Grease

Grease is a kind of lubricant which is semisolid heavier type. It’s also a very waterproof type of lubricant. Its main function is to stick and lubricate moving parts. It usually doesn’t lick under gravity pressure. So it’s a kind of long-lasting lubricant that is popular as a lubricant for bikes. It generally uses in the components which are not being taken apart or being seen too often.

Pros of Grease

• Very cheap
• Stick to the part and don’t fall off easily
• Waterproof
• Last long

Cons of Grease

• Attract and collect dust, grit and grime
• Hard to wash off
• Not suitable to use in chain

Chain Lube

Chain lube is the use of liquid type lubricant that later solidified on chains to increase its performance and decrease less collision and friction. There are many kinds of chain lubricants but mainly three types. Dry, Wet, Ceramic.

Pros of Lube

• Various types of options available
• Suitable for chain
• Wet lubes are perfect for wet weathers
• Dry lube and ceramic lube are almost perfect for any kind of weather and last much longer.

Cons of Lube

• Chain lubing is costly
• Varies by weather
• Sudden weather change is enough to remove lubricant
• Isn’t sticky as grease

The difference between grease and chain lube

• The main difference is in nature. Usually, grease is semi-solid where most of the lubricant that uses as lube is liquid that solidified later.
• Grease is very cheap on the other hand lube is costly.
• Grease is not suitable to use in chain and lube is perfect for use in chain
• Though grease can be used in tight moving parts or in the tight joints Lube can’t.

Where to use Grease?

• In headset
• In frame holes
• In bottom bracket
• In the suspension of forks
• In hubs
• In the bearing balls
• In the bearings
• In the threads
• In the gear leavers
• Sometimes in the brake

Mostly in the places which directly not open to the environment and won’t attract and collect dust. It is great to use in bearings and threads.

Where to do lube?

• In chains
• On the teeth of crank
• On the teeth of freewheel or cassette

In bicycle, lube mostly is done in the chain.

FAQs

1. Is grease good for bike chains?

No, never. Using grease in chains is a very bad idea. It will attract and collect all the dust, greets and grime from the road. So it’s better to avoid using grease in the chain but you can use wax lubricant instead of grease.

2. Can I use gear oil or motor oil as a chain lube?

Gear oils are costly compare to chain lubricants. It’s the best idea to get a chain lubricant from your nearest bike or hardware shop instead of using gear oil. It’s not suitable for chains.

3. Are other types of lubricant an option for the chain?

Chain lubes are discovered just to do the task. so why look elsewhere? Beginners usually use ED40, which is mainly for lower parts. The other option is motor oil. It is very thick and won’t usually spread inside smaller parts of the chain. It’s also very sticky and collects and gathers dust.

4. What are oil-based solvents?

Tri-Flow and WD-40 are oil-based solvents. These are great at reducing noise and make it quite in moving parts. It also can loosen seize parts of a bicycle. it also works miraculously on old parts and makes it shine like new.

Though this type of oil sometimes sell as a chain lube but not suitable for performance.

5. Can I use WD40 as a bike grease?

No. You should never use it as a chain lubricant. It’s basically a rust dissolver. So you should avoid using it whenever you can on your cycle except on rusty parts.

6. Can I use olive oil to lube the bike chain?

Olive oil is meant for cooking. this cooking oil won’t stand up to water or the dust. It might cause you some greater problems. Just choose and use the lubricants which are meant for use in bikes. Also, don’t use them for cooking.

7. What is Citrus Solvent?

The citrus solvent is the perfect solution for the deep clean of your bikes. These are extremely strong and could penetrate through gathered dust and greets. It’s also can wash off sticky grease.

But be careful while using these liquids. It can clear the coating of your frame and burns your hands a little.

Final words

Now you know the differences. You also know what to use in where. So the decision is up to you what to use and where. Moreover keeping your bike clean and use grease and lube accordingly could maintain your bike’s performance and parts longevity.