Spit shining the trusty steed!

[CJ Smith]

A trusted mechanic once told me that a great cleaner for my painted finish was PLEDGE. Now, I have never acted on it because I had a tub of FRAME WAX... Fast FWD to today... I have a Kestrel Evoke w/ carbon finish. What could I use on it to make it look better. Shoot why not go for broke here. I have SRAM Force cranks and Ksyrium ES wheels...Michelin Pro Race2 tires... I want to make it all shiny, but I don't want to hot glue gun sequins all over my my bike ... Any suggestions from successful experiences ?Thanks for reading my post.
~CJ~

 

[HowardSteele]

A trusted mechanic once told me that a great cleaner for my painted finish was PLEDGE. ?Thanks for reading my post.
~CJ~

I take it you are refering to pledge spray on furnitue polish(MR MIN,DUSTBUSTER),
I remember a tip from somwhere that sugested spraying your saddle with it so your butt could shift effortlessly on the seat.(preventing chafing)
However i also recall reading that it is very good for removing decals,sray on leave overnight and they peel off.

 

[kleng]

Finishline Pro-Detailer - I use it on my carbon fibre frame and just about everything else on the bike except the handle bar tape, saddle and chain

http://www.bikesmart.com/index.cfm?menu=browse&cid=LUB&ssid=PAHMOAJGHEGMGMOD&ap=6.99&StartRow=1

 

[dhk2]

A trusted mechanic once told me that a great cleaner for my painted finish was PLEDGE. Now, I have never acted on it because I had a tub of FRAME WAX... Fast FWD to today... I have a Kestrel Evoke w/ carbon finish. What could I use on it to make it look better. Shoot why not go for broke here. I have SRAM Force cranks and Ksyrium ES wheels...Michelin Pro Race2 tires... I want to make it all shiny, but I don't want to hot glue gun sequins all over my my bike ... Any suggestions from successful experiences ?Thanks for reading my post.
~CJ~

My buddy has a new Evoke too; really like the clear finish with paint bands and logos. IMO, the problem with Pledge and other sprays is that you may have fine grit or dust on the frame that you end up covering and "grinding in" to the soft clearcoat.

Instead, suggest a small amount of mild detergent diluted in a bucket of warm water. Apply with a clean sponge while running a stream of water over the frame tube so any fine grit you touch gets washed away, rinse well, then dry gently with a clean soft cloth. My theory is that it's better to preserve the original factory shine as long as possible rather than start "polishing".

 

[warriorcliff77]

A product called Plexus. You can find it at your local motorcycle shop. I used it on the carbon fiber hood on my quad, and my helmet.

 

[John M]

A trusted mechanic once told me that a great cleaner for my painted finish was PLEDGE. Now, I have never acted on it because I had a tub of FRAME WAX... Fast FWD to today... I have a Kestrel Evoke w/ carbon finish. What could I use on it to make it look better. Shoot why not go for broke here. I have SRAM Force cranks and Ksyrium ES wheels...Michelin Pro Race2 tires... I want to make it all shiny, but I don't want to hot glue gun sequins all over my my bike ... Any suggestions from successful experiences ?Thanks for reading my post.
~CJ~

I was given some Pedros Bike Lust that works very well. Although I think that it isn't much different from Windex (way cheaper), which is what I use now for my bikes (which are all painted).

 

[BigUgly]

All I use is pledge. No soap on my bike!

 

[kaikane]

I was given some Pedros Bike Lust that works very well. Although I think that it isn't much different from Windex (way cheaper), which is what I use now for my bikes (which are all painted).

My LBS uses BikeLust and it makes my bike look great. The guy at the shop warned me, however, that the bike has to be COMPLETELY clean or else the dirt and grit will get fixed onto the frame by the polymer finish.

 

[Big-Ed]

Instead, suggest a small amount of mild detergent diluted in a bucket of warm water. Apply with a clean sponge while running a stream of water over the frame tube so any fine grit you touch gets washed away, rinse well, then dry gently with a clean soft cloth. My theory is that it's better to preserve the original factory shine as long as possible rather than start "polishing".

As a side note dont use washing up liquid - its full of salts.
I use a little car shampoo (with out wax), just the cheap stuff from asda (uk version of wallmart)