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Old shop guy told me to stop using Park Tool grease for bottom brackets
I was rebuilding a 90s Trek 520 about 6 months ago and a retired mechanic came into the shop where I work part time. He saw me with a tube of Park Tool PolyLube and told me I was wasting my money. Said the stuff is too thick and actually causes drag on cup and cone bearings. He swore by just using regular Mobil 1 synthetic car grease from AutoZone. I basically ignored him for a few months until I ran out of PolyLube during a rush job on a customer's touring bike. Grabbed the Mobil 1 from the gas station down the street. Honestly the bearings spin noticeably smoother and it was like 5 bucks for a tub that will last me a year plus. Has anyone else switched from bike specific grease to automotive stuff without problems?
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hayden58714d ago
yeah i actually read somewhere that the original formula for polyLube was basically just repackaged industrial grease with a huge markup. cant remember where i saw it but it stuck with me. i tried mobil 1 red grease on my campy record hubs a few years ago and theyve been spinning perfect ever since. the whole thing about bike specific grease is mostly marketing imo. if anything automotive grease is tested way more for heat and pressure than what we put our bikes through. bottom brackets especially dont need anything fancy just something that stays put and doesnt wash out. i think the old shop guy was right but he was probably just tired of seeing people waste money.
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patriciam2213d ago
Makes sense, you see the same thing with anything labeled "marine grade" or "professional" - just regular stuff in a different bottle with a markup.
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