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
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
Make and model: Finish Line Fiber Grip
Size tested: 1.75 oz / 50 ml
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
It's for anyone with any carbon bike component needing clamping.
Finish Line says: "Fiber Grip™ is specially designed to create friction and reduce slippage between clamped carbon fiber surfaces. Fiber Grip eliminates the need to over tighten clamps to achieve secure connections. Over tightening can cause internal fractures and fatigue of carbon fiber parts. Apply Fiber Grip in a thin film to clamping areas of stems, handlebars, seat posts, and seat tubes. Tested and approved by leading carbon fiber component manufacturers."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Non-toxic, biodegradeable
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Perfectly.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
It's eco-everything.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
In comparison with other carbon pastes, the easy cleanup and non-toxicity/biodegradability combined with the price makes this a winner.
Age: 43 Height: 183cm Weight: 72kg
I usually ride: Merida Ride 5000 Disc My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, club rides, general fitness riding, mountain biking, Dutch bike pootling
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