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GTechniq Drive Train Degreaser
500ml £19.99 (also available as 5 litres)
The GTechniq Drive Train Degreaser is a powerful pump spray potion for degreasing your drive train, although it can, of course, be used elsewhere. It’s in a competitive market, but in my experience, it holds its own very well, even compared to some aerosol versions which seem to blast away gunge.
Pros: effective with little fuss, accurate spray, little waste, available in 5L workshop version.
Cons: nothing significant, although on the pricier side.
Specification
The potion contains some common ingredients with the GTechniq Bike Clean, but with others added in. So, 2-Butoxyethanol, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, alcohols, ethonoylated, sulfates, sodium salts. This produces, according to GTechniq, “powerful cleaning without degrading components …. making short work of degreasing chains, cassettes and derailleurs.” They promise a fast-acting degreaser, suitable for use as a spray or in a chain bath. I’d not disagree with this at all.
The ingredients are by no means unusual in cleaners and degreasers, but the mix is what matters. It is biodegradable, for those of us who value that. That does not mean that you can take liberties with it; although I have noticed no ill effects from skin contact, GTechniq recommend the usual precautions. You’ll know your tolerance better than me. Of course, keep it out of your eyes and mouth, and away from children.
Application 4/5
Fundamentally, this is simple. Shake the bottle, point and spray. There’s no specific time to leave it, but the instructions suggest agitating, especially on more ingrained grease and dirt. Wash it off. Go for a second round if necessary.
The nozzle directs the spray pretty accurately. There will be splatter, as with any spray, but just wash it away. Often with a spray, I find it best to spray onto the cassette or chain rings and rotate the chain, as I tend to miss the chain if I aim for that. A chain bath can be the answer, but some find them fiddly.
It’s a drivetrain cleaner, but can be used elsewhere, like many of its rivals.
Performance 4/5
A broken spoke is not what one wants, but the need to replace one on the drive side of my drop-bar tourer provided the opportunity to give the cassette a jolly good clean before getting to grips with removing it. The incumbent lube was Blub Wet (not the heaviest, but no lightweight either) and had done a mixture of mixed surface touring and a couple of Audax events.
Initially, I just sprayed, waited a couple of minutes, and rinsed. Results were impressive, although not pristine. A second go, this time indulging in some elbow grease and brushwork, left things looking pretty much sparkly – with one or two determined patches of resistance. These came away with a little more effort. Such a performance does not make the GTechniq unique, but does establish its credentials as a front-running competitor. A final inspection revealed a couple of lumpy items stuck in the deeper recesses of the cassette. These fell off with the merest gentle prod from the end of a drive-train cleaning tool.
Deciding prevention was better than cure, I decided that I’d degrease all my drivetrains as soon as things got a little grimy. With primarily dry weather blessing my days out and a dry lube in place, things were dusty rather than filthy. Of course, dust and tiny bits of road detritus is as effective a grinding pace as lumpier stuff. This time a single spray, albeit a generous one, and a minute or so with the GTechniq Detailing Brush and things were just about ship-shape. Note, in the photo the dinner plate granny gear is a different colour to the rest of the cassette. On the other hand, my commuter bike needed only a tiny bit of brushing around the jockey wheels: the rest you disappeared with the rinse.
Whilst I’d not anticipated any problems with different paint jobs, it’s worth saying that I have not noticed any post-clean issues.
Value 3.5
£19.99 for 500ml puts this toward the top of the p[rice range. Equally, it is highly effective, convenient to use, and more frugal than aerosol versions. Muc-Off’s Drive Train Cleaner comes in around the same price and is also very effective. I’ve used both, and whilst marginal, in my experience the Muc-Off edges it with engrained muck, but the GTechniq is speedier.
Oxford Mint Chain Cleaner is much cheaper, but much more profligate. Whilst it does the job, it takes longer to be effective.
Green Oil offer several degreasers. We’ve found their Degreaser Jelly very effective, but is much less convenient for a speedy clean or when away from home. Green Oil Agent Apple is very effective, but considerably more expensive, but can be reused. Again, a bit less convenient to use if you plan to recycle the precious potion.
Michael liked NZero Bike Degreaser which may well have the edge on heavily greased components, as opposed to lubricated drive trains.
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Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Chain Cleaner is very effective and frugal. However, it is slower acting, in our experience, and may be less convenient for those who want to get a move on.
Summary
Overall, the GTechniq Drive Train Degreaser does a very good job with very little fuss. It could be used in a chain bath and will help degrease other items. Needless to say, heavier greases take more work – this is designed for chain lube and the stuff that clings to it. It has been equally effective on wet and dry lubes, but is especially dismissive of the latter with no more than a rinse. Heavier lubes need a bit of elbow grease, but then, that applies pretty much across the board with drive train cleaners. If you want a speedy, effective way to keep the drive train clean, then this is a definite contender.
