| When it comes to keeping mountain bikes clean, there are 3 types of people. First you have the rider who just puts the bike away dirty and it stays that way until the next ride and he or she is not concerned about how the bike looks but just cares about the riding. Next you have the drivetrain cleaner who only cares that the chain and other drivetrain parts are clean for the best performance and could care less about the rest of the bike. And finally you have the detail freak who cleans their bike from wheel to wheel after each ride and treats it like a show car. |
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If you are the first type of bike owner then you might as well stop reading since you shouldn't be wasting your time on this review anyway. If you are one of the other types of bike owners then you should check out the 2 products we are going to be discussing in this review. One works great on the drivetrain and the other works great on the rest of the bike.
The first product to review is made by Finish Line and is called Super Bike Wash and can be used on the entire bike even though we think it works best on the drivetrain. Super Bike Wash contains 5 different cleaning agents and is still safe for the environment. It is also non corrosive and non-toxic. It’s made to be sprayed on your dirty or greasy surface and then wiped or rinsed off. If you don't like to scrub dirty cassettes and chain rings then you should give Super Bike Wash a try.
We like to use the spray and rinse method where you get the bike a little wet, spray Super Bike Wash on and let it sit. Then gently rinse it off and dry the components with a rag. We don't advocate blasting your bike with high pressure water but rather just a like misting to get it wet. Then all you have to do is dribble some water on it to rinse off the cleaner and you are good to go. For the most part there is no scrubbing involved unless you neglect cleaning your bike.
It will also work on other parts of the bike but for the most part its best suited for the greasy areas. Normally you should not get any type of cleaner on your disk rotors but if you get some on there it should be ok. We don't recommend using anything but a clean dry rag to wipe off brake rotors. If you use it regularly then it’s pretty much a no scrubbing drivetrain cleaning solution.
If you are into cleaning the other parts of your bike such as the frame, wheels and tires then you should check out White Lightning Wash & Shine because it does a great job at making things look pretty. Wash & Shine is also biodegradable and does not contain any solvents
White Lightning Wash & Shine can be used as a spray on and rinse off product or as a spray on and wipe off cleaner which is the way we like to use it. It works great on bike frames to get them sparkling clean. We have found that it works better on glossy clear coated finished that flat or raw finishes. If you like to get the dirt off your wheels (especially white ones) then Wash & Shine will do the trick. And while you are at it you can clean the sidewalls of you tires to make them look like new again. Another thing to avoid getting wet or getting anything on is your fork stanchions since you don't want anything getting down inside your seals and polluting your fork oil so keep it off there. We also don't recommend spraying this or anything on your brake calipers to risk polluting your brake pads.
Overall both the Finish Line Super Bike Wash and White Lightning Wash & Shine products do a really good job at getting your bike clean or detailed. They can both be used for the entire bike but we like to use them both since each seems to work better at certain jobs. Neither one is too expensive and a bottle will last you quite a while unless you are out of control on your cleaning.
