Grease (dumb) question.

fuzzbear

Just taken delivery of my new bike. Whilst adjusting the saddle height I noticed that there was no grease on the seatpost or in the seatpost tube. Is this normal? the frame is carbon as is the seat post.

On a side note, anyone recommend a type of grease for bottle bolts, seatpost etc? or is grease just grease?

Thanks for any help.

declan1

You should use carbon assembly paste for carbon seatposts. Apparently grease causes the carbon to swell and cease.

wishitwasallflat

For things that are supposed to move - bearings etc - you need one type of grease - I use Park poly lube but there are plenty options. For things that don't move, where you would use grease to stop seizing - cage bolts etc - you use Copperslip. For carbon carbon you need carbon paste.

ed_j

Not always carbon-carbon. I have a carbon steerer on my forks, with an alu stem. The bars slipped off line after every bump without the carbon paste. So number 1, the paste will grease the post and stop it seizing, and number 2, it'll stop it slipping! Win win!

keef66

+1. I use carbon paste to stop my carbon seat post slipping into my alloy frame

wishitwasallflat

Ed J wrote:

Not always carbon-carbon. I have a carbon steerer on my forks, with an alu stem. The bars slipped off line after every bump without the carbon paste. So number 1, the paste will grease the post and stop it seizing, and number 2, it'll stop it slipping! Win win!

Yup to both - my mistake :oops:

ricky1980

Sorry to hijack the thread but seems to be more economical to post here. What carbon paste should I buy? As I am looking to build my own carbon bike. I also got grease seold by decathlon its a Teflon based grease is that decent enough for use?

rozzer32

ricky1980 wrote:

Sorry to hijack the thread but seems to be more economical to post here. What carbon paste should I buy? As I am looking to build my own carbon bike. I also got grease seold by decathlon its a Teflon based grease is that decent enough for use?

Something like this is what you want.

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/workshop-tools/workshop/lubes-oils-fluids/finish-line-fiber-grip-carbon-fibre-assembly-gel-50ml.html

ricky1980

Thanks so much.

nolight

Newbie here. I had the impression grease is only needed for non-moving parts and lubricants for moving parts. For changing pedals we use grease on the thread to prevent seizing (non-moving parts) right? What are recommended greases? Copperslip?

keef66

Grease is a lubricant. It's packed into moving parts like the bearings in the bottom bracket, headset, hubs and pedals. However, on many bikes these are all sealed bearings and not designed to be serviced, rather simply replaced when they start to fail.
My Shimano hubs are conventional cup and cone types, so I can strip, clean and repack them with grease every year. I could, if I wished, do the same with my pedals. BB and headset sadly not.

Grease has also been used traditionally when assembling threaded components to ensure an even torque and prevent the threads from becoming seized / corroded. Manufacturers often recommend greasing threads when installing internal / external bottom bracket cups

I tend to use antiseize such as Copperslip for things which are rarely undone, or where two different metals are in contact. Eg pedal threads, where a steel axle is being screwed into an alloy crank, and the joint is subject to often salty water sprayed up from the front wheel. Galvanic corrosion can make pedal removal very difficult, so I always liberally coat the threads with Copperslip before assembly, and periodically remove and recoat them. Also handy for the bolts which attach the cleats to your shoes, and for chainring bolts.