Aznman

Which brand has the best and inexpensive wax (not polisher) for a bicycle frame with clear coat paint? I want the ones with UV protection for the paintings.

I have ArmorAll, but don't really want to use it. I heard that ArmorAll can travel down to bearings and ruin the bearing grease.

sreten

Hi,

UV protecting aluminium ? Best budget is standard silicone furniture polish.
Only utterly clueless application could possibly cause the issue you describe.

rgds, sreten.

cny-bikeman

First, if the aluminum is painted it's irrelevent that the frame is aluminum. If it is not painted there's no need for UV protection, and if it is most paints incorporate pretty good fade protection already. As far as Armorall ruining grease - only perhaps if you pour it into the bearing.

jsharr

I have alwasy been a fan of Meguiars products for automotive paint protection. Can't see as it would hurt a bike, but a can should last you forever.

jsharr

Also, you might find this interesting.

https://www.8thcivic.com/forums/detai...-anything.html

Aznman

Thanks for the advices guys. I guess I was too paranoid.

FBinNY 

Any quality paste or thick liquid auto wax. The better ones use natural plant waxes like carnuba, and are very UV resistant.

bkaapcke

Pledge works great. bk

bikeman715

+1 on Pledge .

fietsbob

yea its a metal finish , you should find the Car Care stuff adequate.

UV sunscreen for your skin, IDK why its important for bare aluminum...

Aznman

Hey Fietsbob, my bike frame is not bare aluminum but painted. I guess I'll have to edit the first post a little.

rekmeyata

ArmorAll will attract bugs and dirt like a magnet, but it will shine like crazy till that happens.

Any car wax will work great as long as it contains NO abrasives. Pledge is ok but it was never intended to be used outdoors or on painted surfaces, more in a bit. No natural wax will protect against UV just as no synthetic will, the difference between the two is that natural wax allows the paint to breath which is only good if the paint is the old school natural enamel paint with no clear coat over it, synthetic wax will pug up the pore of paint so it can't breath, but since 99.9% of painted cars on the road today are clear coated then synthetic works the best.

And expensive waxes are not any better then top of the line waxes found in auto parts stores like Mothers and Meguiars. Now there are sealants made for jets that work really well but I never seen the value of them on cars. I use Zymol on three of my cars that use all natural paint with no clear coats, and Meguiars Ultimate or NXT Generation wax on my cars with clear coats.

Bare aluminium is best treated first to Windex to clean, then use any aluminum polish you find at an auto parts store, like Mothers Mag Wheel Polish, and follow the directions like you would for doing AL wheels.

With titanium all you need to do is clean it with Windex window cleaner as recommended by Lynskey on my bike. But I have heard some TI owners use a small amount of WD40 on a cloth and rub on the frame...I think I'll do what Lynskey recommended. Also, this is the more in a bit I mentioned earlier, Lynskey recommended after cleaning the the frame with Windex is to follow up with Lemon Pledge!

Fred Smedley

Meguiars Ultimate or NXT Generation , great shine , lasts long. If you proceed first with a clay bar to clean the surface the results are stunning on a good CC paint job.

FastJake

Anything that works well as a car wax, will work great on your bike. I use Meguiar's cleaner wax as it is cheap and highly effective.

rekmeyata

I would not be using a cleaner wax on bike paint jobs. Bike paint jobs are no where near as tough as car paint, and you will destroy the paint and decals within a few short years.

Myosmith

Who told you that? Factory finishes on any LBS brand bicycle are every bit as durable as automotive paint. Any decent automotive product designed for protecting clear coats will work just fine on a bicycle. If you are really worried, contact the manufacturer. They probably have their own brand of cleaner/wax which is likely not much different from the stuff available at any auto store. Meguiars makes some good products, just make sure you know the difference between the cleaners, waxes, and polishes.

IMHO Armor All belongs in the trash next to all Slime products.

clydeosaur

I'd be willing to bet bikes use a 2K urethane bc/cc finish. The same finish found on cars.

cycledogg

Pledge. Easy to apply and your bike will smell lemony fresh.
Cheers