Page 91 - AMB Freelist

JOE’S
and green dish sponge to go over the chain. I sprayed a bit more degreaser on and used the rough green side to scrub.
With another quick spray over the drivetrain before a rinse with the hose, the results were really good – and better than expected after I first sprayed it on. However, the results were better with more scrubbing from the additional scouring sponge/pad.
JOE’S ECO BIKE SOAP
Just like the degreaser, this one is safe to use on all parts of your bike – even brakes. I sprayed this on after the degreaser, as it needs 5 minutes to get to work. I used the cylindrical brush for around the wheels and fork, and in places around suspension linkages, and under saddles. I ended up reaching for a large sponge to do controls, rims and frame tubing.
I did end up adding a fair slosh of the cleaner to the bucket and filling it with water, to use with the sponge. I’d love to see a concentrated version of this spray-on product for bucket washes.
The tyre scrubbing brush is great and works well. But a big soft bristled brush in the kit may suit more riders. Once you’re done, the cleaner gets hosed off.
JOE’S ECO FRAME AND TYRE SHINE
I dried the drivetrains with a rag, then blew out any air from the drivetrain and other areas with a compressor. The frame and components were dried with another rag and I used a de-waterer on the calipers and a fresh rag to clean those and the rotors.
Time to shine! The Frame and Tyre Shine needs a liberal application, and then a gentle wipe off with the provided cloth. This type of product does help repel dust and grime, making future cleaning a little faster. I used the cloth for a wipe down of the rim’s and wheels sidewalls, and across the bars too. It's a cinch to use.
MYTAKE
With a final run through of the cassette with a rag, the wheels back in and a check on the gears I brakes, all I had to do was add chain lube and check tyre and suspension pressures. KWT had thrown in a wet and dry lube for me to use. The dry lube runs really clean, with minimal build up, but the wet lube was my favourite for the longer run time. After this wash, degrease and polish, I had six gleaming bikes hanging in the shed.
Each product worked as expected. The degreaser was the standout for me, working efficiently for something that isn’t too harsh. These aren’t spray on, wash off products. I wouldn’t really want to be using something that harsh on my bike, or have it washing into waterways. I still had a long and narrow dead patch under my stand from the degreaser dripping off the drivetrain.
I’d like to see a couple of changes. It all comes in a bucket, but none of the items specifically suit using a bucket – I just added some of the soap with water to suit my use. The addition of a bottle of soap concen- trate could also top up the spray bottle when diluted. A soft brush would also be good. One last annoyance is that the lid doesn’t close once the spray handles are fitted. But this isn’t a deal breaker.
Across the 6 bikes I used 75% of the cleaner and degreaser and about half of the polish. I am pretty thorough in my bike cleans, so you may get more cleans, and each bike had at least 2 months of grime. If you need to get a cleaning kit this is a great starting spot with good products.
Mike Blewitt
Thorough cleaning items to kickstart your kit
Some eco credentials
No aerosols!
Could do with a soap concentrate
RRP: $99.95 kwtimports.com.au
CLEANER PACK
NO-FLATS
BIKE BUCKET
Joe’s No-Flats Bike Bucket is a handy all-in-one pack that provides a bucket, degreaser, bike wash, bike polish and some brushes and a polishing rag. Of note, the products are Eco and Bio branded, and they’re water soluble. Kudos to Joe’s for providing these products in a trigger bottle and not an aerosol can. The three brushes suit drivetrain, frame and parts, and wheels.
With 6 bikes in the shed covered with grime from three different states, I put the workstand on the grass, put a can in a stubby holder and got stuck in.
JOE’S BICYCLE BIO-DEGREASER
I sprayed the drivetrain of the bike first when using this, carefully avoiding any brake parts. Then I got to work with the chain brush in the kit after it sat for a few minutes. The brush is like any drivetrain brush, with different length bristles to suit the job. After the first bike, I also used a yellow
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Photo: Mike Blewitt
Photos: Mike Blewitt