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A question on hub lubrication

Dec 2, 2009
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Excuse the total newbie hub question here, but I've found that Pedro's Bio-whatever grease in few-year-old Ultegra hubs turns to something sludge-like akin to wallpaper paste after a few days riding. I've tried less grease (and felt quite slow) and more (and had it bleed all over for a week). For moderate 100k rides and the like, a bit longer at times, and the occasional race, is motor-oil better than the stuff marketed as "bike hub oil"? If a $5.00 quart of 10w-30 is good for twice the mileage of a $18.00 pint of "bike" grease, I'm all for it. Sorry for all the blasted hyphens.

Thanks
 
drb716 said:
Excuse the total newbie hub question here, but I've found that Pedro's Bio-whatever grease in few-year-old Ultegra hubs turns to something sludge-like akin to wallpaper paste after a few days riding. I've tried less grease (and felt quite slow) and more (and had it bleed all over for a week). For moderate 100k rides and the like, a bit longer at times, and the occasional race, is motor-oil better than the stuff marketed as "bike hub oil"? If a $5.00 quart of 10w-30 is good for twice the mileage of a $18.00 pint of "bike" grease, I'm all for it. Sorry for all the blasted hyphens.

Thanks

Go down to a good hardware or auto parts store and get some white lithium grease. Normally about $5 per 500 gram tub. Pedros and some others, being 'earth friendly' are sometimes veggie oil based and not the best. Petroleum based grease is best.
 
Jun 10, 2009
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Bustedknuckle said:
Go down to a good hardware or auto parts store and get some white lithium grease. Normally about $5 per 500 gram tub. Pedros and some others, being 'earth friendly' are sometimes veggie oil based and not the best. Petroleum based grease is best.

I second that one (except even a bad hardware or auto parts store should do:p). I bought a tub of automotive hub grease (Castrol" brand?) from K-Mart literally 20 years ago and haven't got through it yet. Doesn't seem to have done the BB or hubs on my 1991 vintage tourer/commuter (Raleigh Technium MTB, bonded aluminium frame) any harm which still has the original Shimano Deore DX loose bearing BB and front hub which have done many thousands of KM with this grease, and spin more freely than almost any "sealed bearing" units.