I'm not fanatical about cleaning my bike, but I do wash off the bugs and mud once in a while. Last week I was getting ready to go home from work and checked my cell phone messages and got a message that required me to write down a phone # and street address. I had a pencil handy, but nothing to write on, so I jotted down the info with a pencil on the white plastic fairing on the front of my bike. I assumes that it would rub right off with my finger and possibly a little spit. Boy was I wrong!
I washed my bike today and spent more time trying to clean those pencil marks off my bike than cleaning off all the bugs and mud and grease. I even used a car wash solution for cleaning bug splatter off windshields, that didn't seem to help at all. I finally, reluctantly, used a cloth dampened with acetone, and that took the last of it off. But who would have thought a little bit of pencil would be so tough to clean off plastic?
Lesson learned.

 

Blood, sweat and tears imo

 

My spokes are a PITA. I live on the coast and the salt air has done a number on the leading side of the spokes. Back side is fine, but the front is rusty. I hate trying to clean them, so I left um. Looks like crap.

 

Did you try a pencil eraser?

Just sayin'!

 

LOL No, actually I didn't, but now that you mention it, I probably should have given it a try.
You've got me curious now, maybe I'll put another little pencil mark and try it again.

 

A Mr. Clean magic eraser probably would have worked too.

 

What about rubbing alcohol?

 

next time don't wash it so you can write the number in mud

 

i found a product that cleans every thing

it is a wax the actually removes rust and buffs out aluminum

Royal Blue Wax | Get your shine on!

i use it all of the time i found it at a swap meet and im hooked now

 

About Spokes. How the #$%^& to keep em shiny?