Cleaning road bikes is no fun for anyone. But the good news first: almost all bike cleaners can cope with the usual grubby layer of splash water and sweat, road dust, brake pad abrasion and chain oil. Slight differences in the effect can be observed on different surfaces: Dirt particles adhere better to matt carbon tubes than to smooth paintwork. Anodised tubes offer the coating an even larger surface area: shot blasting before anodising leaves behind micro-indentations in which the dirt is most persistent.
Highly specialised cleaning solutions attempt the balancing act between aggressive dirt solution and protection of the material: because seals, tyre rubber and paintwork should survive even thorough cleaning undamaged. All manufacturers pay attention to health and environmental compatibility and test according to Euro regulations. Almost all products are biodegradable. However, details are often only available on request; only Dynamic states the OECD standard for biodegradability on the bottle. Nevertheless, they are still cleaning agents, so wear gloves and safety goggles, especially when working with concentrates, and do not inhale the spray mist.
Oil and grease on the chain and sprockets will not come off simply by cleaning. The sprockets require preliminary work with degreaser or petroleum ether as well as brushing and wiping. However, you should not treat the chain in this way: The washing-active substances can destroy the lubrication of the chain inside and promote wear.
Important: Rinse off all washing substances thoroughly at the end. This way, you will only catch dissolved particles that would otherwise stick again when they dry. Then you can really shine on the road. And that, in turn, is fun!
You can find the test results of these cleaning agents in the PDF download below:
- Atlantic Complete Cleaner
- Dr Wack F100
- Dynamic Bike Cleaner
- Finishline Super Bike Wash
- Motorex Bike Clean
- Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner
- P.O.W. Ready to use
- Pedros Green Fizz
- Squirt Lube
For prevention: Bunox Turbo-Spay creeps under rust, displaces water and dissolves tar.
Downloads:
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