Advice on cleaning bikes frames

[panache_mode]

I wanted to hear what products you use to clean your bikes and bring the luster back to the paint. Currently my bikes have been beaten up by weather and after I clean the bike the paint doesn't seem to shine as much.

[Louis]

Lots of folks use Pledge furniture polish.

(I don't bother)

[rpm]

Motorex Bike Shine.

[AngryScientist]

for painted bikes, i usually do a wipedown with automotive "quick detailer", works great. there are various brands and most are about the same, meguires for example is available at any auto parts store, pretty cheap and works great.

[charliedid]

I use a wet rag. If needed, I spray a few pumps of Simple Green on the rag. Too many products leave a film on the frame and parts that just attracts dirt.

[Cicli]

Paste wax with a cleaner. Followed up with straight carnuba wax. Really makes it shine.
Meguiars works best for me.

[rando]

If you are washing the bike a lot the paint isn't the problem. Build up of soap and/or hard water residue is. No guarantees fancily packaged detergent is going to strip whatever you used.

[Seramount]

my bikes are stored indoors and rarely ridden in sloppy conditions, so Pledge or whatever car wax is handy...

[weisan]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=198692

[Hilltopperny]

I've used everything from dawn dish soap and water which breaks down grease with ease to armor all wipes and turtle wax.

[Cat3roadracer]

Baby wipes first, lemon Pledge second. Done.

[Steve in SLO]

I still go with the old classic: Fantastik then Pledge.

[ultraman6970]

Panache it depends a lot of the condition of the paint and which paint was used in the frame aswell. Some old bikes no matter what you do the paintjob is like matte after a few years. W/o knowing what frame are you talking about or maybe the year is hard to tell.

That being said... if we are talking about modern carbon stuff I would clean 1st with a sponge and shampoo or any other soft cleaner, even liquid detergent. Then you use a meguiars paint polisher and then u can use a meguiars wax finish type of product.

[panache_mode]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Panache it depends a lot of the condition of the paint and which paint was used in the frame aswell. Some old bikes no matter what you do the paintjob is like matte after a few years. W/o knowing what frame are you talking about or maybe the year is hard to tell.



That being said... if we are talking about modern carbon stuff I would clean 1st with a sponge and shampoo or any other soft cleaner, even liquid detergent. Then you use a meguiars paint polisher and then u can use a meguiars wax finish type of product.

What got me really thinking about this was when I was trying to take a photo and the seat stays just looked unclean I tried just cleaning with mild soap then water but I wasn't content with the results.

I think that maybe the water I'm using might be a little hard and it could be what is causing the "blemish"

The photo isn't the best but you can see that the black paint could use some help.

The frame is fairly new so it's not anything that has been weathered for decades

Thanks for all the responses!



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[ultraman6970]

Black is a really complicated color to paint and finish because all the surface problems will show up in paint big time.

I will assume the clear is still there intact ok? hard to tell from a picture, need to see it to be honest.

But this is what I would do... wet sand with 600 or 1200 grit sand paper, just to get that area clean of whatever is stuck over the surface, then I would polish with meguiars mirror glaze 85 (m8532) diamond cut and then fiinish with meguiars next wax (or whatever is called).

Hope this helps.