Bought a nice new white road bike for the 14 mile commute to work just before new year.
I've used it every day for last two weeks (I'm in London where snow = slush). I was dismayed to see when I cleaned it at the weekend that around the brake area - but also along seat and chain stays a horrible black spotty residue that is like tar and very hard to get off. It's on both wheels and is almost like the black spots you get from hot brake dust on car alloys. It wipes off but only with lots of finger pressure grease. I can only assume it from the brake pads which came with my Boardman Team carbon. Has anyone seen this before? Iv'e ridden MTB's for over 15 years and never seen anything like it. The ony other source could possible be the tyre eating my new crud race gaurds (or vica-vers) but nothing seems to be rubbing.
How do I clean it off? It seems like something spirit based might work but I dont want to knacker the paint or frame.
Also - If its the pads - what recommendations for all purpose stoppers for SRAM Rivals please? Someone told mee Swissstop but at £22 a pair they seem a bit steep. I can buy new Rival shoes and pads for that.
Any help welcome!
it's commonly known as 'road grime' - it's just a build of crap off the roads and diesel
meths will get it off
'Road Grime'....
Why did no one tell me off such stuff before I bought a white frame....
It's like bloody spray on tar!
Sod this -
I'm getting back on the mountain bike......I understand mud.
ugger, I've just got a white/carbon frame 😯
quick wipe over of the frame with either gt85 or the specific stuff that x-lite make will make future cleaning a lot easier.
Best not get it on the rims, though.
You have discovered "road grime".
A horrible mix of diesel, rubber, road salt, oil, water, soot and brake pad residue that gets everywhere! Drop the wheels out and spray the frame liberally with GT85 (taking care not to get it on the brake blocks). Leave to dry, do not wipe off.
Next time it gets dirty it'll be a lot easier to clean it all off.
That will seve you right for getting the Gucci Limited Edition Boardman in white......my bog standard one is colour matched for aforementioned road grime.
Cheers everyone.
Can of GT85 waiting and at the ready...for when I have stripped all the paint and top weave of carbon off cleaning off the grime with meths.
Ltd ed. white. lovely.
I'm not a name - I am a number... 299.
🙂
Any recommendations for new blocks as I appear to be half way through these?!
If you want to do the rims then try an enamel rubber. It's pretty much the same as the £15 mavic rim rubber but costs £1.50 from toolstation. Like Mtbs road bikes are easier to clean while the drt is still wet. Keep some old towels handy to wipe it down at the end of a ride.
I've found wet wipes or baby wipes an effective way of cleaning my road bike (which is also white)
How are you halfway through the brake pads? I just get dura-ace ones and they last me for yonks and yonks. I get through chains nearly as quickly as brake pads.
You could try applying wax to your bike, that might help with the cleaning. Also, a clay block is supposed to help remove sticky tar.
Get some Crud road racers, they're great and keep all kinda of road based crap off yer frame.
My white roadie was still mostly white after a 30 mile ride the other day 🙂
I have some and after 280 miles they weren't quite enough...
when you change pads get koolstop salmon ones, pretty cheap and much better compound than most OEM pads
280miles to a set of pads ? where do you ride on your road bike - the peak district !
I may be wrong....it's hard to tell with all the gunk they are encased in.
There has been a lot of grit on the road....not quite Cutgate path though.
scotster
Number 067 here.
Topper. I dare you to start a 'Where and who is each number post?'
#299 - Scotster - Richmond, Surrey.
Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover. Absolutely brilliant - wipe it on, leave a couple of minutes, wipe off, and it's designed for paint so won't do anything nasty. Nearest branch of Halfrauds will stock it
You did bed your brake pads in right?
Thanks Captain!
geoff - Bed them in?? You mean pull some skids?? 🙂