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Morgan Blue Bio Bike Cleaner

7
£11.95

VERDICT:

7
10
Great green option that cleans very well, even on the drivetrain, but pricey and no refill options
Environmentally friendly
Good foaming
Works well on drivetrains
Expensive
No refills for the plastic bottle
Weight: 
1,087g

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Morgan Blue Bio Bike Cleaner is eco-friendly yet effective, shifting even chain grime and grease without harsh chemicals. Shame you can't buy refills, though – and it's expensive.

Bio Bike Cleaner comes in a 1L bottle with a separate spray nozzle. The nozzle is adjustable, so it's easy to direct without wasting loads as overspray. It's a bit disappointing not to see any kind of concentrate or bulk refill to encourage reuse of the plastic bottle, though.

Morgan Blue recommends rinsing the bike with water, spraying it, scrubbing with a 'chain brush and cleaning glove' and then leaving it before rinsing. Sticking to my usual tools – a tooth brush for the chain, a paint brush for the cassette and sponges for the rest – but otherwise following the instructions sees every part sparkling clean.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

I've used the cleaner on my mountain bike, gravel bike and winter road bikes and been thoroughly impressed. It foams up nicely when brushed into the chain, and cuts through grease without too much scrubbing. No, it doesn't dissolve grease on contact like toxic alternatives, but it ultimately comes up just as clean with a scrub and there's no effect on the skin or strong smells.

You do need to leave it for a couple of minutes before rinsing, as the instructions say, though.

> How to clean your bike - from a quick lick to a full makeover

I overdid it on the first few uses – you don't need a huge amount. I've had well over a dozen washes out of the bottle. How long it lasts will ultimately depend on how dirty your bikes are.

Value

There are an increasing number of environmentally-friendly options out there, though it's frustrating some – like this – are still so expensive. The Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Double Pack, for instance, includes a 1L bottle and a concentrate refill that gives you 12L total for only £16.99. This works out at about £1.42 per litre, and it's biodegradeable.

Weldtite's Dirt Wash is acid-free and £8 for 1L, while Dirtbusters Bio Bike Cleaner Spray is £8.99 for a litre. You can then buy a 5L refill for £14.94, which works out at £2.99 per litre.

The price per litre comparison needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, though, as fluids vary in the amount you need, particularly to clean the chain. Morgan Blue's doesn't need much to shift chain grease and grime.

Overall

Morgan Blue Bio Bike Cleaner is very effective, even on clogged-up drivetrains, but it's expensive against the many alternatives. Without the option to buy a bulk refill or a concentrate, the 1L spray bottle doesn't represent great value – and will soon end up as yet more plastic recycling, if only because you've use the cleaner up quickly because it works so well.

Verdict

Great green option that cleans very well, even on the drivetrain, but pricey and no refill options

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Morgan Blue Bio Bike Cleaner

Size tested: 1L

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Morgan Blue says, 'Bio Bike Cleaner is 100% biodegradeable and can be used to quickly clean the whole bike, including the chain and derailleur.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Biodegradeable

2-in-1

1L bottle with spray head.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Easy to use sprayer is adjustable to reduce over-use.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Performs really well, particularly on oily chains and cassettes.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

It depends on how dirty the bike is, but I've had about a dozen washes out of the bottle. I think I could have got away with using less on the first couple of uses. You don't need a huge amount - the chain certainly doesn't need much to get a sparkle.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
10/10

No effect on the skin.

Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well, on both the frame and the drive chain.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's eco!

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

No option for refills.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's one of the most expensive options out there. The Juice Lubes Dirt Juice Double Pack, for instance, includes a 1L bottle and a concentrate refill that gives you 12L total for only £16.99. This works out at about £1.42 per litre, and it's biodegradeable.

Weldtite's Dirt Wash is acid-free and £8 for 1L, while Dirtbusters 30 Bio Bike Cleaner Spray is £8.99 a litre. You can then buy a 5L refill for £14.94, which works out at £2.99 per litre.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A faultless cleaner, but pricey in comparison to others – and despite it being a bio product, there is no option to buy a refill or concentrate to reduce plastic waste. Overall though, it's good.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 173cm  Weight: 64kg

I usually ride: Road  My best bike is: Carbon road.

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Getting to grips with off roading too!

Emma’s first encounters with a road bike were in between swimming and running. Soon after competing for GB in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Edmonton in 2001 she saw the light and decided to focus on cycling. 

After a couple of half decent UK road seasons racing for Leisure Lakes, she went out to Belgium to sample the racing there and spent two years with Lotto-Belisol Ladies team, racing alongside the likes of Sara Carrigan, Grace Verbeke, Rochelle Gilmore and Lizzie Deignan. Emma moved from Lotto-Belisol to Dutch team Redsun, then a new Belgian team of primarily developing riders, where there was less pressure, an opportunity to share her experience and help build a whole new team; a nice way to spend her final years of professional racing. 

Since retiring Emma has returned to teaching. When not coercing kids to do maths, she is invariably out on two wheels. In addition to the daily commute, Emma still enjoys getting out on her road bike and having her legs ripped off on the local club rides and chain gangs. She has also developed an addiction to touring, with destinations including Iceland, Georgia and Albania, to mention just a few. There have also been rare sightings of Emma off-road on a mountain bike…

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