What about grease? Got any top picks?
 

Hello All,
Went to a local bike shop yesterday to get some tires and to check out some basic bike tools. They had a display of Park Tool products but really carried nothing that I needed.
Then I inquired about Grease, they were actually out of stock (Park Brand). I need to tear down the BB and HS to inspect and re grease.
Is there a "GO TO" brand of grease that anyone would suggest here?

Thanks,
TJ

As long as you are using any grease, you are ahead in the game. Don’t overthink it. Lots of people already have.

The differences between different greases are minimal. Park and Phil’s are great, but are probably not worth the price premium. You can get a big tub of Mobil or another premium grease from any auto parts store, and not pay any more than you would for a tube of Phil’s.

Regardless, you will be sick of the smell of most greases before you use the entire tub. I use the Phil’s brand because I don’t find the smell offensive.

I've used Phil's for decades but I buy it in 600 gm tubs so the cost per use is reasonable. That said, almost any medium body grease will be more than adequate. Bike bearings are a low demand application.

Best.
 

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If you have never used it you wont know why its the best.

As Hillrider correctly notes, just about any grease will work for bicycles. If you've got some auto wheel bearing grease, or can get some at a parts store, that'll work just fine.

I've got a tube of Phil's grease which is easier to apply because of the packaging. I've also got a tub of Pedro's which, at my current rate of consumption, will need to be replaced around 2040, if I'm still riding and maintaining my bikes that long.

I agree with all the posters that say it's not all that important which grease you use as long as you use enough of it to begin with. For over 50 years I have been looking at tests and mechanics advice and wild claims by mfrs. and have never been able to determine that one grease is noticeably better than another for bike use. Any of the bike greases I've used have been fine but so have the cheap tubs of marine grease I bought at the auto parts stores. If you feel better about buying the overpriced bike specific stuff go ahead as the cost of using a small amount every year is pretty minimal unless you're doing a fleet of bikes. For a good article explaining greases checkout forum member BikeGremlin's site. Of course there will be detractors from his advice (true of anything having to do with lube discussions) but from my experience he is right on. The best bicycle bearing grease | BikeGremlin

I agree that it really doesn't matter. Me? My GoTo grease is Motorex 2000 and/or Phil Wood. I used Lubriplate for years when working in shops though.



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Hardware or auto parts store will have 'waterproof grease' or 'waterproof trailer grease' that is a similar green colour to Phil's. I'm not saying it's the same thing, but it is absolutely adequate for bicycle bearings. THe added advantage is that it is ~$5 for 1/2 litre instead of $12 for 100 mL for PW.

In reality, just about any grease will work. Bicycle bearings are low-load and low speed, so whatever you can get for a grease gun to do the suspension on a car will work perfectly.

I use marine grease just whatever generic brand walmart had.

For non-performance applications, just about anything will do. If you really care about performance, Shimano Dura-Ace (which may be just repackaged Motorex).
I have a small grease gun with boat trailer grease that I use for most things. Wheel bearings get a light coating of Shimano.

I like Phil's a tube will last a long time (I have 3 bikes and 5 wheelsets). I do have a tub of rock and roll red devil grease that i use for seat posts, and threads and would be fine for other use.

If you have a carbon frame you have to be careful of what greases you use. But like others say I use marine axle grease because it's water resistant and doesn't wash out. My experience was I used to only buy a red grease called Bull Shot when I was a teenager and actively cycling but it was stupidly expensive. When I got back into cycling I tried to get some but I learned it was out of production. I found a tub of a red "bicycle" grease that the bike shop told me was similar to bull shot. I went on my first semi long distance ride in the mountains and the red grease actually broke down and was literally dripping out of the hubs! (I think it was past it's shelf life). I tried marine axel grease out of desperation to continue my trip and it worked like a charm.

Hold on one second! Not every grease is the same. Boat trailer grease is the wrong type to use because it is too thick. It is really designed for a marine environment. And it smells bad. If your bike regularly takes a dip in the water then you use that. Otherwise use something light like Phil Wood's grease which is designed for bicycles. If you don't believe me- try both types on grease on your pedal spindles and then spin the pedals. One will spin like molasses and the other will spin freely.
Now when it comes to something that don't spin- like your headset- boat trailer grease is perfectly acceptable. Likewise brake calipers, brake levers, etc.

Here is the BEST. >>> Krazygrease.com. I've been using it 8 years for everything. My SA 3 and 5 hubs fly down the road.
HS, BB, seat post, pedals, nuts and bolts. Nothing better.
Phil's is over priced soupy GARBAGE, IME.

Hello All,
Thanks for all the advice!
TJ

I have a bottle of hypoid gear oil that I often soak freewheels in that I am not going/able to take apart, and my wife knows when I have been playing with that as it has a noticeable smell. It is cheap, reuseable, and eventually black gunk falls out of the bearings.

Another vote for Phil Wood.


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a tube of phil's is like 10 buck.... and will last for years for most people...... I don't get the expensive comments at all

I use Finish Line “Creamy Teflon” grease in a 16 ounce tub. It has a beige color and great consistency. Phil grease to me does not stay where you want it.

In my Pedro’s mini grease gun I use Rock-n-Roll Super Web grease. It works great on fasteners and dispenses a tiny bead just where you need it. I love that stuff!

I use Marine Grease, because it is such a pain to get off of stuff..... It really stays where you put it.

I do tend to use Phil Wood a lot. It is good quality stuff and has that Phil logo you can't not love. I also do use the Pedro's Syn Grease, the purple color is nice and like the Phil is also Made in 'Murica.

In the shop we tend to use Finish Line Crystal Grease a lot because we can tell if something has gone south easily and when we need the sticky stuff we go Rock 'n' Roll Super Web but that stuff will get ya and not want to come out. Wear those gloves and clothes you don't care about out. However many mechanics do tend to have a tube or bucket o' Phil laying about. It ain't that expensive and if you are too cheap for a tube of grease for $10 you may not want to get into cycling, it can get way more expensive than that. I still have my tube from 8 years ago and while it is getting low and I have bought another tube or two beyond that it wasn't a huge purchase. Yes probably some cheaper crap at Wally Mart or Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Amazon but honestly it's $10 that is for some a single drink at Starbucks or two footlong sandwiches from Subway. It isn't a kingly fortune here.

Shimano standard grease works just fine for me, cheap enough in a big tub and used with a mini grease gun. Only place it doesn't is in coaster brakes, where an extreme temp grease is needed, most normal greases melt and run out when given a hard time.

I have an 800 g tub of Liten ŁT-43 P, made/sold by Orlen - and only 17 złoties at my local store here in Poland. It is blue and seems to work.

Can you expand on that? Phil's seems to stay where I put it better than anything else I've tried (including Pedro's.)

[QUOTE=pdlamb;21877393]The tube that I had seemed kind of gelatinous to me. If I squish the ball bearings down into a bead of grease in a hub cup I look for the grease to hold the bearings and not move to the side. It just seemed to repel the bearings in a way that made me less confident in my repacking job. The Finish Line Creamy Teflon tub that I have is thicker and stickier. Maybe it has a wee bit more rolling friction than the Phil Wood stuff, I don’t know. I’m sure the Phil grease is probably fine. But another benefit of a light colored grease (the Finish Line is a light tan color, The Rock-n-Roll Super Web is white) is that I get a bit more of a visual about contamination when I check my bearings or threads.