Naked Bikes Pure Bike Shampoo

Naked Bikes Pure Bike Shampoo is a special formula of, apparently, 'finest grade oils', designed to protect your frame's wax coating while giving it a good clean. When it comes to massive hose-downs, it's not quite as aggressive as some cleaners, but it's perfect for riders who like to give their bike a regular sprucing.

• Pros: Decent cleaning performance; claimed to help maintain frame finish long-term
• Cons: Better for regular washes than big cleans; smell won't appeal to all

Naked Bikes has some specific claims for its Pure Bike Shampoo, such as its 'specific blend of the finest grade oils clean without shortening the lifespan of your wax coating'. By eliminating thickeners, salts, bulking agents, gloss enhancers and wax, Naked Bikes says its Pure Bike Shampoo is only full of 'good stuff', which will clean your bike without harming it. It's not just purified water and good intentions, though, as the warning not to get it in your eyes and/or mouth highlights.

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Application is straightforward. Spray down the bike first, add 15-25ml of shampoo to a 20-litre bucket of warm water, then use a sponge or mitt to clean. Rinse the sponge or mitt in fresh water in between passes, don't over scrub, and give the bike a thorough rinsing afterwards. Then dry as normal.

Performance

The first thing to note is that, in its undiluted form, Pure Bike Shampoo is proper gloopy and thick – you won't be using a full bottle of this in a hurry. And despite all the guff in the blurb and instructions about it being devoid of unnecessary additives, it actually smells quite fragrant. Perhaps a little too much like a mini-cab air freshener, but certainly not the all-organic concoction I was expecting. It makes up a good lather, which was quite a surprise, too.

When it comes to removing dirt from your bike, Pure Bike Shampoo is decently effective. When diluted to the recommended levels, it takes a few passes to remove super stubborn muck, but that's to be expected. If anything, it seems to have about the same impact as typical spray-on washes, although with the added advantage of the dirt being agitated by the sponge or mitt as you apply it.

Obviously, at this stage we can't comment on the claims that it'll extend the lifespan of your bike's finish, but all the signs are good and this is probably one of the best options for anybody who wants a decent cleaner for once-a-week washes.

Value and conclusion

With so many cleaners coming ready-diluted in spray bottles, Naked Bikes Pure Bike Shampoo looks like very good value. While you might get only 10 or a dozen washes out of a spray, this bottle of concentrate will last at least 20 washes, even using it at its most concentrated. Of similar products we've tested, Crankalicious Mud Honey we felt was good value and comes in only £3 cheaper, so Pure Bike is still pretty good.

In summary, then, Naked Bikes Pure Bikes Shampoo is a good cleaner that is more suited to regular washes and spruce-ups than almighty crud-encaked challenges. If its long-term benefits are as Naked Bikes claims, it's an effective – and relatively cheap – way to keep your pride and joy looking better for longer.

Verdict

Very good regular bike wash devoid of additives that is designed to be kind to your bike's finish