Best grease for bottom bracket bearings?
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Loose ball, wet conditions? Marine grease.
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1) Are you racing? 2) Time trialing? 3) Riding in lots of rain? 4) Very deep puddles? 5) Want BBs that are the fastest? 6) Or go the longest distances between overhauls.
For 1) or 5), Campagnolo or Phil Wood. 2) Clean and use just oil; 3:1 or equivalent. (And expect to repeat the whole procedure every ride.) 3), 4) and 6) Marine grease. (The blue stuff in a can or grease gun cartridge at NAPA and the like.)
For 1) or 5), Campagnolo or Phil Wood. 2) Clean and use just oil; 3:1 or equivalent. (And expect to repeat the whole procedure every ride.) 3), 4) and 6) Marine grease. (The blue stuff in a can or grease gun cartridge at NAPA and the like.)
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not ins this case you will get about a billion opinions, from possom fat to 30 year old aged white lithium
I prefer Phil's Waterproof. Unless you have lots and lots of bikes and wheel a tube will last for a long time it works and does not fail over time

I prefer Phil's Waterproof. Unless you have lots and lots of bikes and wheel a tube will last for a long time it works and does not fail over time
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Just go for Phil Wood it is always good stuff. Or don't there are tons of grease options out there and probably many of them just fine.
#7
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Synthetic automotive.
I used to use boat trailer grease and then realized I don't ride under water.
I used to use boat trailer grease and then realized I don't ride under water.
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The answer is the grease that you will enjoy cleaning out and repacking before anything bad happens
Andy

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For my bikes it was Krazy Grease. But then the buggers went out of business and my jar is empty.
So far I tried 2 and their both miserable failures at not being washed out by motor oil. >> Park blue grease and a green boat grease.
So far I tried 2 and their both miserable failures at not being washed out by motor oil. >> Park blue grease and a green boat grease.
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Marine grease or SuperLube.
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Remember you asked. I have a lot of bikes and retired so helping in the community so I use the best type grease for people who may not be fastidious (or as I have seen not careful at all) in cleaning out old lubes so use a polyurea shear stable grease, easily found at auto parts stores. They are compatible with most any grease used. Engineers can quibble with grease compatibility a bit but you are pretty sure polyurea shear stable, not conventional polyurea, will not react with others and dry out the grease pack.
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Used to use Phil's exclusively until I discovered the longevity of Shimano/Dura Ace Special Grease. I still have my tube of Phil's though.
Last edited by smd4; 08-16-22 at 08:27 AM.
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Phils. Readily available, very durable, excellent bearing life, very water resistant and not too viscous so bearing drag is minimal. It's a bit costly in small tubes compared to generic big box grease but good in 14-oz tubes or 600 gm tubs.
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Phil’s or Park Tools. But this is the 21st century and we have these things called cartridge bearing bottom brackets which makes the need for greasing them moot. All the grease I use now is for greasing threads.
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At the risk of inciting a furor (which, truly, I am NOT trying to do):
I think Phil Wood grease is an excellent product and it always worked very well for me. But I doubt that Phil Wood has Grease Scientists who are staying awake at night perfecting their proprietary formula. It always seemed more likely to me that Phil Wood is buying and repackaging a high quality marine grease.
Several years ago, after doing some research into marine grease, I started using Peak Synthetic Marine Grease. It is blue-green in color and I have yet to find anything that distinguishes it — in appearance or performance — from Phil Wood grease. I have no idea if it is the same product or not, but it seems to hold up pretty well.
Apologies if all this has been posted before … I’m a longtime bike wrench but an infrequent visitor.
I think Phil Wood grease is an excellent product and it always worked very well for me. But I doubt that Phil Wood has Grease Scientists who are staying awake at night perfecting their proprietary formula. It always seemed more likely to me that Phil Wood is buying and repackaging a high quality marine grease.
Several years ago, after doing some research into marine grease, I started using Peak Synthetic Marine Grease. It is blue-green in color and I have yet to find anything that distinguishes it — in appearance or performance — from Phil Wood grease. I have no idea if it is the same product or not, but it seems to hold up pretty well.
Apologies if all this has been posted before … I’m a longtime bike wrench but an infrequent visitor.
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I think Phil Wood grease is an excellent product and it always worked very well for me. But I doubt that Phil Wood has Grease Scientists who are staying awake at night perfecting their proprietary formula. It always seemed more likely to me that Phil Wood is buying and repackaging a high quality marine grease.
Several years ago, after doing some research into marine grease, I started using Peak Synthetic Marine Grease. It is blue-green in color and I have yet to find anything that distinguishes it — in appearance or performance — from Phil Wood grease. I have no idea if it is the same product or not, but it seems to hold up pretty well.
Several years ago, after doing some research into marine grease, I started using Peak Synthetic Marine Grease. It is blue-green in color and I have yet to find anything that distinguishes it — in appearance or performance — from Phil Wood grease. I have no idea if it is the same product or not, but it seems to hold up pretty well.
That Peak Synthetic is indeed a bargain at $5 for a 14-oz tube at Pep Boys so when my near lifetime supply tub of Phil's runs out sometime in the next decade or two, I'll probably buy some.

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I just opened this one, this one is great. Silent smooth.
I have another marine grease that a clear green, I don't like that one as much. It's more like a marine version that is compatible with lithium lubes. Not so silent, thinner, I'm sure it's a good product. Just not the same as the above.
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