Oxford Mint Bike Degreaser

Oxford's Mint Bike Degreaser is a powerful petroleum-based degreaser for the toughest built-up oily muck on your bike. Although not especially environmentally friendly, used sparingly this degreaser is a solid product to have in your bike cleaning arsenal.

Sometimes, simple soap and water can't cut it. If you've ever tried to clean your driveside chainstay, for example, you'll know the frustration of realising that you're not washing off dirt, but smearing around dried-on black oil that's now made a real mess of your sponge.

The solution? Degreaser. Oxford's Mint Bike Degreaser is designed for anything from shifting heavy dried-on stuff to cleaning the frame and moving parts like derailleurs.

Jetset lifestyle 

You need to be careful though – overzealous use near bearings or pivots can end up causing damage (it'll strip grease that needs to be there), while in this solvent form there are some really punchy ingredients. Kerosine (the stuff they use for jet engines) and petroleum both feature here, so this is definitely one to use a) sparingly and b) in a well-ventilated area.

Needless to say its powerful solvents are not the best things for the environment either, but the good news is you really don't need to use much. Instead of mixing the most volatile materials available, Oxford has used slower-evaporating ingredients that stick around just a little longer than your usual punchy degreasers. That means it has longer to dissolve the filth, and the residue is easy to wash away afterwards.

Take the tube

I found the smallest amount was really effective at cleaning up chainstays and stubborn dirt, and the supplied applicator tube lets you be precise (and keep just that bit further away from the nozzle).

Oxford doesn't explicitly recommend this for chains – it has Oxford Chain Cleaner for that – although it did a grand job of cleaning up an old cassette which was clogged up with a mix of old oil and dust. That wasn't attached to the bike though, and so wasn't near any bearings. Something like the aforementioned Oxford Chain Cleaner or Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner can be used much more casually for that.

In any case, this general degreaser is powerful and effective, and washes away easily. If you do use it on moving parts, just ensure it's well rinsed off and dried before reapplying any grease.

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Of course, you should always avoid breathing vapours from products like these, but the whole Oxford Mint range does feature that signature minty whiff – which for me is far more pleasant than overpowering petroleum smells! I'm aware that not everyone will agree though, especially if you grew up when carburettors were a thing...

Value

At £8.99 for 500ml, it's par for the course on price. Peaty's XXX Solvent Degreaser is also £8.99 but you only get 400ml (and we were underwhelmed by it in testing), while 500ml of Motorex Power Clean Spray is £11.99.

Meanwhile, the WD-40 Bike Degreaser is notably good value at £6 for 500ml and smells of citrus instead of mint. Is it weird all these cleaners smell so drinkable? Probably.

My go-to degreasers (I first tried them years ago and have never felt the need to change since) are Fenwick's Fast Blast Degreaser and Fenwick's Foaming Chain Cleaner, which retail for £9.99 apiece.

Remember though, Oxford's Bike Degreaser isn't specified for chains and other sensitive parts, unlike the options above, so that's worth bearing (ho ho ho) in mind.

Overall

This is a powerful degreaser that will shift the most stubborn oily dirt. It's potent stuff, and not exactly eco-friendly, but a little goes a long way – and works very well.

Verdict

Powerful degreaser that shifts the most stubborn oily dirt, and a decent price