Hammondc

I use whatever quick detailer I have handy. Twice a year I use Menzerna Powerlock .

Jed19

I do wax my frame and alloy parts twice/thrice a year or so. The wax helps in that you won't have to wash your bikes as much as you'll have to if you were not waxing. I just soak a rag in water and wipe the bike down most of the time post-ride (I don't ride in the rain at all),and I attribute being able to do this to my twice/thrice a year waxing job.

chaadster

I don't follow the rationale here...wood can be painted, and in fact, most is, although the lacquer or urethane used may not be as concentrated (think stain) in order to let the grain show. But, paint, stain and varnish are basically varying blends of the same stuff (pigment, binder, solvent). Interestingly, Meguiar's, the famous car finish care brand, started and perfected furniture care products before they ever got into car polish.

Whatever the case, it must stand to reason that S.C. Johnson are worried about something since they don't recommend Pledge Lemon Clean (though they do say the Pledge MultiSurface may work, but test in an inconspicuous area first) for "painted surfaces" generally, nor for bike, motorcycle, and car finishes specifically. It may be because of risk to certain paint or powder coats, or it may because the product is not really protective or durable, e.g. without UV inhibitors, or perhaps it's due to the mix of materials commonly found on cars and bikes, including rubber. I dunno, but I've been using it long enough that, if there were going to be negative results (e.g. the first time I used ArmorAll on the exterior of my car!), I'd have experienced it by now. And if it makes the bike look great, how bad could it be?!

If I can say it without seeming arrogant, I think I've got one of the best looking, and best kept, bikes around. There are a lot of clean bikes (more dirty ones, though) but rarely do I see one that looks as shiny and 'showroom' as mine. Granted, some don't want that aesthetic, but more often, judging by the compliments I get on the bike, I think it's just that people don't take the care to make their bike look good.

RR3

Shave a tennis ball and give it a wack.

See how slow it goes?

My bike has moss growing on it. Latest rage. Who needs EPO and T.

kbarch

A wipe down with a little Pledge after a wash gets rid of the ashy look on my matte carbon gray bike. Not at all glossy, but maybe a little satiny.

Worknomore

Pledge on the painted frames, wd 40 and somtimes a little scotchbright on the ti bikes.

coasting 

interesting. what is the point of putting oil on the ti surface? does it become messy?

cycledogg

Ditto on Pledge.

coasting 

in the interest of fairness, any wood furniture polish works well. pledge branded is not necessary.

loimpact

So then with my prior post about Pledge changing its formula, I wonder if there's any other that works the same as old PLedge used to??

(Or maybe just use a good Quick Wax like Meguiar's & be done with it?)

(Or maybe better yet, do a true carnauba wax & really be done with it??)

Terry66

I use whatever automotive spray cleaner\polish I have onhand.

On my Spec Roubaix, I pull the wheels, put the frame on the stand and completely wipe the entire bike down after pretty much every ride. Been doing that since I bought the bike in 2010.

Worknomore

Wd 40 is more of a solvent/ cleaner than a lube. It cleans the ti surface excellently. A good wipe off with a clean rag makes it look new with no mess.

Homebrew01

I lube my chain every couple of months.
I hear other people wash their bikes. Now waxing ?!?!

Where can I get some of this free time ?

chaadster

Probably looks like new, too, eh?

chaadster

I couldn't stand to lube chain only every couple of months! I wipe down chain and relube before virtually every ride. If I don't, I can notice (by sound mostly, though I imagine also feel, but that could be my head workin'). I'm a little less gracious with my short haul bikes, bit if I'm heading out for a proper road ride, it gets lubed every time.

petalpower

This is the correct answer.

Fastfwd01

I just got a brand new bike with a matte black finish - I'm curious myself what others suggest specifically for a bicycle with matte black. At least for cleaning. My Harley has a matte black finish and they recommend Windex without ammonia for cleaning. I've been doing it for over 5 years and it works great! Still as matte black as ever. I've got some Bike Nashbar bike polish for my old bike that I've used on it, but I question if it will harm the finish now that the question has been raised.

Homebrew01

You're OCD, and I'm a lazy slob.
Somewhere in the middle is about right.

Terry66

Yeah, it is pretty clean...especially considering it has around 10K miles on it. Funny that I ride my Salsa just as much and in worse conditions, commuting, touring, etc and I probably only clean it top to bottom about every month or so.

loimpact

As I've preached several times on a couple sub forums here, I'm ditching my routine of B&C oil, OMS, syringes, etc and going with a straight pre-ride routine (about every *other* ride) of just good old fashioned WD-40.

Reason?.......The propellant and solvents in the WD-40 have left me w/ the most consistently clean chains & cogs I've had ever. And drivetrain is as quiet as it's ever been with the "frequency" at which I do this.

A wise person once told me the same about engine oil......It's not what oil you're using.....it's that you're changing it at proper intervals. THAT is what will make the difference!!

I'm applying this to my chain to see how it goes.

Nachoman

That's what I use too. But don't get it near your tyres or rims!

chaadster

The original Pro Honda Cleaner & Polish looks to contain basically the same components as 'original' pledge Lemon, according to MSDS filed under federal law:

https://www.officedepot.com/pdf/msds/374904.pdf

https://www.originalbikespirits.com/...000362msds.pdf

The new Pledge Lemon Clean seems to contain the same stuff again, except the isobutane and propane, which are propellants (which are also used to drive sprays like cooking oil and hair care products). That MSDS:

https://h2.crsondemand.com/scripts/s...953_1403082546

That pretty much assures me as to the suitability of furniture wax sprays for bike paint (powdercoating excepted) given what I know and have experienced so far.

Whether or not it's a good idea to be using, in contact with, and encouraging production of this type of stuff just to get that shine is a whole other ball of wax, if you'll pardon the pun!

chaadster

For me, there's something about being out on the road, giving it your all, and having the bike feel perfect, like it's just there for me, and doesn't have any issues like squeaks and creaks, that's simply unbeatable. Cruising through town to visit a friend, hit the store or whatever is different, and I can tolerate a little grumpiness from my bike at those times!

chaadster

Yeah, you really only need enough lube to get through the ride, and a bit to keep it from rusting, so if you clean and lube before each ride, you don't need a tenacious lube that "sheds dirt", "doesn't break down" or whatever so long as it doesn't disappear three hours down the road, which you can tell by sound if it does.

I generally use ProGold nowadays to lube following a cleaning with Finish Line Speed Degreaser. Pretty quick process.

4151zero

I agree with both Honda polish recommendations ,