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Product Reviews: Finishline Cleaning Products
By Dave Osborne
Jun 25, 2004, 11:55
Finish Line Bike Wash.
…continued. Click here for part one of our Finishline product review.
Now that you have your new apron on, it’s time to get down to business.
Years ago, the first cleaning products I purchased were the Finishline parts washer kit, grunge brush, chain cleaning kit, and eco tech degreaser. After years of use, I don’t have any regrets and only one minor complaint. I wish the tube on the sprayer nozzle in the parts cleaner kit was sturdier.
I don’t want to sound like a late night infomercial, but Finish Line products really are simple and effective. Use the Bike Wash by spraying on, letting it foam up, then rinse off. It cuts road grime and the ever present gunk that forms when lube and dirt mixes. No, BikeWash doesn’t harm the paint, tires, cables, or even the environment! You’ll have to talk to the chemist who started Finish Line Technologies Company to explain what’s in it. All I know is that it is effective.
Finish Line Grunge Brush.
If you need to get some stubborn grime from the nooks and crannies, the Grunge Brush conquers all! I use it to get between the front rings and cassette gears. Spray some Citrus Degreaser on the bristles of the brush and it will do the job. Yes, the three sided head of the Grunge Brush is great for cleaning chains but there is something even better for that.
It doesn’t do any good to clean the cassette and rings of you don’t clean the chain and vice versa. The Finish Line Bicycle Chain Cleaning Kit is a must. Open the top cover and slide it under the chain. Hook the idler arm over the derailleur. Pour in the Eco Tech 2 Degreaser, close the lid and turn the crank backwards. The chain cleaner remains in place and the chain is efficiently guided through it. There is no splattering while the three sets of brushes go to work. After a few seconds, unhook the cleaner and wipe down the chain. To complete the process, lube the chain with the supplied Teflon Plus lubricant.
Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit.
Speaking of lube, don’t forget to do this step after cleaning. Finish Line Technologies didn’t stop with just cleaning products. If you are getting down and dirty doing a rebuild or putting in a new bottom bracket, there’s something for you. The syringe style container of Ti-Prep assembly lube will keep all threaded parts from seizing. This especially holds true for titanium and aluminum. I’ve never been afraid to torque down some ti bolts into an aluminum frame when I applied a speck of Ti-Prep. I was always able to loosen them without any trouble. To keep your bearings in new condition, the Premium Grease will protect them. I’ve used the Premium Grease in headset bearings that after three years of use looked new. Application is made easy with the Grease Injection Pump. The pump screws onto any 9/16 tube. Squeeze the bottom of the tube lightly to push the air out of the top of the tube of grease, and then pump the gun. I like the long nozzle of the gun and the ergonomic fit. It’s easy to get into tight places.
Finish Line Speed Clean.
Everybody likes a quickie now and then and that’s when Speed Clean is the can to grab. Shoot a little of this on some grime and it dissolves. Forget about having to drag the hose out to rinse it off. Speed Clean evaporates away and leaves a dry surface. As a bonus, the formula of Speed Clean also displaces moisture.
Whenever you can describe something as simple, easy, and effective, you know it is good. I see many professional teams using Finish Line products because they work. I have used them for years and will continue to do so without hesitation. “Finish Line believes that a team approach is the right approach, and perhaps the only approach for bringing superior products to market at prices that the average person can afford.” I completely concur with this statement from Finish Line. They not only sell products but provide information and assistance on their use. I anticipate even better products since they entered into an agreement with Dupont.
It doesn’t matter what bike; road, mountain, BMX, or even motorized, these products will get you to the Finish Line!
Support Roadcycling.com by buying Finishline products online at PerformanceBike (search for finish line, not finishline).
