Greasing axels

[cycosis]

So I've been commuting to work on my 24 year old mountain bike that I had when I was a teenager and finding it okay, I bought a $20 mountain bike off Gumtree as a project and found this easier to ride. Pulled the axle skewers last night and they were dry as a bone, covered them in grease and replaced them and wow the difference it makes.

[Tim]

Sorry mate but your quick greasing won't have actually done anything much, unless some of the grease found it's way into the wheel bearings.
Neither the skewer rod or the axle actually spin in relation to each other, they're locked in place when you tighten up the skewer lever.
The skewer rod is encased inside the axle and the axle is encased inside the hub outer housing. The outer housing rotates around the axle but it is not load bearing.
The ball bearings take all the weight of the bike. They are the point of friction. You need to lube the bearings to make any real difference.

[P!N20]

^ Although a bit of grease on your skewers stops them from rusting.