FlyingCheetah Posted March 24, 2008 Share What type of grease should I use on a bike? I see that I currently have something that looks like Vaceline but with a green tint. What grease is that? Are there different types of cycle grease to use for hubs and BB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisecrack Posted March 24, 2008 Share At my LBS I see them using grease with a copper tint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share All depends. I use the Park Tool "green" grease for load bearing stuff (cranks, etc) and plain white grease (can't remember the brand) to prevent metal fusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendfan Posted March 25, 2008 Share I think "Exus" grease has a light green tint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtrider Posted March 25, 2008 Share Vaseline . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share Vaseline . Hoop nie julle het dit gebruik met die Sani nie!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted March 25, 2008 Share Most bicycle DIYers are emotional about their grease and I have no doubt that you'll get 1001 recommendations for this or that grease.Fact is, bicycles don't require any special grease as the requirement is pretty low-tech. There's no high speeds involved (except on my bike of course), no heavy loading, big pressure or anything else that calls for a specific grease, involved. Any grease will work.There are however some considerations that make one grease more convenient than another.1)Size of canister. Small tubes are convenient but very, very expensive.2) Light coloured or translucent grease helps you visually identify contamination. If you already have grease of sorts in your garage, use that. It doesn't matter if it is wheel bearing or general purpose. In the bicycle world, Exus grease is green, Miche is white and Finish line is white. Someone said Park Tool makes a green one. Copper coloured grease is not grease, but copper compound and is not suitable for lubrication. Things to consider. 1) Never ever buy an Exus grease gun. It is rubbish. Buy a large plastic syringe from a chemist instead. 2) Grease is not waterproof, even if it says so on the tin. 3) Grease does not prevent fusion on aluminium inserts. Instead, it acts as a catalyst and indirectly causes it. 4) Vaseline is an OK, short-term lubricant but it quickly looses its oil and turns to hard wax that doesn't flow back to lubricate. It also oozes oil at high temperatures on hot summer days. 5) Wax is not grease and makes a poor lubricant. Grease is the word, is the word, is the word.It's got groove, it's got meaning..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share JB, how does grease act as a catalyst?!?! Wish, been using grease as a preventative measure for the fusion for some time..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoBigBen Posted March 25, 2008 Share ewep - wa praat jy sulke groot woorde so vroeg in die oggend boetta huh? Load bearing and metal fusion en sulke goed ai ai ai raak nou 'n larney vandat jy nou soooo 'n mooi Kanondaal ry ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share ewep - wa praat jy sulke groot woorde so vroeg in die oggend boetta huh? Load bearing and metal fusion en sulke goed ai ai ai raak nou 'n larney vandat jy nou soooo 'n mooi Kanondaal ry ....... Hehehehe, you taught me well oh wise one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtrider Posted March 25, 2008 Share ja genade , he even got me scratching my head ! There is just one thing that needs to be mentioned . You do get a grease used for heavy duty stuff . This grease is very thick and almost like a glue . Don't use it if you so happen to have a tub in your garage ! Something like Moly-grease comes to mind , it's used to couple truck and trailer on big rigs . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Bornman Posted March 25, 2008 Share JB' date=' how does grease act as a catalyst?!?! Wish, been using grease as a preventative measure for the fusion for some time.....[/quote'] Stuck alu posts are caused by alu corrosion, which in turn is a result of water reacting with the aluminium. The resultant aluminium oxide is a very big molecule that swells the post and freezes it in the frame or fork. Occasional water contact is OK, but when water is in there for long periods of time, you quickly have a frozen posts. When the post is not greased, water gets in there and quickly evaporates. However, if the post is greased, the water gets in there and through the pumping action of the frame/stem/post flexing, mixes the water and grease into an emulsion. Emulsion is when the large grease molecule encapsulates the water molecule. This prevents it from evaporating, yet makes it available to the aluminium to react with. In summary, the grease traps the water which then attacks your stem. The problem is particularly bad with old-fashioned quill stems where the stem is secured at the bottom and the top can wiggle around, pumping sweaty water into the grease where it can do maximum harm. I loosely used the word "catalyst", I suppose the chemists here will castigate me for that. However, just as with a real catalyst, the grease doesn't react, it only aids the reaction of other components in the reactive chain. Without grease stems of course also freeze, but in my opinion, not as quickly. The best prevention is to regularly loosen and clean stems and posts and NOT grease them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share JB' date=' how does grease act as a catalyst?!?! Wish, been using grease as a preventative measure for the fusion for some time.....[/quote'] Stuck alu posts are caused by alu corrosion, which in turn is a result of water reacting with the aluminium. The resultant aluminium oxide is a very big molecule that swells the post and freezes it in the frame or fork. Occasional water contact is OK, but when water is in there for long periods of time, you quickly have a frozen posts. When the post is not greased, water gets in there and quickly evaporates. However, if the post is greased, the water gets in there and through the pumping action of the frame/stem/post flexing, mixes the water and grease into an emulsion. Emulsion is when the large grease molecule encapsulates the water molecule. This prevents it from evaporating, yet makes it available to the aluminium to react with. In summary, the grease traps the water which then attacks your stem. The problem is particularly bad with old-fashioned quill stems where the stem is secured at the bottom and the top can wiggle around, pumping sweaty water into the grease where it can do maximum harm. I loosely used the word "catalyst", I suppose the chemists here will castigate me for that. However, just as with a real catalyst, the grease doesn't react, it only aids the reaction of other components in the reactive chain. Without grease stems of course also freeze, but in my opinion, not as quickly. The best prevention is to regularly loosen and clean stems and posts and NOT grease them. OK, then I'm cool (carbon seat post and new a-headset thingy). But using a bit of grease on bottle cage bolts? That not good or OK to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonW Posted March 25, 2008 Share While we are on this topic, is there any benefit to the use of copper slip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewep Posted March 25, 2008 Share While we are on this topic' date=' is there any benefit to the use of copper slip?[/quote'] Yebo. Seems the 'dales previous bike shop used copper slip on the axle of the BB and the Si cranks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kranswurm Posted March 25, 2008 Share I use Motorex Bike Grease on threads like my pedals and clean my seatpost and inside with Whitelightning Epic.Never had a seizure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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