How best to clean your bike - help req,d.

twedspeed

Hi , my bikes going on E-Bay and I want it to look its best - but years of mud n scratches are showing - what ways do you guys get your steed looking its best - the frame is carbon so whats best for shiney carbon - and how do you get tyres looking black and moist again , instead of grey n dry looking ? any advice on any and all parts along with any tricks o the trade, welcomed.

Briggo

Awaiting the 'don't use washing up liquid its got salt in it' vs 'aaah its fine don't worry about it you wash it off anyway' argument.

Water, fenwicks cleaner diluted, brush.. scrub scrub done, clean tyre always makes it look like new again.

Theres no rocket science behind it bud.

Rushmore

gt85 for that streak free shiny finish... ( take off wheels and put food bags over the calipers though )

aguesty1

Muck off Bike Spray will get it nice an shiny, DO NOT get it near your brakes though!!!

IBISMojoHDamon

aguesty1 wrote:

Muck off Bike Spray will get it nice an shiny, DO NOT get it near your brakes though!!!

Muc Off is the devils tears.... It takes grease out from where there should be grease.... The only thing Muc Off is good for is brake dust on car alloy wheels....

I wouldn't use it on my bike even if I had a lifetime supply....

ricardo_smooth

Think I might try the hope stuff when the fenwicks runs out. I find the fenwicks dulls the laquer down

Anonymous

If it's for sale then full on clean, but the usual Muc Off / Fenwicks etc, maybe have to do it several times.

Take the wheels off and wash them in the bath! (or just wash the tyres) to shift the muck fully.

Or take the photo just after washing. When the wheels dry the muck starts to show up I find.

Polish, polish. Furniture polish even! Yep, Mr Sheen etc. That stuff is fine on a bike frame, especially carbon and adds a bit of protection too. Makes it smell nice also

All that said, if just for riding, rinse off the muck, maybe chain clean if real bad, oil up again, ride.

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Muc Off is the devils tears.... It takes grease out from where there should be grease.... The only thing Muc Off is good for is brake dust on car alloy wheels....

I wouldn't use it on my bike even if I had a lifetime supply....

Don't agree with that at all. Tried it?

Spray the stuff on surfaces, just don't inject it into your bearings!, rinse off. Never ever power wash. That goes for just using plain water anyway.

Really have found it quite difficult to have Muc Off mess with greased components. Chain perhaps, but water is a degreaser anyway and you should clean the chain properly and re-grease it after. Everything else is generally sealed so long as you aren't power washing. Oil up cassette and mech is only extra thing I do.

IBISMojoHDamon

deadkenny wrote:

Don't agree with that at all. Tried it?

I used to use it but it does get through seals and it, over time takes grease out of things that need grease.

Being honest with you, I don't have time to strip, regrease, re-build every month or so and I found that Muc Off got in places without me spraying it near things like bearings and pivot points.

I had a black Kore stem and a red chris king headset and after a year or so, the stem was faded to a purple sheen and the red headset was more pink...

I'm not saying to anyone don't use it, but I would never use it on any of my bikes... Like I said, it's great on alloy wheels...

All I use on mine is luke warm water and a soft dustpan brush

Mojo_666

I hose off the worst then use RhinoGoo and a decent brush.

bellys

Carwash with warm water then hose it down as for shine I use Silicon spary but do not get it near your rotors or pads.
On the tyres try some WD40 this will bring the black back.

The silicon spay I get is from work http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/precison- ... s/4638429/ but I'm sure halfords sell it.

McWulf

I use car shampoo and a brush I found for a few quid in Asda which is about 8in long like a flattened loop with plenty of bristles. Great for getting into the front mech etc. Tyre muck I find hard to properly shift.

Then some citrus cleaner on a cloth to wipe the gunge from the rear mech and other places you want to have shiny including the chain.

bennett_346

deadkenny wrote:

Oil up cassette and mech is only extra thing I do.

You oil the cassette?!

njee20

The Muc-Off Miracle Shine polish is excellent, makes things very shiny, but not cheap, not sure I'd bother purely for some eBay photos, does cover a multitude of sins though!

Tyre muck I find hard to properly shift.

Get a really stiff bristled, old school scrubbing brush. Hose the worst off, then use washing up liquid or whatever with the brush, works a treat.

You oil the cassette?!

+1, totally unnecessary.

Thewaylander

On my alu bike i often use a bit of my Aqua wax i use on my car for the deep waxy coat, looks good and helps with cleaning the next few times

Anonymous

njee20 wrote:

You oil the cassette?!

+1, totally unnecessary.

Doesn't hurt as long as it's not thick oil. The oil on the chain will lube up the cassette in time but there's not much of it or it may be coating the cassette in gritty oil once mucky. Nice coating of oil in there adds could help keep the muck out and the chain lubed too. So far I've had less mucky cassettes, but not been in any heavily muddy conditions recently.

Just a light spray of oil. I'm using a non aerosol (and non solvent) bike oil spray at the moment for certain exposed moveable bits (forgot to mention, but oiling gear cables is another use). Chain itself gets regular chain lube.

variflex

After every ride, my ritual includes:

1. Hose down bike and get all muck off using basic hoselock spray nozzle and a washing up brush on the drive train. (when REALLY mucky use fenwicks or similar on drive train and keep scrubbing)
2. lightly spray bars and frame with Muc Off Bike Spray making sure you dont get near the brakes.
3.Spray GT85 onto chain, front drive train, rear drive train (cassette and rear mech) and leave for 5 mins. Again make sure you dont get near the brakes.
4. Wipe down everything apart from GT85 covered parts with micro fibre towels (cheap on ebay) and get everything nice and dry and shiny.
5. Wipe chain, front drive train, rear mech and cassette with old cloth dedicated to chain/drivetrain
6. Lube chain heavily with bike on stand and shift through all gears to ensure coating of rings and cassette.

Job done, in 20mins and bike always looks like new.

hoolabloom

Post ride

Rinse off with hose, Bucket of hot water and carwash, scrub the bike in work stand with wheels removed. Rinse with hose.

Apply muc off/fenwicks to drive train and scrub with brush rinse again

Dry off and wipe over bike with dry cloths

remove chain clean in poly bag with white spirit allow to soak for a bit and then rinse and dry

Put chain back on bike and lube with either dry.wet lube depending on time of year

Keep all lubes etc well away from brakes.

Give a spray and wipe over with fenwicks lube to whole bike.

Repeat for Mrs Hoolablooms Bike.