Curious to hear what others have to say - esp industry types and Rappstar (who, for some weird reason I think would know about shit like this…)
For years we’ve been using popular (read: expensive) brands of bicycle grease (Park, Phil, Pedros, etc.) believing there was something special about them, that they were formulated just for bikes and that as serious riders we shouldn’t use anything else.
We bought into the hype.
But lately every time we’d reach for that tube of fancy grease we’d wonder, “Is this stuff really better?” We decided to look behind the advertising to see what “premium bicycle grease” is really made from. We also wanted to know if a better formula exists for cycling applications.
We Had Questions …
Are the major brand formulations actually proprietary?
Are the lubrication properties actually better?
To help us decipher fact from fiction we turned to experts at Chevron USA.
Disclosure: We’re not exactly fans of oil companies, but the truth is these people know more about lubricants than anyone in the bicycle industry. Setting our politics aside, we called on them.
We visited Chevron’s industrial lubricants division in Richmond, California and showed them our metal-to-metal applications (bottom brackets, headsets, seat tubes, seat posts, forks, hubs, stems, freewheel cogs & chains).
We then asked their engineers to recommend a water-proof, rust-inhibiting grease that will stand up to heat, cold, rain, snow, grime, grit, sweat and blood. And it has to be a grease that doesn’t migrate – it has to stay where you put it.
We brought with us a few bottles and tubes of popular brands of grease sold to bicyclists. We wanted the Chevron experts to see what our industry is using and to tell us if there is a better formulation available. As the engineers read the labels on the back of the bottles and tubes they began to smile and shake their heads.
We Found Answers …
It turns out the so-called “premium class” bearing grease sold in bike shops is little more than basic bearing grease with a rust inhibitor. It’s not made for bicycles, it’s designed for heavy-duty industrial applications. This kind of grease is bought in bulk, packaged in fancy tubes and sold to bike shops. We learned there’s nothing really special or proprietary about these lubricants.
OK, so know we know the truth about the grease we’ve been using – it’s good stuff but it’s been glorified, hyped and over-sold. Is there a better grease available? The Chevron people said yes and recommended something they call “EP” grease.
EP is a premium grease made to withstand extreme conditions. It’s formulated to protect metal surfaces and bearings against shock, load wear and rust for extended periods of time. Chevron’s industrial customers use it to lubricate bearings in desert and arctic oil fields, in off-shore marine applications, and in military and industrial machine environments all over the world. In other words … it does more than we’ll ever need it to do but it’s the best there is and that’s what we asked for.
The Chevron guys cracked the lid on a barrel of this stuff to show us what they were talking about. Their Ultra-Duty EP grease is certified as NLGI Grade 2, which means that it’s a moderately soft grease that is able to protect rolling contact bearings under extreme pressure and at temperatures approaching 300° Celsius.
“That should cover most riding conditions,” we earnestly noted.
We worked the grease by hand and found it to have a smooth gel-like consistency that is webby without being too sticky. Perfect for bikes!
There’s not much else to say about a giant tub of translucent red goo, so we took a sample back to the shop for testing. We used EP to tune up our shop bikes and, as expected, it does the job and is very easy to work with. We then put EP to the test with plenty of hot summer riding.
After 100 miles of on- and off-road torture we pulled the bottom brackets and steerer tubes off to see if the grease had migrated away from the protected parts. Still there and looking fresh. We hosed down the parts with water, re-assembled them and rode for another 100 miles. The EP grease was still webby and sticking to its parts.
We immediately called Chevron to order some EP for ourselves and our customers. When we asked for small tubes the distributor laughed. “You mean buckets, right?”
The SMALL BUCKET weighs 35 pounds.
Being the resourceful types we are, we found a pharmaceutical jar manufacturer that makes a perfect two-ounce polypropylene container. Unless you find other uses for it, two ounces of this stuff is enough to last a couple of riding seasons.
No fancy labels or clever packaging – just the world’s best grease in a wide-mouth jar that’s easy to use and easy to store.
It’s the ultimate bike grease at half the cost of the famous bike brands!
PRODUCT DETAILS
Chevron Ultra-Duty EP Grease NLGI Grade 2 (“National Lubricating Grease Institute”) High shock load protection High load-carrying protection Extended service lubrication Two-ounce jar with sealed lid
This grease is hand-packed with care by the folks at Don Patrol Velo Garage.
