Bikes are Like Cars Only Littler

Way back when, I used to "show" my Jaguars, especially Felix. I'd get serious about detailing the car about a week before a show. It'd start with washing, which combined with the basic glaze and wax, took most of the first day. Various other items followed, including waxing the windshield with carnauba wax. For those that have never entered councours d'elegance - it's great if you are a masochist. Where else do you pay people to tell you how lousy your car is?

Well, the principle is exactly the same for detailing a bike. If you want your ancient steed or newer mount to look its best, learn a little detailing magic. Check out an auto detailing book from your library - almost ALL of it will apply to a bike.

NEVER let anybody in your family throw out an old toothbrush again! They're great for cleaning hubs, and chains, and all sorts of other items your fingers are too big to get into. Buy Simple Green in the giant economy size at Costco. Heck, you can use it on your car, too. Go to Pep Boys and look through the potions & lotions department. Got some faded rubber? Back to Black will make it look new. Got some bolts that want to rust? Meguiars has a host of products that will help. I favor Final Inspection myself. Those tires look dowdy? Just a smidge of tire shine on the sidewall, carefully wiped off will make them sharp.

Best of all, instead of a week, you can have your bike looking like something Mary Poppins would approve of ("practically perfect in every way") in just a day or two instead of a week. Bikes ARE different!

NOTE: The picture at left was my skewer "before." The picture at right was the same skewer after the paint pen took its first swipe. Now it looks "done." The Ritchie pedals also look pretty sweet now.

Give me a few days and I could even make Frankenbike pretty enough that a thief would take a second look - hmm, we could carry this detailing thing too far!