Purple Harry Bike Cleaning Products
5th Mar 2014
When I were a lad I remember sitting for (seemingly) hours after a ride polishing my bike clean and lubricating the moving parts. Currently my lads are too young to pass that sort of job onto which means that after a family ride I am faced with not just cleaning my own bike, but my boys' ones, and usually my wife's too as she is cooking their dinner or getting them into a warm bath. It's a fairly big task so anything that helps speed it up is a bonus. I was pretty pleased then when Purple Harry sent over a box of their cleaning products to do just that.
They sent:
Bike Cleaner & Degreaser (£7.99)
Bike Maintenance Spray (£8.99)
Bike Polish & Frame Protector (£8.99)
Wet Chain Lube (£6.99)
Bike floss - Large Bristle and Large Fleece (£1.99 each)
Ironically we didn't ride much during most of Jan and Feb as conditions were simply too wet. However things have changed of late and we've been out plenty. Plenty of riding means plenty of cleaning.
The first ride out proved to be a perfect opportunity to test the Wet Chain Lube as one of the bikes had lost its freewheel capability, kicking the chain off whenever my eldest stopped pedalling. It took about five minutes of careful application to get it up and running again, but I was thankful for having popped it in the saddle bag before leaving - I'd been looking for a properly sealable small bottle of oil for just this purpose for some time, disappointed that many of the options in the shops have a flimsy push-fit cap, unsuitable for bumping around on a ride. Since the application a few weeks ago the freewheel has been running smoothly (it had seized thanks to the bike being sat in the rain for a week over New Year in case you are wondering). I like the fact that it's a biodegradable oil too, meaning that any excess that dripped off onto the riverside path we were on at the time is not leaving permanent pollution.
The Bike Cleaner & Degreaser comes in a large bottle with a trigger and nozzle much like many household cleaning products. Twist the cap and you can create a mist or a jet. Squirt it on to the dirty bike, leave it for a few minutes, and then rinse off with water. It works well enough, though it does leave an oily pattern on the patio afterward which I am not so keen on. It contains emulsifiers too so once it's washed off it clings to the bike and helps repel water in the future.
The Bike Maintenance Spray is, I guess, the equivalent of WD40 or whatever you use to protect your gears etc. It also comes in a cleaning product style bottle, so no aerosol which is a bonus.
The Bike Polish and Frame Protector is a thick gloopy fluid much like car polish, obviously purple, and applied with a cloth. It's a time consuming job, but somebody has to do it. It helps to literally shine the bike back to life, but also protects it too thanks to the waxes and silicones that it contains.
The floss cleaners are effectively glorified pipe cleaners used for getting into the nooks and crannies that abound on bikes. They are reusable, and offer an excellent way to clean chains, groupsets, and other awkward parts.
Purple Harry products are manufactured in Britain. They aren't bargain basement cheap - the above collection will set you back around £35, but that's not a lot of money if you set it against the increased longevity of your bikes and components.