Mark wrote:

I fitted a new Shimano chain and cassette to my bike the other night.
I've only done 50 odd mile since installing them but this morning tried
to remove the packing grease so I could lubricate the chain normally (I
seem to remember this was the advised thing to do).

Not by me!

The original grease is better than any lubricant you can apply after
the fact, it is a Bad Idea to deliberately remove it. It's great
stuff, lasts a long time if you don't muck with it.

Sheldon "Don't Do It!" Brown
+--------------------------------------------------+
| What's not worth doing is not worth doing well. |
| --Don Hebb |
+--------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com