Using Muc Off drive chain cleaner & a Muc off chain doc cleaner.

[mickle]

This is what I love about this forum... you ask a question about a particular product & get a lecture on how exactly to clean your bike...

It's the only polite way of saying 'Don't buy expensive Muc-Off products!'

It's also worth mentioning that Muc-Off will etch the anodising off your aluminum parts if you leave it on too long. Ask me how I know.

 

[weareHKR]

Ask me how I know.

Because you read it here... 👇

avoid using the muck off cleaner as it's quite aggressive and can damage the anodising on some parts - the stem on my old MTB goes matt black if muck off goes near it.

 

[BurningLegs]

I do like the muc off lubes. They smell great!

I have had freebie trial sachets/bottles of their pink cleaner and found it disappointing. Doesn’t clean any better than cheap car shampoo.

Genuine question - why is a specific disc cleaner required at all? IPA, muc-off or anything else? I’ve not once cleaned any disc brake on my bikes or cars - should I have?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I use a non-caustic TFR and a PH neutral snow foam for proper washes, car,bike and bicycles. I do have some of the pink stuff + a bottle of concentrate that came bundled with the pressure washer, it'll get used for quick snowfoams/washing of the cars until it's done.

Recent convert to Squirt dry lube so was a good chance to break out the Screwfix degreaser and soak chains/cassettes.

If being really meticulous I could coat stuff with ACF50 too but only really do my winter bike

 

[weareHKR]

They just need a regular clean like the rest of the bike, the only thing you need to be careful of is contaminants like oil, waxes etc.

 

[nickyboy]

Now turn your attention to the tranny.

I can't imagine what the Mickle Method is for that

 

[mickle]

I can't imagine what the Mickle Method is for that

Lube then wipe. Is easy.

 

[Lovacott]

Every few rides and each ride if really dirty, we wash our bikes. We really enjoy it and take a lot of pride in doing so.

The problem with using detergents is that they can penetrate the drivetrain and wash out or weaken lubricants which are hard to replace.

I've bought a small Karcher compact pressure washer which I use to blast off the mud in just a few seconds using only water.

It's fun to use as well.

 

[Lovacott]

It's also worth mentioning that Muc-Off will etch the anodising off your aluminum parts if you leave it on too long. Ask me how I know.

True dat.

Anything which claims to be a cleaner will be aggressive to at least some of the things you want to preserve on your bike.

My weekly cleaning routine used to be a bucket of hot fairy liquid saturated water and a dustpan brush. I was chatting to a plant engineer a few weeks ago and he said "No!! Never ever put detergents anywhere near moving parts. If you're worried about dirt, blast it off with compressed air or water".

What he said seemed to make sense so I've been using the Karcher ever since.

 

[weareHKR]

I've been using the Karcher ever since.

Hmmmm... not generally recognised as good practice, but each to their own!

 

[Lovacott]

Hmmmm... not generally recognised as good practice, but each to their own!

The mechanical engineer I was talking to works on heavy plant like combines and cranes and he restores and rides vintage motorbikes.

He reckons that parts like chains have so may nooks and crannies that it's almost impossible to replace the factory oils once they've been dissolved by detergents.

His viewpoint is that you should only be trying to remove the grit whilst leaving the lubricant alone. Detergents break down lubricants.

I get what he is saying.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

How do you remove old chain lubes without breaking them down? Particularly the waxy sheite that new chains are coated in

 

[si_c]

Genuine question - why is a specific disc cleaner required at all? IPA, muc-off or anything else? I’ve not once cleaned any disc brake on my bikes or cars - should I have?

It's useful to remove contamination from the rotors, disc brake cleaner as such is just IPA anyway, it's really useful for cleaning lots of stuff as it evaporates off quickly.

 

[DRM]

It's the only polite way of saying 'Don't buy expensive Muc-Off products!'

It's also worth mentioning that Muc-Off will etch the anodising off your aluminum parts if you leave it on too long. Ask me how I know.

Muc Off bike cleaner left a mark on the Matt black finish on one off the seat stays on my Marin, horrible stuff, I just use car shampoo now, it’s dirt cheap, also on the bikes with a glossy finish I’ll go ott and use some car wax on the paint to keep the gloss up twice a year.

 

[Ajax Bay]

My son is loving his new mountain bike, so much - its full of mud every time he takes his Trek Marlin 5 out !
Like myself, he loves the Muc off products we have and wants to stick to this brand.
My son also wants the Muc off brake disc covers too !!! as he has seen on YouTube people cleaning there bikes and it keeps all the sprays off that will contaminate the brake pads....he is 13 years old

Thanks for all your messages - some good tips and alternative products.
We had some muc off products last year and to be fair - it has been pretty good and he loves the image they give off - advertising & image does pay off i guess - I will chat to him about cheaper alternatives - but I know he will want the Muc off products.
I will put everything forward to him and see what he says.

@mickle has shared his cleaning routine. Think the 'salt in washing up liquid' thing is massively overdone, since you'll be rinsing off: the residual concentration is minute.
But since the OP comes here asking for advice, I think you need to be working on sonny Jim, on two points.
* Have you influenced this 'brand recognition means it must be good' syndrome your son has caught? Whether you have or not, I'd counsel trying to influence him to be rational and think for himself as opposed to gobbling what advertisers offer and 'wanting' only that product range. Who's paying? In what way does muc-off "give off an image" please?
* Bit concerned that you may be washing his bike for him. You will do him a service if you can encourage him (aged 13) to do this himself, and make self-sufficiency a life habit. Who cleans his football boots? Who oils his chain?
[Yes, I have a teenage son!]