Bad Lag

Is there anything I can use that is as easy as wiping down the bike to clean it (dust, dirt, greasy-grimey,...) and leave behind some form of protection (oil, wax,...)?

Bad Lag

No one, eh?

Well, I'll do something,... something reversible. How does wiping down with Break Free CLP sound? The paint gets the Cleaner and the scratches get the Protectant.

rccardr 

Lemon Pledge.

miamijim

Any of the automotive detailing sprays will work.

Classtime 

I thought Finish Line bike cleaner worked nicely and used to get it at the local Performance. The pink stuff. I have some to use occasionally but these days usually wait a long time between washes and scrub with Dawn (avoiding bearings) then towel dry.

Desert Ryder

I always used lemon pledge on my motorcycles. I use it on my vintage thermoplastic carbon GT STS

jamesdak 

For a light cleaning I just go over the bike with a couple of lysol wipes. Then I go over it with Mequiars Quik Wax. I do this normally as I take out any given bike for the daily ride. If I sweated badly on one during the ride I'll wipe off the sweat with lysol wipes after the ride to keep the sweat from damaging the frame. The wax spray seems to keep the bikes well protected and lets me just wipe off any bugs, tar, etc, the bike may pick up on a ride.

xiaoman1 

After a wipe down to get the dirt off the above work very well.
Best, Ben

jamesdak 

In my early Army years we'd buff Pledge on top of the Johnson's paste wax to give your floor an incredible shine. One trick to win the barracks competition. But it also made things slick as all get out. When the 1SG busted his butt on my room floor I learned the hard way to never do that again, LOL! Works great on porcelain sinks and toilets too.

Insidious C. 

I bought Scwinn branded cleaner BITD that worked well as a single step cleaner/polish. IIRC it was silicone based and came in a spray can. Pedro's has a Silicone cleaner that I haven't tried but I expect similar results.

sdn40

Don't overthink it. Paint is paint. Treat it like your car. Still cringe whenever I see people using stiff bristle brushes on bike paint. Would you use it on your car ?

easyupbug 

For my road bikes I use Pledge on the paint and chrome, but first as you mentioned "greasy-grimey" with a cloth or paper towel with a little alcohol on it if needed attend to wheels, chainrings, chain, jockey wheels, pedals, etc. as I use oil based chain lube and if needed I will address any escaped grease or lube at seals and pivots recently lubed.

BradH

Ahhhh........I can smell the arms room already. In a different lifetime I was able to locate the bolt stop pin from a M2 Browning that had rolled off the top of a 113 onto the pine needle covered ground by its odor.

I always use automotive products but furniture polish would work too. I've used CLP to clean and lubricate moving parts but my stash is all but gone.

pastorbobnlnh 

This has been my go-to choice for over a decade. It has a pleasant smell and I refer to it as "Bike Cologne." I use it after nearly every ride to freshen up my bike.

Meguiar's Quik Wax, 24 oz.

Maohaus

I have Trek Bike Wash on all of my bikes - vintage and carbon, and just love it. It cleans the frame and components and, to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a negative result.

High praise: Bontrager Bike Wash | Trek Bikes

big chainring 

WD-40 cleans and protects. Buffs out to a nice shine.

Caliwild

+1

Been using this for years and I agree that the scent is just quite pleasant! Works like a charm on all but my matte black carbon bikes (for those I use the Muc-Off Matte cleaning spray)....

don_87ST

I’ve used Lemon Pledge exclusively on my bikes since 1988 and it helps tremendously in keeping them clean, waxed, and protected. Super easy to wipe off dirt. Cheap and easy to find.

Bosco13

Another vote for lemon pledge for bikes and motorcycles.

tyrion

I got a can of Boeshield to spray on the inside of my frame and it seems to dry to a non-sticky surface so I'm going to use that on the outside of the frame as well.

smd4

I prefer a ceramic wax.

Bad Lag

Wax on. Wax off is what I do not want to do.

The bike is filthy. I just want a quick improvement not a major cleaning.

goingup

If it's filthy, start with a hose and bucket and a soft bristle brush with some good dish soap. Follow up after it's mostly dry with a light degreaser like Simple Green on microfiber towels. That will leave it clean but kind of dull. If you want it to shine, I use 303 Protectant on the frame, disc wheels, rubber bits, etc., also applied with (different) microfiber towels.

browngw 

This is a Classic and Vintage Forum. We LIKE waxing and detailing our bikes. A clean and waxed bike is easy to keep clean. Often just a soft microfiber cloth will remove dust and restore the clean look.

Bad Lag

LOL!, thanks for that. I chuckled.

THAT is exactly what I do not want. LOL!