GEAR DIVE

A Bottom Bracket for the Ages: The New CeramicSpeed ALPHA

Getting an inside line on the Danish brand's new BB with Paul Sollenberger, Head of Product Education.

A Bottom Bracket for the Ages: The New CeramicSpeed ALPHA

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Peter Harrington

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CeramicSpeed

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The act of cycling, and the great ride we all want, depends on a series of little things strung together, staying put and spinning away - steady as she goes. Things like the right bar tape under your fingers, neither too tacky nor too smooth. Shoes that fit without fidgeting, bib shorts that don't creep up, curl at the edges or constrain with too-tight straps. A bike computer that doesn't bleep. With a seasoned eye, that's all pretty simple (although seasoned can cover many sins). Beyond these surface concerns, there are things you probably don't ever think about, that is, until something breaks. Like the bottom bracket, source of black magic and black hole-level stresses. Sufferer of rain, grit, sand, grime and that peculiar paste you get when mud, clay, sludge and moisture meet. And party! It follows then that making a great bottom bracket is pretty hard. And for anything truly tricky, you could do worse than to call in some Danes to consider the problem. Like the good people at CeramicSpeed over in Denmark, who have carved out an unrivaled reputation for making blazingly fast bottom brackets that thrive in the filth, free from worldly concerns like friction (although of course there's still some), as well as a line of oversized pulley wheels - OSPW to those in the know, which is almost everyone these days.

A few weeks back, CeramicSpeed rocked up with a new bottom bracket, the aptly named ALPHA, a unit that builds on everything the brand has learned over many millions of miles and mountains of mud. To find out more about the new bb, we caught up with Paul Sollenberger, CeramicSpeed’s Head of Product Education. Handily, he’s American and lives in Colorado.

Hey, Paul. What do you do at CeramicSpeed, and how long have you been with the company?

Hello, Regroup! Thanks for having me. I’m the Head of Education, responsible for product education across the cycling business. I first joined CeramicSpeed back in 2015, right when we opened the U.S. office in Boulder, Colorado. At that time, I was the very first American hire, and over the years, I’ve moved through several roles — sales, technical support, product support, and even a stint as a global product manager. These days, I split my time roughly 50/50 between the U.S. side, helping retailers and riders understand our products, and the teams back in Denmark, where I still collaborate.

What was CeramicSpeed like in 2015, and how has the product line changed since then?

In the summer of 2015, we were a small outfit of about forty people, most of whom were based in Holstebro, Denmark, handling everything from production to research and quality control. All of our orders were processed in Denmark and shipped worldwide. That same year, we introduced our first Oversized Pulley Wheel, which went out the door in early 2016.

We're here to talk about the ALPHA, but let's take a quick diversion - for those who don't know, what does the OSPW do?

Essentially, it reduces chain drag. The chain is the single biggest source of power loss in a drivetrain. When lubrication isn’t perfect, the chain can sap more than 8 watts of power. Using a larger pulley wheel means the chain has to change direction less sharply, so it requires less energy to turn. The net effect is that more of the rider’s power actually reaches the rear wheel, giving a measurable boost in efficiency without having to rely on exotic lubes that wear out quickly.
The CeramicSpeed Alpha Bottom Bracket
A glimpse of the CeramicSpeed Alpha bottom bracket in its packaging.
Installing a CeramicSpeed Alpha Bottom Bracket

Returning to the topic at hand, in general, what problems do traditional bottom brackets present?

Conventional bottom brackets — whether they’re threaded BSA, ITA or the early press‑fit BB30 designs — often suffer from a few recurring issues. Manufacturing tolerances can vary, which affects how the bearings sit and how long they last. To keep the bearings alive, manufacturers usually pack them with a lot of grease and use thick seals, but that adds friction. Many OEM solutions, especially the sealed press‑fit models from Shimano, are essentially “install‑and‑forget”; they’re sealed for life, which makes any maintenance impossible. All of those factors combine to create higher friction, shorter service intervals and a greater chance that dirt or water will get inside and cause wear.

How does the ALPHA bottom bracket differ from the earlier CeramicSpeed models, and when did the project begin?

The formal project kicked off in the second half of 2023. With the ALPHA, we made several deliberate changes. First, we moved to hardened stainless‑steel races rather than standard hardened steel. That gives us the corrosion resistance we need while still keeping the hardness required for the high loads a bike sees. That’s unique in the industry. Second, we redesigned the seal and dust cover. The new double‑lip seal, together with a refined dust cover, keeps water and grit out much more effectively, which is why the recommended service interval is now roughly fifty per cent longer than before. What used to be three to five thousand miles is now five to eight thousand miles. Third, we simplified the cup design. All Shimano‑compatible versions now use black cups, eliminating the previous mix of red and black cups and reducing the number of SKUs we have to manage by about 60%. Finally, although the bearing size stays the same, we tune the ball bowl and preload for each specific interface — whether it’s a press‑fit, a threaded version or an outboard cup — so the bearing performs optimally no matter which frame standard you’re using. The weight savings come mainly from trimming excess material in the dust‑cover spacers and cups, not from the bearing material itself. Altogether, the ALPHA gives you higher efficiency, a longer lifespan and a much clearer buying experience. And all of this of course, on top of our proven ball bearing technology, our internally verified ceramic balls and dedication to handmade manufacturing at our HQ and home in Denmark.

What testing did you undertake to prove the ALPHA moves the needle over previous CeramicSpeed bearing models?

We put the ALPHA through a very rigorous program. In the lab, we ran the bearings at more than three thousand watts of continuous power for seven hours — far beyond the worst‑case scenario you’d ever see from an elite rider in a quick burst. On the road, we logged over a million kilometres of testing during the 2024 season, using everything from WorldTour road bikes to mountain bikes and triathlon machines. We also undertook real‑world exposure tests, such as riding through rain and crossing creeks on gravel routes in Denmark, to see how the new seals handled moisture. Those field results showed that even when water entered the system, the bearing itself remained healthy. Finally, we dug into our warranty data and saw that the majority of failures in the older “standard” version were due to corrosion and insufficient maintenance. By switching to stainless‑steel races and a better seal, we directly tackled those failure modes.
A CeramicSpeed ALPHA bottom bracket suspended on a blue background.
"We put the ALPHA through a very rigorous program. In the lab, we ran the bearings at more than three thousand watts of continuous power for seven hours — far beyond the worst‑case scenario you'd ever see from an elite rider in a quick burst"

Paul Sollenberger

Why should a rider or a bike shop care about the ALPHA?

From a rider’s perspective, the ALPHA reduces drivetrain drag, which translates into a tangible power gain. Because the seals keep contaminants out and the races resist corrosion, the bottom bracket lasts longer, leading to far fewer warranty claims. Maintenance becomes simpler, too; the extended service interval means you won’t have to grease or reseal as often, yet the unit remains serviceable, unlike many sealed OEM options. For shops, simplifying the product line removes much of the guesswork when ordering stock, making inventory management smoother.

Is there a cultural element at CeramicSpeed that influences how you design products?

Absolutely. Our culture is very flat, pragmatic and hands‑on. Our founder and CEO, JC, lives right next to the headquarters and is involved in day‑to‑day activities. We ride together as a team —from company rides on Wednesdays to holiday bike outings —the whole lot, so we all experience the same weather conditions our customers do, rain or shine. That shared experience drives us to focus on function over hype; we prefer to let the data speak for itself rather than making exaggerated marketing claims. The result is a product line that reflects a straightforward, no‑fluff approach to performance.

Anything else you'd like readers to know about the ALPHA?

The ALPHA is essentially a “full‑life” bottom bracket. We back it with a lifetime warranty because we’re confident in the materials, the sealing and the overall design. While this is the best we can do with today’s technology, we know that future breakthroughs will be needed to push performance even further. For now, the ALPHA gives riders a reliable, efficient and low‑maintenance solution that we’re proud to stand behind.
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