A clean bike is a happy bike

We’ve all heard it before, keep your bike clean and it’ll not only last longer, but you’ll also get a nice warm glow of satisfaction afterwards. But it isn’t half a lot of faff and all you’re going to do is get it dirty again anyway.

Luckily, Juice Lubes have a range of cleaning products which promise to make the whole process a lot easier. Easier means quicker and that means even more time to spend riding your bike. Result!

Here’s our take on our pick of the products and how they fared after washing down some filthy bikes which had just come in from a mucky ride.

Dirt Juice Bike Cleaner £7.99 1 litre

They say: A powerful, kind-on-paint and fast-acting bike wash that’s tough enough for the worst of the British winter.

Squirty bike cleaners promise to break down the mud and crud that is caked on your bike. Making it a lot easier to hose off the offending detritus so you can get to work with a sponge to get rid of the more stubborn bits. The Juice Lubes Bike Cleaner is a little cheaper than a certain pink cleaner and just as, if not more effective at cutting through the filth. It also has a nice fruity smell, if that is your thing.

Dirt Juice Bike Cleaner from juice Lubes

Dirt Juice. Spray on, have brew, hose off.

Compared to just hosing down the bike, spraying the bike all over with the bike cleaner beforehand and allowing it a few minutes to soak before hosing, is a lot more effective. But you still need to put in the elbow grease after a hosing.

Juice Lubes also sell a concentrated option, ‘Dirty Juice Super’ which is priced at £11.99 for 1 litre. Diluted down, that will provide you with around 10 litres of bike wash. Which is much better value for money.

Comparable performance to other bike cleaning solutions, cheaper than the bigger brands.

Dirt Juice Boss £14.99 500ml

They say: a powerful, fast acting chain cleaner that’ll bring buggered bits back to brilliance.

I initially tried this undiluted on a neglected, oily old chain, just brushing it on and then rinsing off. Doing so was much more effective than other degreasers at removing the thick oil deposits which had accumulated on the chain and jockey wheels. Used in conjunction with Juice Lubes’ Dirty Little Scrubber chain cleaning tool, this proved to be a revelation in chain cleaning.

The Boss! If you want a clean chain, this really is the Boss.

A penny off £15 is a lot of coin for half a litre, but it’s impressive stuff and very powerful. And a little goes a long way. Use it with the Dirty Little Scrubber below to make the process a whole lot quicker.

Pricy but seriously impressive at busting through even the thickest oily filth we could find.

Dirty Little Scrubber £12.99

They say: Buffs your chain to sparkling with no mess and no hassle for crisper shifts and longer lasting bits.

I’ve never had much luck with ‘mechanised’ chain cleaners before. Most are made from brittle plastic that cracks or the wheeled brushes wobble out of their housings and jam. Whatever happens, I usually always end up with an oily mess on the patio and the chain is just as dirty as before I started.

The Dirty Little Scrubber in action. Making a filthy chain all sparkly again.

The Dirty Little Scrubber is a lot tougher than similar cleaners I’ve used and even after several uses is still as good as new. Fill it to the indicated line with their Boss chain cleaner, attach to the chain and turn the cranks. The brushes will get to work deep into the chain and buff it up in no time. I hate cleaning chains and put it off until the things look like they’re encrusted in Tarmac. With this handy device, I have got my oily black chains gleaming like new again.

Painless, clean and takes no time at all. The only downside? You’ll have no excuse for a filthy chain ever again.

Frame Juice £10 400ml

They say: The secret formula for a beautiful bike that leaves your bits shining and repels mud on your next ride.

Frame Juice is an aerosol spray for application after you’ve washed your bike. It claims to add shine and also repel mud. It certainly adds a shine, I found it worked a treat on a raw carbon frame which had gone a dull grey, returning it to stealthy black glory. As a mud repellant, I’m more sceptical.

Frame Juice is great for sprucing up your bike and making it shine with minimal effort.

The spray is very effective at returning the showroom shine to your bike and a lot quicker than resorting to polishing your bike with wax polish. Spray on, wipe off with a cloth – Juice Lubes own ‘Sponge Bob Clean Parts’ cloths are perfect for the job as they’re super soft and washable. As with all sprays, you’ve got to be careful and keep it away from your brake discs!

Matte finish bikes are notorious at looking dull and tired after a few grubby rides. No matter how thorough you wash them, they always end up looking a little shabby. A spray over with Frame Juice revitalises the finish and gives a nice satin shine.

An effortless way to make your bike shine again. Just take care where you spray it.