What about grease? Got any top picks?
#51
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cbrstar, have not seen Zinn's position but it would carry weight with me as he is a practical "expert" in my mind. I come from industrial maintenance engineering where we used countless greases and oils in fiberglass and carbon fiber applications and never had an issue with good quality epoxy resins. I came by a '98 Trek 5500 years ago and and found the aluminum seat post welded in place from galvanic corrosion.
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#53
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Available at Advance auto and other auto parts shops
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#54
Full Member
Tub o grease
I use a tub of marine bearing grease for the moving bearings (wheels, BB, headset), on the Sheldon recommendation. While I have no spare watts when riding, I'd much rather keep things lubricated if my maintenance gets sketchy than save some tiny fraction at first.
A tube of white lithium to dab on non-moving things like bolts, that I hope will move again someday...
But, I have a hobby pack of 100 popsicle sticks, so that every new job gets a new stick, and the tub of marine grease stays clean.
A tube of white lithium to dab on non-moving things like bolts, that I hope will move again someday...
But, I have a hobby pack of 100 popsicle sticks, so that every new job gets a new stick, and the tub of marine grease stays clean.
#55
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It's not "grease pollution" I'm referring to. It's chain lubrication, possible associated toxicity and their after effects. I don't think we need to be dumping PTFE and related compounds all over our bikes, which are then rinsed off while riding in what we consider "beautiful or pristine" lands.
Despite the sun expanding and engulfing the earth in about 4 billion years, I still think it's worthwhile to consider the toxins we dump in the environment. You may not give a crap, but I'd like to know my actions today aren't causing unnecessary birth defects in my kids or grand kids tomorrow. Your kids and grand kids included. Plus, aren't we learning that the difference between the "best PTFE-infused wonder-lube" and "cheapo oil" are nominal. So why to to the extra monetary and environmental cost to achieve diminishing returns?
Must we be so selfish as to say, "Well, the sun's gonna blow up some day, so I say just pollute the crap out of the place!" It isn't that, it's the kid dying of leukemia down the street in silence that is the point. It's the children suffering learning disabilities, thanks to our callousness, or hatred for "job-killing regulations." It's the "profit NOW, worry about the consequences later" that leads to so much future cost and suffering.
I think it's worth spending a few extra dimes today to prevent the millions spent down the road by future generations. Examples abound, but the Atlas uranium processing mill on the banks of the Colorado River in Moab, is a perfect one: $100 million in generated revenue against $1 billion cost to clean up - and counting. That's hubris on a grand scale. That's what we call a "really, REALLY bad return on investment!"
Being cavalier is all fun & games until it hits home and YOUR kid is dying of preventable disease caused by contamination of our water and food sources.
Despite the sun expanding and engulfing the earth in about 4 billion years, I still think it's worthwhile to consider the toxins we dump in the environment. You may not give a crap, but I'd like to know my actions today aren't causing unnecessary birth defects in my kids or grand kids tomorrow. Your kids and grand kids included. Plus, aren't we learning that the difference between the "best PTFE-infused wonder-lube" and "cheapo oil" are nominal. So why to to the extra monetary and environmental cost to achieve diminishing returns?
Must we be so selfish as to say, "Well, the sun's gonna blow up some day, so I say just pollute the crap out of the place!" It isn't that, it's the kid dying of leukemia down the street in silence that is the point. It's the children suffering learning disabilities, thanks to our callousness, or hatred for "job-killing regulations." It's the "profit NOW, worry about the consequences later" that leads to so much future cost and suffering.
I think it's worth spending a few extra dimes today to prevent the millions spent down the road by future generations. Examples abound, but the Atlas uranium processing mill on the banks of the Colorado River in Moab, is a perfect one: $100 million in generated revenue against $1 billion cost to clean up - and counting. That's hubris on a grand scale. That's what we call a "really, REALLY bad return on investment!"
Being cavalier is all fun & games until it hits home and YOUR kid is dying of preventable disease caused by contamination of our water and food sources.
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#56
Keefusb
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Mobil 1 Mobilith SHC 220, high quality synthetic, nice red color. Have been using it for years without incident.
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#57
Junior Member
I'm a fan of the Mobil Mobilith SHC lineup as well. I recently ran out of grease and was in need of servicing my headset. I stumbled across the Fuchs Renolit CA-LZ grease on a german parts store for 16$ Canadian a 400g tube. It's a sticky water repelling calcium grease that's very similar to Motorex 2000 and Shimano premium grease, and it's made in Germany. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cheaper alternative without sacrificing quality.
#58
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I'm a fan of the Mobil Mobilith SHC lineup as well. I recently ran out of grease and was in need of servicing my headset. I stumbled across the Fuchs Renolit CA-LZ grease on a german parts store for 16$ Canadian a 400g tube. It's a sticky water repelling calcium grease that's very similar to Motorex 2000 and Shimano premium grease, and it's made in Germany. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cheaper alternative without sacrificing quality.
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#59
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I recently switched to marine trailer wheel bearing grease (ie supposed to survive immersion on the boat ramp) because I was having somewhat irrational difficulty accepting that something as "clean" as a squeeze tube of white lithium grease could really do the job... though in reality it's probably just as good.
At least the blue/green marine stuff is satisfyingly messy to pack bearings with, and they run better than with the dried out goop I usually find in there.
(And yes, I have generally headed the idea that one should flush and clean all the old grease out before repacking with something different)
At least the blue/green marine stuff is satisfyingly messy to pack bearings with, and they run better than with the dried out goop I usually find in there.
(And yes, I have generally headed the idea that one should flush and clean all the old grease out before repacking with something different)
#60
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for what? everything?
since I changed my fork I'm keeping better care of the stancions & wipers & use this ConPanna Fork Grease
since I changed my fork I'm keeping better care of the stancions & wipers & use this ConPanna Fork Grease
#61
Senior Member
LUBRIPLATE SYN EMB, 14 oz. Cartridge, (1 CT/EA) (factorysupplyoutlet.com)
I started using this over 20 years ago because that's what they had at the bearing house.
I started using this over 20 years ago because that's what they had at the bearing house.
#63
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I lose sleep wondering if a $14, 4 ounce tube of Park grease proprietarily formulated for today's high performance bicycles it is better than a $6, 42 ounce tube of red grease that will keep a heavy piece of farm machinery operational.
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"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." -- Heinz Stücke
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#64
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Sure, Its hardly wort loosing Any sleep over, still I couldnt resists researching a bit. As it turns out, most "normal" multi purpose greases has a base oil* that appear to too thin for the very low speeds in bicycle bearings. A thicker base oil, like what is found in Motorex 2000 and the above mentioned Fuchs grease seem more appropriate and more likely to function as intended in low speed bearings, - more so than then the prepacked grease in bearings that are usually intended to go at 1000-10.000 rpm and most multi purpose greases.
*Grease is made from oil And a thickener. Its not "thick" oil.
*Grease is made from oil And a thickener. Its not "thick" oil.