I thought those cheap carbon paste tubes were all the same junk

Had a customer bring in a creaky seatpost from a local race last week, and my usual stuff just wasn't cutting it... tried a tube of the 'Finish Line' brand a buddy left in my box, and the noise was gone in two minutes. What's your go-to for stubborn carbon assembly?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew_rodriguez2mo ago

Wow, I totally thought that stuff was all the same too.

charles_kelly432mo ago

Man, I was right there with you, @andrew_rodriguez. Used to grab whatever tube was cheapest at the shop. Then I had a carbon seatpost basically fuse itself in the frame from bad paste. Learned the hard way that grit size is a real thing. The cheap stuff can act like sandpaper on your parts over time. Now I just keep a good tube around and it saves so many headaches.

kelly3852mo ago

Yeah, it's wild how much the good stuff matters. I've found the cheap paste can have bigger grit that actually damages the carbon over time. The Finish Line stuff has a super fine, even grit that fills the gaps without being abrasive. Makes a huge difference on tight press-fit bottom brackets too.