Whether cycling through the puddle-ridden streets of London or the muddy swathes of the countryside, your bike is bound to get dirty.
As with cleaning our cars, we tend to procrastinate when it comes to cleaning our bikes. Sadly, it’s not a case of a rub-a-dub-dub here and a rub-a-dub-dub. Cleaning one’s bike requires the correct cleaning products to ensure your vehicle remains in good nick for many peddles to come.
How should you clean your bike chain?
Ensuring your bike chains remain spick and span is essential to maintaining your bike’s performance. How to keep them clean? Ollie Glover, Halfords Cycle Accessories Buyer, says: “If you have the time to remove the chain, soaking it in a degreaser, such as the Halfords Citrus Degreaser, is a great way to remove stubborn dirt. For a quick clean, try a high-pressure aerosol such as the Muc Off Chain Cleaner. For a great mix of both, and an all-in-one solution, try a chain cleaning device such as the Muc Off Dirty Chain Machine. These combine brushes and a degreaser to offer a deep clean whilst keeping your hands clean.”
As for the tools required, a stiff brush may be necessary to help remove stubborn dirt, while a set featuring a variety of brush sizes is helpful for tricky manoeuvres such as getting in between clogs and chains.
Can I use water to clean my bike chain?
You can, but water alone is not sufficient. Glover advises to: “Start with water to rinse off the loose debris. Then use a chain cleaner and brush to break down the harder dirt. Always remember to re-lube your chain after cleaning to prevent corrosion. Leaving water on an untreated chain will cause it to begin to rust, affecting gear changes and shortening the life of the chain.”
Discover the best bike chain cleaners and put the pedal to the super shiny metal in time for summer.
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Muc-Off Chain Cleaner, 400ml
Ideal for a quick clean, Muc-Off’s chain cleaner is great for keeping on standby when long bike rides through the mud-clad countryside call. The 400ml cleaner rapidly removes oil, grime and dirt - perfect for a brief spruce post-peddle.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
Muc-Off 8 in 1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit
Kit yourself out with an eight-piece bike cleaning set. A great gift for keen cyclists, this set comes complete with four bike-cleaning brushes, an expanding sponge, the brand’s famed pink Nano Tech Bike Cleaner plus a can of Bike Protect for a supersonic shine.
Buy now £34.00, Amazon
Peaty’s Loam Foam Premium Bike Cleaner
Peaty’s Loam Foam Premium Bike Cleaner is a sprayable product that is a professional-grade, biodegradable bike cleaner for removing stubborn dirt. Suitable for use on all bike surfaces, including carbon, brake pads and discs, the mint-scented spray can reach difficult areas of your bike, promising a thorough, deep chain clean.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Oumers 8pcs Bike Cleaning Brush Kit
Make the most of a pro-level brush kit to clean your bike with ease and efficiency. This eight-piece set includes a bike clean mitt, a gear clean scraper, a gear clean brush and more to tackle even the toughest of jobs.
Different brushes suit different parts of the bike. The multi-purpose brush can be used for gears, chains, and other bike components without removing the chain from the bicycle, while the chain brush cleaner will wash the chain quickly and easily.
Buy now £9.60, Amazon
Muc-Off X3 Dirty Chain Machine
Suitable for road, MTB or Cyclocross bicycle chains, the Muc-Off X3 Dirty Chain Machine will lift grease, grime and chain oil in a jiffy. The handy machine boasts 120 contact points that provide a deep clean for your trusty two-wheeler. It also includes a 75ml Muc-Off Drivetrain Cleaner that's biodegradable - better for your bike and better for the planet.
Buy now £34.26, Amazon
Muc-Off Bike Cleaner Concentrate
Another Muc-Off hero product, this powerful pink gel breaks down dirt on a molecular level, cutting through grease, grime and oil to leave your bike seriously shiny. Available in an array of sizes, the vibrant product is an alkaline-based bike cleaner refill that is formulated to be fully biodegradable.
Buy now £15.70, Amazon
Fenwicks Concentrated Bike Cleaner 1 Litre
Dilute Fenwicks’ bike cleaner to produce 11 litres of shine-promoting product. The generous one litre bottle works by attracting dirt and surrounding it, making it super easy to rinse away. No solvents or acids feature, meaning it is safe to use for the environment. Paired with a brush or sponge and your bike will be sparkling in no time.
Buy now £11.99, Amazon
Halfords Bike Cleaning Brush Set
It’s time to brush up on your scrubbing skills. Halford’s Bike Cleaning Brush Set is the perfect comrade for your cleaning fluid of choice. The kit contains a trio of brushes specifically designed to lift muck from hard-to-reach areas of your bike, while a general brush is suited for larger spaces.
Buy now £10.00, Halfords
Halfords Citrus Degreaser, 1 Litre
Get a whole litre of cleaning fluid for just £10. Halford’s bike cleaner is great for cleaning dirt and features an easy-rinse away formula meaning less faff for you. Use the product following muddy or wet bike rides and restore your bike to its box-fresh glorious gleam.
Buy now £10.00, Halfords
