Unanswered Best grease for cleats and best grease gun?

[jonathan horticulturist]

Finally got the shoes I wanted at the price I was willing to pay for them. Found out I need grease for the bolts. Any ideas?

Also, where’s the best cleat position for E-bikes, because you obviously do a lot more uphill than on a normal bike. I was thinking neutral (in the middle).

 

[njn]

I've never used grease for cleat bolts. It's not specified or recommended in the Shimano manual.

Off road cleat placement is generally to the back which puts the foot more centered on the pedal compared to roadies which like pedal near the ball of the foot.

 

[jonathan horticulturist]

I've never used grease for cleat bolts. It's not specified or recommended in the Shimano manual.

Off road cleat placement is generally to the back which puts the foot more centered on the pedal compared to roadies which like pedal near the ball of the foot.

Well I was watching a how to video and the guy used grease for crank brothers.

 

[Doomanic]

Are you sure he used grease and not threadlock?

 

[Gary]

Finally got the shoes I wanted at the price I was willing to pay for them. Found out I need grease for the bolts. Any ideas?

Any. it's just a steel bolt thread. A grease gun is not even vaguely necessary for this one job either

Also, where’s the best cleat position for E-bikes, because you obviously do a lot more uphill than on a normal bike. I was thinking neutral (in the middle).

erm... Most Emtbers would need a stack of spare batteries for the range required to out climb the best non assisted mtb riders. Ebikes are good. But they're not that good.

Cleat position is entirely personal.
when it comes to fore-aft position there's no absolute right or wrong. Traditional thinking and cleat/pedal axle under the ball of the foot has it's advantages in some ways but so does a much further rearwards mid foot cleat position. On the road that choice has as much do with which muscle groups each position uses as much it can be from a fitting/poition/leverage requirement/preference whereas on mtb it's often chosen coming more from of a control preference ideal. As njn says loads of DH/Gravity riders do fit a more rearward positioned cleat for stability but plenty still go with inline with the ball of the foot I'm predominantly a DH rider myself and do run mine a little back from the ball of my foot but I did this on roadbikes already. I'm no talking anywhere near as far back as possible but that's because I don't want my feet positioned differently from my road cleat position to my mtb one. Having said that I tend to only run SPDs on an mtb in winter or for novelty value these days preferring the freedom and ability to able change footing position at will of flats. If i didn't ever ride a roadbike who knows I might well have ended up with it a little further rearwards .

Try placing your foot (shoes on but no cleats) on the pedals sat down in your pedalling position and pedalling (backwards or on a trainer if you have one) This should tell you where they feel natural so having someone mark the fore and aft position of your foot inline with the pedal axle on the sole/side of each shoe should get them pretty close to your natural prefered position.
Go to any professional bike fitter, bike shop or look up advice on the internet and you'll end up with THAT person's idea of what's best for you. (Me included). so don't be afraid to experiment a little.

 

[MattyB]

I grease the pedal springs on my gravel bike - they will definitely creak occasionally if I don’t - but I’ve never greased the cleats.

 

[Gary]

He just means the cleat bolts when fitting the pedals Matty
If you've ever had a problem removing rusty cleat bolts from the sole of shoes you'll probably see the benefit.

 

[Dax]

If it's on the threads, you want to use an antiseize like copperslip or aluslip

 

[jonathan horticulturist]

Any. it's just a steel bolt thread. A grease gun is not even vaguely necessary for this one job either

Could you still recommend a grease gun? I think it would be handy to have one anyway.

 

[MattyB]

He just means the cleat bolts when fitting the pedals Matty
If you've ever had a problem removing rusty cleat bolts from the sole of shoes you'll probably see the benefit.

Gotcha. I only use clipless pedals on my gravel bike currently, and I’ve only used them for the last 6 months. They were fitted by the bike shop when I had a mini bike fit on picking up the bike, but I will check the bolts are greased next time I get a mo.

 

[Doomanic]

Could you still recommend a grease gun? I think it would be handy to have one anyway.

I just use a small syringe I picked up for a couple of quid on eBay. The Silkolene grease I use comes in a tub with a sliding part that’s just the right size for filling the syringe.

 

[Doomanic]

Or search for Park Tools GG1.

 

[Dax]

Try something like this Exus SystemEx Grease Gun Pro | Chain Reaction Cycles

 

[steve_sordy]

Or this for £9.99, complete with Teflon bike grease "with surface protector" (whatever that is).
Weldtite TF2 Grease Gun With Teflon Bike Grease | Chain Reaction Cycles

I've got one of these, no complaints at all.

 

[Doomanic]

They’re ok, but how do you refill them?

 

[R120]

They’re ok, but how do you refill them?

I have one of those grease guns, but its from Halfords and bike hut branded - you take the nozzle off the grease bottle and just screw it into the gun. Its compatible with most grease bottles.

Bikehut Bike Grease Gun

 

[MattyB]

Another option is one of the free syringes that come from Calpol. Not the most precise tool, but it will do the job in 90% of cases; just be careful to pack the syringe well initially so you don't get big air bubbles.

 

[Gary]

Been using one of these both professionally and at home for over 25 years
Dualco Mini Grease Gun | JE James Cycles
you can change the nozzle to a longer narrower one (if you can find one)

 

[Doomanic]

That's the same as the Park Tools grease gun. I used have one with Pace branding for my RC35 forks but lent it to a "mate" and never saw it again.

you take the nozzle off the grease bottle and just screw it into the gun. Its compatible with most grease bottles.

I know that, but it's quite an expensive way of buying grease, which was what I was hinting at while posting from work.

 

[R120]

Amazed someone hasn’t put out an EMTB “specific” grease gun to fleece the masses.

 

[Doomanic]

Wait right there...

 

[R120]

Remember my commission

 

[Gary]

it's quite an expensive way of buying grease, which was what I was hinting at while posting from work.

Eh?

Obviously it's upto you to spend whatever you want to on the grease to fill it with.
Mine tend to be full of Silkolene pro RG2. At under a tenner for 500g (which should last most home mechanics a lifetime) I wouldn't consider it (or the grease gun) expensive.
I still repair bikes for a living P/T and have 11 bikes of my own to maintain though.

I just use a small syringe I picked up for a couple of quid on eBay.

How does that work out for you when filling anything with a grease nipple/port purging the old grease out?

 

[Doomanic]

Eh?

Am I typing too quickly again?

I also use Pro RG2 and refill a £2 syringe from the big tub.

If you buy any of the grease guns that the (small) tubes of grease screw on to you have to keep buying the (small) tubes of grease. Those (small) tubes of grease cost nearly as much as a large tub of Pro RG2.

 

[Gary]

That's the same as the Park Tools grease gun. I used have one with Pace branding for my RC35 forks but lent it to a "mate" and never saw it again.

Yeah. Mine are both unbranded and cost me a fiver each. (in the 90s like) I think both have paid for themselves many times over by now
The link I posted was just an example of the product Ross asked me about. Not necessarily a recommendation of which brand (or price) to go for.

 

[Gary]

I have syringes too. They're 50p from the local Vet
As hinted above. They're not great as an actual grease gun for purging stubborn grease by pumping it into a grease nipple.

If you buy any of the grease guns that the (small) tubes of grease screw on to you have to keep buying the (small) tubes of grease. Those (small) tubes of grease cost nearly as much as a large tub of Pro RG2.

I've no idea why you're mentioning any of this to me.

 

[Gary]

And now we've gone full circle too

A grease gun is not even vaguely necessary for this one job either

AWESUMZ

 

[Doomanic]

How does that work out for you when filling anything with a grease nipple/port purging the old grease out?

Editing your post after a reply is cheating... ?

I don’t have any bikes with grease nipples so the syringe does just fine for what I use it for.

 

[Gary]

Editing your post after a reply is cheating... ?

Yeah. I do that all the time.
Hit reply then realise I've left something out or simply to correct typos.

Despite working on at least a few other folks bikes every week, rarely come across grease nipples anymore. But a proper metal grease gun is still nicer to use than a syringe or those stuck on a tube of cheap grease ones.
IMO every modern fork "should" have a grease nipples on each leg (and an air bleed port but that's another issue entirely) now that we've gone back to sealed cartridge dampers, air springs and a tiny bit of lubricating oil.

[Edied for typos, rather than to make Dom look a tool]