Cleaning Rim Braking Surface

[zigzag]

it depends a lot on brake pads. i have different type of pads on front and rear and you can see the difference. i'll upgrade the rear ones in the near future, so the rim stays clean naturally.

 

[slowmotion]

I read somewhere that solvents/degreasers really knacker your tyres. The black gunk that seems to have a tenacious hold to my rims doesn't seem to want to move with just baby-wipes. It just moves from A to B in a circular fashion. Washing-up liquid and green plastic pan scourers work better for me.

 

[albion]

Away from the age of indestructible stainless steel rims I refuse to use anything abrasive.This includes long lasting rock hard brake pads.

 

[PpPete]

it depends a lot on brake pads. i have different type of pads on front and rear and you can see the difference. i'll upgrade the rear ones in the near future, so the rim stays clean naturally.

[attachment=5909MG_0193.jpg] [attachment=5910MG_0194.jpg]

Rear rims always get dirtier than the front ones - even if you have the same pads front and rear.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I always use baby wipes though it is a fairly futile task.One ride later they discolour again.

Prevention is always better than cure so I try to avoid using my brakes at all in an effort to keep my rims gunk free.

 

[tyred]

Try chrome plated rims. They stay nice and clean and brake blocks last for an eternity.

You won't actually stop on a wet day but that's a minor inconvenience

 

[HLaB]

I found over time muc off faded my rims :-(

 

[battered]

Fairy in hot water about 1% and green pad for me. Copious rinsing from a hose is essential, Fairy has salt in it and you want this washed off.

 

[mickle]

Muc Off, unless they've changed the formulation recently, will etch the colour from anodized components.

Diluting it only slows down the process.

 

[wakou]

Get thee to a pharmacist! 500ml of IPA will cost you < £5 (isopropyl alcohol).

 

[battered]

Anyone in France should buy "alcool a bruler" instead of IPA - Eu 1.30 a ltre in the supermarket. It's alcohol for fondue sets etc, 90% ethanol, 5% methanol so you don't drink it, about 5% residual water, dead handy for cleaning. It's in petrol there at 10% so given the price of petrol these days it's almost worth chucking in the car.

 

[HLaB]

The missus cleans her bike with Muc-Off and her alloy pannier rack has changed colour from black to a purply colour. It could just be wear and tear I suppose, they say it doesn't affect anodising but it definitely won't attack your tyres like white spirit wrecked mine. If the rims are fading I suppose you could say you're going to have to replace them through wear sooner or later any way. I'd have thought anything with a strong cleaning action won't be without its side effects.

My current rims have only seen baby wipes or fresh water and haven't faded and I've had them longer than my old rims and they've been exposed to the same conditions (Scottish Winter) but it could also be however, that they are better rims :?:

 

[Svendo]

Once round with a baby wipe to loosen the gunk, then round with a rag to gather it all up(I have a huge bag of old socks with holes in the toes to use) then final go with baby wipe if time. One wet ride will undo all that work though.