Finish Line Fiber Grip

Finish Line Fiber Grip carbon fibre assembly gel is handily packaged and reasonably priced for home use. And it works.

If you own a bike with carbon components and want to do any work involving removing, refitting or adjusting them, you need carbon assembly product of some sort. Be it a paste or gel, applied by brush or finger, you need something to assist in preventing slippage or creaks, and to minimise the torque required on clamping parts.

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This Finish Line gel is clear, non-toxic, odour-free, non-staining and biodegradable. I wouldn't recommend eating it, but you probably could. The gel feels grittier than my go-to assembly paste by Motrex – you can feel the 'grit' particles if you slide it between your fingers. But it's not going to damage anything.

Finish Line recommends using it for carbon-carbon and carbon-alloy clamping, and claims that when used correctly you need up to half the recommended torque to hold things steady.

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Put simply, it works. Nothing slipped, it was easy to apply, and cleaned up with a wipe of a rag. Yes, £10 isn't the cheapest carbon paste out there, but the Finish Line product is often available for around the £6-£7 mark. Given the tube will last most home-mechanics a lifetime of bar/stem/seatpost work, the money's possibly irrelevant. You can buy a 450g tub for about £27, which works out at less than half the price, but unless you're running a bikeshop or family fleet of carbon machines, chances are you'll never get through it in a lifetime.

Verdict

Convenient, friendly carbon assembly gel that works, won't break the bank, and should last many years