What type of grease to use on bicycle chain

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Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What do I grease and what do I lubricate? Ask Question. Asked 6 years, 5 months ago. Active 4 months ago. Viewed k times. Improve this question. Huckle Huckle 1 1 gold badge 4 4 silver badges 10 10 bronze badges. There is no easy answer on this and unfortunatelly there isn't a single lubrican which will work well on all parts of the bike. Grease is a form of lubricant. But if all this is too confusing, the simplest solution is to grease the palm of the bike shop mechanic, — Daniel R Hicks.

The one thing you need to learn how to do, on a bike that gets any sort of regular use especially in wet weather is to clean and lubricate the chain. For this I prefer a mechanical "chain scrubber" with appropriate solvent and "chain oil", both available from your bike shop.

Use oil if the movement is fast or needs little friction. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. Actually, most wheelsets are loose bearings now. Sealed wheel bearings were in vogue for maybe 5 years in the 80s, but no longer except perhaps on your more exotic wheels. However, about the time that sealed wheel bearings went out of style, sealed bottom bracket bearings became popular, and are now the norm.

And I gather that most "threadless" headsets are sealed bearings now, whereas the older threaded headsets prior to maybe were almost universally loose bearings. As the OP specified a cheap bike, chain "oil" will be fine on the brake pivots etc.

But of course proper chain oil is generally supplied for dripping on anyway. DanielRHicks Really? In my experience it's mostly just Shimano wheels that use loose bearings they're die-hard advocates of cup-and-cone bearings. Dry lube is designed for dusty, dry conditions. Just like the wet lube, it is made up of oil and anti-friction compounds, but the oil is less viscous. This is the cleanest stuff to use to lube your chain; the lack of thick, sticky oil prevents the dust and dirt from sticking to the chain.

However, dry lube is not nearly as durable as a wet-style lube and requires frequent application to be effective. You also need to have a very clean chain when applying dry lube, otherwise you are lubricating the existing dirt, not the chain. This fluid is also great for all other pivots and cables on your bike as its low viscosity penetrates down to where it is needed to keep everything moving like new.

Wax-based lubes are designed give you longer lasting lubrication, such as wet lube, but in a formula that dries after application. The benefit is a longer lasting coating that remains dust-resistant. The main downfall is that the wax tends to build up in the nooks and crannies of the chain and pulleys.

If not cleaned frequently, your chain will be sluggish when shifting and you will have noticeable drag. I like to replace my chain at the end of the wet season. Without Lube : The points on which the individual parts of your brakes and derailleurs pivot will not move as smoothly and will invite rust. Lube Them : Drip T-9 onto each pivot point rear derailleur; front derailleur; rear brake; front brake every few months more if you ride in wet conditions to keep them protected and working well.

Never Use : Lubricant on brake pads, rotors, or rims. Lube Them : Wipe off any built-up grime on your derailleur pulleys with a clean rag and degreaser.

Then apply a small drop of lube, such as Phil Wood Tenacious Oil , to the bearings at the center of the pulley. It can get messy, so use sparingly. Lube It : Fully remove the seatpost. Wipe off any grit and old grease, including inside the frame. Apply a thin layer of grease directly to the seatpost on the area that will sit inside the frame. Standard bike grease will work, though you might want to use either an anti-slip or anti-seize compound. Wet lubes can be used all year, offer better value and have the greatest longevity.

The year-old Italian is suffering from severe pneumonia and wishes he got vaccinated sooner. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number Cycling Weekly EST. Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. Green Oil wet lube. Muc-Off Wet Lube. Weldtite TF2 Extreme wet lube. Finish Line Teflon Plus dry lube. Boeshield T-9 dry lube. White Lightning Clean Ride dry lube.

Reasons to avoid - Can't apply to dirty chains - Needs frequent reapplication. Smoove Lube. Reasons to avoid - Needs extra chain prep before applying.