English
Wiggle’s Guide to Cleaners and Lubricants
Riding in the autumn and winter can be cruel – not just for you but for your bike too. Whether it’s grit and muck from road riding or layers of filth from a great MTB session, if your bike isn’t cleaned and maintained properly then your riding this winter could be short lived. Fortunately help is at hand and here @ Wiggle we have all the gear to ensure you can keep on training…
Keep it clean
The last thing anyone wants to do after a long cold ride is clean their bike, but some of these products – from the likes of Pedros, Morgan Blue, and Park Tools – will help you get the job done quickly yet thoroughly so you can soon return to the sofa.
The Morgan Blue Bike Wash is hard to beat – its fast acting ingredients provide a deep clean and it also contains a protective wax component. Morgan Blue supplies most of the high profile pro teams (HTC Columbia, Saxo Bank, QuickStep and Cervelo – to name a few) with cleaning and maintenance products, so take pride in the fact your bike is getting the same treatment as some of cycling’s greats (well, almost).
Once you’ve done the frame, don’t forget the chain. Regularly applying a product like the Morgan Blue Chain Cleaner will yield better performance, smoother shifting and a longer drivetrain lifetime. Apply to the chain, front and rear derailleurs. Once it has soaked for about five minutes rinse off with soapy water. Rub with a dry cloth then re-lubricate the chain and drivetrain parts.
If you’re after something that will do the whole job for you, then check out the Park Tools CG-2 Chain Gang Cleaner Set which contains everything you need to quickly and easily clean your chain, freewheel cogs and chain rings.
The Pedros Chain Machine Kit is also well worth checking out – it has everything needed to clean and degrease your chain. If it’s just degreaser you’re after, then look no further than Pedros Oranj Peelz Degreaser. Pedros also do a Mini Pit Kit which is a great mobile cleaning kit that includes all the essentials needed to give your bike a once over.
Of course, there are some occasions when elbow grease and a bucket of warm soapy water just aren’t going to cut it. That’s when the Mobi V-15 Pressure Washer steps in. Portable and lightweight, its variable pressure output (from 45.5 psi to 130.5 psi) means you can adjust it to suit your needs. It retains pressure in the hose through high-tech pressure sensors and is remarkably quiet (so won’t upset the neighbours on a Sunday morning).
Lubricants
Ensuring your bike’s components are adequately lubed will not only allow smooth shifting, it’ll also reduce wear and tear and excessive stresses and strains – all of which ultimately saves your bike (and your wallet). A thin, dry lube is best for the cables and pivots of your brakes and gears while chains require something heavier, especially through the autumn and winter. There is a vast array of products on the market, but our experts have handpicked the best to save you time and money.
The Green Oil brand is a relative newcomer to the lube game yet its Ecological Chain Lube has already scooped several awards. Made from a blend of plant extracts, it has none of the harsh chemicals used in so many lubricants and still delivers top performance.
Also well worth checking out are the Rock N Roll Extreme Chain Lubricant, the Pedros Ice Wax 2 Chain Lube and the Morgan Blue Syn Lube. The Morgan Blue lube is especially suited for road riding and contains extra adhesive and synthetic additives to reduce friction and help deliver smoother gear shifts. For an excellent all-round versatile grease, you can’t go wrong with a tube of Pedros Bio-Grease.
If MTB is more your thing, then you could find yourself in need of some of this – Swisstop Disc Brake Silencer – this autumn and winter. Recent testers report riding more than 1800km without brake noise after applying it and it reduces the formation of brake dust and dissipates heat. It’s compatible with all disc brake systems.
Now you have no excuses for not keeping your bike looking – and riding – as good as new. Keep it clean – and keep on training!
The Wiggle Team
Hi All
I am surprised Wiggle promote pressure washers. They are great for cleaning bikes and get rid of all the mud, grease, oil and crud everywhere. Unfortunately they also remove all lubricating oils even where there are seals to keep the oil in and dirt out. I did not think Wiggle would recommend using one of these especially as you sell bikes with warranties. I guarantee if you give me an mtb and a pressure washer and let me ride it every afternoon and clean it afterwards that the bearings and internal parts would not last more than 3 months!
Just a thought.
Thanks for the shop, blogs and events.
Jonny
Hi Jonny,
These are low pressure or variable pressure washers, these do not drive important oil / lubricants out of the bearings like some of the more powerful models in the market. These are specifically designed for bike use. We would always recommend that you wash drivetrain components with brushes rather than directly spraying water onto these critical parts. Thanks for you comment.