swimbikerun_boy

i recently posted a question on what to use as a dereaser and many people recommended simplegreen. So after taking a look at there web site i realized that they had a specific bike formula simlegreen. So knowing nothing about the product would this be a safer way to go??
Here's a link https://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_prod_bik.php

and what product from simple green do you generally use???

Thanks in advance
Tyler

el twe

I haven't used either, but I assume that Simple Green Bike is regular Simple Green in a different package. Go with the regular or ask at your LBS.

formulaben

Can't say for sure about the bike product, but as far as regular Simple Green, I wouldn't do it. While it is a very good product, it is incompatible with aluminum.

READ HERE

zbicyclist

I hadn't heard this, but thank you for the link. I also checked the Simple Green site
https://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_faqs.php
and they had this to say:

"Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?
Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All-Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation."

The Simple Green bike cleaner product seems to be a foaming product -- the idea being that it will cling better to various surfaces. I haven't tried it.

LordOpie

ah, more testimony for steel!

formulaben

THIS WAS THE LINK that I originally wanted to post. Scary stuff for structural aluminum, but other than that, it's a great product.

Peek the Geek

Simple Green is safe as long as you don't let stuff sit in it too long. Clean with Simple Green, then rinse. Many, many people use this on their bikes with no problems, though there are these scare articles all over every bike forum on the web.

As for the bicycle-specific Simple Green you're asking about... Looks like it's just regular Simple Green with a thicker consistency ( to allow it to hang on your bike rather than just run right off). In essence, it's a marketing gimmick, allowing them to charge more money for the same product. And since Simple Green owes much of its popularity to its low price (compared to degreasers from Park Tool, Pedros, etc.), I would pass on the bicycle-specific version.

swimbikerun_boy

cool and thanks
so any one of their products do the job?

Peace
Tyler

Ed Holland

Yes, any ordinary dish soap (washing up liquid to us Brits) is just fine and cheap. It has worked fine for me over the years and never caused a problem on any of the bikes.

Cheers,

Ed

Peek the Geek

Dish Soap???!!! Haven't you heard about the dangers of "dishpan hands"?!
(Sorry, obscure old TV commercial reference. "Madge, I soaked in it!")

KrisPistofferson

Does anyone else use Dr Bronners? I use it on tour as shampoo, soap and toothpaste, but found out it works well at degreasing chains, too. Plus I carry one thing to do all that. If I could only find skin moisturizer to lube my chain...Anybody use cocoa butter?

Ed Holland

No, but seriously, I have been testing castor oil as a chain lube - Better and Cheaper than Finish-Line cross country, though just as dirty - and it has alternative uses in times of trouble... .

JarodArmstrong

The mechanic at the LBS I bought my bike at said he just uses the regular blue Dawn dishwashing soap. So that's what I been using and it seems to work just fine.

KleinRider

I suppose the biggest difference, to me anyway, is that my aluminum bikes are painted. Those aircraft, I got the impression, are bare aluminum skin.

formulaben

Most aircraft have a chromate coating to protect the bare aluminum. My concerns about aluminum on the bike is not the frame, but the wheelsets. A wheel failure at speed could ruin your entire day.

KleinRider

good point (about the wheel)! I didn't know about the chromate coating, though that would make sense.

swimbikerun_boy

cool
thanks for the info

Peace
Tyler

Dchiefransom

I use the concentrated Simple Green right out of the bottle in my chain cleaning tool, and scrub all the drivetrain with a toothbrush and cog brush. I also use it with a toothbrush on the brake calipers, where the dirt can build up at the pivot points. I make sure I rinse everything well with a light spray from the hose nozzle. For the rest of the bike, I use a car wash soap that my kids have that doesn't leave a wax film. If I decide to wax the bike, I have some bike polish that I got from the LBS.

2Rodies

I have used Simple Green to clean my bike and racecar for years....both have many aluminum parts. I have never ever had one single problem. I have let it set for awhile to help break down the grease again with zero problems. I personally feel it works great as a degreaser and it's biodegradable.

cyclezealot

OH, no..Kleins are made of aluminum..Hope I have rinsed well enough..Is this warning on the label of Simple Green? Does Dawn soap really work...If so, guess could use an aersol bottle for good results...I have used it mostly about the drive train.

bkrownd

Eh, I see Simple Green used to clean very shiny aluminum parts everywhere. We buy it in the BIG drums at work.

Love Dr. Bronner's....on me, not my bike.