Let's talk grease. Specifically Finish Line Ceramic vs Park

[trhoppe]

Time to buy a new tub o' grease.

Seems that the "Park" stuff is pretty standard: Park Tool Co. » PPL-2 : PolyLube 1000 Lubricant (Tub) : Cleaning & Lube

This is also out there, and pretty much the same pricepoint: Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products

Any input on the new ceramic grease? Is there any difference with it? Seems anything "ceramic" is always better, right?

-Tom

[sasquatch rides a SS]

No input on the Finish Line grease, however I've been using the Park for years and it does well. It is pretty standard, though, as you said. For the past couple years at the shop we've been using White Lightning Crystal grease. Pretty standard grease also, however it's a lot cleaner. We had issues with the Park grease staining lighter colored parts and frames. Cleanup is a lot easier, and the no odor is nice for the home mechanic. The consistency is a little thicker than Park's, too which I personally like for a "standard" do everything grease.

[customfab]

Motorex has been my default for a while. I bought a tub of rock N roll last summer and it's OK, a little to stringy for my liking though. If you've never tried it Dumonde's liquid grease is awesome for cartridge bearings. If your good about doing your PM's it's all you need. If not you can put a little grease on top of it. It's also perfect for inboard hub bearings where dirt has a hard time getting.

[datmony]

Phil Wood is still my standby. Likely always will be.

[customfab]

Phil Wood is still my standby. Likely always will be.

It's dated though. IMPO it's a little to thick for some of the modern bearings we are dealing with these days. It's still great for angular contact hubs and BB's with large diameter balls. But some of the new BB and hub bearings that have small balls, it just packs up and adds a bunch of unnecessary friction. If you just want a grease that will last as long as possible it's hard to beat though.

[Dad Man Walking]

...and adds a bunch of unnecessary friction...

And your data supporting this would be...?

[customfab]

And your data supporting this would be...?

It's pretty easy to feel. Put Phil grease in something like King hub bearings or a Campy Ultra Torque BB and they won't hardly spin by hand.

[GTscoob]

I've been digging Lucas Red&Tacky for loose ball hubs and headsets but it might be too sticky for some of the smaller bearings found in cartridge setups. It's dirt cheap from the automotive store and lasts a long time in nasty conditions. FWIW, the Park grease is almost identical in color and feel to Lucas Marine Grease.

Definitely look away from bike specific greases and look towards automotive/marine greases. None of the bike companies make their own grease, it's all repackaged from a petroleum processing plant overseas. Bel-Ray Waterproof Grease comes highly recommended as well but I've not used it personally.

[.40AET]

Rock-n-Roll This really keeps the water away from the bearings and lasts a long time. You can "feel" it slow the pedals down when you turn them the first time. But it really lasts and stays put.

[Harvie]

If you want to go around all the fluff adders, reduce your costs and get the very best lubes made, go to the loctite website and look at the lubes..

http://www.loctite.ph/php/content_da...t_Brochure.pdf


Currently for all stuff not requiring nitro fuel protection I use Viperlubes It/they are the best stuff made and they work for every application on a bike......

[xgerstandtx]

I use the Finishline and have had great results. Phil wood has been the standby for hubs/headsets. Park has never been my favorite. Seems to break down in the cold/damp for us here in Iowa

[Surestick Malone]

It's pretty easy to feel. Put Phil grease in something like King hub bearings or a Campy Ultra Torque BB and they won't hardly spin by hand.

Initially I find this to be the case but after a ride or two (as excess grease gets pushed out of the way) the bearings will free up.

[customfab]

Initially I find this to be the case but after a ride or two (as excess grease gets pushed out of the way) the bearings will free up.

They will, but that doesn't mean they are as fast as if you'd use the right grease in the first place.

[Bike Whisperer]

There is no such thing as "bicycle" grease (even if it is labeled as such). The only thing difference between "bicycle" grease and bearing grease is the label and the price. I've been using grease and packing bearings on bicycles since the early 80's and even work as a bicycle mechanic from 1995-2003. I've used many "bicycle" brands over the years such as Park, Pedros, Finish Line, Phil Wood, etc.

From my experience here are the best grease choices for different uses:

-Bel-Ray Waterproof for ultimate wet weather protection, works just as well as Phil Wood. 16oz tube costs about the same as 3oz tube of Phil Wood. I discovered this when the bike shop I worked for was next to a motorcycle shop. We purchased all our Grease and Fork Oil from them at retail because it was cheaper than the "bicycle" products at wholesale!

-Slickoleum for a light grease that works equally as good for suspension forks as it does for bearings. Also works great for freehub body mechanisms (at a fraction of the cost of "freehub" grease). Long lasting in all but the wettest conditions.

However my go to grease for the past three plus years has been Lubrimatic "Green" LMX Red grease. A 16oz tub cost me $9 and it works as well as any "bicycle" grease I've used over the years. It is not too thick and not too thin, is pleasant smelling not chemical smelling, slick, and protects as well as any grease I've used. It is vegetable oil based and biodegradable. I would compare it to Park grease for about 2/3 the cost.

[IRONMAN1518]

Ah yes one of my favorite topic of discussion.......it always starts off with "What is the best............".(fill in the end of the sentence, grease, oil, tire, bike, fork, crankset, etc, etc, etc); and you will always get many different answers based upon all the users experiences with many products. I've always said: "ask 5 riders what is the best (fill in the blank), and you will probably get 8 answers again based on the experiences of the 5 people.

MY opinion about what is the "Best Grease?" i always reply "SOME is better than NONE". I've used Castrol, Finish Line, Campy grease on my Campy equipped road bikes, Valvoline, and for the last 13 years been using Progold EPX. I really like it, it is somewhat thick and stringy and once it gets "broken in" the bearings, the wheels seem to spin forever. Just my own experience and opinion. As far as ceramic grease never have used it have no ceramic bearings. They are just a little too much $ for my budget.

I think it is a just a question of what a rider found that "worked for them" and then that person says THEIR fav brand is the best.

[Toff]

I've been using a little tub of Slick 50 grease that I bought over 10 years ago.

No smell and it works great. Still have 9/10s of the tub left.

[trhoppe]

I ended up with a tub of the Finish Line Ceramic grease.

Really digging the tub and it was cheap.

Amazon.com: Finish Line Ceramic Grease 1lb Tub: Sports & Outdoors

-Tom

[Scott Novak]

I've been using Redline synthetic lubes for over 30 years. I particularly like Redline CV-2 organic moly grease. It's very slippery, has great water resistance and works in subzero temperatures, unlike most petroleum products that become too thick to lubricate adequately in the cold.

Redline CV-2 Grease
Red Line Synthetic Oil - Grease and Assembly Lube - CV-2 Grease

I lube all of my bearings with it. This includes disassembly of new parts, including pedal bearings, cleaning and then relubing with Redline CV-2.

I also use it for chain lube. However it's a pain in the butt to get the grease worked in. I'm going to try adding a solvent to the grease for easier application.

My other idea for applying grease to the chain is to put it in a vacuum so the grease is more easily sucked into the chain when the vacuum is released.

Scott Novak