Copper grease?

[winjohn]

Probably teaching how to suck eggs but the reason for grease on stems and seatposts is to put a layer between the aluminium and steel since in contact they create a galvanic reaction which causes corrosion and leads to the stuck stem or seatpost scenario that most of us are unfortunately familiar with when renovating old bikes (although never with our own carefully maintained bikes of course). Copper and aluminium also create galvanic reactions together.

Steel on steel, no galvanic reaction but you just need something to keep the water out to prevent rust.

Ordinary grease will do both these jobs adequately on a bike.

 

[Imlach]

You can pry the bike fake tan from my cold, dead hands.

 

[dyna-ti]

I use white lithium grease, and I slap it on with a paintbrush in places like a bottom bracket. Slather it on the threads on the frame, and slather more on the threads on the bottom bracket, and then slather on some more just to be safe.

Get plenty on your seatpost too, and check that at least once a year. On the headtube helps the headset cups go in, and more importantrly, come out again.

In fact coat everything in grease. And while lithium is good, normal Castrol 'brown' grease is just as good. Copaslip isnt, its more a specialist type of stuff and there are places that you should never apply it(Aluminum for example), so with that in mind stick to a grease that can be put on anything.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Copper grease isn't necessary, and it's toxic.
Steel to steel non-moving parts is acceptable.
There's a certain style of bike owner overkeen with the copper though.

My 3 seconds of research suggests grease is equally toxic, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Betsy]

My 3 seconds of research suggests it’s got groove and it’s got meaning..?

 

[doctor-bond]

Ahh copper slip, farewell old chum used to use this stuff like old spice …..

Check the safety sheet on your grease - lithium appears to be also toxic to acqatics (like copper) and a skin irritant; ceramic grease seems ok and is good for doing the brake pads on your jallopy as it’s high temp proof.

 

[Imlach]

Nothing is toxic here anymore

 

[Imlach]

Drain cleaner just gives a gentle sting not unlike salted hang nail

 

[Tootyred]

Copper slip....one 1lb tub....lived on shelf for 40 years now!

Smear on car / bike brake pads (NO! The back please!)

Smear on steel wheel hubs between them and steel wheels.

Smear on steel bottom bracket cups in steel frames...but not always tbh.

Thats the sum of the uses I've found....but im open to suggestions.

 

[Woz]

Copper grease isn't necessary, and it's toxic.
Steel to steel non-moving parts is acceptable.
There's a certain style of bike owner overkeen with the copper though.

I'll agree and disagree with this to point.

Steel to steel, just use anything in that old tub. Same for Steel to AL.

Steel to Ti or AL to Ti or Ti to Ti, get the copper paste out if you can. If you can't thin normal grease with some thick motor oil.

There's unwanted bonding during assembly which can be finnicky and catastrophic with Ti, and then there's the maintenance aspect over long period. Working dry on any aspect or material of a bicycle is strict no-no. I've seen and wrenched enough to know the consequences, especially with low end crap saving 0.02€ on grease. Shocking.

I think we shouldn't be too over indulgent and doing the usual "what's best" kind of rhetoric but a minimum goes a very very long way.