If you ever see Bruce from ProGold at an event, go over and say hi. Besides being able to grab some free samples, he’ll tell you why his products are the best on the market. He’s not apologetic about it either. If a pro rider he sponsors is near by, he’ll introduce you to them, and have them tell you why they use his products. I mean, if Katie Compton is after his products, they must be pretty good.
Since Bruce sent me a package earlier this year, and I’ve had a chance to try almost everything in his line. After riding rain or shine on the road, through dusty and muddy cyclocross courses, and talking to the likes of Arley Kemmerer (PB2 Pro Cycling), Jessica Cutler (Jamis Bikesport p/b WA Bike Law), and Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective), I’m starting to believe Bruce when he says his products are the best out there.
Whether you ride cross, road, mountain, or are just a commuter, taking care of your entire bike is important. It’s not just keeping your drivetrain running smoothly, but also making sure you are cleaning and protecting your frame from the crap out on the road. And if you live in Amish Country like I do, yes, there literally is crap on the road. The American made ProGold line has just about everything you need to care for your bike, and Bike World News had a chance to test them all out. In this first of two installments, we will tell you all about cleaning and protecting your bike. The second article will tell you all about their lubricant products.
First step, blast the mud and gunk off with a power washer or a hose. Remember, don’t shoot the water directly at any bearings. Next step, clean the drivetrain.
This isn’t what you are going to use on your chain, the Blast Off Degreaser is for your cassette and derailleur. The Blast Off uses a powerful aerosol spray to get all the crud, grass, and muck out from between the cogs and any hard to reach spot. It will also clean out any lube that might have built up over time, and leaves a corrosion inhibitor to stop your cassette from rusting. The nice thing is, it does not need to be rinsed off with water, it dries quickly, and doesn’t leave an oily residue.
The Blast Off works great when you are cleaning your bike after the race, but always keep a bottle handy for the pits at cross races. If it is a nasty day like the 2013 Louisville Masters World Championships, a can of Blast Off could be the difference between a world title, and a DNF. Just be careful about spraying it on any painted surfaces. If you do, rinse thoroughly with water. If you are using it to clean up after a race, pop your wheel off to clean the cassette, or use a rag (better yet, a ProTowel) to keep it from spraying on the frame.
Aerosol can – $10.99
The Foaming Citrus Degreaser is the first of a two part process to clean your chain, but can also be used on cassettes and derailleurs when the brute force of Blast Off is not needed. The foam sprays on thick and works it’s way deep into drivetrain as it breaks down. It also comes with a small tube that can be fitted onto the spray head to pinpoint the spray to even the tightest of areas. Besides doing an incredible job cleaning your drivetrain, the citrus smell is a nice change when compared to other degreasers out there, even those that call themselves citrus degreasers.
After your race or soggy ride home from the office, spray the chain down with the Foaming Citrus Degreaser. As the foam starts to break down, slowly spin the cranks backwards to help it get into all the pivots to eat away any built up lube and grime. For a really caked up chain, cassette, or derailleur pulleys, feel free to get in there with a toothbrush and a second shot of degreaser. You don’t really need to go overboard though, as it is pretty powerful stuff. Once your drivetrain is nice and clean, spray down the areas you used the degreaser on and around with the hose to remove the product and any grim it ate up. It’s water based, so the hose will wash it away and leave your chain ready to lube. You aren’t done yet though, there is one more step to really clean up your chain.
Aerosol can – $15.99
If you prefer to use a chain cleaning tool, or take your chain off to clean it, this is the product you want to use. Even if you keep your chain on, some Chain Shine and a paint brush will do the trick. Made from all natural products, it will cut through the grime just as well as the Foaming Citrus Degreaser. Personally, I like to use the Foaming Citrus Degreaser first, and then use the Chain Shine to polish the chain up. What you are left with is what really looks like a brand new chain. I’ve never used a degreaser that made my chain look this good.
If I’m doing a quick cleaning, I’ll use the brush method and make sure I spray the chain and surrounding area with a hose to wash away the Chain Shine. For a deep cleaning though, I’ll take the chain off and coil it up in a container and pour in some Chain Shine to just cover the chain. After swirling it around a bit, I’ll let the chain sit while I clean up the rest of the frame so the Chain Shine can really soak in. When it is time to put the chain back on, grab a ProTowel, and wipe the chain several times making sure to get all sides of the chain. After one final dunk in the Chain Shine, run the chain under water to wash away the degreaser and prepare it to be relubed. Just make sure you relube the chain shortly after degreasing it. As for the Chain Shine I used, unless the chain is extremely dirty or greasy, I’ll usually use the Chain Shine to clean the chain again before discarding it.
16 oz. bottle – $20.97
When you are at a race, and space is a premium, or you want a simple solution for quick cleanings when your bike isn’t trashed, the ProGold Degreaser+Wash is your go-to product to clean everything on your bike. It can be used in a bucket or sprayed onto a rag for a quick wipe down. The best part it, it is safe on everything on your bike, carbon, metal, plastic, it doesn’t matter. So far, I haven’t found any mud, sand, dried on worms, or road grime that wasn’t cleaned off with the Degreaser+Wash and a little bit of elbow greaser and a towel or brush.
It’s a concentrated product, so a one part Degreaser+Wash, and three parts water is a typical dilution if you are putting it in a bucket to clean your frame. For your drivetrain, just spray it right on without diluting it. Let it work in, and spin the crank backwards as your wipe the chain down. Give the chain a spray with the hose to clean away any crude and degreaser. For quick wipe downs, take a clean rag, soak it in water, wring it out, and then give it two or three good sprays every so often, and you should be set. Use one towel for the frame, and another from the drivetrain. After I clean the frame, I take another wet towel, without any Degreaser+Wash, to wipe down the frame one last time if I don’t have a hose to spray it down with.
16 oz. bottle – $11.95
1 gallon bottle – $29.99
I’ve mentioned ProTowels already a few times, because they are just that versatile, and one of my favorite products from ProGold. Frame, drivetrain, saddle, hoods and bar tape, shoes, helmets, your body, there is nothing that these wipes can’t tackle. Just don’t use them on untreated carbon.
The towels are 8″x12″, have a dual texture, and feel more like a durable linen than a flimsy paper towel. The rough side scrubs and the smooth side wipes. They are treated with a citrus solvent to clean your bike and aloe and sunflower oil to keep your hands from drying out like other wipes and solvents can.
They really are awesome. You can use these as your rags for cleaning your bike, or you can use them to clean your arms and legs off after a ride. One area I think they work incredibly on is brake hoods. My cross bike has Cannondale green, and my singlespeed cross bike has white. Neither stay clean, but with a little bit of scrubbing, both stay pristine. After you clean the hoods and bar tape, hang on to them and use them with the other cleaners on the frame and chain.
One of the best things about them, you can get them in a tub or individual packets. The tub is great for the shop or the trunk of your car, while the individual packets fit perfectly in your jersey pocket, saddle bag, gear bag, tool role, or luggage. Remember that time that your friend dropped their chain on a ride and then their hands were dirty from the chain? The individual packet you stashed in your bag would be perfect to clean up their hands.
Tub – $30.00
When it’s time to give your bike a thorough washing, it’s time for Bike Wash. It’s safe to use on carbon and metal frames, components, and even fabrics. Just spray it on, wipe your frame down with a clean towel, and if you want, hose it down. It’s really that simple. It might not be as sexy as some of the other products in the line, but it doesn’t have to when it is straight forward and does the job.
The bike wash works great to clean off the dust and road grime, sweat, whatever leaked out of your bottle, and anything else that sticks to your frame. I prefer to use it in conjunction with the other cleaning products I talked about above to completely clean everything on my bike. I’ve even used it to clean up my Giro Mountain Empire’s after a muddy cross race.
16 oz. spray – $8.99
1 gallon jug – $20.99
One area that often gets over looked when cleaning your bike is a post washing protector. Do you have to use one, no, but if you want to make your bike shine like the day you bought it and make it even easier to clean in the future, take the time to use the Bike Shine. You’ll thank Bruce.
Every time I see Bruce, Bike Shine always comes up in talking about the products. It really is important. First, it gives your frame a great finish, even if it is matte. It gives my CAAD10 Black Inc, with a matte black anodized frame, a wet shine look. On my SuperX, it shines like the day it left the production line. Beyond being a polish, it also protects your frame from the sun’s rays that can fade the finish.
Another benefit is that it makes it just a little bit harder for dirt and grime to stick to your frame. This makes it easier to clean, and also gives you an advantage in nasty cross races that your pit person will thank you for.
When applying, you can spray it on the frame, or onto a clean rag, and wipe down your frame. You don’t need to wipe or hose it off, so after you wipe the frame down, you are done. For your cross and mountain bike, go a little heavy on the downtube or any other areas where dirt and mud build up. It will help keep it from building up better than an untreated frame, and make it easier for your pit person to blast off.
16 oz. spray – $19.99
With your bike cleaned up, time to turn to your other gear. The Helmet Cleaner & Deodorizer helps deal with the funk in your helmet and shoes. How often do you think about cleaning your helmet? Probably not often. After a while though, your gear starts to stink. You sweat on the pads and straps, you get dirt and mud on it on just about all of it, so you have to do something to clean it. Then there are your shoes. Again, you sweat in them and after some soggy days on the bike, they are going to eventually be pretty bad too.
The Helmet Cleaner & Degreaser is another aerosol can, and once sprayed on, the cleaner turns to foam. Give it a few minutes to soak in, and then run your helmet under some water. If there are any stubborn areas, give it another spray and once it foams up, scrub it down. For shoes, I spray the insides and out, and after it has a chance to foam up and work into the material, take a clean, dry rag and wipe everything down. Give your shoes a chance to dry before wearing them again.
Aerosol can – $11.99
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year