Mike wrote in message
...

Yes true. Grease is grease, and not designed as a lubricant. Oil is
designed
as a lubricant, grease is not. It does treat the metal surfaces to a
degree,
but any lubricating effect disappears quickly.


And where did you get this little gem of a myth from?

OK guys, grease is definitely a lubricant, but what exactly is its
effect in a bike wheel hub?

How is this theory:
grease primarily lubricates the low-load ball-ball (or ball-race)
contact areas to reduce wear and prolong bearing life.

The grease treats the bearings, but does not hang around in it's viscous
form as such, and so arguably it is no longer grease as such at this point.
You could debate this at end. The important thing is that grease was there
at one point, and that dirt has not gotten in contact with the rolling
surface.

Friction on the _rolling_ hub/cone-bearing contact is minimal,
and doesnt directly need grease, just to keep the bearings in
good condition.


Sounds about right to me!
---
DFM