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review
2024 Oxford Bike Wash£8.99
VERDICT:
Pleasant smelling and it foams well, though not the most potent cleaner on truly filthy winter grime
Pleasant minty smell!
Foams up well
Concentrated refills available
Not the most potent
Not the most ergonomic trigger
Weight:
1,086g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Oxford Bike Wash is a very pleasant smelling, minty bike wash that foams up well, adds lubrication when washing your bike, and does a decent job at softening up the dirt, making cleaning easier. It isn't as potent as some cleaners when your bike's truly filthy, though, so you'll still have to put in some effort with a sponge or brush.
The Oxford bike wash comes in a trigger bottle and it foams up very well when spraying it onto your bike, which is a plus as it's this foam that helps you to clean the bike.
> How to clean your bike – from a quick lick to a full makeover
This is the litre-bottle option, and Oxford also offers concentrated versions to refill it when you run out, which is a more cost-effective option.
I found the best approach was to hose down my bike first, spray this cleaner all over, and leave it to sit while I filled up a bucket with warm water (making it a little less unpleasant on cold days) before getting at the dirt with a sponge or brush.
I have found some other bike cleaners a little more effective on totally filth-encrusted bikes, which may be because this is biodegradable, though it does mean you have to put in a little more elbow grease to get your bike sparkling.
I also feel that the bottle's trigger isn't the most ergonomic I've ever used, which I started to notice after spraying a whole bike.
At £8.99, this is about £3 cheaper than the rival Muc-Off Fast Action bike cleaner, and while perhaps less potent, the Oxford didn't leave any streaks on the bike.
Weldtite's Dirt Wash Bike Cleaner is now £9.99 and Liam found it worked well, though he felt the bottle was uncomfortable to use.
I think this Oxford wash is worth a go, especially for summer or if you're someone who doesn't let your bike get properly filthy. For a totally grim, grime-covered bike you'd be better off with something a little more potent.
Verdict
Pleasant smelling and it foams well, though not the most potent cleaner on truly filthy winter grime
road.cc test report
Make and model: Oxford Bike Wash
Size tested: 1 litre
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
Oxford says: 'An all-purpose cleaner specially formulated to remove dirt and grime quickly, resulting in a bright and sparkling finish to your bike.
Mint Bike Wash is a high-performance, biodegradable formulation in a 1L bottle with a foaming trigger, which enables good disbursement of the cleaner for easy and gentle removal of dirt and grime. It is safe on paintwork, metal surfaces, plastics, rubber and carbon fibre and leaves a non-streaky finish.
It of course features a clean, minty scent."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
High performance biodegradable formulation
Foaming trigger enables easy and gentle removal of dirt and grime
Bottle can be fitted directly onto many popular pressure washers and foams when used with a pressure washer lance
Safe on paintwork, metal surfaces, plastics, rubber and carbon fibre
Leaves a bright and sparkling finish
Clean, mint scent
Not tested on animals
Available in 1 litre and 5 litre bottles
Rate the product for quality:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
6/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It worked well, smelling nice and aiding in cleaning, though it wasn't the most potent cleaner if your bike's truly filthy.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The smell and its foaming ability.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I didn't find it potent enough for UK winter filth.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's on the cheaper end, with the likes of Muc-Off and Weldtite's cleaners coming in more expensive.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes – to a degree.
Would you consider buying the product? Possibly for a summer cleaner.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly – if they don't get their bikes filthy.
Use this box to explain your overall score
This cleaner is decent, smells nice and foams well. It's not the most potent though, so don't expect it do all the cleaning for you, as you'll still need to apply some elbow grease.
About the tester
Age: 24
I usually ride: Storck Aerfast My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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