Keeping a bicycle shiny

[fossyant]

Mr Sheen original.

I also use 'Muck off' finish and protect on the MTB. It seems to work well for making mud easy to swish off the frame.

 

[nickAKA]

Paint sealant is not a wax, it last longer than a wax does and is very easy to apply.

Horses for courses. Sealant generally goes on before a coat of wax; wax adds lustre to the finish if concourse gloss is what you seek.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I do not clean either my bike or my car, waste of water & adds chemicals to the table

This is a fair point, however consider that failing to wash contaminants off your car/bike may (in certain circumstances) result in premature wear/rusting and result in you needing to replace componentry, or the whole thing with arguably heavier environmental damage (through extraction of metals and oil or gas for plastics, manufacture and distribution of components, as well as embedded fabrication energy). You may think that that doesn't matter because replacements are cheap, but they are only cheap because all the negative environmental damage is externalised elsewhere on the planet.

I wash my bike on my drive and make sure water goes into the guttering and drains, not the water table, where it is ultimately treated at some far off plant. Perhaps the lesser of many many evils.

 

[raleighnut]

This is a fair point, however consider that failing to wash contaminants off your car/bike may (in certain circumstances) result in premature wear/rusting and result in you needing to replace componentry, or the whole thing with arguably heavier environmental damage (through extraction of metals and oil or gas for plastics, manufacture and distribution of components, as well as embedded fabrication energy). You may think that that doesn't matter because replacements are cheap, but they are only cheap because all the negative environmental damage is externalised elsewhere on the planet.

I wash my bike on my drive and make sure water goes into the guttering and drains, not the water table, where it is ultimately treated at some far off plant. Perhaps the lesser of many many evils.

If you've applied a protection to the bike (Wax, WD40, Oily Rag) then you don't need to worry about corrosion if the bike is ridden daily. Yeah if you've got summat 'pristine' that you ride once a week then stick it in the garage then obviously a cleaning/oiling regime is needed.

 

[Jenkins]

@JhnBssll has been appointed a 'brand ambassador' for Velo 21 products and posted a 20% off code on the shopping section
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/velo-21-cleaning-products-20-discount-code.245169/
There's a paint work sealant listed as one of their products which may be of interest.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Has anyone mentioned GT85, we could have a thread on it?

 

[ChrisEyles]

I use GT85 on my bikes if I want to shine them up a bit. Works quite well and takes very little time if you're giving it a clean anyway.

 

[annedonnelly]

It will be warm in the house so it can be polished there, thanks for the advice

That was one of the advantages of commuting on my Brompton - it could come indoors for its weekly check & clean. The hybrid has to be done outdoors.

 

[12boy]

Wax your chain. It will stay far cleaner and your britches, especially khakis, won't have that black grease tattoo that will never come out. Keep your rims clean and your brakepads free of grit as little wheel rims wear out much faster than big ones. Get a tiny jar of model enamel in the right color to touch up dings to protect against rust. Coat the inside of the frame, forks and chainstys etc with framesaver, Boeshield, WD 40 or linseed oil as it will rust more on the inside than the out. I've heard those parts are coated on the inside but what the hell. Oh yeah, wash it once in a while but try to wash of grit first so it doesn't scour the paint. Don't forget to ride it every once in a while or it will think itself unloved.