I’ve ridden and abused bikes for over 50 years now. I don’t purposely or maliciously abuse them, I just use bikes as they were intended. And that means a load of dirt and road gunk that often gets jammed up in gearing. Fortunately, I ride single speed 700c fixies which means just a front and rear gear sprocket to worry about, but that’s enough. Too much dirt accumulating on the chain and sprockets results in gear teeth being ground down to nubs or chains skipping (take it from somebody who has done both). Nothing like having your gears lock up at 25 mph to grab your attention – quickly. My go-to wash for years has been the cheap method of water and dishwashing liquid from a spray bottle, but that only goes so far. Before I ordered this product I visited the Sta-Bil website and soon discovered the Amazon page is mirror copy of their online product page. No additional information there and not even a review, so this must be a new product. Mind you, Sta-Bil is an established company, especially in the automotive arena; however, don’t confuse their engine products with this version. That being said, Sta-Bil offers a bike wash, too, but it appears to be an all-in-almost-one solution that can be used on all bike parts including handlebars, saddles, etc. As the title states, this product is for cleaning the chain and drivetrain and, obviously, not anything else. It also states it’s, “Perfect for hard-to-reach areas of drivetrain”. Hmmm, let’s put that to the test. First you shake the bottle to mix the contents up, spray your gearing, agitate with a brush, wait a couple minutes and then rinse with water. Simple enough, eh? Well, here’s my problem with that scenario. The spacing in between my crank and bottom bracket is maybe all of an eighth inch. And because of the aluminum framing on my bike, I can’t get anything in between that gap without removing the crank. I’ve tried various brushes (stiff bristles damage the paint and my one attempt with a silicone brush was a substantial failure as the bristles pulled off and got stuck in the gap). The cleaner and degreaser can get in there, but not much else. So, brushless I go. I sprayed the liquid on the chain and sprockets and the tight space on the bottom bracket, let it set for a couple minutes, and hit the whole thing with my high pressure hose. Sure enough, most of the dirt, grease and grime disappeared. Along with any oil and lubrication that once was there (hence the term “degreaser”). Curiously, although it removed all the oil, grease and dirt from the chain, sprockets and aforementioned gaps, it removed nothing from the painted areas. Guess a high psi pressure washer will do if no brushes are available. And this mandates another step not mentioned – re-lubing the drivetrain so you don’t ride dry. Now on to another issue. This is listed as biodegradable; however, don’t confused that with non-toxic or safe. This is not a kiddie product and clearly has warnings on the label about skin and eye irritation along with usage in a well ventilated area. If you’re giving your kids something to clear their bikes with, use the dishwashing soap routine or plan on supervising their use with this product. Is this product worth the roughly $10 you’ll pay? Well, if you’ve done any research on bike cleaners you’ll discover this price is just about a steal. However, there is one beef I have and that may be a fluke. Directions state to shake the bottle before application and that’s exactly what I did. It leaked from the portion of the nozzle that screws into the bottle. Didn’t leak while spraying it, just while shaking it. Just remember to buy some lubricant, too. Overall, I have no concerns or bad comments to make, other than the leakage.
