Review of the CeramicSpeed UFO Ultimate Care product range

CeramicSpeed, the Danish brand specializing in bearings and anything that can reduce friction in the drivetrain, offers various bike maintenance products, from degreaser to specific chain wax for different conditions, as well as a bike cleaner. We tested some of these products over the past few particularly wet weeks. Here’s the verdict.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

CeramicSpeed offers a wide range of maintenance products, some of which are sold in kits. I was able to test the UFO Ultimate Care kit, which includes a drivetrain degreaser, a bike cleaner for the entire bike, and two specific chain waxes: one for dry or varied conditions, and the other for wet conditions. But rather than calling it a true test, I’ll refer to it as a trial, as I admit I lack a bit of perspective on this type of product. Ordinarily, I clean my bike in two ways: either with a quick spray of classic degreaser on the chain and cassette, followed by cleaning with a sponge and hot water with dish soap, or by using a high-pressure washer when the machine is truly very dirty. Furthermore, I must admit that during these three weeks with these CeramicSpeed products, I didn’t have the opportunity to apply the wax for varied conditions at all! While I rode three times on the indoor trainer during this period, I mainly rode on the road, and all rides were done in the rain or at least on wet and dirty roads. Suffice it to say that the wax for wet conditions was largely my preference during this period.

Kit contents

This UFO Ultimate Care kit contains:

• UFO Bike Wash (bike cleaner): This is an eco-friendly foaming bike soap, tested and approved for all surfaces. This wash product can be used indoors or outdoors and contains no fragrances or odorous substances. 500 ml container with adjustable spray gun. Unit price: €22
• UFO Drivetrain Cleaner (drivetrain degreaser): Eco-friendly drivetrain cleaner that deeply removes grease and dirt from all drivetrain components. Its unique properties dissolve wax from chain links. According to CeramicSpeed, it is a non-toxic and biodegradable formula, environmentally friendly. 500 ml container with adjustable spray gun. Unit price: €25
• UFO Drip Wet Conditions (chain wax for wet conditions): For riding in constantly wet conditions (road, MTB, Gravel, cyclocross), it offers the benefits of a wax-based chain lubricant while resisting deterioration in wet conditions. Non-toxic and biodegradable. 100 ml container. 8 ml per application for the entire chain. Price: €22
• UFO Drip All Conditions (chain wax for all conditions): The former UFO Drip Chain Coating has been updated and renamed. An optimized formula that has a clean white appearance upon application, which virtually disappears once completely dry. One application provides 300 km of silence and smoothness in dry and clean conditions, according to CeramicSpeed. Non-toxic and biodegradable. 100 ml container. 8 ml per application for the entire chain. Price: €22. I did not have the opportunity to test this product.

  

In use

Each time, I followed the brand’s recommendations. I started by applying the degreaser to the chain and cassette, as well as to the chainrings, avoiding spraying the product on the brake rotors and pads. Then I let the product drip for a few minutes, while I sprayed the bike cleaner over the entire machine. After that, I quickly wiped it with a sponge, before rinsing thoroughly with water. Finally, once the bike was dry, I applied the wax to the chain, on the inner part (the one that is directly in contact with the chainrings and cogs).

Our opinion on CeramicSpeed UFO Ultimate Care maintenance products

During the first use of the degreaser, the chain and the entire drivetrain were very dirty, with a mixture of grease, sand, and mud that had turned black. But nothing very surprising for the time of year, with frequent rides on wet and greasy roads and less than optimal cleaning after each session. I even sometimes add oil before leaving, even though the drivetrain isn’t clean. In short, classic, to such an extent that I didn’t think to take a photo before the first application of UFO degreaser.

I then observed the formidable effectiveness of this product, which dissolves the most stubborn grease stains in a few moments. And this without odor, or even causing hydrocarbon stains on the ground. Magic!

Once the drivetrain is clean, the application of wax for wet conditions ensures the drivetrain’s fluidity and silence from the very first meters. With four rides a week currently, I haven’t needed to reapply it before each thorough cleaning. But most importantly, even in terrible conditions, the drivetrain has remained almost clean; it hasn’t blackened, which facilitates subsequent cleaning. Here again, I think the product is worth it, even considering its price. With a 100 ml bottle, it’s possible to perform 12 or 13 complete applications on the chain, which should last through the winter.

I am more skeptical about the bike cleaner. It is also very effective, and when applied to a mixed grease and mud stain, you can see the dirt dissolve and drip off in a few seconds. But it remains difficult to reach all corners of a bike without using a sponge. And above all, the 500 ml bottle empties very quickly. After four washes, I had emptied the container, and I had to finish with hot water and dish soap. The quality of the product is not in question, but its price relative to its use is very high.

The fact remains that I am impressed by the entire range, and particularly by the degreaser/wax combination, which ensures almost unparalleled drivetrain cleanliness with minimal effort, avoids odors (for those who remember the smells of diesel or White Spirit, all that is ancient history), and offers at least the same fluidity as thick, greasy oils. These have always been resistant to moisture, but they also attracted all the dirt to the drivetrain. There’s much better today with CeramicSpeed UFO products.

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