Lubricants
Browse bike lubricants for sale from riders across the UK. The category holds three quite different products: chain lubes that go on a moving chain in single drops, greases that sit in bearings and threads for a whole season, and suspension oils sold by weight in grades from 0W-30 up to 10wt for damper and lower-leg service. It covers riders lubing a chain after a wet commute and riders servicing forks on a bench.
What is the difference between chain lube, grease and suspension oil?
Thin, thick and specified. Chain lube is a light oil or wax carrier that has to penetrate a roller and then stay put under load. Grease is oil held in a soap thickener so it stays where it is packed — hub bearings, headset cups, seatpost and pedal threads. Suspension oil is a damping fluid whose viscosity is part of how the fork behaves, so the grade is dictated by the manufacturer rather than by preference.
How do I choose a chain lube for British conditions?
Wet lubes are heavier and stay on through rain and road spray, at the price of collecting grit; dry lubes stay cleaner on dry summer roads but need reapplying roughly every 100 miles and after every wet ride. Wax-based options such as Squirt and Silca Super Secret run cleanest and last longest per application, but only on a chain that has been stripped of its factory grease first. Most riders keep a wet lube for winter and something drier for the rest of the year.
Which grease goes where?
A general lithium-complex bearing grease covers hubs, headsets and threads; a marine or waterproof grade is better in bottom bracket shells and hubs that see winter road spray. Anti-seize belongs on titanium bolts and any steel fastener going into an alloy frame. Carbon assembly paste is not a lubricant at all — it is a gritty compound that raises friction so a carbon seatpost or bar holds at its stated torque rather than needing to be over-tightened.
Do lubricants have a shelf life?
Sealed, most keep for years. Wax emulsions separate on standing and can be ruined by frost, so they want shaking hard and storing above freezing. An opened tub of grease bleeds oil to the surface and forms a crust, which is cosmetic if you dig below it but a reason to use a spatula rather than fingers. Suspension oil is the one to keep tightly sealed, since moisture and dust in a part-used bottle end up inside a damper.
What is worth paying more for?
Suspension oil and carbon paste, because the specification does a job — the wrong viscosity changes how a fork rides and the wrong compound lets a post slip. Chain lube is where the money goes over time, so compare a 100ml drip bottle against a 1-litre workshop refill and buy the size you will actually use. Grease is the cheapest per service of the three: a single 450g tub will see out several full overhauls.