Road Bike Cleaners

[Trek Trauma Chris]

What type of degreasers and cleaners do you use to clean your road bikes. I have tried that Fenwicks stuff, but find soap and water better for the bike, soak chain in petrol, and petrol soaked rag to wipe rear cassette and derailleurs obviously being careful to mind the bike itself and then re lubricate.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Car shampoo generally, but for any grease marks or for a quick wipe down when not too mucky, you can't beat babywipes.

 

[Mista Preston]

Car shampoo generally, but for any grease marks or for a quick wipe down when not too mucky, you can't beat babywipes.

+1 for babywipes....currently 4 for 3 quid in Asda.

 

[Davidc]

Couple of times a year when its fine and sunny and I can sit in the garden to do it:

Car shampoo, Halfords wash and wax in a 5l plastic container. WD40 and a cotton cloth for any tar. Babywipes for other bits of crud still left on them. Then furniture polish to give them a shine and water repellant finish.

The rest of the time:

Up on the maintenance stand, and a going over with the hose and carbrush with a soap stick in it.

 

[Darkmarkster]

I mount my bike on a workstand I picked up for a good price on Ebay,stick it out in the garden,give the frame a sprinkle with a hose to dampen it,then use a cloth that I had soaking in warm water mixed with Muc Off Nano cleaner to wash the frame and anywhere that requires cleaning apart from rims,braking surfaces,gears etc then leave it for a few mins (I use the cloth method rather than just spraying it from the bottle because I find the spray leaves a messy drip everywhere and foam on the patio)

Whilst im waiting I use a Park tools chain cleaner with Park Tools chainbrite citrus cleaner that I pick up from Wiggle.co.uk and do about 20-25 rotations through the machine,If it needs a thorough clean I also do a "shimmying" motion with a clean cloth between all the cogs on the cassette to get it nice and clean as I dont have the confidence to take one off as parts will go everywhere and Ill never get it back together and will end up crying lol.

Rinse the whole bike again then dry it with soft shammys I have,Use bike spray water dispelling aerosol to get the water out of important parts then apply White Lightning Clean ride lube or similar dependant on season/conditions to the chain and calcium grease to other areas.

I also put a minute amount of bike spray on a cloth and layer a bit on the frame where the brake cables touch it to avoid the wear that cable rubbing causes as it forms a plastic coat.

Finally I give the tyres a wipe down so that I can check if there are any further cuts or debris logged inside of them.

Although if I just need to give it a quick clean I cheat and use Muc Off Cleaning Wipes to wipe the bike down without evening needing to take it out of the house! I leave some of these at work as well in case the commute in is wet

Personally though anything citrus will do as a degreaser and most sorts of soapy formula's will leave your bike looking like a treat you dont necessarily need to spend money on specific tools or goods.

 

[gaz]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYEz8OVd9S4

i like this guy's method with the frame.

 

[bauldbairn]

Used Muc-Off last year, but to be honest soap and waters just as good.

I now use the Muc-Off on my cars alloys and buy car shampoo for my bike. Although handily there is a jet wash at the side of my house so it's easier to stick a quid in it in the winter and save all the hastle.

 

[potsy]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYEz8OVd9S4

i like this guy's method with the frame.

Just watched that with the sound off though so what is he using cleaning fluid wise for the chain.Guessing the spray bottle is muc-off type stuff.
Looks OK though(now where is that spare toothbrush) trouble is I'd make a right mess if I tried all that in the kitchen.

 

[mcshroom]

He said he was using paint thinner.

I know I've found white spirit as good as anything for degreasing chains and cassettes (someones going to tell me I'm destroying my bike now or something )

 

[Coco]

Just watched that with the sound off though so what is he using cleaning fluid wise for the chain.Guessing the spray bottle is muc-off type stuff.

He said hot tap water was in the bottle - must try that.

 

[gaz]

Just watched that with the sound off though so what is he using cleaning fluid wise for the chain.Guessing the spray bottle is muc-off type stuff.
Looks OK though(now where is that spare toothbrush) trouble is I'd make a right mess if I tried all that in the kitchen.

hot water in the bottle - which i do, works well.
Paint thinner for the chain - which i don't use. i do use his method of tooth brush and rag underneath, but i use a citric degreaser.

 

[potsy]

I'll certainly try the hot water method,not sure about paint thinner though,I tend to just wipe with a rag and re-lube the chain.

 

[Downward]

Wet wipes after every ride. 5 minutes usually.

 

[catalan chris]

Help me!
Each time i clean either of my two road bikes I seem to find a more thorough way of doing it - or some nook and cranny that I didn't manage to get to before.
I now have cotton buds in my increasing armoury of home-found cleaning products/utensils (car shampoo, flash-wipes, baby-wipes, toothbrush, nylon dustpan brush etc.).
I think I'm getting ocd!

 

[Trek Trauma Chris]

Used Muc-Off last year, but to be honest soap and waters just as good.

I now use the Muc-Off on my cars alloys and buy car shampoo for my bike. Although handily there is a jet wash at the side of my house so it's easier to stick a quid in it in the winter and save all the hastle.

Problem with a jet wash, is that the spray can get past the seal's in the B.B.B. and cause premature bearing failure. Trek told me that a watering can with a rose head is more than ample.