Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Oxford Brush and Scrub Set

7
£16.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good set of brushes that does the job well
Varying bristle types
Easy to wash out
Good quality
Decent value
No detail brush
Weight: 
900g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Oxford Brush and Scrub Set gets you four useful, solidly made brushes for cleaning out the various bits of your bike. It lacks a very small brush for really getting into nooks and crannies, but for most stuff – and even the tough, built-up stuff – it'll do the job.

This was almost perfectly timed – it arrived for the deep clean of the household's bikes before enjoying the improving weather. The set includes four brushes of varying sizes and bristle lengths, each designed to clean in different ways.

The Big Softy (the one with the squared head and longer handle) is for large areas like the frame, and has bristles tipped with rubber for paint protection. The other large brush is the Wheely Clean, which as you can guess is for reaching through spokes to the hubs.

Pronging

The smaller ones are the Prong Brush, said to help with getting around the frame and cleaning both sides at the same time, and the Double Stubble, which has double-density bristles for really stuck-on dirt. None are designed for dirty cassettes, although I found the Big Softy was good enough for the job – although once you've made that choice, it's probably best to stick to it.

Perhaps most importantly, they enable you to easily separate jobs – you don't want to be cleaning a dirty drivetrain with something you'll use on a frame. I found they all had a useful purpose, although I could live without the Prong Brush in return for a smaller one that could get inside those little recesses where dirt often hides.

Filth

I found they can really make light work of dried muck if you've been lazy after a ride or two.

Each of the brushes are well made, and the bristles have kept their shape, though the Big Softy has started to fray a little already – inevitable, perhaps, as it is indeed soft. The rubberised handles are sturdy and well shaped.

Soapy

They all wash through quite easily, but it's worth taking the time to do this properly with warm soapy water (not just settling for the dirty water you've been washing your bike in, or a simple rinse either). This way, you get a good clean every time – even more important if you have a white bike in your garage, as I do. The bristles don't hold dirt that well, so it's easy to do.

Value

At £16.99, value is pretty good. Muc-Off sells two multipacks – a three-brush set at £23.99 and a five-brush one costing £34.99 – while Park Tool's latest four-brush BCB4.2 set is £26.99.

Wiggle makes its own Mobi 5-Piece Brush Set for an official price of £19.99, but Wiggle being Wiggle it rarely actually costs that; at the time of writing it was £12.99.

Overall

These are decent quality brushes for getting at the worst grime/trickiest spots on your bike. You'll still need something get in the smallest areas and a cloth to finish the job, but otherwise this set will get the job done without fuss.

Verdict

Good set of brushes that does the job well

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Oxford Brush and Scrub Set

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Oxford says: "From cleaning delicate paintwork to tackling grime-clad, hard-to-reach areas this set has a solution for every challenge.

"The Big Softie is a large, soft cleaning brush, angled for easy use. Its big head gently loosens dirt and rubberised impact zones protect paintwork, so you can blitz your bike in no time at all.

"For cleaning wheels, rims and spokes there are two differently shaped brushes: Wheely Clean is long, wide and soft, while the Double Stubble has short high density bristles. Together dirt stands no chance of staying put.

"There's no escape from the Prong Brush as it tackles dirty parts from both sides at once, dislodging hard-to-reach debris with its twin-headed design."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Key features:

- Includes: Big Softie, Wheely Clean, Double Stubble and Prong Brush.

- Durable nylon bristles.

- Rubberised safety tips.

- Long reach brush head.

- Tough impact resistant handles.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

The Big Softy has started to wear a little earlier than the other brushes, but as it is indeed soft that's to be expected.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Versus rivals from 'bigger' brands, value is pretty good.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well - all the brushes shift dirt very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Varying bristle types, easy to wash out, good quality, decent value.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There's no detail brush.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £16.99, value is pretty good. Muc-Off sells two multipacks – a three-brush set at £23.99 and a five-brush one costing £34.99 – while Park Tool's latest four-brush set is £26.99.

Wiggle does the Mobi 5-Piece Brush Set for an official price of £19.99, but Wiggle being Wiggle it rarely actually costs that; at the time of writing it was £12.99.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, although I might consider a set that has a smaller brush for detail areas

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly

Use this box to explain your overall score

These brushes do a good job of reaching and removing bicycle grime, and don't fall apart or break. They're good.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 32  Height: 188cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Canyon Ultimate CF SL (2016), Fairlight Strael 3.0 (2021)  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Dabble in Zwift training and racing

Latest Comments