You want to ride a new bike straight away, but the frame is often covered in labels, barcodes and technical stickers. They do nothing for the look and over time get dirty and peel off in scraps.
You can remove them quickly and without risk to the paint. All it takes is a little patience and simple tools you already have at home.
What you will need
Important: Keep the product away from brake discs, pads, rims used as braking surfaces and tyres; cover them with a cloth if needed. Do not overheat carbon frames or thin lacquer: hold the hairdryer at a distance and keep it moving. Do not use metal blades.
Step 1
Find all the stickers and check their type
Look over the frame, fork, seatpost and rims. Stickers are either vinyl or paper. Paper ones grip firmly but soak up products that help remove them. Vinyl ones let no liquid through, but usually have weaker adhesive.
If there are lots of them, remove them in batches: vinyl first, then paper.
Step 2
Warm vinyl stickers
Set the hairdryer to warm and direct the airflow onto the sticker, moving it smoothly so the whole area heats up. Warm a long sticker that wraps around a tube in sections. After about a minute the adhesive softens, and you can see it in the vinyl itself.
Step 3
Lift the sticker with a scraper
Rest the edge of a plastic scraper on the frame next to the sticker at about 45 degrees and gently slide it under a corner. If it resists, warm it a little more. Then take hold of the corner and peel the sticker slowly along the frame. You will deal with any glue left behind later.
Step 4
Remove paper stickers with heat and product
Warm a paper sticker with the hairdryer first, then cover it completely with WD-40 Multi-Use. For small stickers near welds and on the fork, WD-40 Smart Straw with its thin straw is handier. The product soaks the paper and softens the adhesive, so the sticker lifts easily with the scraper, just like vinyl.
Step 5
Clear the glue and wipe the frame
Apply a little WD-40 Multi-Use to any glue residue, directly or on a cloth, and wipe it away with microfibre. Finally dry the frame with a clean cloth. The thin film left behind repels moisture and dirt, so the bike stays cleaner for longer.
Tip: Remove stickers before your first riding season: after a summer in the sun and a winter in an unheated garage, the glue hardens and paper crumbles.
What next
When you have finished, check that no product has reached the brakes and degrease them if necessary. The same WD-40 Multi-Use protects bolts, cables and metal parts from moisture, especially if the bike lives on a balcony.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».