Muc-Off 5 brush cleaning set

Bike cleaning is never fun and I'm always ready to greet anything that makes it easier with open arms. This five piece brush set from grot-busting specialist Muc-Off gets a slightly less enthusiastic welcome. It's not especially bad, it's certainly better than the Park Tools set I tested earlier this year, but it still doesn't really hit the spot.

The two prong brush is probably the best of the set, it's much tighter than the Park Tools equivalent and works quite well on narrow tubing, like chainstays and forks. The small detailing brush is useful for scrubbing components and the longer component brush works on wheel rims and hard to reach spots. The big soft brush would be fine on large flat surfaces, like car bonnets or motorbike panels, but it's not much use on a bike frame. The spiky little claw brush is there to scrape crud from between your sprockets but it's array of mohican like bristles are far too soft to be of much use.

Muc-Off boast that the nylon bristles are gentle on delicate surface finishes but I'd prefer to have slightly tougher brushes with a bit more clout. It's an expensive kit too, at £20, and when you work out that each brush has cost you £4 and could easily be replaced by something cheaper you realise that just because something has been sold as bike specific doesn't mean that it's more effective or worth the extra cash.

On the plus side, the brushes are well made, have nice ergonomic handles and do feel pleasant to use.

Verdict

Not bad for what they are, but a washing up brush, car sponge and old toothbrush will do the job better and for a lot less cash.