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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE NOVEMBER 18th 2025
HOW DO WE REACH THE OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
Zefal Pro II Grease
150ml £4.99 Long Term (5 month) Test
The Zefal Pro II Grease has been developed by their in-house R&D team, made in France, and claimed safe on carbon fibre and plastic. More significantly, they claim its suitable for daily professional use, has an operating temperature between -20 and plus 140 degrees, is waterproof and “ideal for bearings, headset, bottom bracket, hub and seat post”. Aside from our 150ml tube, there’s a one litre version for more intense, or commercial workshop duties. I’d still be careful around seals and suspension components - a plug on grease gun, such as this System EX would be a good pairing, minimising the likelihood of cross contamination. Nonetheless, its proven economical, slick and durable.
Pros: Keenly priced, economical to apply, excellent adhesion and lubrication, waterproof, good temperature stability.
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Cons: Lithium isn’t kind to rubberised components.
Specification
Exact alchemy is shrouded in secrecy. However, I can tell you it doesn’t contain PTFE and is lithium based. Lithium has long been popular in automotive and marine contexts given its strong adhesion, resistance to water, temperature, and corrosion. Properties that extend service intervals and ultimately component life. There has been a link between basic formulas and galvanic corrosion (where the grease works with moisture, salt and similar contaminant to chemically fuse metals of different parentages together). A moot point with headsets, hubs and bottom bracket bearings, since they’re always in motion. Contact points such as fluted polished alloy seat posts or quill stems in steel frames being notorious, back in the day. I’ve also seen lithium-based greases destroy elastomers and other rubberised components. Stick to dedicated synthetics here, or anywhere else with very sensitive composites.
Test Bikes & Applications
I’ve been on a pedal stripping binge in recent times, I’ve fed Shimano ES600 bodies, threads and tackled some of Denise’s contact points - seat post and quill stem, since I wanted to treat these ahead of the darker, wetter months. Quill stems and adaptors in particular are vulnerable to seizing and I was also looking to test claims of its kindness to rubber by leaving some traces on the seat collar boot. For these reasons, I swerved the gun and applied straight from the spout. However, it proved compatible with these Finish Line and System EX. In keeping with other blends, it can also be applied to contact points via brush-the most economical approach and works quite well on other threaded parts, assuming you didn’t want to get your fingers gooey. While generally good practice to remove all traces of pre-existing lubes and indeed, excess, I’ve deliberately left some to see if there’s any compatibility issues and how much dirt and grime it attracts.
Lubrication 3.75/5
Applied in 28 degrees, the flow rate was good and reassuringly stable, making it easy to apply, and evenly. I should also note, I cleaned the excess from the top before refitting the stem. Much the same story with square taper bottom brackets and similar static/threaded components.
The green hue is somewhere between Park PPL-1 and Shimano’s stock grease, making it very easy to see where you’ve been in a glance. A trace - yes, I do mean trace - on the fork and frame ends also protects paintwork from bite marks and similar abrasion damage. Useful if you’ve electroplated frame ends, too - protect them from the salty corrosive mix thrown up along wet, wintry roads.
Pedals and other bearings were buttery smooth from the outset. Common to my experience, is a very stout blend, which helped with giving single sided pedals some additional weighting, meaning clipping back in again was a little easier. Same went for other bearings, although compared with low viscosity blends such as Peaty’s Speed Grease, I was expecting some additional friction when applied to Hollowtech II axles and cantilever posts.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how little friction was apparent when spinning the cranks. On balance, the Peaty’s Speed Grease has a tangible edge for racers, but the Zefal Pro II lubricates and clings well. Arguably a more cost-effective do-most for winter bikes, daily drivers, and other mile munching builds.
It also meant loose balls had less chance of dropping from hub shells and other races during the rebuilding phase.
Durability & Cleanliness 3.5/5
I wash my bikes typically weekly - sudsy buckets, sometimes a low-pressure garden hose, no jet-washing here.
Five months, lots of mixed terrain riding, wet roads, wet forest trails and liberal helpings of mud hence, things still feel buttery smooth and closer inspection revealed a robust layer clinging to threads, bearings, axles etc. I’ve re-applied to Ursula’s Hollowtech II axles, since opportunity, rather than necessity presented. For context, I’m very fond of the Peaty’s Speed Grease and in comparable riding environments, I’m also reapplying at this point. As the photos illustrate, it has attracted a layer of surface grime, though nothing outlandish and easily dismissed with clean rag. Again, it hasn’t reacted badly with traces of other greases, including Oxford Mint Assembly Grease.
Cleats lead notoriously hard lives - blasted with wet, salt, immersed in boggy mud and largely forgotten, until replacement calls. Though the Zefal Pro II was becoming a little filmy on Hollowtech II pinch bolts and other fasteners blasted by gloop and dodgy water, these and contact points, including quill-ahead adaptors and even track sprockets released with only modest effort.
A very harsh, salty winter might reveal some chinks in its armour, but no issues with galvanic corrosion. As for seals and contact points to date I haven’t noted any deterioration, but would recommend caution around these areas.
Value 4/5
£4.99 for 150ml is extremely competitive. Some folks would point to it being lithium based; a little generic compared with contemporary synthetics. Blub Premium Lithium Grease is twice the Zefal’s asking price and I’d be similarly careful around seals and more delicate components but has impressed Steve with its convenience and hell n’ high water staying prowess.
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Muc Off Bio Grease is now £23 for 150ml but in my experience a very solid contender that is long-lived and kind to all surfaces, including carbon and rubberised components. Park Polylube PL1000 is another workshop staple and possibly the closest rival in terms of price and genre. However, it’s also nearly twice the price. Green Oil Eco Grease is another long-term favourite of ours. Its kind to planet, rider and surfaces alike.
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Crucially, it’s also pretty stoical. However, despite these considerable virtues, it’s now £17.99 for 200ml. White Lightning Crysta (now £10.99) is another sophisticated synthetic that continues to impress with its mix of kindness and durability. Theory goes that the clear hie makes it much easier to inspect bearing health. Generally true, provided you’ve not treated frames with Waxoyl, or similar preserve.
Summary
I wasn’t expecting to be this impressed by the Zefal Pro II Grease. There are some limitations with lithium infused greases, especially around seals, suspension and other rubberised components. I’d also be a little cautious when applying to polished aluminium alloy seat posts in steel frames. However, for generic metal on metal surfaces, whether packing headset, hub and pedal bearings, keeping cantilever/V-brake posts and Hollow Tech II axles slick, the Zefal Pro II Grease is a durable, wallet-friendly staple.
Verdict: 3.75/5 Favourably priced, durable general-purpose grease with good lubrication and corrosion resistance.
Michael Stenning
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2025
