One of our product sponsors for 2009 is Grease Monkey Wipes by Kong Concepts. Thresholders were lucky enough to get our hands on some of these and I decided to take them for a spin.

Grease Monkey Wipes are individually wrapped non-toxic 8”x 7” degreasing towels. They contain a citrus based degreaser which is both powerful, but in no way harsh against the skin or your bikes finish. The package is small enough to fit in your jersey pocket or saddle bag.

Unwrapping the wipes you notice the fabric is very similar to baby wipes or Clorox Cleaning wipes. They are very moist and smell, as you would expect, a little citrus-y. When unfolded, the wipe is bike enough to cover your entire hand (or at least mine – which are on the smaller side).

Being a condo dweller, I don’t have regular access to a garden house or a good place to clean by bike. Generally my winter bikes range from caked-with-sand to washed-off-by-rain. My beloved road steed sees better conditions so its general demeanor includes road grime, remnants of sugary drink and sweat. It gets the occasional washing, but is never really clean. The drive train gets a lot of love though.

The first thing you notice when using the wipes is just how moist they are. Even after rubbing down my frame, bottle cages and non-functional parts of my components, the wipe was ready for more. It didn’t dry out at all. The wipe got very dirty, which would probably lead someone to stop using it, but it just kept working. Road grime gone!

Last weekend a bunch of us rode the CRW 42 fitness ride. Toward the end of the ride, Peter got a flat. After a winter of training on New England roads, his tires were pretty dirty – leaving his hands a mess. After fixing the flat he broke out a Grease Monkey Wipe and suddenly had clean hands!

One thing to note is that these are degreasers. Meaning that they will remove grease and lubricant from whatever you are wiping down. For frames this is good! For chains – make sure you relube after ward.

Another awesome aspect about this product is how strong they are! I used one to clean my barnacle covered fixie chain. After getting it sparkly and ready for lube, the wipe didn’t rip or shred or anything.

If I had to point out one con, it would be the environmental impact of individually wrapped wipes. The target of this product is for on the go. However, it would be cool if they came in canister form too for home use. I’d imagine that this might reduce the performance of the product (whenever I use similar household cleaning wipes, the last few are pretty dry and stale). Some Simple Green and a rag may be a better alternative for home cleanup.

Solid product. Will be a mainstay for on the ride, in my gear bag and in my car.

Grease Monkey Wipes