- Keeping your bike clean and well lubed is the key
to making sure your transmission works really well.
And also for ensuring the longevity of your bike.
But it can be quite confusing cause
there's a lot of different greases
and lubes available on the market.
And more specifically it can be quite confusing
where, specifically, you use them on the bike.
So here's our guide to different greases,
thread lock compounds, and lubes out there
and where you should be using them.
So, obviously, there's a lot of stuff available to you
out there, but this is the bare minimum that
you really should be having to look after your bike at home.
So you need some sort of water displacer.
Now you'd use these after cleaning your bike
just to drive out the water from your transmission
to make sure it can't rust.
And also, if you're just riding your bike
in wet conditions, to have the same effect.
Then you're gonna need some sort of chain lube.
There's various different ones on the market
which we're gonna explain to you later.
You're gonna need these to lubricate your transmission
to make sure all those rollers on the chain work nicely.
A generic sort of spray lube, cause you can
use these on various places on your bike
that you can't get to with a chain lube.
And some sort of grease.
So first off, you're gonna need a chain lube.
Now, the main types of chain lube
come in two options, wet and dry.
So wet lube, as the name suggests, is a wet lube
and it's quite thick viscosity
and it sits on your chain keeping it wet
and lubricated at all times.
These are ideal for really wet, foul conditions
cause they stick to your chain really well.
But the problem with that is it can
attract grit and other nasty stuff that gunks up.
So you do have to pay attention to your drive train
a little bit more if you're using this stuff.
But the point is, if you're using it in wet conditions,
this is what you need because it's also a rust inhibitor.
Dry lube, a little bit different.
So, dry lube, despite what the name is,
is still a wet substance.
So it's basically a carrier which is solvent-based
and it holds the lubricating particles.
So you apply this onto your chain
and then the solvent itself dries up
making sure those particles have gotten into
the rollers and pins of the chain.
So this sort of stuff is not too good in wet conditions
cause it can be washed away, but
due to the dry nature of it, once it's
sort of dried onto your chain, it doesn't
attract dirt and grime.
So its ideal for dusty conditions.
The down side with dry lube, other than
it comes off in the wet, is it doesn't last as long
so you're gonna need to apply it more frequently.
So the main point with all lubricants,
and in particular dry lube,
is that they get into the chain rollers themselves.
So there are some lubricants on the market,
you have to read the manual quite extensively
and you have to wait up to four hours
before you ride the bike.
And I know for a fact that no one is actually gonna do that.
You just want to apply the lube and get out riding.
So make sure you get a decent lubricant.
When you put it on, it soaks into the chain properly
and it gets all those rollers moist
because that is the backbone of the chain.
If they're not lubricated, you're wearing your stuff out.
So just invest in a good lubricant
and it's worth having a wet and dry
so you can ride in different conditions.
So next up is to have a general purpose spray lube.
Now these are quite convenient to use
and you can use them, due to the wet nature of them,
as a chain lube, but because they're quite thin,
it's never gonna last as long.
They'll sit somewhere in the middle
between a wet and a dry lube,
but what it's really useful for
is things like brake lever pivots
or even inside of your u-lock
if you leave it outside, for example.
They're just a really good, convenient lubricant
to have in your selection and, of course,
be used to flush out gear cables.
So WD-40 does contain a lubricant,
but it's also a solvent.
So that means it's gonna break down greases and stuff.
So what you don't really wanna do
is have this stuff around bearings and that for too long.
However, it's not actually gonna create
that much damage in the long term
as long as you look after your bike
because it is still a lubricant.
So you could use this on your chain
although it's never gonna be
as good as using a dedicated chain lube.
So we'd always recommend using a specific chain lube.
Just use this to make sure stuff is driven out,
wipe it off with a rag, and then
lubricate your bike properly with a proper chain lube
before you go riding or immediately afterwards.
Another thing that WD-40 is brilliant for
and a reason to have this in your tool kit
is it's really for freeing seized components
and locks and stuff.
So in particular, I had one last winter,
a frozen shifter.
So my shifter just got loads of water in it
from just a winter of riding
and gradually it just started getting
really, really stiff with use.
Flush it out with this, take it apart,
clean it, works fantastically and it's also great
for flushing out auto cables.
Multiple use, sole product.
And if you drive to your trails
you might have had sticky car locks before
or even any problems with sort of electrical stuff,
this is actually conductive so it's really good
for using with any of that sort of stuff.
Now finally, another reason to have this
is it's actually really good for getting
grease out of carpet and out of clothing
which a lot of people don't realise.
I made a really cool hacks video.
You can demonstrate getting some oil out of carpet with it.
So great multiuse product just to have in your tool kit.
A lightweight spray grease is also another thing
really handy to have in your collection.
But, don't get me wrong, it's not a replacement
for heavy duty workshop grease to use on bearings
and threads and things like that.
It's good for using on pedal threads.
You can use it on the lightweight stuff
on the inside of shifters.
There's gobbings that would get bogged down
with a thick grease and, well, an oil
would just run out and won't do anything.
Also useful off the bike for a few other things.
So your bike rack on the car, for example,
where the elbows come up to sort of clamp you down,
they creak quite a lot.
This stuff is great for that and it doesn't
get washed off by sort of rain when you're out driving.
So just a good multiuse product, comes in handy.
Buy it once, it stays on the shelf, gets used a few times.
You're gonna need a decent grease for working on your bike.
Now grease is obviously used to reduce friction
between surfaces, it helps keep water at bay,
and it's used to generally assemble parts of your bike.
So you're gonna be using grease in areas like
pedal threads, pump bracket threads,
putting the headset cups into the frame.
Be aware, though, that some greases contain petroleum
and other substances that are damaging to carbon fibre.
So, before you go smearing some on any carbon parts,
make sure it's carbon safe.
So first up is lithium grease
which tends to be white by nature.
Often sitting in big tubs in workshops
and it comes good in spray cans cause it's quite thin stuff.
Now whilst this is good for assembling parts of your bike,
it's not the best stuff for general lubrication
because it does wash away eventually
so you don't see it used that much.
However, like I said, it's great for nestling in
cartridge bearings into the frame
cause it's still gonna provide a sort of
waterproof barrier and it's not gonna get washed away
in a location like that.
So this is quite handy to use on wheel axles
and things like that just to make them slide into place
and not get corroded.
A lot of other common greases you'll see
referred to as PTFE, or teflon-based greases.
Now these have teflon particles in them
so they're some really good slick grease
and it can be used on many places on the bike, but
generally, teflon grease isn't that good
for using on carbon fibre.
So just be cautious of that if you do buy some.
Now these two are quite generic workshop greases here.
They're both safe to use on carbon fibre.
They're also ideal to use to waterproof parts of your bike
and use on any bearings.
I tend to just use it
just a standard tub of this stuff
for pretty much everything.
So you're also gonna need some
sort of assembly compound on your bike.
So an assembly compound, often referred to as anti-seize
or sometimes a carbon compound is essentially
a form of grease that's got particles suspended in it.
And that helps create friction between surfaces.
So this is ideal to use in places like
your seat post junction where you wanna make sure
it doesn't corrode into your frame but also it doesn't move.
So the really unique thing about assembly compounds
is it can help reduce the torque you have to put
through an allen key junction, for example,
on a handlebar stem or a seat post
to hold that component in place.
This is particularly important with carbon fibre
cause you don't want to over tighten those components
cause you can risk damaging them and worse,
you could actually crack them.
So make sure you've got the right sort of assembly compound
that is compatible with the sorts of things on your bikes.
So there are specific carbon compounds.
I mean, this particular one is an all-around compound.
It's safe to use with carbon but you can use it on
aluminium, steel, any other materials.
Now some people think you should be using a grease
something like the Hope system which is narrower cup
that preses into the frame.
It's actually got these sort of bars
that hold the cups together.
You can use a grease with that cause it's not gonna
sort of walk around or move in there.
Now if you're using plastic cups,
I recommend using a specific retaining compound.
So this is a form of glue basically that holds it in place
but it's easy enough to get it out afterwards.
Just make sure you look up what's recommended
for that specific component when you're installing it.
Assuming you have some sort of suspension fork
or shock on your bike, you're gonna want
some kind of suspension-based grease.
Now they're quite specific because they're very thin
and very slick and you use these typically in areas
like under the fork seal.
So it helps create a barrier against
the water getting in there and obviously
keeps the fork running smoothly.
Make sure you get a decent one and make sure
it's compatible with your suspension fork.
Okay, so, next up is thread lock.
It's not something you'll use that often on your bike
but there are very particular places you should be using it.
So, for example, chain link bolts are something
subject to vibration and rattle out on the trail.
If they come loose when you're out riding,
it's generally gonna ruin your ride
so that is exactly where you're gonna want a thread lock.
Other places worth considering to use thread lock
are the jockey wheel bolts that hold
your rear mech cage together,
your actual rear mech hanger bolt itself,
and if your bike has removable drop outs,
you'll find it will have some kind of retaining bolt
to keep those on.
Definitely want to keep those thread lock
so they don't rattle loose.
And finally, something that I often see loose
on people's bikes, the brake lever pivot bolts.
So you'd never really think of checking those
but if they rattle loose and if your brake lever falls off,
you're gonna know about that.
So this one's a bit of an old one.
This is brake grease.
So it's a grease, obviously,
for assembling your brake components or the callipers.
And the only difference really between this
and a normal grease is it's duct proof.
So that refers to a style of fluid used in a lot of brakes,
and that's duct and it's a corrosive liquid.
If you use regular grease in it it's gonna break down.
So this is specifically formulated just to avoid doing that.
You'll barely ever need to use this stuff
but if you are quite an in depth home mechanic,
it's good to have in the tool kit nonetheless.
So next up are suspension oils and lubricants.
So firstly the oils, you're probably less likely
to use these at home cause they involve taking
the oil out of the damping unit itself.
And these come in different oil weights
and that refers to the viscosity of the actual oil.
So in addition to the external adjustments
you can make to those damping units,
you can use different weight oil to control
the characteristics of your suspension fork or shock.
It's quite a specialist part and you will find
with every fork and shock there'll be
a recommended weight oil to use.
Of course, you can sort of custom tune that
by running different oils.
Next up is suspension lubricant.
Now this has no bearing on the damping of
the fork or shock itself whatsoever.
It's purely used to lubricate.
In this case this is just a lower leg lube.
So this would go in the lower leg of the fork
and its job is to make sure it slides up and down nicely,
to keep the seals nice and moist, and also to make sure
the bushings don't wear too prematurely.
And this stuff is Fox float fluid.
It's basically the same equivalent for using
on Fox products on, in particular, Fox rear shocks.
It's not a damping oil, it's just there
to lubricate the seals.
And finally, with suspension products,
you can also use that lower leg lube just to perform
a quick, sort of, wipe of your upper legs.
But you can also use this stuff.
It's a silicone spray and it's amazing stuff.
It's super, super, super thin so you can
actually get this under the wiper seals if you
just roll up the garter and you can just use this
just to keep your forks running smooth
on a day to day basis.
So hopefully our breakdown of lubricants, greases,
and retaining compounds has been helpful for you.
If you want to find out a few more cool videos on
how to use these sort of things, click down here
for installing a press-fit bomb bracket
where I demonstrate some retaining compounds
and stuff down there.
And if you wanna find out about a fork lower leg service
using some of the products here, click down here.
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