Oumeiya Bike Lubricating Grease Test Method

This time I mainly test http://www.oumeiya.com/, that is, the friction coefficient of the bearing in the grease environment. The test oil includes the following four types: Cylion bicycle grease P05-01, Shimano Premium Grease, and Finish Line Ceramic Grease (finish Line ceramic base grease) and Slick Honey.

The test method is to spread grease evenly on the surface of stainless steel, use steel balls as a pair of friction pairs, and apply a constant force to make the steel balls rub against each other in the same area.

Each grease was ground for 30 minutes, and then the average coefficient of friction was taken under steady friction conditions. Shimano jam is special. After the break-in, the friction coefficient of Shimano jam drops directly to the lowest, and then slowly rises to a steady state. The overall average friction coefficients in the stable stage are 0.1281 and 0.1328, respectively

Slick Honey and Serling came up with the results I expected and matched my own use, one best and one worst, not to mention Shimano jam and Finish Line ceramic bases.

The price difference between Shimano jam and finish Line ceramic base grease is not much, they are the same grade and the two most commonly used, so compare these two. I thought the Shimano jam had a lower coefficient of friction than the finish line ceramic base, but to my surprise, the Shimano jam has a coefficient of friction of 0.1328 at steady friction, which is close to the Race line (considering the price difference), but the finish line ceramic base even lower.

In practice, whether it's on a bead hub, bottom bracket, or headset, the overall resistance of the finish line ceramic base after repairs will be greater and not as smooth as the Shimano jam. Why is this happening? At first I suspected something was wrong with the testing process, so I repeated the test a few times with the same result. I think it might be because the Shimano is less sticky (I'll try to measure the consistency if I get the chance), so it feels smoother and the ceramic base for the finish line spins with more resistance.

Second, finish line ceramic base ball hubs, bottom brackets and headsets are used. After three or four months, when you open the hub again, you'll find, "Oops, where's the grease?" The shimano jam will stay in good condition. This has to do with the dispersion resistance of the oil. The easiest test is to quickly pick out some oil with a small stick and see how long it lasts without breaking. Of the four oils, only the Shimano jam lasted long enough for me to take a picture of the wire drawing with my phone, while Seicellar and Slick Honey could pull out nearly 1cm, but they broke before I could take a picture. There is no line to pull off the finish line.

The dispersion resistance of the finish line ceramic base is the worst among the four greases, that is, it is easier to be dispersed by external forces, so it will feel a lot less grease after using it for a long time. In fact, it's just scattered, not gone. After maintenance with Shimano jam, the results are immediate. Until the next maintenance, the status has been the same, and the change will not be very big. So there's no way to tell if Shimano Jam or Finish Line Ceramics are better overall. In terms of friction coefficient, the finish line is better; Shimano wins in dispersion resistance.