Keep your bike in peak condition with Gtechniq’s unique ceramic protection
British firm Gtechniq’s pioneering technology uses quantum physics to create a durable protective layer for your bike
If you’ve spent thousands of pounds on a new car, you’re not going to leave its pristine paint job at the mercy of the elements. The same logic should apply to your bike, because whether you’re talking about a top-of-the-range road racing machine or the latest high-spec MTB, you’ll do what you can to keep your pride and joy in peak condition.
That leaves you facing a dilemma. No cyclist wants to keep their ride hidden away in the garage, wrapped up in cotton wool like some two-wheeled museum exhibit. But at the same time, roads and trails aren’t well known for being friendly to your bike’s bodywork, whether it’s being attacked by the corrosive salt used to keep traffic moving when things get icy, or the dirt and grime that’s an everyday hazard when you go cross-country. Even cleaning can be bad for your bike’s looks if a scratchy piece of grit finds its way onto your sponge or brush.
Luckily, however, there’s a way to keep having fun on your bike while reducing the risk to its bodywork. Northampton-based Gtechniq have over 20 years’ experience manufacturing protective products to keep cars looking their best, and their state-of-the-art ceramic technology can also be applied to your bike.
A quantum leap
The dirt-repelling properties of the Gtechniq Bike range have their roots in quantum mechanics. Back in 2001, founder and car enthusiast Dr Drew Gill was unimpressed with the paint protection products on the market, so used the knowledge he’d acquired studying for his PhD in physics to come up with a new solution.
Gill applied his expert understanding of the ways surfaces behave at very small scales to develop innovative coatings that would keep bodywork looking its best for longer. Over the subsequent decades, the company has been evolving the technology he pioneered, engineering a unique range of products to safeguard automotive, marine and bicycle exteriors.
Gtechniq’s Bike Ceramic is an easy-to-apply coating that gives the surface of your bike a super slick – though not excessively glossy – finish. The unique formulation, based on siloxane technology, chemically binds with the paint on your frame, effectively creating a new invisible outer-layer to protect your bodywork.
As well as shielding your bike from the abrasive effects of dirt, mud and gravel, the Bike Ceramic offers protection from UV light, and from chemical attack between pH2 and pH12. Although the coating won’t prevent dirt from attaching itself to your bike entirely, it makes it much harder for the mucky stuff to get a grip. The result is a bike that’s significantly easier to clean, with less need to resort to the scrubbing and harsh chemicals that can be just as damaging to your bike as hardcore grime. And that’s got to be good news for anyone who’d rather be sitting in front of a warm fire post-ride than stuck outside spraying down a filthy frame. (The Gtechniq range also includes a variety of products such as Bike Clean, Bike Wash, Drive Train Degreaser and Kit a cleaner to help keep your bike looking like new.)
Made to last
The Bike Ceramic isn’t just a temporary solution, either. Lasting for up to two years, it’s more durable and longer lasting than a spray-on sealant. It’s also versatile enough to work on any painted bike surface (including matt finishes), and while it’s not designed to be a replacement for an InvisiFRAME or other protective film, the coating will work on top of films, graphics and vinyls.
And you don’t need to be an experienced bicycle mechanic – or have bottomless pockets – to give your bike some TLC, because Gtechniq say they want their products to exist in the sweet spot where performance, ease of application and affordability intersect.
Gtechniq products provide cyclists with the peace of mind of knowing that your bike will still look great when you reach the finish line. Bikes are made to be ridden, but that doesn’t mean they have to suffer for your fun.
For more information on Gtechniq and its cycling products, visit gtechniq.co.uk/bike.
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