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Hi all, quick question...
Muc-off disc brake covers? are they worth it or is it just good marketing?
I currently just clean my bike and then wipe the rotors with meths to clean them off.
I don't particularly use spray lubricants other than occasionally muc-offs bike protect to prevent rust on my chain/cassette.
What are peoples thoughts?
I just take my wheels off when I clean my bike
I bought some for using with my towbar rack. They work really well for that
Shower cap from a hotel?
I just don't spray my brake discs with lube. Find that works pretty well.
If you ask me it's the answer to a problem I didn't know I had.
I just don’t spray my brake discs with lube. Find that works pretty well.
If you ask me it’s the answer to a problem I didn’t know I had.
Easier said than done when you're outdoors and the wind picks up unexpectedly?
use bottled lube? I generally only use the spray stuff putting the bike away after a wet ride as it's just a water displacer really.
Without seeing the product I thought of the phrase 'a fool and his money are soon parted' and even when googled it was smirking but watching the video and seeing how they fit it looks a great idea. I've done home made brake shields out of card before but they were shit and didn't really work - for £20 that's way better.
I remove wheels for cleaning the bike but it is way easier to lube up a chain with wheels (or appropriate chain keeper) on and it stops the pads being exposed to sprays (which is how I almost killed myself on a CX bike...).
The idea of going halves on a pair with a mate for a tenner each for chain lubing post wash seems worthwhile.
TBH, spray lubes are best avoided. I do have one I use for forks/dropper post but I'm ultra careful about applying it.
I bought some for using with my towbar rack. They work really well for that
@scottroutes so your discs aren’t covered in crap on the back of the car? And they fix securely enough you aren’t worried they’ll be ripped off at speed?
Solution looking for a problem, for maintenance/cleaning stuff but it's interesting for storage, transportation etc...
I use ‘em. Good for when on back of the car. Only need one for keeping stuff off the rear disc when sorting your drive train… so split the cost of the pack with a mate if only buying for that purpose.
And they fix securely enough you aren’t worried they’ll be ripped off at speed?
Absolutely. I've used them a few times this past 12 months and they're solid. Nice chunky velcro and loads of it.
I just wrap a jay cloth round the discs if I'm using any spray close by
I have them. They're alright, used to use them where I lived previously because the people I lived with seemed to be intent on getting my rotors contaminated with random stuff every time I left it unattended. Then someone pointed out that they trap any residual moisture in and cause the brake discs to rust a lot sooner so I stopped.
Still useful for the odd task involving sprays and stuff. I did buy them with a tenner off though.
I run my chain on the opposite side of the bike to the discs, works well
Absolutely
Thanks 👍
I run my chain on the opposite side of the bike to the discs, works well
Sounds like you need to work on your bike cleaning/maintenance 🤷♂️
When you say one do you mean a pair? Sounds like I only need the one if you'd split?
Could you PM me with details/price etc? Thanks
Use shower caps 100 of ebay ....£3.00 last time i needed any...
I drive 1000s of miles a year across Europe with bikes on a towbar rack and never realised this was a problem that needed solving. I've only been doing that for 10 years, so what do I know?
But then,I never use their cleaning products either (washing up liquid and water works fine for me) or tubeless sealant (for the obvious reason...).
I drive 1000s of miles a year across Europe
Probably UK specific, I drive 1000s miles in UK only 🇬🇧
so what do I know?
You’ve never suffered from polluted discs after a long drive?
I sometimes spray wd40 on my cassette to help get rid of moisture. The muc off covers prevent over spray on the disk rotors. Removing a wheel doesn't really help in this situation so I find them a useful item.
The covers also stop overspray etc getting on the callipers/pads.
Can't say I have ever needed them, but I do get why you are considering it the marketing is good...
I don't use any spray lubes on my bike and make no real efforts to avoid rotors when cleaning and have never had contaminated brakes yet! Unless you count the elixirs that exploded on me many years ago.
I've got 7 bikes in my garage. I think I'll get a pair for each. Wibble
Nah, it's one of those products - you know they'll do what they're supposed to, but do you really wanna spend £20 on an item that can easily be substituted for something free or a maybe couple of quid? Only you can decide that.
My “free” options (a sheet of plastic with a slot cut in it, and, well, a plastic bag) where both rubbish at doing what these do well. Free and cheep alternatives are available for just about any handy tool you might use on your bike.
I make sure to douse my rotors and pads in bike cleaner when I clean my bike. Works really well for keeping performance spot on.
Free and cheep alternatives are available for just about any handy tool you might use on your bike.
And mugs who spend out on an overpriced alternative have been around even longer than disc brakes. 😉
A tenner for something that works better than my own bodges is fine my me. There will always be people who’d rather make their own headset press than buy one etc. Take whichever path you prefer, and be a dick about it. Like everything else.
A tenner for something that works better than my own bodges is fine my me. There will always be people who’d rather make their own headset press than buy one etc. Take whichever path you prefer, and be a dick about it. Like everything else.
Same for me. But for every "do it right" person there will also be two "bodge it" people.
Then someone pointed out that they trap any residual moisture in and cause the brake discs to rust a lot sooner so I stopped.
Who told you that? Kenny Senior?.
1 out of 10 for style.
Alternatively you could use a shower cap, at about £1.99. £18 cheaper.
20 quid, what a sick joke, talk about seeing a use and just screwing the customer over.
Remove before use
Obviously they think we're all dumb as cabbages too.
£10 (split a pair with a pal) and work well… don’t like, then don’t buy.
Do you think a shower cap would stay on at 70mph?
Do you think a shower cap would stay on at 70mph?
Tucked behind the car? probably, on the roof maybe not. Though why not just tie a plastic carrier bag around them. whats the cost of a reuseable carrier bag ? 10p. Even cheaper then.
Funny though, cant remember ever seeing threads pertaining to 'my discs are dirty after driving to a trail center', and just how dirty do you think the rotors can get in that short time scenario :?.
I'm clearly one of those who isn't doing things right as I can't see any benefit to them, but then I don't empty a whole can of spray lube over the rear of my bike.
Changing wind direction would be an issue if you are spraying constantly but really isn't if you have positioned the bike and not emptied the full can.
A waste of money for those who don't need it and it'll be money well spent from those who have bought it (as people don't tend to admit to falling for marketing hype).
Take a bit more care with the wild spraying and it isn't required, based on a few years worth of not wild spraying and not covering the rotors.
Mate bought them and they have never been used after the first time as after trying he realised he was careful with any spray as the cover was dry after he'd lubed his bike, so decided they weren't worth using.
To answer the question, How dirty can your discs get on a trip to the trail centre on the back of a car? Take a look at the back end of a white diesel car or van that hasn't recently been washed. The turbulence at the back of the car (and flat back cars like estates and vans are the worst) drags in all the exhaust crap and spreads it over the back of the car, and your bike and its discs. I don't carry bikes on a tow bar mount but if I did I would certainly consider some kind of secure covers for the brakes. Cars are supposed to be much cleaner now, but anyone spending a moment behind a diesel car accelerating can see the shite coming out of the back of it, wouldn't want that all over my brake discs (bad enough I have to have it my lungs when in traffic on my bike!)
Trail centre? 😄😄😄😄😄😄
@Scotroutes
OR anywhere 😉
How dirty can your discs get on a trip to the trail center on the back of a car? Take a look at the back end of a white diesel car or van that hasn’t recently been washed
So you think an entire bike cover is in order then 😕
So you think an entire bike cover is in order then
Only braking surfaces. I don’t personally care if my bike looks “dirty”, but don’t want contaminated discs and pads (again).
Though why not just tie a plastic carrier bag around them. whats the cost of a reuseable carrier bag ?
This is what I used to do. Flappy flappy. The Hope thingies work so much better, and double up as a protector between two bikes. Obviously there are free/cheap alternatives… use them if you want, but these work nicely and cost very little really.
As for the “short drive to the trial centre” comment… that’s valid. But personally I only put bikes on the back of the car when going travelling with a full load and family a long distance for a week or more away. Long motorway journeys are where disks get messed up. A clean and a wipe are all they normally need if not covering them. But, belt and braces on long trips, to avoid having shite brakes… well, why not?
I guess the why not for me is the lack of a need for this...despite 500mile trips with bikes on back and in some very changeable weather conditions...I've obviously been lucky as never had an issue with brakes, so I've never needed to consider covering them.
This seems to be a seed being planted in minds and then people thinking it is needed, but suspect it is a non-existant issue for most people...
Not to say it doesn't happen but I've never met anyone in real life with this issue, plenty folk online buying them to prevent this but very few experienced it. So I suspect the reality of this is very small and works by people suddenly thinking it might be an issue.
Appreciate this is a polar opposite thought to how this thread started, sorry.
To get back to the OP’s question
Muc-off disc brake covers? are they worth it or is it just good marketing?
If you are not currently bodging something and think these are a good solution or took one look at them and thought they solved a problem for you then you would probably be wasting your money. For me, I’m one of those obviously rare people whose discs get covered in crap on the tow bar rack (mostly if wet) leading to the first part of a ride being with graunchy and/or noisy brakes. I’d have bought some of these ages ago if I hadn’t thought they wouldn’t survive the car trip. I won’t use them for maintenance
I bought these after years of crap post drive brake performance, followed by years of flappy plastic bags and spray/wipe clean before first ride. They’re cheap, they work, they save me hassle. No one else has to buy them. I don’t think I’ve ever even recommended them to anyone ‘till I read this thread where people were asking if they are a rip off or pointless. They are neither in my book, but no one has to buy them. I’d very surprised if anyone bought them simply because they “thought they needed them”, unless they had contaminated their discs before… either driving or cleaning/lubing. Why would you? Not had a problem before, don’t even consider them. Personally, I’ve had plenty of rides ruined in the past by disc/pad contamination, and don’t any more. Job done.
Disc brake cleaner is a better first purchase though (cycle specific not car/motorcycle formulae, of course).
Alternatively you could use a shower cap, at about £1.99. £18 cheaper.
A few people have suggested shower caps. Personally, I don't think I'd want to use something that'll end up at a landfill every time I clean my bike.
But I agree the price is ridiculous though.
They’re cheap, they work, they save me hassle. No one else has to buy them. I don’t think I’ve ever even recommended them to anyone ‘till I read this thread where people were asking if they are a rip off or pointless.
This is me.
Yes, I suffer from post-drive brake contamination.
Yes, I've faffed with plastic bags, insulating tape and clingfilm.
Yes, I've arrived to find it has blown off somewhere en route, adding to roadside littering.
No, I've never mentioned it on here trying to implant an idea in someone's head.
No, I don't have shares in Muc Off.
No, I didn't invent them and so do not get some sort of royalty payment.
FWIW I got them quite a bit cheaper than RRP so I actually bought two pairs.
Mine just arrived, no more manky brakes for me 😀
I have a set, don't use them that often, but super useful when I do.
But when I have just rinsed all the crud off my bike and am short on time, they are great to whack over my rear disk and give the cassette & chain a squirt of something to deal with the moisture. Lazy? Yes. Better than doing nothing? Also yes.
Are there cheaper/more free options? Yes.
Are those cheaper/free options as free from faffage? No.
Are there better options? It depends....
For my use case, I initially bodged up some plastic that just protected the disc from cassette overspray. Turns out that THIS THINGY is a commercial product that does the same (although arguably slicker). Muc Off things were a grumpy purchase after the third time on a windy afternoon where my bodge got whipped away by the wind while spraying. They have a couple of flaws (like the fact I expect them to crack at some point) but they sure don't blow away.
Do I begrudge a company finding a solution to a problem that some would say does not exist? No. The problem clearly does exist but we've all been bodging our way around it for years.
they are great to whack over my rear disk and give the cassette & chain a squirt of something to deal with the moisture. Lazy? Yes. Better than doing nothing? Also yes.
This is what I was getting at with my original post. If I clean my bike in winter and put it in the garage I don't want it rusting from trapped water so I clear the water with bike protect. I'd rather be safe than sorry 👍
As for the brake shield thingy, the description said it only goes up to 40t rear cassettes or something so I ruled it out.
Alternatively you could use a shower cap, at about £1.99. £18 cheaper.
Tried this ages ago for when I used to scrub my cassette didnt work too well, also moved onto Peatys foaming degreaser which needs next to no scrubbing.
I have a towbar bike rack and found this winter the brake contamination to be awful, my brakes would either howl like a banshee or not work, I got around this by a quick rinse before I rode using my portable washer, since the weather got better this hasnt been an issue for me, until yesterday when I got to the local steep tech spot and had no rear brake, scrubbing the pads and disc in mud didnt work so had to abort the ride early. Got home very annoyed and have ordered the muc off disc covers, £20 to avoid rides getting cut short after a long drive is well worth it in my opinion, shame about the colour options though.
Hint: if the bike is mounted with the rotors facing the car/van, no one will notice.
OTOH the bright design is an extra visual reminder for folk behind you (yes, I've had someone drive into the back of me at a roundabout while the rack was fitted)
Do they do a range of colours, I need to match to my A4?
Do they do a range of colours, I need to match to my A4?
No, the easy option is to have you A4 wrapped Grey and Bright Pink to match the covers
Disc covers have arrived and been used, I think the colour is worse in real life though!
They just about fit around my 220mm rotors but they kept anything getting onto my rotors and contaminating it for a few uses now.
I’ve always been a stickler for not letting anything near my discs or pads, even to the point of not touching the pad material with my fingers, then a week ago, I got my bike out the car in Wharncliffe car park at the start of a week away, put the wheels in, and rode around the car park, the front brake (Hope V4) was howling and not working, I’d recently rebuilt it with new seals and pistons, and it had been perfect the ride before, I got off looked and found the disc dripping in oil! (Turned out to be vacuum pump oil which had leaked out a bottle in the car) a friend had just turned up to ride with me, it was Sunday afternoon, So I wiped the disc with baby wipes, held the pads with a leatherman and used a Clipper lighter on them until they stopped smoking, then rubbed them around on the ground a bit. They squealed for a couple of hours, but worked surprisingly well and I did 38,500 feet of descending in the following 7 days and they were fine.