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Effetto Mariposa unveils new cleaning range designed to be kind to environment

Swiss brand says it has prioritised low ecological impact with the use of sunflower wax and pine oil

Effetto Mariposa has unveiled new cleaning and lubricating products that are said to be kind to the environment as well as good at looking after your bike.

The range comprises:

• Allpine Extra degreaser with pine oil, 500 ml, £16
• Allpine Light biodegradable cleaner 1000 ml with trigger vaporiser, £14 
(refill without vaporiser, £11)
• Flowerpower Wax chain lubricant with sunflower seed wax 100 ml, £16
• Mangiacatena chain cleaning device, £30
• Cog Brush, £9

 2021 Effetto Mariposa AllpineExtra500ml.jpeg

“In the development of Allpine Extra, besides effectiveness, we prioritised low ecological impact,” says Effetto Mariposa. “The addition of pine oil, a solvent of natural origin, has proved invaluable for these purposes and Allpine Extra is rapidly biodegradable.”

 2021 Effetto Mariposa AllpineLight1000ml_Recharger.jpeg

Pine-scented Allpine Light cleaner is biodegradable too. 

“It’s ideal for eBikes,[for example], as there’s no need to rinse,” says Effetto Mariposa. “When you are in a hurry and a quick cleaning is sufficient, or you want to limit the use of water close to electrical contacts, Allpine Light and a rag are enough to clean the bike.”

 2021 Effetto Mariposa FlowerPowerWax Chain Lube_100ml.jpeg

The Flowerpower Wax chain lubricant contains sunflower seed wax and avoids fluorinated compounds (PFAS), graphene and sulphides.

“Flowerpower Wax is a water emulsion of natural waxy compounds, with the right viscosity to penetrate inside the chain links, where lubrication is most important,” says Effetto Mariposa. "Once the water has evaporated, a thick layer of wax remains firmly anchored to the metal, creating a real anti-friction pad. The chain... will not be greasy or sticky and won’t retain dirt.”

Effetto Mariposa says that the wax obtained from sunflower seeds adheres strongly to metal and is water-resistant, prolonging the effectiveness of lubrication even in the event of rain.

2021 Effetto Mariposa Mangiacatena Chain Cleaning Tool

The Mangiacatena chain cleaning tool is equipped with plastic fins at both ends to keep as much solvent inside the tool as possible, and the chain's path is straight.

“The washing is performed by six rotating brushes, continuously soaked in the cleaning liquid, which actively remove dirt on each side, pushing the solvent inside the chain,” says Effetto Mariposa.

Replacement brushes are available (£9).

Get more info from www.effettomariposa.eu. The UK distributor is Upgrade Bikes

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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Boopop | 3 years ago
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I really do want to be environmentally friendly as possible, honest, but £16 for 500ml is bonkers. For years now I've been buying viro-sol citrus degreaser, of which 5L can be had for under £15, and even then it works well as chain degreaser once it's half diluted. Citrus degreaser is essentially what the cycle brands like muc-off and Park Tool use for their degreasers, which are also much more expensive.

I wonder if I could just buy some pine oil/disinfectant in bulk (like the Viro-sol) for again a similarly reduced price and get the same environmental benefits. There always seems to be a huge markup for cycle themed chemicals. I understand for chain lube - it's a specific purpose. Stripping something of oils and dirt isn't very specific to cycling however so I'm not convinced by the marketing that I need to buy a cycling specific product.

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