Peaty's Complete Bicycle Cleaning Kit is perhaps not quite the complete kit as billed, but it's a great starter set of cleaners, lube and brushes, and all stored in a handy and solidly-made toolbox. All it's seriously lacking are brushes for the small detail jobs.
This set includes two different brushes, a biodegradeable bike cleaner, drivetrain cleaner, some chain lube and a bamboo cloth. The toolbox it comes in is a real winner for me, though. It's solidly made from recycled plastic with a sturdy aluminium handle, and there's plenty of room for additional bits and bobs.
The LoamFoam cleaner comes in a 1l spray bottle with a nozzle that can spray mist or foam, and it's safe to use on all surfaces. It's great at removing stubborn grime (though if it's dried on it needs a bit of a scrub, as our reviewer Rachael discovered in a separate test). It's also available as a concentrate for refills.
The drivetrain degreaser comes in a smaller 500ml bottle, but again has a flip nozzle design for foam or mist spraying. It's a great product that's simple to use and works well in conjunction with the drivetrain brush included, and it's kind to your bike and the environment too.
The aptly-named Bog Brush has a chunky beech handle with 360 degree bristles, and proves great for general cleaning. It's a bit too big for hard-to-reach areas such as hubs, but it's great on filthy frames and much more effective than flat-backed brushes. A smaller detail brush and sponge for those tricky areas would really complement this kit.
The drivetrain brush is an interesting design. It's also made of beech wood but with an angled head to prevent you catching your knuckles on the cassette whilst scrubbing.
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The bristles are shorter through the centre and longer at the sides to help you run your chain through it. It works reasonably well, though it needed a good few passes to really tackle the grime on my 11-speed chain.
LinkLube All Weather is easy to apply and contains a mixture of oils and waxes that's easy to apply. It proved durable during testing in mixed weather, including wet rides in fairly constant rain.
The 100% bamboo cloth is great for drying the bike to avoid streaks, as it's really absorbent and makes short work of it. You can chuck it in the washing machine for future use, too.
Value
At £79.99 this is pretty firmly mid-range for a complete kit. The Muc-Off Ultimate Bicycle Cleaning Kit is more at £89.99 but has a better collection of brushes, while the Green Oil Eco Rider Deluxe Set also includes wooden brushes and is cheaper at £64.99.
Overall
Bike cleaning is often overlooked in my house so having this kit to test has been a revelation, making the process much easier and enjoyable. My only gripe is the lack of a better collection of brushes and perhaps a soft sponge for those tricky spots.
Verdict
Great kit that tackles dirt and grease with ease, though could do with a small detailing brush
Make and model: Peatys Complete Bicycle Cleaning Kit
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?
Peaty's says this, "provides all your essential bike cleaning products in a premium storage solution. Made from recycled plastic and with a strong aluminium carry handle, this kit contains all the key products you need to go from filthy dirty to race-ready".
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
1 x 1 Litre Loam Foam
1 x 500ml Foaming Degreaser
1 x 60ml LinkLube All-Weather
1 x Bog Brush
1 x Drivetrain Brush
1 x Bamboo Bicycle Cleaning Cloth
1 x Heavy duty toolbox with removable parts tray
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
The toolbox is heavy duty and every part of the kit is durable and well designed. The brushes are made of waxed beech and the spray bottles have a dual purpose nozzle for mist or foam spray.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
The cleaners work really well and the brushes are great for general cleaning – but are too large for some spots, such as around the hubs and bottom bracket.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Every part of the kit is well constructed, and LoamFoam cleaner is available as a topup concentrate.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
This kit is well thought through, great at its job and environmentally friendly.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The toolbox is the real winner. It's a solid heavy-duty thing and makes cleaning your bike a pleasure.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
No small brush or sponge for narrow gaps.
Did you enjoy using the product? Absolutely, it makes bike cleaning easy
Would you consider buying the product? Certainly at its current reduced price
Would you recommend the product to a friend? As a starter kit, yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
This is a well thought out kit with the right tools and products for general bike cleaning. All it really lacks is a small detailing brush (or similar) for reaching those tricky areas.
Age: 38 Height: 5ft 9 Weight: 64 kgs
I usually ride: Focus Izalco Max Disc 8.8, Tern GSD My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives,
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