Pledge is like turd polish, it will make anything look good (or at least better).

Gojo and laundry soap (i.e. Fels-Naptha and Zote) are great for removing grease off anything - bikes, clothing, hands, etc.

I wouldn't use Gojo or any other pumice based soap on a bike. My hands are fine, but I'm not subjecting a finish to an abrasive as coarse as that.

Mother's (Mag & Aluminum Polish) is not meant for chrome. Even says so on the instructions/warnings. Though, I agree, it's magic on aluminum.

Goo gone also makes a felt tip pen, which works great in cleaning up detail paint (for example, paint runs under masking tape after pinstripping).

I hate getting grease on my hands, so I took a meat injector, ground the sharp end off, and use it to apply grease to bearings and the like. it gets into bearing races really well.

Scrubs in a bucket wipes are great for hand cleaning as well as bike cleaning.

On the same note as the meat juice grease injector, I use old children's oral medicine syringes to apply grease. The grease needs to be warm to be sucked up into the syringe, but I will load a few up when the weather is warm and use them at a later date.

Forgot about that - Go for the NON-pumice GoJo. They make both versions in regular and orange. It works better than the pumice for removing grease, and it's a heck of a lot easier on skin and paint.

That is genius.

Anything plastic, vinyl or rubber looks brand spankin' new after you hit it with Mothers Back To Black. I love this stuff, especially on my car's exterior trim. Whatever you're using it on doesn't have to be black. It's like Armor All on steroids.

When removing bars from non removable faceplate stems remove the bolt, insert in the opposite end and use a dime to push open the clamp, saves a lot of damage to bars.

I love Quick-Glo for rusty chrome.
And a little goes a long way.

Neighbor was throwing out some dried out ArmourAll wipes. They are handy throw away degreaser rags now.

Brass wire hand brush for light rust and corrosion on spokes. . Mothers cleaner wax for frames. Obenaufs for leather saddles.

I like this!!

I clean bearings, cones, and other small parts in a small glass jar with a tablespoon or two of solvent. Soak, shake, then use a #2 paper cone coffee filter to pour the solvent into a second jar (which gets sealed and re-used), and you get a coffee filter full of small fairly clean parts for final wipe down and re-assembly. Makes hub rebuilds really quick and tidy.

Acid brushes are about 12 cents each. Use them to apply grease. Use them to apply glue for tubular tires.

Brass-bristle brushes are great for cleaning aluminum and steel without scratching. They help with removing rust, especially from tight spaces. I get these in the plumber's aisle at Home Despot.

I don't need no stinkin' hand cleaner. I use soap or dish detergent, and while scrubbing, I toss in a handful of baking soda. It works great, and it's not abrasive. It's extremely cheap. I keep a jar of it by the kitchen sink, and I don't put the lid on.

I can top that!...........Dead Blow Mallet!

Chombi

And.....Pledge lemon.....

Chombi

I read Lemon Pledge attracts bees!
So, if yo see a guy speeding down a road on a black Vitus with a swarm chasing him, it's Chombi.

The key thing here is you want interior "dressing" not "protectant." Before Mother's came out with the Back to Black, you'd have to find an auto parts store that supplied to an auto body shop if you wanted to buy this stuff. It's amazing on anything plastic or vinyl.

Armor All is utter crap: It accelerates UV damage and can damage paint.

Shiny paint is a matter of replacing big scratches with tiny ones. Oxidized straight paint can be removed with rubbing compound, but a light polishing compound should be used for clearcoat. Most detail companies have a 3 step system of polish, cleaner, and wax. If you want to go past that, learn to use a clay bar to clean the paint.

Brake fluid is packed with rubber conditioners, and can greatly improve the look of old tires. However, I have not personally used it on whitewalls, so I'm not sure if it will affect the dye.

Thanks for the info.....will be trying it.

+1, great stuff

My brother uses these and swears by them. I need to get one or two. He told me to get ones with Cree LEDs in them. Any places you recommend?


Also, a tip of my own (which many probably know):

When starting a screw or other threaded piece, turn it backwards by hand and you should feel it "click" or drop into the threads. Then start turning it the correct direction to tighten. Can save you from cross-threading stuff, particularly fine threading.

You can learn a lot over in the Electronics/gadgets sub-forum but it can be like trying to drink from a firehose sometimes. The technology is changing very rapidly and there's a lot to learn if you want to really be on top of everything.

That said, you probably won't go wrong with stuff from SolarForce or ShiningBeam.

I'd suggest getting parts separately. This way you can upgrade whatever parts you want when new versions come out. You'll need a flashlight body (aka a host), a way to hold it to your bars, some batteries, a charger and finally a 'drop-in'. Last I heard the XML was the latest and greatest drop-in (aka emitter as that's the part that puts out the light). The drop-in also includes the circuitry to make the light high/low/flash, etc. so you can pick the style you want.

You can also find great deals on ebay or DealExtreme but it's a bit of a crap-shoot since sometimes you get a dud and sending stuff back for replacement isn't 100% reliable. The more reliable vendors are more expensive but have a lower failure rate and better customer service. I've bought a few things from DealExtreme (DX) without issues but there are reports of bad product occasionally. If you dig around the sub-forum, you can get an idea of what parts people buy and what they like, etc.

You'll be amazed by how much light these things put out. I'd get a couple since they are cheap and it's always nice to have a backup. Don't forget a good tail light. You can do the same (with a red LED drop-in) or get a dedicated bike tail light.

In a pinch (pun intended) quick release skewers can serve as tire irons. It's best to use smooth levers for this. The old Mavic 501 levers are perfect, though I'd avoid using knobby skewers such as NR Campy skewers, as these can mar your rims.

A spare tube will fit nice & snug under most saddle rails.

Talk about training motivation!