Road Cycling - Should i bother polishing my cranks?

I just got my new cranks today, along with all the other stuff in the group.

I was wondering if it was worth polishing cranks that are already pretty shiny (campy centaur)? Oh, and also the brake calipers. And if i decide to do so, what kind of polish is good? I have a lot of free time on my hands, it's the summer...

Also, what kind of clear coat and wax is good for the paint on the frame? I'm thinking of doing that too, while i'm at it.

wow...you DO have a lot of free time on your hands...check this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/fun/games/newsid_2123000/2123012.stm) out. it's a good time killer/frustration creater. :)

Oh come on, i know someone out there has polished their cranks! I'm not the only one.... right?

i'm sure you're not the only one....i personally wouldn't do it. there's gotta be a million and three things that you could do that would be more useful than that...you could start a band, or become a gourmet chef, or learn to paint, or learn a second or third language, or volunteer somewhere, start a local bike co-op....like i said, a million and three things.... :)

now i'll actually reply to your post instead of just being smarmy. :) :)

i wouldn't apply any kind of chemical polish to any aluminum part, i'd just use a dremel with a polishing bit and work over the cranks, but keep in mind that they'll just get tarnished again and again...i'd say do it once, take a picture, post it here, then forget about it...

some kind of spray-on high gloss clear-coat should do the trick, but i'd leave that alone too, or test the clear coat on an inconspicuous area, or another bike that you don't really care too much about...you never know what it'll look like in the end.

Originally posted by phat bahsturd
I just got my new cranks today, along with all the other stuff in the group. I have a lot of free time on my hands, it's the summer...

Also, what kind of clear coat and wax is good for the paint on the frame? I'm thinking of doing that too, while i'm at it.
You should be out there riding it not polishing new parts:confused: , What did you buy it for , are you going to frame it & hang it on the wall or ride it. ????:p

When I saw polishing cranks in the thread title I was afraid to look.........

Originally posted by Colonel
When I saw polishing cranks in the thread title I was afraid to look.........

Hey now. Nothin' wrong with polishing your crank. :D

Oh...wait...are we talking about the same thing here???

If they are new, why would you want to polish them? Campy comes with a brilliant polish already. But if you must try to make them shinier, use Jewelers Rouge and a buffing wheel available at almost any hardware store. Wax them with a good quality auto paste wax.

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
Hey now. Nothin' wrong with polishing your crank. :D

Oh...wait...are we talking about the same thing here??? You've been reading the bicycle smile thread too often.

Polishing your crank can make you go blind.





From the reflection, I mean!

RichC

Fine i guess polishing the cranks is stupid.

But is it ok to use auto wax on the frame?

Do i need to clearcoat it first? The paint i got from bianchi came in 2 bottles. One for the paint, one for the finisher. I'm not sure if i still need to clearcoat on top of the finish, or if i can just wax.

YES!

Im not near as interested in how shiny they are, as to how well they work. Sounds like a waste of time. My favorite is the all black stuff. Function over form.

I use Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish on my bike. My bike is a polished aluminum so if it gets dirty, it just doesn't look good. After I polish it, I wax it with automotive wax. Makes for a shiny, slick bicycle. I've gotten a lot of comments when my bike is polished up. When I don't polish it, I don't get any comments.

I would like to polish the cranks on my bicycle, but I've not had the time to sit down and take care of it. I'm hoping to get around to polishing the cranks, brakes calipers, and spokes during the winter season. I just think that if a bike was made to shine, keep it shiny. :)

FYI

If you have an electric buffing wheel everything can be shinny in one evening. A dremmel works well for the tough spots.

for a nice shine:

Steps 1-5: sand 400 grit, 600, 800, 1200, then 1500 (wet/dry of course). If you have flat spots on the part slide the part over the sandpaper on a peice of flat glass.

Step 6: buff with wheel and use jewelers rouge

Step 7: look at your reflection.

Good Luck, and yes, it is only a waste of time if there is someting else you should/rather be doing. Have fun and shine away.

ehenz

DISCLAIMER: I have used the above method on many things that needed to have a shine, IMO (I'm an old Navy man, and everything metal should shine). Do not use the above method unless you a sure of what you are doing.

Hi,
the nature of Alu is that it forms a thin layer of Alu Oxide which protects the Alu underneath it. We are talking microscopic amounts, but technically you are removing a protective coating when you polish. You'd never polish enough to harm the cranks; but as the other posters pointed out; it's not a priority for most. My 'kink' is I like to clean my chain every time I use it. I love the buttery smooth feeling of a perfectly clean chain. Basic maintanace things, checking air pressure, cleaning the chain, etc will pay you back for your effort. I leave a layer of grundge on my bike hoping to make it less attractive to thieves.

And for further discussion, does the Alum oxide (aka, rust?) reform once the parts sits for a while, and are most cranks anodized?

Also, a disclaimer: Do not use sandpaper on your cranks without asking some one in the "know".

Auto polish works,that new stuff u spray on after u rinse off the soap or a qiick detailer in between wax jobs works to.

I hear polishing your crank can be fun.Sorry i could'nt help it.

Oh thank god I'm not the only one polishing my uh cranks on the bike! :)

Yea,we know what you meant,LOL.

there's nothing wrong with polishing your cranks, waxing your bike, etc..

I even wipe to shine my bike before I ride.. I like it when the bike is clean and shiny.. Its just like your car, you wouldn't want it to be covered in mud/dust when you go to work..

but the polishing stuff, I have to had it done professionally.. I know someone who owns a shop who does this. It is very cheap, and they do a good job.

i gotta say that i prefer to keep my bike clean, too. i wipe down the tubes with a wet cloth and get gunk out of the little places. my components are well worn, the lettering has long since worn off, but i still keep em blingin'

polishing the cranks? is that what the kids are calling it these days? we used to call it bopping the baloney.