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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE JULY 15th
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GTechniq Bike Clean and Concentrate
Concentrate500ml £13.95 Bike Clean I litre 12.95 (also available as 5 litres)
The GTechniq Bike Clean and Concentrate Wash is a pump-spray cleaning fluid which comes made up for general bike cleaning, but also as a concentrate for refills or to concoct your own strength of brew. I have found it easy to use and very effective, especially on bike that have seen service in dry dusty conditions, but also acting effectively on heavier muck with a bit more agitation. It certainly edges out some old favourites for ease of use and general cleaning, although the margins are fine.
Pros: biodegradable, accurate, quick acting, available in five litre workshop version, available as a concentrate, good finish.
Cons: less frugal than some.
Specification
2-Butoxyethanol, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, acetic acid; sounds powerful, and, indeed it is. Equally, these are pretty common ingredients for cleaning products. The mixture is biodegradable. Regular precautions are recommended by GTechniq – gloves, eye protection, face mask etc. whilst I have not noted any irritation of my skin, you’ll know your own better than me. Just take normal precautions.
This a pump-action spray-on product, so no propellants paid for.
Application 3.5
This is fundamentally very easy, but may depend on just how dirty your bike is. No initial rinse is directed, just to remove loose dirt. How one does this will depend on how much and how wet the dirt is., and how much you value your paint job.
After that, spray on the cleaner. Despite being a light spray, this is pretty accurate and there did not seem to be much waste, initially a skein of little bubbles sits on the surface, so it’s pretty easy monitor coverage. It seems to adhere well to the underside of the frame, around the bottom bracket, for example.
always found it advisable to stick to manufacturer’s limits. Of course, with the concentrate one can brew up one’s own G-Techniq strength. Feel free to experiment, but if you have brewed a stronger potion, it may be best to do so on a bit of your ike upon which the sun rarely shines. If the dirt is particularly claggy or tricky to get at, agitate it with GTechniq’s Detailing Brush or a suitable alternative
When the time is up, rinse off the cleaner and give it a dry with a microfibre towel or cloth. GTechniq recommend their own model. There’s a lot to be said for that; it is extra thick and soaks up remaining water admirably. Drying also gives the chance to buff things up.
That’s about it.
Contexts and concentrate
Mixing up your own strength of potion is very tempting. The standard did really well, but could it go further, maybe as a light degreaser, for example? So, taking an old pump-action bottle and beefing up the strength – cleansed of the previous inhabitant and washed – I sprayed away at a chain the was dirty rather than filthy, and doing the same again on a different machine, had to be done. See below, for the results.
It’s worth noting that strengthening the brew seemed to have no ill effect, at least, not that I have noticed on different materials of components or paint jobs. Just check on one of those bits where the sun don’t shine before attacking the rest of the bike.
Performance 4/5
First up came my son’s go anywhere Pinnacle. Unused for a little while, the dirt was quite light, with a few larger pieces of dry dirt around the chain stays and bottom bracket. The latter was easily brushed away by hand. The rest was left under the cleaner for five minutes only to be washed away with a simple rinse. A quick inspection before drying revealed impressive results. To all intents and purposes, all dirt had been removed. A rub down and dry with the GTechniq Towel left everything looking bright and ready, if you wish, for a coat of polish or protectant. There were no ill-effects to rubber grips, plastic mudguards, anodised components, or paintwork. Shame it did not remove the odd superficial rust spot – but you’d not expect that anyway. That’s a job for another day and another potion. Similar results were achieved on the mud-pack and crushed lime dust that accumulated on my Landescape after a ride along NCR 55 and my local canal towpath. This pattern has been repeated several times. Likewise with the matt finish on the Surly.
With a stronger mix, using the concentrate, along with a bit of elbow grease, it was possible to get a lightly soiled chain clean, if not pristine. The extra strong mix did well on heavier chain dirt, too. Of course, knocking off larger lumps prior to spraying helped. Wiping off with a cloth also ended to leave the need for a second application and wipe to get rid of muddy smears. That’s untypical with spray-on cleaners. Washing off, before wiping made that unnecessary, again not uncommon with this type of cleaner.
Wiping away the cleaner generally leaves a smear-free finish, provided you have done it with sufficient care. The same is true on panniers, be they glossy Topeak Dry Bag Panniers or more matt Brae Yonder Panniers. Likewise other sorts of luggage. Use GTechniq’s Tri Clean for the shoes, helmets, etc.
Value 3.5/5
To say bike cleaners and washes are in a highly competitive market is a cliché, but non-the-less true for that. There’s no doubt that GTechniq Bike is highly effective, but so are many. I have found it a really quick and easy way to leave a shiny finish with little effort – especially when the bike is dirty with dust rather than clagged in grime. I’ve found he same with Pure Bike Wash, which also has green credentials and comes ready to dilute to whatever you fancy. Of course, if you want eco-cred and effective performance, then Green Oil Green Bike Cleaner is a good option.
SKS Wash Your Bike has been a big favourite with us at www.sevendaycyclist.com , but is a little more expensive.
Blub Bike Cleaner comes in about the same price as the GTechniq, and has some similarities: it is great on lifting ‘dry’ dirt and needs a little more care on claggy mud, although it foams up more on application.
I found Oxford’s Mint Bike Wash very effective for a quick clean, and it is significantly cheaper than many. However, I’d gvie the GTechniq the edge when it comes to lifting dirt easily.
Summary
A very effective bike cleaner, tending toward, in m opinion, the road, tour, and mixed surface. It does well as and all-rounder and lifts dirt efficiently. Certainly a good option for a five minute clean, if time is tight.
