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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: JUNE 26th
HOW DO WE DECIDE OUR OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
Blub Bio Degreaser
1 Litre £13.99
Blub Bio Degreaser is an environmentally friendly degreaser dispensed by a trigger pump spray which seems to be kind to all paint jobs and most materials (I haven’t tried it on leather saddles, but why would I?) you are likely to want to degrease. Gentle to nature does not mean wimpy, and whilst trigger sprays don’t generally match the raw power of some aerosol degreasers, you are not paying for propellants and can mix things more economically, too, in, for example a chain bath. This is a highly competitive market but the Blub Bio Degreaser has plenty to offer, in addition to eco-cred.
Pros: easy to use, safe.
Cons: stronger formulas are available.
Spec
This is a pump-spray degreaser that is friendly to both the environment and any components and surfaces on your bike. That promises easy use and it won’t cause problems when you wash it away into the soil. Its neutral pH supports this. Beyond that, there is little to say – but there’s a lot to be said for simplicity.
Application 3.75/5
Begin by rinsing the drivetrain. Next, just give it a little shake and spray away all over the drive train. It froths up allowing even distribution, or lack of it, to be identified. It soon settles down and sets to work. Give it a few moments, then get to work with the brush or other agitator – especially if the cassette or chain rings have been adventuring in the gloop. With horrifically encrusted drive trains a second dose has been helpful. Mind you, which of us ever lets their bike get into such a despicable state?
Wash the lot away with some clean water, stand back, and survey your work.
Although environmentally-friendly, take the usual precautions both for yourself and others.
Picking up the wrong bottle one afternoon, I tried using it as a bike wash before realising my mistake. It was very effective, so I diluted some and gave a lightly soiled machine a decent blow-over. Probably a bit wasteful, but nice to know in an emergency. Thank Heaven for its kindness to all materials!
Performance 3.75/5
First up was a new chain. Usually riding a few miles with the manufacturer’s protective coating. With some nice new Blub Chain Lube to test I forewent the preliminary miles and did away with the light lube with a single spray and a wipe with a rag. Well, you’d expect that from a degreaser.
On the commuter-hack the drive train has received a lot of punishment from a mixture of surfaces. With seven of the ten-mile commute on a canal towpath that provides a range of pollutants, ranging from mud and leaf mulch, long lines of puddles in series, and light gravel, there’s plenty to gum things up. Add to that some perambulations down some flooded country lanes (this has been a particularly wet winter and spring in England) alternating with the generous contributions from Daisy the Dairy Cow and her friends, and it was soon time for a really good clean up.
The Blub Chain Lube is pretty decent at dropping dirt from the chain, but chain rings, rear derailleurs, and cassette were pretty gruesome. I followed the application process with a single-dose and agitated away. The grime was already dripping off – not to the extent of some of the more powerful aerosol degreasers which blast off some of the lumpier inhabitants – but noticeably having an impact. What was impressive was the way the clean water – administered from a watering can – left things looking pretty good. A wipe with a cloth and the chain looked pretty good and the rear derailleur was pretty much gunge free, with the exception of the top jockey wheel. Things may not have impressed the bike-hygiene police, but for a hard-working bike that attracts little attention, it all seemed pretty good. Certainly, things ran smooth and silent when re-lubed and the work-week began again.
There’s been a similar impact in two further clean ups on other bikes – although both were less soiled. This included the quick destruction on the remnants of a wax lube, and the quick removal of a wet lube in the chain bath. I have noticed no ill-effects on paintwork, rubber, plastic, or anodised components.
Is it better than others? Whilst it has performed well, I’d not necessarily rate it more highly than other pump-spray degreasers I have used. Equally, it has dealt with gunge very competently. I’ve got the feeling that it will do very well on dry gritty grime that accumulates in the greasy nooks during summer cycling. I look forward to some protracted dry weather to enable me to find out.
Value 3.75/5
Crankalicious Limon Velo is a very strong water-based pump spray which they say is “deliberately stronger” than other formulas. It is significantly pricier (£12 for 500ml). and it does need greater care and may not be so kind to all components and finishes.
Weldtite Citrus Degreaser is a useful staple and comes in a 1 litre container, allowing you tom mix up your own strengths. Cheaper than the Blub, it is a useful staple, but may not be so effective when faced with the kind of stuff that has faced the Blub in this test.
More directly comparable is Zefal Bio Degreaser, which is safe on all surfaces. Easy to use, Michael found that there was a “distinct knack” to marrying effectiveness with economy. It is cheaper, but the Blub probably has the edge when it comes to power.
Green Oil’s various degreasers have excellent eco-credentials. Green Oil Agent Apple is pretty ferocious and needs care with paintwork. Green Oil Degreaser Jelly is a different concept, but has no wastage, is easy to use, and is portable on a long tour.
Summary
Blub Bio Degreaser is competitively priced, effective, safe and easy to use, as well as being reasonably frugal. There’s nothing not to like and a good deal to appreciate. This is a competitive market, but I’d say that this is a realistic competitor when it comes to my next purchase.
