Wet lube for brakes and gears

is the wet lube ok for lubing the brake and gear components or is it too thick?

It’s better to use lube specifically designed for bicycle brakes and gears. Wet lube is more suitable for adult activities.

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Agreed.

I use different lubes for different components. I bet they are interchangeable, but I’d hate myself if something died and it came down to the lube.

wet lube is fine, as long as this is your distinction:

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in fact, it’s better when it rains than the dry lube. but I prefer the dry, as it does not get stuck everywhere. the viscosity of wet is not a problem, unless it’s in ceramic bearings, which you should not lube.

I’ve used both of these for my chain and the green wet lube eats up all kinds of crap from the road, the amount of time it takes me to clean the chain is not worth it.

I ended up buying the larger spray can of dry lube and it works fine.

@urodacus how often do you think I should be maintaining the ceramic BB on my bike? Is that something I can do by myself or should I have the shop do it?

For my old bike, I had the mechanic check the Shimano Ultegra BB once a year as I rarely ride in bad conditions in Taipei.

the ceramic bearings really don’t need any lube, and shouldn’t need even an annual service. if the bike is ridden in the rain a lot, cleaning them is an option if dirt gets inside the bearing (via a damaged cap, for example). hard to tell, design varies a bit and some are better than others at keeping crap out.

But if its a BB30 or similar press fit, taking them out and putting them back is a pain and can deform the shell and lead to creaking. So best not to bother with that. or if you must, and it does get loose, or to fix a BB30 that is squeaky anyway, use Loctite 242 on the outside of the bearing (obviously not inside the bearing surfaces, of course).

maybe best left to a shop. normal steel bearings, clean 'em out annually or every 10,000 km in my experience, and DuraAce or Record bearings should last at least 30,000 km. same as a good chain and cassette: just fix em all together.

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ok thanks, btw how often lube brake and gear components (in monsoon rain weather)

When using the ‘wet’ lube, it catches and sticks up to any tiny crap and it’s better to clean it all off as best you can (maybe with a WD40 spray) before applying more. Maybe a top up after every ride with wet lube, and every 2nd ride (or long ride) go with a full clean and redo. that way you prevent dust and grime that wears out components more. from accumulating and getting inside things. Sticky mud is amazingly abrasive. The wet lube seems to be more tenacious in protecting moving metal surfaces than the dry, especially chains, in the wet and muddy conditions, but it is a real shit and gets everywhere (your elevator, your legs, your car, your room) so that’s a trade off.

but in the dry season, the dry lubes rock, IMHO. chain, gears, brake pivots, cable run under the BB shell, protecting long open cables, whatever. it dries dry and lasts for ages. any dirt tends to ball up on the outside and fall off, so it’s much better at keeping things clean and dirt free.