killahkosha

Heya everyone, I am a total car nut, so I happen to have all sorts of varieties of car waxes and polishes. I am wondering if anyone has tried using the car wax on their bike. I am just wanting to make sure it won't like somehow strip the paint or something. In addition, has anyone tried using the car wax on the carbon fiber fork? Does that take the shine away from the carbon fiber, or does it make it shinier?

-Jason Keller

dfw

Car waxes are no problem. My favorite is Klasse because I use that on my vehicles as well, but it really doesn't matter too much which one you use because chances are your bike is not exposed to the elements all that much. I even use Armor All on the tires.

Nashville Man

Car wax is great for a finished shine. Most bikes have a clear coat over the paint and stickers anyway... But, I think you are crazy for using Armor All on the tires. That's just asking to go down around a corner.

timhines

I use the cheap wax in the orange bottle. I think it's NuFInish or something. At any rate, it gives my bike a nice shine!

cydewaze

I slapped a pre-build coat of Meguiars NXT paste wax on my bike. I'm hoping it'll keep the nasties from sticking to the downtube. It sure looks nice after the wax.

cuda2k

Used a couple coats of wax on my frame after giving it a good once over with a rubbing compound. Really brought back the color in the paint after 20+ years of life. Haven't cleaned the frame after the last several rides, but grease and such wipes off very easily after working on it now.

dfw

I just use it on the sides, and don't even get close to the part that contacts the road. One of the biggest reasons why I use it is because it keeps me from getting black fingers every time I air up my tires. Armor All is water based and not greasy. It soaks right into the tire. Even if I did get some on the road side of the tire, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Wurm

Armor All may not be greasy, but it's damned slippery. No way I'd put that anywhere close to a bike tire.

To the OP: I've been using this new stuff made by Eagle One called Nanowax. It actually does what it claims, which is to fill in the micro-scratches on the paint, giving an excellent shine. Also it buffs off without leaving white haze and residue like other waxes can. Best wax I've ever used.

Rman

Dude, be careful using NuFinish since its a polish and you are slowly eating up your finish if you use it on a constant basis. I remember the commercial back in the early 80's which showed how NuFinish could restore the oxidized finish on old beaters (of course over dramatized in the commercial) - try doing that with a wax. Might be okay to help restore an old dull finish but not on your new shiny frame.

Futhermore, I remenber there was some threads in the car forums where people were asking how to go about getting NuFinish to pay for damages caused by there product.

Rman

Wow dude, Armor All and tires. Getting that slippery stuff on the braking surface of your rims = degraded breaking = accident. A definite recipe for disaster. It is not tire contacting the ground you should be worried about.

Rippin

Oh boy, an accident waiting to happen here....

Wurm

Well yeah but...the tires are going to look damned nice while he's burning off several ounces of hide during the crash.

timwat

Sounds like an equation for a very high OCP quotient.

No Exit

Funny... I ride motorcycles and I had a friend that JUST got done waxing up his bike and decided to use armor all on the sides of his tires... just to make them pretty. He took the first corner and went straight down. Motorcycles push a bit harder thus the need for the fat tires... but I just wouldnt mess with that. Its not so pretty when everything gets scraped up. On a bicycle, you've got a lot less protective gear in case you go down.

I guess if that's what you wanna do but I wouldnt want to risk it.

MichaelW

I use car wax on my commuter bike, one that lived outdoors all the time in a coastal town for 2 years. Wax protects the frame from rust and helps to shed dirt and water.

Crayon

Armor All on a bike is asking to get hurt. The stuff is very slippery plus it creeps. Soon it will be inside the rim / tire bead area. This could lead to a rolled tire. If it creeps onto the braking surface of your rims you'll have no brakes. If it gets onto the contact patch of the tire, no more traction. The problem is compounded if it's damp out as Armor All is water based so it'll run everywhere.

Even something as innocuous as putting it on the seat can lead to problems as I found out the hard way on my motorcycle.

Please, don't use this anywhere on your bike.

dfw

Nobody seems to be too worried about liberally applying chain lube, which definitely winds up all over the bike, but everyone seems to be deathly afraid of a little Armor All. The old Armor All formulation was oil based and was some nasty stuff. The new Armor All is water based and doesn't leech unless you dip your tires into it. I just spray a little on a rag and run it around the outside of my tires, then wipe off any excess. It keeps my tires from turning my fingers black for 2-3 months. If it had ever caused a problem, I wouldn't still be using it.

Doggus

Anybody have a nice alternative to Armor All to make those tires nice and shiny black?

Kickingback

Most LBS carry a special road bike wax. I saw some this last weekend thought about buying some but passed. It's runs about the same price as regular car wax. Not sure if it's safer for the bike finish or not. Just FYI you can look into it next time in the store. I think I will try it next time I'm in.

Nashville Man

A wet rag. Shine=slick=wreck.

dfw

Armor All doesn't leave a shiny finish unless you use one of their oil based products which would definitely not be recommended. Armor All leaves a black matte finish. It's more of a protectant than a tire shine product.

No Exit

hmm.. .pretty tires and the chance that everything else will be not so pretty... or normal tires and better odds at keeping the rubber side down.

well for those who want to armor all their tires... have at it.

Inoplanetyanin

I agree... the surface of the tire that has contact with the dusty asphalt, is not going to be grease, slippery or otherwise changed by armor all, at least not for longer than few minutes of riding.

If you are a racer taking sharp turn with slicks on the paint on the asphalt, it could be a different story, but for usual commuters... common

From a tires shop manager with some extensive experience, I heard that if you use armor all on the automobile tires, you need to keep using it, otherwise tires will dry out get cracks.

I wouldnt spray directly on the rim, but otherwise... whatever floats your boat.

Jim Bonnet

I use pedros bike lust.. its a silicone stuff that works pretty nice..

happy cleaning.
Jim

Ant

I've found the best stuff is Honda Spray Cleaner. Cuts right through grease, leaves a nice shine and protection. You can pick it up at any Honda Motorcycle Dealer. Really, it's good stuff.