If you thought the mere existence of electric bikes was triggering enough, well now purveyors of arguably the best bike cleaner around have lit the blue touch paper and run away. Yes that's right, today sees the release of an e-bike-specific range of cleaners, lubes and frame protection sprays from Muc-Off.
The range, says Muc-Off, answers some of the issues that apparently have arisen from e-bike riders using regular cleaning products on their e-bikes, which mostly pertain to the need to rinse bikes after cleaning products have been applied with water.
This water, Muc-Off says, then has the potential to cause maintenance issues further down the line with the bike's electrics.
The range consists of a bike cleaning spray with an associated chain cleaning spray. Then there's the anti-corrosion spray for post-cleaning care along with chain lubes: ceramic, wet and dry.
Muc-Off Waterless Wash and Dry Chain Cleaner
Traditional bike cleaners require you to spray on, agitate and rinse to get the perfect finish. The new Waterless Wash is designed to be sprayed on and then wiped off with a microfibre cloth, taking any muck with it — so no rinsing required.
Likewise, the Dry Chain Cleaner is designed to be sprayed on and then wiped off, without a rinse or water dispersal needed afterwards.
Muc-Off Ultra Corrosion Defence
This product's main role is to penetrate into hard to reach areas and drive out water. It then leaves a thin film that protects ferrous metals from rust, as well as helping to keep mechanisms running free. It can be sprayed on battery terminals and all around the motor.
Muc-Off says that the Ultra Corrosion Defence spray also helps by dissolving rust and offers a significant amount of protection from rust and wear over time.
Muc-Off All Weather, Ceramic Dry and Ceramic Wet lube
A lot of load goes through an e-bike chain, and I've been on numerous rides where a poorly lubed chain does feel horrific on an e-bike. Whether there's mileage in Muc-Off's claim that the 'extreme pressure additives' will make a massive difference over a regular lube, I'm not sure.
However, Muc-Off says that the lubes have been designed with e-bikes in mind, so who are we to argue?
There's an All Weather lube designed for long rides on- or off-road in all conditions. Then there's a wet lube, which leaves a ceramic coating on the chain for extra protection. You can use a UV light to check proper coverage as there are UV tracers in the lubricant.
The dry lube is pretty similar too, though instead of being 'waterproof' it doesn't attract dust, making it more appropriate for those long dusty summer laps in the woods.
While this is not a full test, I sprayed some of the Waterless Wash, Dry Chain Cleaner and Ultra Corrosion Defence on a mildly mucky e-MTB to see how it looked, and, as you can see, it's certainly cleaner than it was.
How it will work over the winter will be another matter, but I'll keep spraying!
Muc-Off e-bike range pricing
- Waterless Wash 750ml: £11.99 / €14.99
- Dry Chain Cleaner 500ml: £9.99 / €12.99
- Ultra Corrosion Defence 485ml: £14.99 / €17.99
- All Weather Chain Lube 400ml: £9.99 / €14.99
- Dry and Wet weather lubes 50ml: £6.99 / €8.99
