Can we wash our bikes like pros?

[wildeny]

I usually just use some wet cloth to wipe my bike clean. I thought using the pressure sprayer like below on bikes isn't good. Maybe the pro bikes are more water-resilient?

At the 11th stage of Tour de France this year, after the race, the euskaltel team washed the bikes in front of their motel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FSuwwYlN_M
Check the first 15 sec and the section after 2:49.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiEdIw3jVwM
they didn't use the compressed air much.

(Is there a way to embed video in this forum?)

[yetigooch]

You should not use a high pressure water to wash a bike....water can get into places were they are bearings (e.g. bottom bracket, headset, hubs). They pro bikes might get away with this since their mechanics probably rebuild or clean the bearings frequently enough before and corrosion can occur.

[sundial]

I use this to clean up my bikes. I dial it to the fine mist and it cleans beautifully and is so handy too! It's also great for misting off after a hot ride.

[wildeny]

They pro bikes might get away with this since their mechanics probably rebuild or clean the bearings frequently enough before and corrosion can occur.

I thought so too.

[Trek420]

The pro bikes might get away with this since their mechanics probably rebuild or clean the bearings frequently enough before and corrosion can occur.

Yeah, that's how they get away with white bar tape too.

And ya know, not to put too fine a point on it and this is a family forum after all but if I was able to pee off the side of the bike while racing .... I'd want my bike pressure washed too

[deeaimond]

Yeah, that's how they get away with white bar tape too.

And ya know, not to put too fine a point on it and this is a family forum after all but if I was able to pee off the side of the bike while racing .... I'd want my bike pressure washed too

hahha... good one.

Well, some people might disagree, but I also wash my bike with a hose/spray. My mechanic taught me that it was ok, as long as you do no spray directly on the parts that have bearings or whatnot. The spraying is for the frame, and great for the brake calipers, coz it gets the stuff from in between out. its also great to spray out excess gunk from the rear cassette. wipe everything dry with a soft cloth after hosing the bike down, and lube up, and viola, u're done!

I think its less likely for water to get into the bearings and parts because of the direction the water is coming from. hosing down its usually from top, so water doesnt get into the frame. the cases where I had water in my hubs, frames and bottom bracket was when i rode in super heavy rain, and the water came in the bike from below (flooded puddles etc)

Of course, this does not apply to steel frames...

[Dogmama]

I wash my steel frame bike with a hose but I'm really careful to not spray any hubs, etc. One of the best things I've found it McGuire's car wash. Really gets road grime off.

For the chain, after I clean it with the degreaser (citrus) I use some canned air & spray between the sprockets. Be sure to have a towel to catch the grime, but I'm always amazed at the excess gunk that comes out.

[Aquila]

Some days, it would be really nice to have someone else clean up the bike and make sure everything's perfect for the next time.

[papaver]

Some days, it would be really nice to have someone else clean up the bike and make sure everything's perfect for the next time.

Well, not for me. It's part of the fun. I like to wash my bike. I see it as my favor in return. If you wash your bike often it only takes about 10 mins or so. Of course in summertime I wash my bike less. In the wintertime when the roads are muddy I wash it after every ride.

[OakLeaf]

If you wash your bike often it only takes about 10 mins or so.

How come it always takes me an hour??

Whether it's a little bit of dirt or a lot, in between the parts of the brake calipers, on the derailleur springs, between the rear cogs, etc., it's still a PITA trying to get it out of there...

Friend of mine says he removes the cassette every time for cleaning! I thought that lockring was only good for one use? That teeny little crush washer is DEFINITELY a single use item and I don't know where the heck you'd get a replacement, it's hard enough finding the big crush washers for oil drain plugs on the motorized vehicles!

[papaver]

I don't dismantle anything. I just don't know enough about the mechanics to do so... Yet.

I just use a toothbrush, other special brushes, two sponges, a special chain cleaner, and that's about it.

[kfergos]

Well, not for me. It's part of the fun. I like to wash my bike. I see it as my favor in return. If you wash your bike often it only takes about 10 mins or so. Of course in summertime I wash my bike less. In the wintertime when the roads are muddy I wash it after every ride.

I agree. I like seeing my bike gleaming after all the work I put in to get it clean. I second the comment about frequent cleaning, too.

I've been using Pedro's Green Fizz lately, and it does clean stuff off pretty well, but I think when it runs out I'll just go back to castille soap and water. The Green Fizz costs more than it's worth, in my opinion. For rinsing my bike I like to use a water bottle to squirt water. It's enough force to get gunk off, but not so much to get in the bearings (unless you have way stronger hands than I do! ).

Keep old tooth brushes for cleaning the cassette -- works like a charm. Just spray some of your lube on there and brush the teeth in sections, wiping off with a rag periodically. Voila! Clean cassette, no removal necessary.

[OakLeaf]

I use the Park Tool cog brush. It's the only special cleaning tool that's worth the money, IMO. Toothbrush bristles are too short for getting in between the larger cogs. The Park Tool brush has long bristles and a narrow profile, and slips right in. Toothbrushes are nice for the rims and spokes (although one advantage to frequent cleaning is that the spokes usually clean up with a rag).

For the narrower spaces between the pieces of the brake calipers I still find that a shop rag or folded heavy paper towel works better, though. And there are some of those nooks and crannies in the derailleurs, particularly, that I just use a narrow punch or a pick to manipulate a heavy paper towel (the "Shop Rags in a Box" type, which also come in rolls at the hardware store).

[Pedal Wench]

I thought that lockring was only good for one use? That teeny little crush washer is DEFINITELY a single use item and I don't know where the heck you'd get a replacement, it's hard enough finding the big crush washers for oil drain plugs on the motorized vehicles!

??? Really? I always reuse mine - and I move my cassettes around from wheel to wheel, and remove it to clean the cassettes too. I wonder why it would be a one-time use item?

[OakLeaf]

Because deforming the metal creates pressure that enhances the lock.

Once the metal has been deformed and thinned in places, it can't create the pressure it's intended to exert.

I will say that I was surprised to find a crush washer in that location. I'm used to seeing them only as seals in pressurized fluid systems (oil or coolant). But by definition, a crush washer is meant for a single use.

And I've never seen a crush washer so thin! Those are practically foil.