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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: OCTOBER 10th
HOW DO WE DECIDE OUR OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
OXFORD PRODUCTS TYRE SCRUB 200g £3.99
Oxford Products tyre scrub is a big, beefy brush for cleaning mud and embedded sharps that can induce flats, or cause more serious damage. It’s not bike specific, so lends itself to motorcycles, cars and other vehicles too.
£3.99 doesn’t go very far these days. However, this brush is reassuringly well made from sturdy, comfortable composites. At the business end, we have a big, stiff bristle plot.
It’s coarser than more generic types, so not the sort for tickling polymer or silicone bar tapes, paintwork; let alone carbon bits, clean. Mind you, gentle pressure reaped pleasing reward, on grubby-looking cork wraps.
Thankfully, Oxford has this covered, courtesy of big rubbery “impact zones” which prevent scuffing and similar accidental damage when you’re blitzing a filthy bike’s tyres.
Anatomic is one of those phrases that’s been done to death. However, the big, gently serrated handle fits beautifully in the palms, combining solid grip with comfort. I’ve performed several 30 minute tyre scrubbing workouts, bare handed with no hint of clamminess, soreness, or irritation.
Performance
Although stiff, the bristle plot and composite top plate yield nicely, assuming the tyre’s profile with only moderate pressure, though without turning blancmange-like, or seemingly splaying.
Prolonged, semi-commercial use might tell a different story but thus far, for home enthusiasts tackling a grotty fleet of cross, or mountain bikes. Used dry, the bristles dismiss glass, flints and other invasive sharps effortlessly too.
Really filthy 700x35 sections with deep treads, such as Schwalbe’s Marathon plus call for a proper sudsy bucket dip n’ dunk but were transformed in around three minutes. Nearer two if I’d whipped the wheels out for a comprehensive clean.
It was a very similar story for bigger section 1.75-2inch mountain bike knobblies; just remember to keep a second “rinse” bucket to prevent ‘cross contamination. Car and road biased motorcycle tyres typically took five minutes apiece.
Having resurrected these slightly jaded Scott sport road shoes, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they came up, using the tyre scrub, dipped in sudsy bucket.
Durability
Bristle moult has been a moot point thus far but these are very different from the thin grade of fibres that you’d find on a more generic, all surface bike brush. Similarly, the plastics seem in really rude health, which hasn’t always been my experience, of similarly priced fare from long-established bike brands.
Conclusion
Thrifty types will point out similar results can be achieved using kitchen/bathroom scrubbing brushes. Yes, you can cobble together a complete bike cleaning kit comprising of soft sponge, brushes, bucket and 1litre of wash n’ wash for less than a tenner.
In that respect, the tyre scrub isn’t essential, especially if you already have something like Green Oil’s eco-brush. Then again; the tyre scrub performs really well and works out very cheap. Especially when the cost of sharp induced tyre damage are taken into account.
Verdict: 4/5 Surprisingly versatile brush that saves a lot of time and potentially, money, in the longer run.
Michael Stenning
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