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I was totally wrong about those cheap carbon paste alternatives from the auto parts store
For years I figured assembly paste was assembly paste, right? I mean, a tube of Permatex anti-seize is like $8 and a tiny tube of the proper bike stuff is $25. I used the Permatex on a customer's carbon seatpost maybe 6 months ago. Just had the bike back in yesterday, the post was seized solid. Had to use a ton of heat and a ton of care to get it out without wrecking the frame. The shop owner showed me the spec sheet, the particle size in the cheap stuff is way bigger and it can actually abrade the carbon over time under load. Cost me half a day and a ton of stress. Has anyone else had a failure like this, or am I the only one who tried to cut that corner?
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nancycooper7d ago
Yeah, that line about the particle size being bigger in the cheap stuff really got me. I used to think the same way, like paste is paste, why pay more. I put some generic auto grease on my own carbon bars once and they started making this awful creaking noise after a few wet rides. Had to take it all apart and clean it, and you could see where the paste had just turned into a gritty mess. Totally changed my mind on using the right stuff for the job.
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jamie7707d ago
Funny, I've had the opposite happen... my cheap paste has been fine for years.
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