturing and distribution facilities in Singapore, Taiwan and a joint venture in China. The cycling group’s friendly, experienced staff serves the bearing and component needs of global bike brands, distributors, retailers and riders, providing everything from affordable ABEC 3 bearings to high performance, lifetime warranty XD15 bearings and MaxhitTM components. Enduro bearings are fitted annually onto millions of bikes.
And what about Enduro’s cycling roots? What’s the back story?
By age 13, Matt Harvey was breaking BMX bikes and working in bike shops. He met Mike Alders in high school and the school mates first worked together assembling kids bikes during the holidays. Matt went on to earn an engineering degree, which led to design work at Gary Fisher Bicycles, White Industries and Bianchi. He was involved in such notable projects as the Fisher RS-1 full suspension MTB, White Industries bottom brackets and hubs, and the radical fully suspended Bianchi race bike that Johann Museeuw piloted in the Paris-Roubaix cobbled classic.
Mike Alders, meanwhile, was working at his dad’s forklift business and had resorted to custom machining massive forklift mast guide bearings; bearings which were no longer readily available for older forklifts. With no access to engineer- ing drawings, Mike called on his friend Matt to render designs in AutoCAD. Matt immediately realised the ginormous bearings he was designing – full of balls with no retainer ring- could be scaled down perfectly for the high load demands found on bikes, which would result in dramatic improvements in reliability and lifespan. In 1998, Enduro introduced their first MAX suspension pivot bearings.
What’s different about Enduro Bearings compared to other well-known brands?
Every bearing in Enduro’s line-up is designed and purpose-built for its location on the bike. Other brands lean on decades of industrial bearing standards focused on the higher RPMs and lighter loads of electrical motors. To validate Enduro’s bearing design solutions, Matt Harvey built a cycling-specific bearing test machine that replicates the lower rotational speeds and high multi-directional loads of road and off-road riding.
Can you share specifics on the design differences between Enduro’s bike bearings and the competition?
To rotate quietly at extremely high RPM and not have grease foul the motor, industrial bearing designs typically feature smaller balls, single-lip seals and minimal grease-fill. Bikes roll slow by comparison and the loads are much higher. Imagine what a tiny hub or suspension bearing endures under a pro rider sprinting for the win or careering down a rocky off-road descent.
The important design and performance features hidden inside Enduro bearings include fewer and larger balls cradled in deeper bearing race grooves. In combination, under the extreme axial loads found in cycling, larger balls rolling in deeper grooves improve rolling efficiency and extend bearing life. To further improve performance, Enduro only specs the highest grade bearing steels machined to exacting tolerances, finished with tightly controlled post machining treatments.
Often overlooked, yet critical to extending bearing life and decreasing rolling resistance, are bearing seals and grease. Enduro bearings feature a unique double-lip seal captured in machined recesses on both the inner and outer bearing races. While more expensive to manufacture, double-lip seals riding in a grease-filled groove offers superior shielding against contaminants while improving grease retention over time.
Other manufacturers only capture the seal in the outer race, with a single lip floating on the surface of the inner race. A single lip seal lets the bad stuff in as grease easily migrates out. A dry bearing with a dry seal creates 20x the friction compared to properly greased double-lip seal.
Enduro uses specific grease formulas for each location on the bike. With suspension pivot bearings and headset bearings that only rotate a few degrees and encounter harsh loads, a high viscosity, impact absorbing MAX (Almagard) grease fills the bearing. In bearings that spin 100 to 200 RPM, Enduro’s lifetime warranty bearings are filled with XD15 (Klüber) high-performance grease. The more affordable ABEC series bearings are filled with Enduro (Mobil) performance grease. All Enduro bearings feature 80% grease fill to fully lubricate seals and significantly reduce friction under load.
For those unfamiliar, can you distill 1000-plus Enduro products into a few words?
The company’s ‘good, better, best’ product hierarchy makes sense. Why spend more than needed if you’re a fair-weather rider? All Enduro bearings incorporate the same design principles – bigger balls, deeper grooves and such – the difference is material cost, finishing treatments and corrosion resistance.
Enduro’s very affordable and very good ABEC 3, ABEC 5, and MAX bearings perform quite well for quite a long time in dry and occasionally wet climates. When rusty, they spin okay but not like new, as a result of the double-lip seals doing their job. Eventually, these bear- ings will need to be replaced.
Enduro’s better bearings include a two-year warranty. These bearings feature higher grade, corrosion resistant materials and post machining treatments such as black oxide. MAX Solid Lube pivot bearings include a proprietary solid lube formula ideally suited for harsh climates.
At the top are Enduro’s high performance, lifetime warranty products: XD15 hub and bottom bracket bearings, 440C headset bearings, Maxhit bottom brackets and headsets and Directline derailleur pulleys. These products are incredibly efficient, spin great when abused and require little to no service.
Enduro also offers a full ensemble of professional grade bearing removal and installation tools.
How long has Extra UK been working with Enduro? How has that relationship developed and how does it link in with dealers?
Having worked with Enduro Bearings for over 10 years, we (Extra UK) have established a strong relationship with their vastly experienced team and established the brand as a staple in IBDs. The range of products cover most general bearing needs for day-to-day repair work but over the last few years we have seen huge growth in lifetime warranty products at the premium end, especially bottom brackets. For the UK riders that want performance AND longevity the XD15 and Maxhit products really do stand out from the crowd.
We offer POS units to showcase the differing products alongside other promo items to really enhance the visibility of the brand in store. Bearings are hidden for the most part so having brand visibility in store really helps to place the brand name with the customer.
Finally, Enduro have some excellent UK based ambassadors who have been riding their products for a number of years with great success and little maintenance. Check out Nic Vieri, Guy Kesteven, Josh Ibbett and Josh Reid for some real world, genuine product feedback!
Enduro Bearings is distributed by Extra UK
