The kilometres are beginning to mount, and the legs are slowly remembering what is expected of them. Under the guidance of Nico Sterk, I’m spending more and more time in the saddle of the Trek CheckOUT SL 7. A recent 103 km ride on the gravel roads through the farmlands southeast of Pretoria was another milestone in getting me accustomed to long hours on the bike again.
All those gravel kilometres may be good for the training, but they certainly leave their mark on the bike and riding kit. With that in mind, I must give a shout-out to Liqui Moly for their superb range of cycling products. I want to keep the Trek SL 7 in top nick, so after Saturday’s foray into the gravel, I wanted to get it back to its pristine condition.
I put it on its stand and sprayed it down with water, then sprayed the whole bike with Liqui Moly Bike Cleaner. After just two minutes on the bike, I rinsed it thoroughly and chammied it dry.
Voilà! Shiny new!
Next up was to dry the chain thoroughly with a paper towel and a rag before applying Liqui Moly Ceramic Chain Spray. This is seriously good kit! It coats, lubes and protects both the chain and chainrings.
For gravel riding, that makes a lot of sense. Dust gets into everything, and long hours on gravel can be tough on a chain and cassette. The ceramic additives help to reduce friction and wear, while the spray’s strong adhesion keeps the lubricant where it needs to be, even in dry and dusty conditions. Exactly what I need for the Dash.
Being a new bike, I didn’t need to clean the chain first, but in future I will use Liqui Moly Bike Brake and Chain Cleaner before applying the chain spray. I wiped off the excess lube, and my SL 7 was sparkling and ready to roll.
My helmet was way overdue for a clean, as were my cycling shoes. Fifty kilometres of dust made them appear rather second-hand. To be honest, I’ve never really been sure how to clean these items. The idea of soaking them with water didn’t seem like a good one, so I was chuffed to see that Liqui Moly makes a specific cleaner for them: Helmet and Shoe Cleaner.
After shaking the can, I sprayed the white foam onto the helmet and shoes. I let it sit for a few minutes and then rubbed them clean with microfibre cloths. The straps on my helmet were really soiled from many off-road kilometres. I was impressed to see them return to their original colour, and the shoes got a bit of their lustre back.
My wife Irene, seeing the before-and-after results on my cycling shoes, gave me two grubby pairs of her aerobics shoes for a revamp. The result there too was amazing. The grubby spots lifted completely, leaving the shoes looking damn near new once more.
Last up were my Rudy riding glasses. Liqui Moly Motorbike Visor Cleaner is an old favourite of mine. I used the same product on motorcycle visors a few years back and was seriously impressed with it. It cleans dirt and dull films from glass and plastic surfaces, leaving them clear, with the added benefit of helping to prevent misting.
Back then, I even put the anti-mist claim to the test on one of my bathroom mirrors. After a hot shower, the treated mirror remained clear while the untreated one misted up completely, so I already knew that the product worked. I gave the Rudy glasses a spray and wiped them clean.
The result? Clean, crystal-clear lenses, with anti-mist protection thrown in for good measure. The handy 100 ml bottle is also small enough to pop into a cycling pocket, making it an ideal companion on longer rides.
Quite simply, these products do exactly what they promise on the can. Cycling requires a significant investment if you get decent kit, so it makes sense to look after it as best you can. With the Liqui Moly range, that just became a whole lot easier.
October sees my first day/night Dash simulation ride, which will ideally be at least 150 km on gravel, so till then I’m going to simply do as my coach tells me and take each session as it comes.
I’ll tell you how that goes. Keep the shiny side up, guys and gals!
To view and shop the full range of Liqui Moly cycling products, visit the Liqui Moly South Africa online store.
