Anybody still using this stuff? Park's been making it forever so it must get use but I haven't really ever loved it in bicycles. I have my other go-to choices but wondering if I'm missing out on this.
Park Polylube
- Thread starter buck91
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JHZR2
Staff member
I have a tub of it, which I use on bike stuff. No idea if it’s better or worse than anything else.
You mention other go-to choices - care to share what and for what uses?
If you have others, curious why you’re asking about this stuff at all?
You mention other go-to choices - care to share what and for what uses?
If you have others, curious why you’re asking about this stuff at all?
If you're talking about Park polylube,
yes I use it and I've had this tube for about 5 years now.
I use it on my bike for lots of Parts like crank arms, bearings, any kind of Maintenance that needs lube. I only use it for my bicycles.
yes I use it and I've had this tube for about 5 years now.
I use it on my bike for lots of Parts like crank arms, bearings, any kind of Maintenance that needs lube. I only use it for my bicycles.
Well you name it and people like it. Myself, I like the Phil Wood for "nice" stuff and Superlube grease for anything and everything.
The tube of poly Lube last me so long because I only use it for the bigger external things like mentioned crank arms pedals etc. I like the tube because I can keep it handy in my bike toolbox.
But for the internal stuff; bearings now on all my bikes have sealed bearings.. For that I use SRAM butter. That works well for the internals of the cassette hub.
But for the internal stuff; bearings now on all my bikes have sealed bearings.. For that I use SRAM butter. That works well for the internals of the cassette hub.
JHZR2
Staff member
Yeah I’m just more curious than anything particularly because I’m tuning up my wire’s road bike right now for a triathlon she’s doing.
So Phil wood is the stuff for bearings and whatnot?
I have and love super lube, both silicone and synthetic. But I don’t know where I’d use it in a bike.
I use the park also like antiseize fwiw.
I don't use Park polylube and more generally avoid specific "boutique" lubes. Back in the '80s when I worked in a bike shop we used Phil Wood grease on the fancy custom bikes, but in terms of performance it wasn't any better, and may actually have been worse, than a high quality grease of appropriate viscosity that you could get at the auto parts store.
Exactly. Fill it with any quality grease of appropriate viscosity and you'll have something at least as good as any bicycle-specific grease, at a fraction of the cost. Another that makes a good all-around bike grease is Schaeffer's 221, #1 or #2 depending on the viscosity you need. Plenty of other good choices too.
Every 500 Miles my cassette comes off and gets cleaned along with the entire bike and chain.
That's a very minimum maintenance. My electronic shifting doesn't go out of adjustment unless it's fiddled with.
So for the most part a little Polly Lube on the pedals and crank arms and Sram butter for internal components. But nothing is going to sit on this bike very long due to my 500 mile maintenance regiment.
I personally think you could probably use any kind of Grease or Lube for modern bikes since they are all sealed bearings now. And if you clean them regularly it doesn't really matter. There's no Holy Grail grease or Lube or oil. Like somebody else said, everyone has their favorite.
A lot of people like waxing their mountain bike chains. I find waxing is just a big bunch of crud that builds up on your cassette and chain.
Very hard to clean off and reapply. I'll just run a chain for a 4 or 5,000 miles and just replace it, it's not that expensive.
Just my two cents.
That's a very minimum maintenance. My electronic shifting doesn't go out of adjustment unless it's fiddled with.
So for the most part a little Polly Lube on the pedals and crank arms and Sram butter for internal components. But nothing is going to sit on this bike very long due to my 500 mile maintenance regiment.
I personally think you could probably use any kind of Grease or Lube for modern bikes since they are all sealed bearings now. And if you clean them regularly it doesn't really matter. There's no Holy Grail grease or Lube or oil. Like somebody else said, everyone has their favorite.
A lot of people like waxing their mountain bike chains. I find waxing is just a big bunch of crud that builds up on your cassette and chain.
Very hard to clean off and reapply. I'll just run a chain for a 4 or 5,000 miles and just replace it, it's not that expensive.
Just my two cents.
What does the number 1000 represent?
Unknown to me, was told it was good to use on bicycles. I also use.
This appears to be a really good quality. And was told to use this on shocks and seals. So whenever I do maintenance on my Hub I use the SRAM butter.
And like my Park poly Lube I'll probably have this jar for another 10 years.
This appears to be a really good quality. And was told to use this on shocks and seals. So whenever I do maintenance on my Hub I use the SRAM butter.
And like my Park poly Lube I'll probably have this jar for another 10 years.
Use silicone grease to lube cables. Slicker than cat poo. I use Permatex dielectric or similar (not cat poo)
You are able to run a chain to those miles wo lubing? Gota tell me what chain brand can do that!
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Rockshox also labels/brands this stuff. It's designed to minimize "sticktion" which is ideal for shocks, seals and suspension bushings. But bearings have different requirements, such as high film strength and barrier protection additives. So it's not ideal for that application.
I prefer to use a low viscosity grease (NGLI 0 or 1) with shocks/seals/bushings, and higher (NGLI 1 or 2) with bearings.
Shimano "DuraAce " green grease is a highly praised premium bike lube but very expensive. Its the iridescent yellow green stuff. IMO , it's the best bike lube. Based on my research, I believe Its a calcium sulfonate grease. Tractor Supply has the Traveler marine grease based on it for cheap. YMMV
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That photo brings back old memories for sure - looks like they haven't changed the tube in 40 years.
I have a large tub of that stuff, and if there is anything special about it, I can't tell. In fact, I don't even like using it.
My chains last that long, sometimes longer on the road bike. That is mileage until I get 1/16" of stretch across 12" of chain (about 0.5%). The #1 key is to keep it clean. #2 is to lubricate it properly for the intended use - MTB may be different from road.
The Park chain cleaning tool (current version is CM-5.3) hasn't changed much in 40 years and for good reason - it works! I use WD-40 as the cleaning solvent - you can buy it in 1 gallon jugs for about $30. It's highly effective yet not harsh like some other solvents. Also clean the rest of the drivetrain - the chainrings, cassette, derailleur(s).
Once it's clean lube it either wet or dry. For wet, nothing beats chainsaw bar & chain oil. For dry, some kind of wax.
I clean them whenever they get dirty, or monthly, whichever happens first. With the MTB, I clean it after every off-road ride. The time & effort is well spent for a silent, efficient bike and chains that last for thousands of miles. Also with the MTB, I find that the SRAM XX1 chain lasts about 3x longer than Shimano XTR (with 11-speed).
Right, the SRAM chains will go 4 to 5K with a 500 Mi maintenance interval of a soak and lube. I don't use wax, and I use the Park tool to measure my chain ware.
My Trek Emonda got 5K and still had some life left. And really they'll go further but I like a crisp shift. And my name is in Gunther or Magnus! So not a lot of chain tension and bottom bracket Flex for my legs.
I don't use cables anymore in my bikes they are all Sram etap electronic Wireless shifting, and brakes are hydraulic.
My Trek Emonda got 5K and still had some life left. And really they'll go further but I like a crisp shift. And my name is in Gunther or Magnus! So not a lot of chain tension and bottom bracket Flex for my legs.
I don't use cables anymore in my bikes they are all Sram etap electronic Wireless shifting, and brakes are hydraulic.
