Bike cleaner recommendations

[Gilbo]

Hi
I’m looking for recommendations for a good bike cleaner to clean off the winter mud and grime. I clean my bike once a week (it gets used 2-3 times a week always off-road) I’ve been using Muc-off but it keeps going up in price. I’ve been recommended fenwicks and have used it at a friends ,but any recommendation will be welcome.
Cheers.

 

[steve_sordy]

Several years ago, I bought a 5-litre container of Hope's "Sh1t Shifter" and I still have a lot of it left. I use it neat via a half litre spray for the oily bits (plus a gear brush). I also use it on my hands to get oil and grease stains off. For the rest of the bike, I use it diluted as a pre-treatment on any baked-on crap, dried mud on the tyres etc. Then wash the bike as normal.

It is suitable for carbon-fibre items, paint friendly and doesn't contaminate discs or pads.

5L from Tweeks Cycles for £19.15 (after 30% off, on sale)

Hope Technology Shifter Bike Wash

Buy Hope Technology Shifter Bike Wash at Tweeks Cycles. Shop the biggest brands with confidence and enjoy rapid worldwide delivery & 365 day returns.

www.tweekscycles.com

 

[Richywalker64]

Hi
I’m looking for recommendations for a good bike cleaner to clean off the winter mud and grime. I clean my bike once a week (it gets used 2-3 times a week always off-road) I’ve been using Muc-off but it keeps going up in price. I’ve been recommended fenwicks and have used it at a friends ,but any recommendation will be welcome.
Cheers.

I also noticed the price of Muc off seems to have gone through the roof so I decided on a change of brand
After a quick Google of best cleaners I noticed Oxford mint got good write ups as a motorcycle cleaner so I thought I'd give it a try as I ride motorbikes as well.
It seems as good just different in colour and smell really and I managed to get 2x5lt containers for £30 delivered which should last a while.

 

[Richywalker64]

Oxford Mint Motorbike Motorcycle Biodegradable Cleaner Wash 5 Litre Twin Pack | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Oxford Mint Motorbike Motorcycle Biodegradable Cleaner Wash 5 Litre Twin Pack at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Tubby G]

Fenwick’s concentrated. 1ltr makes around 10-12 litres and costs under a tenner

Juice Lubes Dirt Juice is another

Both will clean your bike!

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Flash all purpose cleaner, 1 cap full diluted into 4 litres of water. Cheap, cleans well, wont affect brakes at this ratio.
When the bike is clean and dry give it a good coat of gt-85 or if it's a special occasion some ACF-50, come's up sparkling and is easier to clean the next time.

 

[#lazy]

Can’t beat Dihydrogen Monoxide for the money !

 

[irie]

View attachment 127508

Flash all purpose cleaner, 1 cap full diluted into 4 litres of water. Cheap, cleans well, wont affect brakes at this ratio.
When the bike is clean and dry give it a good coat of gt-85 or if it's a special occasion some ACF-50, come's up sparkling and is easier to clean the next time.

Don't get G-85 near the rotors or calipers!!!

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Don't get G-85 near the rotors or calipers!!!

Why not, stops them squeaking

 

[steve_sordy]

View attachment 127508

Flash all purpose cleaner, 1 cap full diluted into 4 litres of water. Cheap, cleans well, wont affect brakes at this ratio.
When the bike is clean and dry give it a good coat of gt-85 or if it's a special occasion some ACF-50, come's up sparkling and is easier to clean the next time.

I once used Flash on my white Ford Cortina estate car after someone* creosoted their fence with a spray gun. My car was on the other side!!!! The Flash removed the dark brown creosote from the car but it also stripped all the shine from the paint. I had to T-cut and polish the whole car. It took ages to do, but the car had never looked so good!

Note* Ok, it was me.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Wasn't red by any chance? The old cellulose paint notorious for fading and going pink

 

[steve_sordy]

Wasn't red by any chance? The old cellulose paint notorious for fading and going pink

White car.

Several years later I did have another Ford Cortina 2.0 GLS, one of the last Cortinas ever made, the Sierra had been on sale for several months when I bought it. The colour was officially "Sienna Brown", but I thought it was deffo a shade of red and so did everyone else. It faded over the years.
The worst car I ever had for fading was a bright yellow Vauxhall VX 2300 estate that I had. It was resprayed as a condition of my purchase when it was already five years old. It had started to fade before I sold it three years later.

 

[Montana St Alum]

Just rinse with water. A little Dawn diluted in a spray bottle, can get oil-based junk off.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm glad for Steve and the rest of the world that his endless desire to buy the ugliest and most horrible cars every produced didn't influence his decisions when purchasing mountain bikes.

 

[Tubby G]

I grew up with Ford Cortina’s. My father had a new one every couple of years for a company car. Ghia model, dead smart. He even had metallic paint ! Then one year, he came home in a new Granada, next level poshness

 

[Tubby G]

 

[Zimmerframe]

I grew up with Ford Cortina’s. My father had a new one every couple of years for a company car. Ghia model, dead smart. He even had metallic paint ! Then one year, he came home in a new Granada, next level poshness

A whole generation where Ford managed to put people off several stunning holiday destinations !

I guess we should be thankful he didn't have an Alegro.

At least the Mk1 Cortina had some more classical lines (Actually, Steve is 200 years old, so he could mean that..)

Based on your DNA, I'm giessing this is yours dads car ?

 

[Tubby G]

My mother had an Allegro

In fact I think we probably went through all the shittest cars ever produced in the 1970’s

Princess
Cortina
Granada
Allegro
Vauxhall Viva

 

[#lazy]

Guys I was drove to school in an orange Austin Maxi , I still haven’t recovered

 

[Zimmerframe]

View attachment 127552

View attachment 127553

Did you purposely pick the second photo because of the phenomenal amount of rust on the car ?? Or the funky after market foglamps .. then were the days ! "Carnossier" - BBS wheels and endless plastic crap to put on your car to make it look even crapper than it was ..

Oh yeah .. thread .. Let it dry, brush of the worst bits without touching paint - or use a soft brush made from the pubic hairs of Scottish Virgins. Then delicately and slowly use something like a silicone spray (either as that or a furniture polish) and microfibre cloth your way down, changing cloths regularly so you don't scratch the paint with the crap.

Ideally use heavy water, or make your own - it falls off faster ;-) if you need to use water.

If you want to be really snobby, use a de-ioniser with your water so it does just fall off . But ideally, don't use water.

If you do use water - tip the bike in every direction afterwards (it's scary how much runs out) then dry it extensively somewhere warm - but not too warm..

Or just brush it off, feck it, spend the time riding it (use squirt lube as crap doesn't stick to it - don't ever use muc off wet lube - it should be called transmission destroyer.).

 

[Zimmerframe]

My mother had an Allegro

In fact I think we probably went through all the shittest cars ever produced in the 1970’s

Princess
Cortina
Granada
Allegro
Vauxhall Viva

Holy crap ! That's literally the "top trumps" magic hand of turd cars !

How are you not seriously mal adjusted ??! - ah, you're here .. ok , say no more ..

 

[#lazy]

My mother had an Allegro

In fact I think we probably went through all the shittest cars ever produced in the 1970’s

Princess
Cortina
Granada
Allegro
Vauxhall Viva

They’re all collectors cars nowadays !

 

[Tubby G]

I won’t even go down the route of what was parked on our drive in the 80’s

I’ll mention one, the absolute pride and joy, MG Montego, with a car phone

 

[Zimmerframe]

I won’t even go down the route of what was parked on our drive in the 80’s

I’ll mention one, the absolute pride and joy, MG Montego, with a car phone

Wasn't that like 150hp ?? or was that the Turbo ?

I had to check ..

"Essentially a Maestro with a boot, a total of 34,476 2.0i cars were produced with a further 7,276 Turbo’s, survivors now being very scarce." .... Scarce like turds flushed down the toilet ... But worth more than new !!!

Ref 84 1989 MG Montego EFI WP

Produced by British Leyland and latterly the Rover Group between 1984 and 1995, the Montego started life as a four-door hatchback. The high-performance MG version was offered using a 2.0 litre engine and used the solid-state instrument cluster, trip computer, and synthesised voice for the...

www.historics.co.uk

 

[Tubby G]

Wasn't that like 150hp ?? or was that the Turbo ?

I had to check ..

"Essentially a Maestro with a boot, a total of 34,476 2.0i cars were produced with a further 7,276 Turbo’s, survivors now being very scarce." .... Scarce like turds flushed down the toilet ... But worth more than new !!!

Ref 84 1989 MG Montego EFI WP

Produced by British Leyland and latterly the Rover Group between 1984 and 1995, the Montego started life as a four-door hatchback. The high-performance MG version was offered using a 2.0 litre engine and used the solid-state instrument cluster, trip computer, and synthesised voice for the...

www.historics.co.uk

It was a red one, like this

 

[#lazy]

My older bro used to have a Vauxhall Astra saloon, he still bites when I call it a Belmont

 

[Zimmerframe]

It was a red one, like this

View attachment 127557

In fairness .. they were pretty fast in their time for what they were. and the little curved body indent made them more interesting to look at.

Something like an 86/C Astra GTE just out was about 115hp, lighter and quick, but straight line the Montenegro was faster (changing names incase mikerb comes along and he doesn't do names) Remember timing one to 60 in 6.5 (astra gte) so the monty was probably pretty hot for it's day as everything was light back then). Cavaliers were CDi ? same Engine as the Astra but heavier and slower - but again not bad for he era. The fords were 101 from the 2.0, not injected ?!?!

Oh my .. so long ago !!

I'm waiting for @steve_sordy to start the "Ultimate Wheelbarrow Thread" in the lounge ..

 

[Moderator]

Just a reminder to please stay on topic

OK Not really

Carry on

 

[Tubby G]

In fairness .. they were pretty fast in their time for what they were. and the little curved body indent made them more interesting to look at.

Something like an 86/C Astra GTE just out was about 115hp, lighter and quick, but straight line the Montenegro was faster (changing names incase mikerb comes along and he doesn't do names) Remember timing one to 60 in 6.5 (astra gte) so the monty was probably pretty hot for it's day as everything was light back then). Cavaliers were CDi ? same Engine as the Astra but heavier and slower - but again not bad for he era. The fords were 101 from the 2.0, not injected ?!?!

Oh my .. so long ago !!

I'm waiting for @steve_sordy to start the "Ultimate Wheelbarrow Thread" in the lounge ..

The Montego replaced a Rover 2000, either Vanden Plas or Vitesse, can’t remember. They were considered top of the range in our neighbourhood

 

[mustclime]

Hi
I’m looking for recommendations for a good bike cleaner to clean off the winter mud and grime. I clean my bike once a week (it gets used 2-3 times a week always off-road) I’ve been using Muc-off but it keeps going up in price. I’ve been recommended fenwicks and have used it at a friends ,but any recommendation will be welcome.
Cheers.

DO NOT USE SOAPY WATER ON E BIKES! I never wash my Kenevo. Most e bike drive units have issues with water getting into bearings and motors. The reason soap is good for cleaning is it brakes down water surface tension… it make water “ wetter”. The seals on the bearings and the motor housing are designed to use water surface tension to keep the water out, no surface tension, no water seal.
I let the mud dry and use dry brushes to knock the mud off and then use auto detailing spray to make things shiny ( keep the spray off the brakes). If your motor gets all “ Grindy” because you were wet washing your bike, just don’t say you didn’t know.