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...and not the musical.
What types of grease are there and what are they used for on the bike? What do you recommend? I've always used just one type (can't remember what - it's blue and in a blue tube) but wondered if some applications need a different grease and if general assembly duties can use a cheaper grease.
Boring maybe, but if anywhere has someone willing to answer this one, it's STW
My experience is that if you buy 'bike grease' in a bike shop it will cost a fortune and last not very long. Apart from a couple of frivolous lbs grease purchases, I've always used one of those big tubs (Castrol/Halfords/whatever) of car grease. Usually lasts about 5 years*, costs about a fiver and is more than capable of standing up to the wear and tear that push bikes can dish out.
Generally goes on bearings (although lots of things are sealed these days), certain threads, metal on metal surfaces such as crank/bb, stem/steer, seatpost/frame, inner/outer cable, etc. Used to be great for elastomer forks and v-brake bosses too but no need these days.
I'd be interested in the collectives answer here, as in the process of building a hack bike up from scratch I found myself unsure of where I should be using grease, and where I should be using copper slip.
Hopefully I'm right in using copper slip on anything that has threads and grease on everything else (like seatpost, stem etc...)
I didn't even know you could get different types of grease for bikes.... a new can of worms!
Grease is the word
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling
This is the life of illusion
Right trouble laced with confusion
What are we doing?
1 pot of Castrol CL
1 pot of Copper grease
1 tube of silicone grease
That pretty much covers my needs
1 pot of Castrol CL
1 pot of Copper grease
1 tube of silicone greaseThat pretty much covers my needs
Fine, but back to my question, what gets used where?
TJ, of all people I hoped you would have a sensible answer, but you just couldn't resist, could you 😀
1 pot of Castrol CL - Headsets, general stuff
1 pot of Copper grease - any threads that don't need threadlock
1 tube of silicone grease - brake calipers/levers etc.
i find this stuff works best on them nipples 
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don't use lithium greases, tend to be white i believe, on air seals.
Sorry stilltortoise.
I have had some discussion with others on here about the use of grease and specifically about the use of copaslip on dissimilar metals and the risk of catalytic corrosion.
Myself.
I have a big pot of castrol LM grease - this goes on every metal to metal contact except when specialist things are used. So seat posts, qrs, wheel spindles, bearings etc
Where I am concerned about corrosion especially where bolts are unlikely to be removed often and there are dissimilar metals I use copaslip - such thing as brake caliper bolts ( unless pre fitted with locktite) The use of copaslip is where others have disagreed with me stating it can cause catalytic corrosion. copaslip also on the back of brake pads. I also use stainless bolts only - not mild steel.
Locktite when I fear bolts may come loose - brake disc mountings and the like.
I never use white lithium grease - I find it holds water
red rubber grease on hydraulic seals - forks and brakes
Chain wax on chains.
+1 on the Castrol Red Rubber Grease! OCD strikes again 😉
fyi Goose Fat works with the ladies
The only problem with some greases is that they absorb water - IIRC fully synthetic grease tends to work better in extreme heat differentials and is less likely to adbsorb water and thus retain its lubrication qualities. The only trouble I found with the castrol LM grease is this very problem. But as a general greasee is cheap and works well just woun't put in on or near bearings myself 🙂
Edit: oops just read Tandem Jerrys post - spon on TJ
Black Gold. Still on the same pot I bought 12+ years ago.
I use a generic moly based bearing grease in bearings, seatpost and thats about it. Everything else remains dry. Pads dont get copper slip (only seems to collect mud), BB shells don't get anything, they come with their own assembly paste but the BB bearings get a liberal coating of grease. Smaller assembly bolts like brake mounting bolts go in dry and get checked.
Just to add Silkolene RG2 for hub/bearings.
Silkolene Pro RG2, also bought 12 years ago. It's red and it's got glittery bits in it, which is good enough for me.
I use it for everything, except the chain.
Dry bolts coffeeking? Don't you get a lot of corroded bolts seizing?