Bike cleaners and chain oils are now as common as sand on the beach, but unfortunately, not every manufacturer considers the environment when developing new bike care products. But it can be done differently, F100 shows how!
Proper care ensures that you enjoy your bike for a long time and that the flawless function of the components is guaranteed. Unfortunately, cleaners and care products inevitably end up in the soil or water. Not good for the environment!
Bike Cleaner – Do's & Dont's
Aggressive and acidic cleaners are not only bad for the environment, they can also corrode the material. Even dishwashing liquid (the go-to before the invention of special bike cleaners) is a no-go today! Bike cleaners are tailored to the materials, they are also available for specific components, for the brakes you can buy brake cleaner, there is carbon care, and so on.
Environmentally Friendly Bike Cleaners
Many manufacturers today pay attention to environmentally friendly cleaners and care products. The new F100 Bio Bike Cleaner and the Bio Chain Oil consist of at least 90% natural and renewable raw materials – we tried both bike care products. Here are our experiences:
Information about F100
↪ What does the manufacturer do differently?
F100 has taken a resource-saving path with its Bio Bike Cleaner and Bio Chain Oil. Both products consist of at least 90% natural and renewable raw materials – not perfect, but definitely good for the environment. That wasn't enough for the manufacturer, even the packaging of the bike care products is produced ecologically sustainably. Both the bottles and the labels are made of recyclable material.
The F100 Bio Bike Cleaner
The biological bike cleaner consists of more than 97% natural or renewable raw materials. It is also free of fragrances or dyes and guaranteed PH-neutral. Since it is completely acid-free , the material compatibility is ensured even with sensitive materials such as carbon or matte paint. The composition of the cleaner is intended to ensure that dirt (dust, mud, or oil) can be easily removed from the bike. The bike should simply be sprayed and rinsed with a garden hose after a contact time of 5-10 minutes.
F100 Bio Chain Oil
The lubricant – the bio chain oil – is also biodegradable, to protect nature and groundwater. Its environmental compatibility is even certified according to the OECD 301 (F) standard. This is a real advantage for nature, and the material (aka "your bike") benefits from the functional advantages.
F100 promises not a little here, namely
- high smoothness of all components
- high wear protection
- high lubrication performance
- corrosion protection
- a high creeping and adhesive effect
- noise reduction of moving parts
- long lubrication or maintenance intervals
The F100 Bicycle Care Products in Test
From a nature perspective, both the bio bicycle cleaner and the bio chain oil score points. But do the products deliver on their promises? We wanted to know if the bio bike care products also convince in practice. To find out, we first conscientiously completed the fun part of bicycle care: getting the bike dirty. Here is our test report:
Our Test Bike & Instructions
Our Octane One OMG test bike was sufficiently dirty after several test rides in the wet autumn and thus the perfect candidate for our F100 bicycle cleaner test.
| Here's how you do it: Spray the cleaner on the dirty bike, wait 5-10 minutes. Then you can rinse off dirt and cleaner with a strong jet of water. |
Sounds doable. So let's get started!
The F100 Bio Bicycle Cleaner in Action
The pump head of the spray bottle is easy to operate and sprays the cleaner thoroughly, so the bike is quickly and efficiently sprayed. A light foam forms on the surfaces immediately, and after a few seconds, dust, cleaner, and even thicker mud run downwards. The F100 bicycle cleaner visibly ensures that the dirt is removed from the surfaces.
On stubborn spots where the mud was thicker and hard dried, we helped a little with a wet sponge after the cleaner's exposure time. After that, the garden hose (not a pressure washer!) was completely sufficient to rinse the bike sparkling clean. Even in intricate corners, the F100 bike cleaner did a great job, the bicycle is really tip top clean! We used neither a sponge nor a brush, except on a few stubborn crusts, and still achieved a very respectable result, so the initial question is clearly answered for us: Away with chemical cleaners and towards biological products like the F100 cleaner!
Info on bicycle care in the Bike Blog
Bicycle cleaning & care in winter | Proper bicycle care | Proper bicycle cleaning
Biological chain care with F100
After washing comes chain care, so the next product went directly on the test bench.
| Here's how you proceed: The biologically based chain oil is first shaken and then thinly applied to the chain. |
Our experience with the environmentally friendly F100 chain oil
Since the oil is nice and thin, it is very easy and quick to apply. Despite the relatively thin consistency, the oil adheres well to the chain as promised in the description and does not drip - a clear plus point.
With the freshly lubricated chain, we were of course immediately back on the road. The chain runs smoothly and quietly, and even after a longer ride in rain and mud, the chain was still sufficiently covered with an oil film. From our point of view, there is no advantage in soaking your bicycle chain with chemicals.
Environmentally friendly bicycle care from F100 – our conclusion
Both the bike cleaner and the chain oil from F100 have done an excellent job. They convinced us not only on the functional side but also the application was easy and did not take more time than using the chemical club. The biological facts of the products clearly speak for disposing of the chemical clubs in the bicycle workshop and opting for sustainable products like those from F100.
Bicycle care & the tested products in the online shop
F100 brand shop | Bicycle cleaner | Lubricants | Cloths & brushes | Bicycle care
