Silca Ultimate Brake & Drivetrain Cleaner 473ml

Silca Ultimate Brake & Drivetrain Cleaner is a foaming spray that removes oil, grease, road grime and brake dust from your chain, cassette, chainrings, disc rotors and brake pads. You spray it on, watch it foam and turn a purplish-red as it lifts the dirt, then rinse it off with water. The whole job takes 3 to 5 minutes.

One cleaner for brakes and drivetrain

Most degreasers can't go near your brakes, because any oil left behind on a rotor or pad kills braking power. Silca designed this cleaner to be safe on both disc brake pads and rotors. That means one product cleans the whole bike's working parts, and you don't have to mask off the brakes while you degrease the drivetrain.

It also won't strip wax from your paint or your drivetrain. If you've protected your frame with a wax, like Silca's Graphene Spray Wax, cleaning the drivetrain won't undo it.

What the colour change means

As the cleaner works, it foams and turns red. Silca's formula wraps around oils and dirt and holds them in the foam so they rinse away instead of settling back onto the parts. The colour lets you see where it's working and when it's done.

How to use it

1. Spray onto the chain, cassette, chainrings, derailleur pulleys, rotors and pads.

2. Leave it for 3 to 5 minutes while it foams and changes colour.

3. Rinse thoroughly with water.

4. Dry the bike, then re-lube the chain.

5. Bed in your brakes before your next ride. Silca recommends this after using the cleaner on pads and rotors. Find a safe, flat stretch and do 10 to 20 firm stops from moderate speed to lay a fresh layer of pad material back onto the rotor.

Brake squeal

Silca says the cleaner eliminates brake squeal. That holds when the squeal comes from grime, brake dust or a light film of oil on the rotor, which is the most common cause. A clean rotor and a proper bed-in usually sort it.

It won't fix squeal from a misaligned caliper, a warped rotor or worn pads. Pads that have soaked up a lot of oil, such as from a chain lube overspray or a leaking brake, usually need replacing. If cleaning doesn't stop the noise, bring the bike into one of our workshops.

Caution on waxed chains

Silca does not recommend this cleaner for stripping a chain before hot waxing.

Use a dedicated chain-stripping process for that.

It is, however, a good way to clean the cassette, chainrings and pulleys before fitting a freshly waxed chain, so old oil doesn't contaminate the new wax.

Part of the Silca Bicycle Spa

This is step one, the "Detox", in Silca's four-step Bicycle Spa cleaning system:

1. Brake & Drivetrain Cleaner

2. Silca Ultimate Bike Wash

3. Graphene Spray Wax

4. Silca Ultimate Ceramic Waterless Wash

Silca Ultimate Brake & Drivetrain Cleaner FAQs

Is Silca Brake & Drivetrain Cleaner safe on disc brakes?

Yes. Silca designed it to be safe on both disc brake pads and rotors. Rinse it off thoroughly and bed in your brakes before riding.

Do I need to rinse it off?

Yes. Leave it for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water.

Why does it turn red?

The formula foams and turns purplish-red as it captures oil and dirt. It shows you where it's working.

Will it strip my waxed chain?

It won't attack wax on your paint or drivetrain. Silca doesn't recommend it for stripping a chain before hot waxing, but it's good for cleaning the cassette and chainrings before fitting a freshly waxed chain.

Will it fix squeaky disc brakes?

If the squeal comes from dirt, brake dust or a light oil film, cleaning and bedding in the brakes usually stops it. Squeal from caliper alignment, warped rotors or oil-soaked pads needs a mechanic.

Do I need to bed in my brakes afterwards?

Silca recommends it. Do 10 to 20 firm stops from moderate speed on a safe, flat stretch.