Wax Is Dead Bike Ceramic Coating is is dirt repellent, prevents fine scratches and swirls, and makes it easy to clean your machine thanks to the hydrophobic coating that makes it hard for mud to stick. It's very expensive, but the effects are claimed to last two years and the bottle does multiple bikes.
Ceramic coatings are all the rage in the automotive scene, with the main advantage being highly durable paint protection. This bicycle-specific version is not the first on the market, but the intriguing thing is it can be applied to virtually your entire bike, as opposed to just the frame – which is what you do with a regular wax.
> Buy now: Wax Is Dead Bike Ceramic Coating from Wax Is Dead for £45
This coating offers scratch resistance thanks to its 9H hardness, which means it can resist the scratching strength of a 9H pencil (if you ride through a lot of pencils). It's also hydrophobic and makes it hard for dirt to stick/easier to clean, is chemical, oxidisation and UV resistant and adds much to the general shininess.
The makers say it lasts up to two years, and one bottle covers up to two bikes. It can be applied to all exterior surfaces, including matt or gloss paint, metal, plastic and titanium. It also works on top of existing frame protection, and is even said to help prevent it yellowing. Obviously there wasn't time to test either this, or the two-year longevity, during our review...
In the box you get a 15ml bottle of ceramic coating, an applicator pad, and a couple of stickers – though curiously no instructions. Personally, I feel that if you're spending £45 on a coating that needs to be applied correctly, you want the manufacturer to tell you how to do it. Thankfully, the website has a video showing you exactly how.
The hardest part is getting your bike properly prepped – you must remove any dirt or grease or the coating won't adhere or last properly. Even if your bike looks clean, you still need to thoroughly clean it: first a proper shampoo and degrease, followed by isopropyl alcohol (or similar) around the entire bike to ensure no oily areas remain. This is a fiddly and time consuming procedure, and you definitely don't want to do in a dark corner of your shed.
Thankfully, actually applying the coating couldn't be easier. You just place a couple of drops onto the applicator pad, wipe it on section by section, then buff it with a microfibre cloth. Every time you put more onto the pad it gets more saturated, so as you go along you find you need to add less. Once done, you leave it 24 hours to cure.
The pad is quite small and flexible enough to get into most nooks without any issue, and there's a strap on the back that helps you keep hold of it. The last thing you want is to drop the pad on a dirty, gritty floor halfway through... and I'm definitely not talking from personal experience here. Cough.
Panoramic ceramic
Wax is Dead says you can apply this all over, including on saddles, though I personally stuck to the frame, seat post, stem, handlebar and groupset. I avoided parts like seats, levers and rims.
Although Wax Is Dead says the bottle is good for two bikes, mine only used up about a third. It's a very large frame too, though I avoided my rim-brake wheels so saved some there.
> road.cc Road Bike of the Year 2020/21
With a claimed two-year life it's going to be a while before I can meaningfully update the review, though by that time you'll have either a) decided this isn't for you, b) bought some anyway or c) discovered your bike is now the last shiny thing on our smouldering planet and being worshipped by as many cackling survivors as will fit on the donkey bus. It's anybody's guess, really.
I've not been able to fully test the dirt-repelling nature of the coating, simply because I've been 'unlucky' enough to avoid particularly bad weather since applying it, but water simply sheets off the paintwork, which will take a lot of particles with it.
Value
Expensive though it is at £45, it's £10 cheaper than a 15ml bottle of Gtechniq's similar Bike Ceramic, and £15 cheaper than 10ml of IGL Coating's 8H hardness Ecocoat Bike, which also lasts for up to two years.
There are plenty of non-ceramic protectants that cost less, though. Fenwick's Professional Protective Coating is £11.99 for 100ml and suits all types of frame finishes (and components), though it only lasts six months per application and can do nothing against scratching.
Overall
Though this is a fair investment, it's cheaper than its main rivals and is better value than you might think – if you've just spent thousands on a shiny new steed, £11-odd per year isn't bad at all for decent extra protection.
Verdict
Easy-to-apply coating that works well enough to offset that initial outlay
Make and model: Wax Is Dead Bike Ceramic Coating
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?
Wax Is Dead says, "At Wax is Dead, we are known for creating professional ceramic coatings used worldwide by the automotive industry. We wanted to take our ceramic coatings one step further. Using our experience and good old-fashioned know-how, we developed a revolutionary ceramic coating that's specifically for bikes. Say hello to BIKE by Wax is Dead. A dirt-repelling, easy-cleaning, super slick, 9H hardness protecting ceramic coating that will keep your bike looking as good as new."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
WID lists:
9H Hardness
Slick to the touch
Scratch Resistance (9H)
Super Hydrophobic Effect
Weather & UV Resistance
Less need of cleaning supplies saving you money
Chemical Resistance
Oxidation & Corrosion Resistant
Muddy trails & Gravel roads no problem
Extend the life of your bike and resale value
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
6/10
It's cheaper than its ceramic rivals and actually works out at £11.25 per bike, per year. You can easily spend that on a regular bike wax.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Easy to apply, looks good, and has the potential to protect the paint for up to two years.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The scratch and swirl protection.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
No instructions in the box.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Expensive though it is at £45, it's £10 cheaper than a 15ml bottle of Gtechniq's similar Bike Ceramic, and £15 cheaper than 10ml of IGL Coating's 8H hardness Ecocoat Bike, which also lasts for up to two years.
There are plenty of non-ceramic protectants that cost less, though. Fenwick's Professional Protective Coating is £11.99 for 100ml and suits all types of frame finishes (and components), though it only lasts six months per application and can do nothing against scratching.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Definitely – cleaning/waxing bikes is tiring and time-consuming
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
This is a brilliant option for protecting your bike's finish. It's very easy to apply, is claimed to last up to two years, and makes cleaning your bike easier. It's initially quite expensive, though proves a worthy investment to keep your bike/s in the best condition.
Age: 39 Height: 6'4 Weight: 175lbs
I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,
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12 comments
I know that Bicycle Armor, the first bicycle specific ceramic coating(i think around 2017) was developed with specific sweat protective caracteristics and also against sealant that sprays on your frame when you have a flattire, limestone also i thought. All great for gravelriding. It is a professional line through a dealer or certified coater but it lasts up to 5 years. Very happy with it already 3.5 years
For sure a differnce from the DIY options
Been riding 30-odd years...and didn't realise that this was even a thing...my chains get waxed, but frames get the odd wipe-down or careful blast from the pressure-washer if really shitty. But waxing - and now ceramic coats - does that really help? I thought that it was an established rip-off in the car market?
How long before your LBS is offering to Diamondbrite your brand new bike for £300 at PDI?
It's already here - Invisiframe.
I guess they'll start once they get some stock in![1](https://cdn.road.cc/sites/all/modules/contrib/smiley/packs/smilies/1.gif)
Any car quick detailing spray or wax will do just as good a job as this.
I've got a huge bottle of Meguairs Xpress Wax that I use. Great for anything except bar tape. I even use it on the rims (disc). Lasts ages and no mud sticks to the bike.
With bicycle cleaning and beautifying products, I do wonder what the difference is to automotive equivalents. Is it essentially the same chemistry and formulation but you pay extra to buy a smaller quantity, or is it fundamentally specific to paints and lacquers used on bicycles?
I don't know about the chemistry behind it, but those automated car washes get really uncomfortable on a bike
They don't even seem to be compatible with all makes and models of car.
Oh, it's for the paint? I thought it was for the chain. Guess I'll just have to carry on with the wax after all.
Remember that the gravel bike version of this costs £10 more
Popped into Halfords yesterday, needed some more slapbands, tis the season, only 2 pink ones, will be going back. Well I was also after muc off disk brake cleaner, can't get it through the post, they didn't have any. Well the bloke doing work on the bikes (the tools were nothing like on the hijacked sonicator thread) suggested going into the motorbike section, so I went downstairs and they did have muc off disk break cleaner, different labelling, checked on the back, acetone, whereas the bicycle one is isopropanol, a much less harsh solvent.
Incidentally has anyone tried the Gear Monkey Cable Lubricators?