What to grease and which grease?

[Pale Rider]

at least I avoid the tiddly uber expensive (if you work it out) bike-shop retail packaged greases.

I use one of those for all my bike fettling grease requirements.

It's red and smells nice, so must be good.

Not that I do a great deal of fettling, so the tube has lasted me years already and will last more years,.

I'm firmly in the 'any grease will do for a push bike' camp, but I'm not so sure about vaseline.

Does it not melt at anything much above room temperature?

There won't be anything on a bike that runs at high temperature, but I imagine some of the spinning components could get warm enough to melt vaseline.

 

[Blue Hills]

you mean you use a tiddly bike shop tube?

If you need more, this is red as well. and cheap.

but doesn't smell nice at all - somewhat reeks of something odd - but as every kid knows that's the sign that serious mechanical work is afoot.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/1738914168...MIrf_wqNWw6wIVAWHmCh0sDgWHEAkYDiABEgL0vfD_BwE

I use it on general threads, not bearings.

good question about vaseline - I can't help but wonder about it slightly.

 

[Tom B]

Internet research suggests vasaline will melt at not much more than 40°C. While I can't imagine my cycling will create that heat in my bearings I imagine the sun may create that sort of heat in the black parts it is inside.

 

[Pale Rider]

you mean you use a tiddly bike shop tube?

Yep, this is what I have, about six quid for 125ml.

Shortened link to Wiggle:

https://tinyurl.com/yycp329s

 

[fossyant]

i even put grease inside the lh cup where the BB presss into it on squre taper BB, i havehad unknown creaks before that turned out to be that area creaking .

Same here. Grease everything TBH. Coppa slip or grease depending upon use.

 

[Pale Rider]

Internet research suggests vasaline will melt at not much more than 40°C. While I can't imagine my cycling will create that heat in my bearings I imagine the sun may create that sort of heat in the black parts it is inside.

Or put another way, I doubt Mercedes put vaseline in their F1 turbo bearings which, apparently, run at about 1,000°C.

 

[rrarider]

I like this thread, as the general consensus seems to be 'any old grease will do' and don't waste your money on the 'optimised for your dust caps' sort of crap. As my Duckhams LB10 which I've had since the 1970s is about to run out, I splashed out on the Wilko stuff last year. I don't remember it being as expensive as £5 though! I must have read a 'nanny knows best' thread on this forum and bought some silicone grease for the plungers on my pumps. I wasn't entirely convinced that ordinary lithium based greases rot plastic and leather but I must have been in a risk averse mood when I bought the silicone stuf.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yep, this is what I have, about six quid for 125ml.

Shortened link to Wiggle:

https://tinyurl.com/yycp329s

those sort of tubes/prices more appropriate for intimate games I think.

But what you get up to with your bike is between you and the tabloids.

 

[Paulus]

Generally this is the grease I use. From the railway depot where I worked 46 years ago.
It is axle bearing grease for locos and carriages. The pot was full to the top then. It has done all bearings and threads on my bikes, motor bikes and cars over the years. Shows how little you need to use.
It should last me me another decade or so.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Internet research suggests vasaline will melt at not much more than 40°C. While I can't imagine my cycling will create that heat in my bearings I imagine the sun may create that sort of heat in the black parts it is inside.

Sounds about right, but it’s never caused an issue. There always seems to be plenty left at replacement time....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I like this thread, as the general consensus seems to be 'any old grease will do' and don't waste your money on the 'optimised for your dust caps' sort of crap. As my Duckhams LB10 which I've had since the 1970s is about to run out, I splashed out on the Wilko stuff last year. I don't remember it being as expensive as £5 though! I must have read a 'nanny knows best' thread on this forum and bought some silicone grease for the plungers on my pumps. I wasn't entirely convinced that ordinary lithium based greases rot plastic and leather but I must have been in a risk averse mood when I bought the silicone stuf.

I think as with chain lubing, you’re right. As long as you have grease where it’s needed and replace it when it’s needed - crack on!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I go down the greasy spoon. Wipe a few plates and then smear the results onto the appropriate bits of my bikes.

 

[Prando]

I go down the greasy spoon. Wipe a few plates and then smear the results onto the appropriate bits of my bikes.

What a great idea...coffee, toast & marmite and bike lubrication ! Excellent 😉

 

[slowridr]

Pulling an ancient thread out of the mists of time in an attempt to avoid the post police...

Does anyone else grease the length of QR axles (not just the threaded part) before sliding them through the hub? I've always sort of assumed that you'd want to keep moisture out of there, but I'm trying to work out why my bike feels quite 'slow' (it's not just the rider!) and I wonder if the lithium grease I've put in there might have become sticky?

 

[weareHKR]

Pulling an ancient thread out of the mists of time in an attempt to avoid the post police...

lol... you'll be lucky.... MI5 will be flicking through your file right now!

Does anyone else grease the length of QR axles (not just the threaded part) before sliding them through the hub? I've always sort of assumed that you'd want to keep moisture out of there, but I'm trying to work out why my bike feels quite 'slow' (it's not just the rider!) and I wonder if the lithium grease I've put in there might have become sticky?

A quick test just to spin your wheel while it's in the repair stand, that should give you a rough idea if there's any noticeable drag!
I don't grease them up as such, but they usually get a quick wipe over, a very small thin-film may be & not every time I take them out either!