goodchap

Ive done it before on my car. It came out...astonishing. I mean I really know how to do it on a car, manually. I won`t brag about it, I`ll let the pics do the talking.

But on the bike is a different story. I just gave it a try, and only managed to smear part of the frame with polishing paste (that wont even come off now). You have to do it in a swirl motion, keeping a fairly high pressure on the surface that is being polished. That is IMPOSSIBLE to do on bike frame, because every surface is very curved and your hand just slides everywhere, I got that paste even on the cables.

So how do you folks do it? Please give me some quick tips because I feel very frustrated now.

Part of the very obvious polishing Ive done to the rear fender:

After sanding:


After polishing:


And the whole car manually polished:

Velo Dog

I don't polish my bikes anymore. Gave it up about 10 years ago to have more time for other things. When I did, though, I rubbed the polish on, let it try per label directions and wiped it off. It's enameled (or lacquered) metal; why should it be different than any other painted metal?

goodchap

Im sorry man, but what youve been doing isnt polishing. Even waxing takes more than you described, and polishing requieres ten times more work. You don`t rub the polish on and then wipe it off, because you can`t wipe it off, you have to keep rubbing and then rub some more til it comes off...with a thin layer of your paint/lacquer. Are you sure you werent thinking about waxing?

calamarichris

goodchap

F it, just decided to paint it matte black tomorrow.

RonH

Why bother to polish it? Just ride it and keep it lubricated, clean, and adjusted.

DavidLee

Pedros Bike Lust

Machka 

I use furniture polish on my bicycles.

chipcom 

You can't have a thread with the words 'polish' and 'bike' in the title without a pic of the Polish cycling team. It's like a sick law.

caloso

Pledge.

ScottStr

I leave the bike alone and spend a lot of time polishing my helmet.

goodchap

You know what? If when it comes to a subject with the word `polish` in it, you automatically think of the polish racing team, post a picture of them in tight spandex without saying anything ontopic, I sincerely believe that you must be a raging *****exual, longing to spend a quality weekend with all five, fooling around in a hotel room wearing goofy helmets while they introduce you to the flavours of some delicious polish sausages.

Pedros Bike Lust...Spray Cleaner and Polish...anyone really into car detailing would just laugh at those. Polishing paste is basically a rubbing compound. Can you mix a rubbing compound with a cleaning chemical into a single product? Not really, totally different animals. I thought you guys were hardcore about this stuff...but this sprays are soft...really soft.

531phile 

I think it is a tie between the guy in the middle and just to the right of him.

Machka 

You're new here, aren't you!! Very new!!

commo_soulja

I've used Pledge on my road bike when I rode it alot. Haven't polished it in a while. I'm a mountain biker, I ride dirty!

DavidLee

I'm sorry I must have misinterpreted your thread title. "How do you polish a bike?" You ask about bikes then ***** about not getting product suggestions designed for car detailing. Not all bikes are clear coated, in fact many bikes are not. Using rubbing compounds on them would ruin them in a heart beat hence the suggestions you have received. As another poster said, just ride.

Anyone have a good omelet recipe?

ratdog

He's already smeared some polishing compound on his bike and it won't come off. It appears that he may have already scratched up his paint finish if there wasn't a clear coat.

OP, paint thickness on a bike is nowhere near what is on a car so I would advise not using polishing paste. Just stick with the bike lust type products if you want to keep it immaculate.

goodchap

You should have said that in the beginning. Thats what happened to mine, it has a thin coat of white, matte...something now because of the polishing paste. I doesnt come off even if I wash it. I`m painting it matte black.
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Machka 

We're not into car detailing ... we're hardcore about cycling ... we ride our bicycles, and we use furniture polish because we know it works.

Incidentally, if you've got a titanium bicycle, rub it with diesel, give it a bit of a rinse, and then apply some furniture polish. That'll remove the fingerprints and give it a nice shine.


You're going to paint over the paste?

Garfield Cat

Maybe its time to buy a new bike.

Joemess

Why in the world would you waste your time doing that? I would much rather be getting dirt and grime on my bike by riding it than wiping it down to prove I was hardcore....

goodchap

Well...it`s done now. Of course i didnt paint over the paste. Degreased the paint, than ltos of sanding, degrease again, paint. Looks like a new bike now, but so fragile, because its matte black. I hope im wrong, but even if it chips, the layer underneath its still black so its all good. Now I`ll have to spend the whole day adjusting the brakes and deraileurs and stuff cause errything is off now.

Because of my slight form of OCD. I`m a maniac when it comes to detailing and everything just has to look perfect otherwise I can`t sleep at night. And since the old paint was scratched all over, I had to do something about it. Polishing didnt work...so...I had to paint it.

Northwestrider

I rarely do, but on that rare occasion, I'll use lemon pledge

B. Realization

Pledge wipes

Machka 

Why matte black? Why not something with a bit of gloss?