Ceramic bb wear out quicker than steel?

So my xx1 bb has developed play after about three months use, and my lbs said ceramic bearings being harder tend to wear the steel races and don’t actually last as long as steel on steel.

Also said that ceramic was used mainly due to lower drag. I’ve not heard of this before, and am wondering if I smell BS. Anyone else had/heard of this prob with ceramic bearings before?

Cheers!

i smell poop-

my hope ceramic BBs have outlasted many other BBs by a good margin.

If its a full on ceramic bearing, then they potentially last longer, but most are ceramic balls with steel cages. They wear just as fast as full on steel bearing in my experience. Full ceramic bearings tend to be lower dragas they don’t require grease.

Not all bb are the same.
My hope ceramic bb faultless and last years

SRAM black box to match my older xx chainset
About the 3 months you got
Seems I did not follow sram instructions about re greaseing after wet rides

Always found ceramic wheel bearing don’t last as long as stainless but roll oh so fast

thanks guys. does sound like it might be a sram issue rather than a ceramic issue. a mate has also had a really good run out of a hope ceramic bb.

to be fair the lbs got his info from a shimano tech guy who was explaining why shimano don’t use ceramic bearings.

think I’ll see if hope or king do ceramic ones that fit xx1, as did notice the ceramics spin really well.

cheers again!
Ben

The seals are more important unless they are full ceramic rather than hybrid. SKF, FAG, INA etc have great seals so last longer than cheap bearings and if muck gets in ceramic hybrid then the steel races wear. I guess SKF ceramic would be the answer but god knows how expensive they are

Same experience as others, +4 years on Hope ceramic – could be a SRAM, install or maintenance issue – or any combination.