Cleaning

Crankalicious KWIPE Gumchained Remedy Chain Cleaner sachets – review

Chain degreaser in a sachet? The Crankalicious KWIPEs proves to be among the best grime-shifters out there

If you live in a house or flat where it’s difficult to wash your bike, or just want a handy chain cleaning solution for when you’re on the move or in the middle of a big ride, these degreaser wipes from Crankalicious are among the best grime-shifters out there.

We’ll be honest, when these wipes arrived on the RCUK desks, we had our reservations. Immediately, we wondered if there would be enough degreaser on the wipe, and would it be powerful enough to get the job done? Would the cloth inside be strong enough to withstand punishment? And, the bottom line: could this be as good as using an applicator-based degreaser?

All very valid questions, which I can happily report have been answered positively in every respect. Inside each sachet, you get a folded up cloth – like a reinforced wet wipe – soaked in 15ml of Crankalicious’ ‘Gumchained Remedy’ degreaser product.

Each Crankalicious KWIPE Gumchained Remedy Chain Cleaner sachet contains a degreaser-soaked wipe

As the name suggests, the product is designed to cut through some serious grime – think black chains with plenty of gummed-up deposits around your jockey wheels. The heavy-duty wipe is a ready-made agitator that you can wrap around the chain in your hand to help get the muck shifting.

While 15ml doesn’t sound like much, it proves enough to clean all but the very worst from your drivetrain. It’s easy to achieve shiny clean plates on the chain, while the fluid is thin and present in enough quantity to run into the chain links (which, appearances notwithstanding, is the place you really need to apply it for effective performance).

Of course, you can opt to use a second sachet if you’ve seriously neglected your chain maintenance, but for most uses only one application will be needed to clean up the chain. Then, Crankalicious itself says you need to wipe away the leftover degreaser product before re-lubing, naturally. Following this procedure results in a chain that runs pretty much as new and silently – which, let’s be truthful, is what we’re all after in the end.

Specification
Price: £16 (box of 20); £4 (5 sachets); 85p each
Website: Crankalicious

Keeping the cloth wrapped around the chain, all you need to do is spin the crankset through several times (for around 30-60 seconds) until the chain begins to show up clean. You can legitimately do this without worrying about the cloth degrading (á la kitchen roll), and once the clean pink cloth has turned black with dirt, it’s still wet and strong enough to rub over the jockey wheels or individual chain links that might need a little extra attention.

However, there are a couple of points to make. First, the fluid is powerful stuff (solvent based), which the company itself warns can be fatal if swallowed, harmful to aquatic life, and can cause serious eye irritation. That in itself may not be a huge surprise, but it’s definitely worth making sure you haven’t got any cuts on your hands before using, while you really need to wash your hands afterwards to safeguard yourself from potential irritation. It’s not the most environmentally friendly solution, either, particularly when you take into account the fact each wipe is individually wrapped.

It smells ok though – not too pungent – but clearly you shouldn’t be going out of your way to sniff it. If you do have sensitive skin then we can recommend that you don gloves, although it’s not actually recommended that you should do so on the packet.

This all means you need to be considerate when using it, especially when discarding the used wipe and wrapper. Needless to say, you should always use a bin, because it’s going to be toxic to just about any wildlife, which is something you need to be really aware of given Crankalicious’ own pitch towards portable and on-the-go use.

Crankalicious KWIPE (Quick Wipe) Gumchained Remedy Chain Cleaner sachets (Pic: George Scott/Factory Media)

That aside, this sachet-based chain cleaner is super-effective, and offers a conveniently-packaged alternative to using a full-on bottle of degreaser or a solvent spray. Cyclists who don’t have a garden to wash bikes, or those planning a multi-day ride or holiday, will appreciate the fact these wipes take up barely any space at all, whether it’s in a drawer at home or your saddlebag.

Conclusion

You could rely upon Crankalicious’ KWIPE Gumchained Remedy chain cleaner for everyday use, if you wanted, which is testament to the quality of both the powerful degreaser and the resilience of the cloth it’s soaked into. However, we think it’s best to use it as a convenient means of cleaning your chain on-the-go, alongside your usual solution for deep cleaning. Just take care to dispose of the wipe and sachet properly.