M16 RIDE & SHINE

500ml £8.99 Long Term (6 Month) Test

M16 Ride & Shine is a cutting agent and polish designed primarily for motorcycle applications but also lends itself well to bicycles. It’s a gentle cleaner, safe on composites, painted, plated and polished surfaces. Great news for machines that are generally well-cared for. However, there are better options for tackling furry, salt savaged and otherwise badly oxidised surfaces and stick to specialist cleaners, for titanium.

Pros: Gentle but effective on light to moderate grime, oxidisation and tarnish, leaves a protectant barrier.

Cons: Slower acting than some, less effective on heavy tarnish.

Materials/Specification

As I wrote above, this is a cutting agent and protective polish - the motor/cyclist’s equivalent of a shampoo and conditioner. M16 say Ride & Shine is, “A 2 stage light cut using light grade chalk as the cutting agent. Then there is a polymer layer which gives the finish”. It’s designed for gloss, satin and matt finishes. Store in a cool dry place away from sources of ignition, children and pets. Worth donning examination gloves if you’ve delicate skin, too.

Method

Depending on how thorough you are feeling, components can be left in situ, or removed for a deep clean. Gather a couple of clean, lint free clothes (Tip: Microfibre cloths are the way to go during the buffing phase), give the bottle a shake, unscrew the cap and pour a small amount into your cloth. Work into the surface, with a circular motion and allow it to haze.

Bargain on a few minutes, before buffing to a sheen with the micro-fibre counterpart but don’t allow it to dry out. Repeat, if required. Much like traditional automotive preps, basically.

Test Subjects

First up, this 20-year-old dynohub wheel, which had served many years on my drop bar frankenbike cum London commuter and later, my Univega. However, being a four season’s working hoop, the polished alloy rim was showing evidence of the salt monster. Next along, my Univega’s electroplated quick release trailer hitch.

Exposed to the elements, it can quickly taint (although polymer-based waxes do a decent job of holding it back).

Next came my 30-year-old Campagnolo Athena hub, my Univega’s unsealed, and very generous powder coated finish and the Blumels Shiny Guards, which had also accumulated a stubborn, misty hue at certain points, given a year or so’s daily service.

Finally, a more corroded example, this nickel-plated multi tool.

Cutting prowess 3.25/5

Three light helpings and fifteen minutes, moderate effort later, the polished alloy components were gleaming, although quality plays a big part here. Up close, the budget Weinman rim was still showing some very faint spots of oxidisation but nothing I’d lose any sleep over.

bicycle cycle bike hub wheel spoke quick release skewer

Being a much higher grade, the old Campagnolo was restored to a mirror shine, ride and shine cutting through some heavily impacted drips of polymer car wax, ditto the stainless-steel spokes, which had collected a filmy layer of spent lube and road spray.

Much the same story with silver jewelry - rings, bangles, stainless steel watch bracelets etc.

My Univega’s powder coated finish, though high quality, very thick and extremely well applied, doesn’t have a lacquer topcoat.

This means it can collect a few superficial marks, if not treated to a regular high-quality waxing. Foregoing doughnuts, following cable replacement, resulted in some very light swirling along the top tube. The satin black powder coated crank arms will occasionally show some very light swirling, exposed to winter’s slimy, gritty cocktail.

tyre tire bicycle cycle bike velo rad schwalbe

One light helping of Ride & Shine dismissed these, without trace. It also removed pad and similar residue from the rim sidewalls and indeed, discs, although wet, wintry conditions required 2-3 treatments. True to claims, Ride & Shine seems genuinely kind to plastics. A single application removed the mysterious misting that appeared in the rear SKS Blumels Shiny mudguard.

Calling its bluff with the more heavily corroded multitool bits, I was initially disappointed. However, twenty minutes, a few coats and a light scouring later, the finish was markedly better.

That said, Crankalicious Mayo Jaune is more efficient across the board and allows you to see progress “in real time” so means time and product saved.

Protectant Properties 3.25/5

This component seems designed to protect the polished surface, rather than offer a long-term seal, like a hard paste type wax does. Therefore, I’ve finished the Campagnolo hub and its Mavic rim with a quality polymer wax. It's worth remembering, Ride & Shine is also designed for motorcycle engine cases and similarly hot areas, which would, otherwise, burn these off, My Univega’s machined sidewalls and electroplated trailer hitch have remained taint free.

Three months down the line, the battle-scarred nickel-plated multi-tool remains in much the same restored state. Mind you, the ends have collected oily residue from fasteners/similar which doubtless help. Water beaded up and rolled off the Univega’s top tube very convincingly for a couple of very wet weeks, although by that point the old girl was needing a good sudsy bucket wash and I went for a premium grade wax, which lasts two-three months, even in harsh conditions.

Value 3/5

Crankalicious Mayo Jaune Intensive Frame Polish is £8 for 250ml, which is a good bit dearer than the M16 Ride & Shine. Neither are suitable for titanium finishes (or unsealed carbon fibre, for that matter). However, as I’ve said earlier, the Mayo Jaune is faster acting and has an edge when tackling heavier scratches/soiling and oxidisation. Nonetheless, the Ride & Shine is in line with some iconic automotive formulas and possibly a better bet on plastics/composite surfaces for that matter.

Summary

Those with more exotic matt and titanium finishes will need to look elsewhere, but when all’s said and done, the M16 Ride & Shine is a capable and versatile workshop staple. One which does a decent job of rejuvenating most painted, plated and polished surfaces.

Verdict: 3.25/5 Decent staple for sprucing most finishes.

Michael Stenning

MOTORCYCLE & DIRT BIKE - FREE UK DELIVERY – M16 (m16extreme.com)

PUBLISHED MARCH 2021

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