Lubes

[blacknell]

Okay, stupid question time. How many fundamentally different lubes do you use on your bike? I ask because I realize that I think there's only three different kinds of lube.

The first, which I would characterize as "grease", is the sort of stuff I throw in my hubs or bottom bracket. I use the Park Polylube stuff. Is all bike grease pretty much the same?

Then there's the dry teflon sprays. I use this on my MTBs, or on the road bike if I'm going out for a long C&O (dusty) ride.

Finally, there's the wet Prolink sort of stuff, which is what I use for most everything else. Chains, derailleurs, shifters, etc.

Am I missing something? Am I misusing any of these?

[allencb]

For the past 10 years, I've only used automotive wheel bearing grease for bearings, sliding assemblies (seatposts, quill stems, etc), and sometimes even cables. For chains, cables, derailleurs, etc, I use Boeshield T9.

Until 1995 or so, when I discovered T9 and auto grease, I was a dedicated Phil Wood kinda guy. I used his grease and tenacious oil.

I've used just about everything on the market prior to 2002, but auto wheel bearing grease (thick green stuff) and T9 pretty much meet my needs. I certainly haven't noticed any performance or wear issues by sticking with those two items.

Chris

[drewdane]

When I think Lubes in a bike context, I usually think chain only. I think there are three broad categories of chain lube. Wet (Finish Line, etc), Wax (White Lightning, etc) and "penetrating" (ProLink - my personal choice). I've probably got the terminology all messed up - mech geeks feel free to correct me. Also, now's the time to insert off-color comments, CRAIG!

Anything else used on the bike is grease to me.

[jvanbrecht]

There is a whole piece by sheldon brown on lubricating chains, and the different types of lube.

I use wax, its a dry type, does not pick up much dirt like a wet lubricant.

[walsh]

I recently added a couple of bottles to my stash. I like to have a few different tricks up my sleeve. As best as I can recall:

- Teflon-based spray lubricant (Finish Line). I used to use this exclusively (I was 15) but now have less and less use for it. OK for derailleur pivots (something else I use less and less frequently ;) ) and cable housing.
- Wet lube (Finish Line as well) has been my go-to for my mountain bike chains. I lube and wipe with every ride. This is the best solution for damp riding conditions that I have found. Also a good fix-all to carry on the trail.
- ProLink gold wet lube: I think it may shortly replace the Finish Line on my mountain bike chains. It is a lighter consistency. Supposedly it "disperses static" resulting in less mung stuck to your chain. This may be BS, but I have found it much easier to keep my commuter's chain clean since I started using the stuff.
- Wax-based dry lube (Pedro's Ice Wax) has been great on my road bike chain for a long time. I will never use it on a mountain bike again.
- A heavier oil (Tri-Flow for me, Phil Tenacious for others) is better than the teflon-based stuff for cables and pivots. I also use it for spokes and spoke nipples.
- Light grease (white lithium grease, Finish Line) is easier to use when prepping bolts, pedal threads, etc.
- Heavier grease (I like Park's green variety, the red is even more viscous) gives your bearings maximum protection.
- Judy Butter is what I use on fork and shock internals. Also good on your friends' brake rotors.

I guess you could add 'lube' to my list of fixations.

[allencb]

Forgot about shock lube. I still have a partial container of Englund's Slick Honey. I use that stuff on anything that needs a light grease. :)

Chris

[Brizn]

General purpose grease: Park Polylube 1000, blue stuff.

Chains: Pro-Link Gold or Rock n Roll. This stuff is obviously a little wetter than the dry stuff, but I really like it. I also kinda like the wax lubes- they seem to be a little quieter, which is nice. Seems like I switch between Wet and Wax every 3 or 4 months.

Cables, der pivots, etc: Tri-Flow.

Bottom brackets, hubs, headsets: Phil Wood. The end.

Fork/shock stanchions: Liquid Wrench Silicone spray lubricant, sprayed into a cotton pad, then applied- (to help with overspray and for a uniform application).

Slick Honey claims it's for shocks.. but I don't like it for this application at all. I don't think it even penetrates the lowers. I see it slopped on stanchions at lots of shops, though :rolleyes: . Every so often I'll put a thin coat on my fork legs and bounce the fork a little so the grease picks up dirt around the seals. Then I wipe it all off and apply silicone lubricant-- as rec'd by several manufacturers.

I do use Slick Honey for small parts that require a light/thin greasing---areas you don't want attracting dirt, like your jockey wheels!

[ride-n-fall]

General purpose grease: Park Polylube 1000, blue stuff.

Chains: Pro-Link Gold or Rock n Roll. This stuff is obviously a little wetter than the dry stuff, but I really like it. I also kinda like the wax lubes- they seem to be a little quieter, which is nice. Seems like I switch between Wet and Wax every 3 or 4 months.

Cables, der pivots, etc: Tri-Flow.

Bottom brackets, hubs, headsets: Phil Wood. The end.

Fork/shock stanchions: Liquid Wrench Silicone spray lubricant, sprayed into a cotton pad, then applied- (to help with overspray and for a uniform application).

Slick Honey claims it's for shocks.. but I don't like it for this application at all. I don't think it even penetrates the lowers. I see it slopped on stanchions at lots of shops, though :rolleyes: . Every so often I'll put a thin coat on my fork legs and bounce the fork a little so the grease picks up dirt around the seals. Then I wipe it all off and apply silicone lubricant-- as rec'd by several manufacturers.

I do use Slick Honey for small parts that require a light/thin greasing---areas you don't want attracting dirt, like your jockey wheels!

I have found that the Slick Honey is great for maintaining hubs. In another life (i.e., 1 month ago) I used Phils grease to service my Hope hubs. Shortly thereafter I realized that the Phils was much too thick because the freewheel was seizing. I have since used Slick Honey to lube the pawls and whatnot of the hubs and it works great. I need to get me a container of that; the stuff I used was given to me gratis by Contes (thanks for that -- they now sponsor MORE so spend money there!).

[yueq]

general purpose: wheelbearing grease
bearing packing: Rock-n-Roll Super Web
freehub: Rock-n-Roll Super Slick
chain: Prolink Gold
fork stanchion: Manitou Prep M but still in search for a better one.

[allencb]

Slick Honey claims it's for shocks.. but I don't like it for this application at all. I don't think it even penetrates the lowers. I see it slopped on stanchions at lots of shops, though :rolleyes: . Every so often I'll put a thin coat on my fork legs and bounce the fork a little so the grease picks up dirt around the seals. Then I wipe it all off and apply silicone lubricant-- as rec'd by several manufacturers.


How would any grease get to the lower parts of a fork by slopping it on the stanchions. I apply it when I rebuild/overhaul a fork.

Chris

[drtnsnw]

I use Pedros Syn Lube on almost everything.

[Brizn]

How would any grease get to the lower parts of a fork by slopping it on the stanchions. I apply it when I rebuild/overhaul a fork.

Chrisoh oh.. maybe we're kinda talkin different applications here, then. I was referring to Slick Honey being used as a lubricant for a suspension forks action. Seems like you're talking about using it for the innards.

[allencb]

oh oh.. maybe we're kinda talkin different applications here, then. I was referring to Slick Honey being used as a lubricant for a suspension forks action. Seems like you're talking about using it for the innards.
Yup. I haven't torn down my Skareb, but the SX-Ti it replaced had felt rings in the seals that were supposed to "lube" the stanchions. You oiled those rings when you overhauled the fork. IIRC, you weren't supposed to use any grease on the stanchions at all. That was a '97 vintage fork though. Slick Honey was used deep in the innards.

Chris

[Dirt]

If you're tearing into rear hub assemblies or freewheels, I've generally found that King's ringlube is good because it isn't too sticky. It is easy to gum up the stuff in your rear hub.

I like Boeshield T9 on chains too, though I've been going through a few cans of Pedro's Extra Dry that I somehow inherited. The Pedros works really well, but I need to use it every other ride or I become squeek-e-boy.

As far as traditional grease goes, I find very little use for it on a bicycle these days. For hub bearings, I use the King grease. I've got one old ActionTec bottom bracket that needs some grease now and then. I use whatever fits in my grease gun. Right now it is Finish Line. It makes no sense for me to be picky about the grease that goes in that BB because I do enough rides where it gets submerged that any grease that goes in will get contaminated. Anything waterproof does the job. I haven't had the need to lubricate the Phil BB's yet. Maybe next decade.

The only other real use for grease is for lubricating threads and seatposts. For steel and aluminum, I use whatever is in my grease gun. For titanium threads I use moly-based anti-sieze.

Pete

[tsunayoshi]

I'm sure I'll get conflicting advice consulting the board's collective expertise, but here goes:

I've only used wet lubes (Rock N Roll) on the chain since I started riding (last Oct), but now that all the trails are really dry and dusty, should I switch to a wax-based lube? Or will I be good sticking with a wet lube as long as I am diligent about cleaning the chain after every ride?

I am really asking because I just ran out of lube and figured I would ask before I buy another bottle. :p

-Mike.

[Squirrel Girl]

"penetrating" (ProLink - my personal choice).Yeah, Baby!

I tried several different chain lubes. Never really noticed any difference that I could keep track of. But ProLink is supposed to "shed dirt." Lo and behold, my chain would stay clean! Of course I don't ride on wet trails (like today :( ), but sometimes you can't help but go through a puddle. My bike gets filthy, but my chain stays clean!

Yay ProLink!

[saxman]

I tried Prolink Gold on my chain for the first time today. Wow, what a difference!

Up to this point, I've been using Finish Line Cross Country up to this point, which is the goopiest, thickest stuff I've ever seen. It's good for really wet conditions, like the creek crossing on Hoyles Mill. The minus is it attracts so much dirt you have to degrease the chain constantly or else everything in the drivetrain turns into sludge.

For grease, I use Pedros Syn Lube. On cables I use the Finish Line Dry w/teflon. I also use that on the fork stanchions

[nocro]

Chains: Pro-Link Gold or Rock n Roll. This stuff is obviously a little wetter than the dry stuff, but I really like it. I also kinda like the wax lubes- they seem to be a little quieter, which is nice. Seems like I switch between Wet and Wax every 3 or 4 months.


I use Rock-n-Roll Gold. When Br!zn, Yueq and I rode Schaeffer a week back when it was really dry, my chain was completely clean, Br1zn & Yueq's were dusted an iron oxide red. I clean the chain, load the RnR on, then clean all the excess RnR off. Get it really clean, and your chain will perform great.

I use TriFlow on the cables and other moving parts on the cables.

I use (automobile) axle bearing grease on about everything else I touch. One note on that is I recently received word not to use the bearing grease on my titanium seatpost. So I bought some finish line anti-seize.

HTH

[kevin29r]

For chains, I prefer Pro-Link gold. After each ride, I apply and wipe the chain to remove excess dirt. Then I re-apply and let dry for the next ride. I tried Pedro's Ice Wax, but it seems a bit sticky, resulting in chain suck.

For derailleurs and cables, I use Tri-Flow, mainly because the dispenser has a micro tube to reach all the pivots.

[yueq]

One note on that is I recently received word not to use the bearing grease on my titanium seatpost. So I bought some finish line anti-seize.

HTH

What is the issue with bearing grease on Ti seatpost? I have a Ti post in a steel frame coated with bearing grease right now. I surely don't want to ruin it.

[macdaid]

Anyone tried Psycho Lube?

It's a 2 part spray on; basecoat to prime, 2nd coat bonds to primer to lubricate.
I've tried it.

Pros:
Lubricates well.
Didn't attract dirt like Finish Line or Tenacious.
Seemed to repel moisture well.
In short it did everything you would want a lube to do.

Cons:
Expensive as I recall.
Their website claims it doesn't, but I found it to smell really bad - like toxic.
I would only use it outside.
Contains Hexane - my own research on hexane came up inconclusive as to toxicity, and again the website claims it's nontoxic ... that its FDA approved for use in the food industry...

Here's their link:
http://www.psycholube.com/benefits.htm

[macdaid]

Ok, the "warrior pack" is $21.00 including shipping...
Cans are about 3/4 size to a large can of that god awful wd-40....

Too expensive? U decide...

[nocro]

What is the issue with bearing grease on Ti seatpost? I have a Ti post in a steel frame coated with bearing grease right now. I surely don't want to ruin it.

http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7469

I bought some anti-seize, and will give you a tube this week.