PSA: I finally understood why that old guy at the co-op in Eugene always insisted on using a specific grease for freehub bodies after mine seized up last week.

I used a cheap, heavy waterproof grease on a customer's mountain bike freehub in the fall, and when they brought it back frozen solid, I had to spend 3 hours cleaning and replacing the whole assembly, so what's your go-to freehub grease for wet climates?

3 comments

3 Comments

gracewebb9d ago

That sounds like a rough way to learn that lesson.

quinnr4016d ago

My buddy used some generic marine grease on his gravel bike's hub last winter. By February it turned into a sticky paste that wouldn't budge. He ended up having to soak the whole freehub body in solvent for a day. Now he just uses a light coating of Phil Wood grease and hasn't had a problem since.

calebhall16d ago

Marine grease is meant for slow moving boat parts, not bike hubs spinning at high RPMs. That gunking up happens because the thickeners separate out when they get worked too hard. Phil Wood stays put because it's designed for bike bearings specifically. Your buddy learned the hard way that using the right tool for the job applies to grease too.