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Had to pick between regular grease and marine grease for my bottom bracket rebuild
I was rebuilding a commuter bike last week and stood in the shop staring at two tubes for 10 minutes. Went with marine grease because the guy rides through rain all the time and now the bearings feel smooth but I'm worried about extra drag. Anyone else ever swap to marine grease on a wet weather bike and notice a difference in spinning resistance?
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wadebailey21d ago
Exactly what you're describing is one of those weird compromises that pops up everywhere once you start looking for it - like picking between a rain jacket that breathes okay but gets wet versus one that keeps you bone dry but makes you sweat. Marine grease is basically the "never fails no matter what" option for wet conditions but yeah it does have more drag than standard stuff because it's thicker and sticks harder to the metal. For a commuter that sees rain regularly you made the right call in my book since a tiny bit of spin resistance from grease beats the heck out of rusty bearings that seize up mid-ride.
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wendygrant21d ago
Come on though, that extra drag adds up over a long ride, especially if you're not dealing with constant downpours. Why sacrifice that free speed when standard grease with a little more frequent maintenance could give you the best of both worlds?
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