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Carbon frame friendly soaps


josh_whit

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What on earth?

 

Remember the bad old days when Johan Bornman told us all he'd leave a carbon fishing rod in a bucket of acetone for a week to show us all how robust carbon and resin is?

 

What could possibly be in a product sold as a bike wash that it would damage a carbon frame? 

 

I think the OP is confused here.

You know, I liked him.When we needed him in Botswana he came to the party and came up and spent a long weekend training all the local appy's.

He also trained the staff in our bike shop in Fish Hoek long before Torq Zone started up here.My son did the full course with all the modules in Manchester cause there was nothing here.

There are a lot of people we owe big time.Fritz and Christi Pienaar,Gary Beneke.

They put a lot into the sport

Oops,forgot Adele.How on earth can one forget her

Total hijack but so what

Edited by Kranswurm
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Am I the only one using the NAM GEAR products ?

 

 

Their polish dries nicely, and dont attract dust.

 

At the end of the weekend the bikes are brushed off with a long soft bristle brush. Remaining dust is wiped off with a wet cloth.

 

If there is spots of mud I use low pressure water to rinse it off....

 

Only after a really muddy ride the bikes are rinsed down with water. Light spray of the blue Nam Gear, brushed with the bottle brush, then rinsed off.

 

 

 

At the end I check the frame, and do a quick polish if needed.

 

As long as the layer of polish stays in place it is a breeze to clean the bike. Mostly it takes less than 5 minutes at the end of the weekend to clean the bikes

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Went away for a weekend of gravel riding in the Karoo last weekend and somehow forgot my fancy chain cleaner and bike soap at home, thought "jeepers, how are we going to survive??"

 

The place we were staying at had good old sunlight in the kitchen. After a good ride with a gummy chain full of *##&, I took the risk of applying it directly to the chain, just a thin line / trickle in the same manner you apply lube. After one round of the trickle, I then back peddled a dozen or so times to get it all in there and it started to lather.

 

I then washed the rest of bike with diluted Sunlight and ended by hosing the whole lot off. The chain has never been happier or cleaner. It is all I am going to use from here on.

Don’t let JBK read this.

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Some people have a lot of time on their hands it seems... It's painted carbon, not some delicate orchid which requires you to wear soft fabric gloves when handling it and no soap is going to damage it, so use whatever you want. Most times I just use water to rinse my bike, sometimes I'll add car shampoo if I'm washing the car at the same time. For the drivetrain I'll use 1:50 Prepsol with warm water, but any basic degreaser will work. Anyone peddling their product as a 'carbon friendly soap' is selling snakeoil IMO

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Would have liked to try it but the R120 shipping got me, bummer.

Sorry mate but unfortunately that's what national courier costs for heavier items...
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Against many here on the hub’s recommendation.

 

I use no soap, chain comes of into some turps. Rest of the bike is washed with water.

Hi pressure cleaner with water only.

Never had bearings go or any issues.

 

After that I use compressed air and blow dry most.

 

Unlike a friend who used some product to spray on and wait.

The rinse 20 min later.

He needed 3 sets of bearings in a year.

 

Btw. I have washing my bikes like for the last 15 years

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I'm using namgear, it's cheap.

their pink degrease is basically just prepsol diluted a little it seems.

will try the stealth health products.

 

But seriously folks the only damage that strong detergents is inflicting is on the paint work and bearing seals

Degreasers on your bearing seals will dry the seal and harden it. Then it's useless. Denatured ethanol and water mix is best for the area around bearings. In fact hamdsanitizers are great and perfect as they also contain propylene glycol that acts as a moisturiser

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I'm using namgear, it's cheap.

their pink degrease is basically just prepsol diluted a little it seems.

will try the stealth health products.

 

But seriously folks the only damage that strong detergents is inflicting is on the paint work and bearing seals

Degreasers on your bearing seals will dry the seal and harden it. Then it's useless. Denatured ethanol and water mix is best for the area around bearings. In fact hamdsanitizers are great and perfect as they also contain propylene glycol that acts as a moisturiser

I've actually been using hand sanitiser for a number of cleaning tasks. Its great for taking glue residue off of things too.

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I've actually been using hand sanitiser for a number of cleaning tasks. Its great for taking glue residue off of things too.

 

Dont underestimate the power of using clean new grease to wash your hands .... it gets all the gunk off.

 

Then go wash your hands with normal soap to remove the last bit of grease.

 

 

Works perfectly when you dont have handcleaner.

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These discussions are really so amusing...

 

I have visions of similar discussions between doctors in the mid 1850's, soon after the invention of anesthesia, some saying it works great and others holding fast that there's nothing wrong with a thick wooden plank for the patient to bite on instead...

 

To those who use dishwashing liquid, I assume that you've also stopped buying hand and body soap as well as shampoo, conditioner, floor and surface cleaners and disinfectants, etc as dishwashing liquid should also be perfect for these pesky tasks...? If not, then perhaps you should, you'll save a fortune, maybe... 

 

To those who use nothing but water, I assume you, also, have stopped buying hand and body soap as well as shampoo, conditioner, floor and surface cleaners and disinfectants, etc as a good soaking with cold water works a charm...

 

Just having some fun people...

 

Have a great day and go ride your bikes...

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PS: for those using Santizer, at least try this one :

 

https://stealthhealth.co.za/viromist-plus/ 

 

70% alcohol, 0.5% chlorhexidene AND moisturising Aloe Vera - perhaps this will keep the tyres nice and rubbery...?

 

Alternatively use it to protect your home, office and self from the spread of those pesky viruses...

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