Pressure washing,your opinions...?

benneally

Right, after recently getting my bike litteraly filled with mud, i need to clean it. I have attempted, but the mud is solid, like in the rear of the cassette. Now i used to pressure wash my old bike, but i heard that this damages seals and bearings, and as such i have not pressure washed my new bike.
But now im really tempted to do so. Should i? How much damage will 1 minute really do? :roll:

papasmurf.

well it depends where you point the nossle, say if you point it at the hubs or bb for instance, then you're likey to get water ingress plus strip off the protective grease

just use a sponge and warm water to soften the mud, surely easier then setting up the jet wash and then getting cold water everywhere including yourself as they always have a habit of getting you just as wet..

FatBurt

Don't is my answer


Warm water and soap over the offending mud and let it soak in then hose down

Reapply if necessary.


regardless how careful you are I'd never run the risk of a pressure washer just in case of slippage.

clanton

Use a low pressure hose and a brush, give it a good soaking first to soften everything up.

stumpyjon

Best thing to do is it as clean as soon as you get home while the mud is still soft, I've just put an outside tap in next to the garage so I don't even have to get the hose out.

I know I'm lucky cos most of my rides start and end on my drive (benefits of living 1300ft above sea level ) but even if you have to drive back there are low pressure washers out there that run off a car cigarette lighter or even just a garden sprayer is effective when the mud's still wet.

As the others have said, don't be tempted with a pressure washer unless you want to strip evry bearing down afterwards, soak the mud to get it wet again and brush off (Park Tools do a good stiff brush which is great for cleaning cassettes).

thewaddys

If I get my bike dirty I just trow it away and buy a new one, whats a couple of grand a week anyway?! Clanton is right with his method. I have a brush connected to a hose with small soap sticks you can put in the head of the brush. I nicked some carnuba wax from work and polished all the shiny bits on my Dale and the mud drops off it when I wash it. You can also wipe the whole bike with a WD40 soaked rag after washing it, has the same effect.

benneally

dam it! I thought those would be the responses.......its rele clogged up though!

thewaddys

Get someone else to clean it then!

monkeysm8

Muc Off is your friend And coat the frame in GT-85 or Bike spray after washing

Anonymous

ive got a little karcher washer and the worst i ever did was to blast some paint off an old set of drop offs i had.

that said, i am careful to not direct the jet at the hubs or fork/shock seals and use the lower pressure of the 2 jet extensions i have.

its ace for getting mud off the frame, around the cranks and everywhere, (just be careful around the seals)

Ps. muc off is awesome kit too.

cjw

benneally wrote:

dam it! I thought those would be the responses.......its rele clogged up though!

Heven't you cleaned of those mud aeros yet

andyturner28

What about of you have sealed cartridge bearings? I have Pro 11 hubs and XT external bb, so aren't these sealed enough to use the jetwash? My front hub is about 9 months old now and it is still smooth as butter, and i jetwash every time.

Andy.

Team515

I jet washed my bike wish i hadnt. rear brake seized up. had to strip it down a nd clean it up

Anonymous

Pressure washing bearings not only damages the lube, but also injects very corrosive and extremely fine sand into the same area. It takes very little movement after to start wearing the chrome protection off of the ball bearings themselves and lead to oxidation taking hold. I usually spray a silicone lube over most of the sensitive areas and stay away from all bearing sets.

grommet

I usualy get the whole drive train wet, squirt on a generous amount of muc off, leave it for 30 seconds, scrub all over the chain ring, casset, chain and rear mech, and hose it all down. After that the muc off should have been on the bike for around 1 and a half - 2 mins and ten i use a gardan hose to wash it all off. Leave it to dry for 5 mins or so and then go over the chain and casset with a few drops of oil.

Also try not to get to much muc off on the breaks as it will make them squeel and loose power. 1st hand experience here...

hope this helps

jimmyp1873

believe it or not i put mine in the bath and use the shower on it, a good soaking with warm water plenty of muc-off then rinse......then bugger off quick style before wifey sees the mess

handscombmp

i normally just a bucket of hot water and a sponge and let the dirt soften and then i spray it right down which normally does the trivk and finish of with some muck off.

a mate of mine said that just using a normaly hose it bad. that not true is it as long as you lube most things again. some one tell that not true please.

woodywmb

This is the answer:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hozelock-Killas ... B000IU40FS

It's a 5-litre Hozelock Killaspray garden sprayer. Costs between £19 and £47 (not a mistake) depending on where you buy it. £25 in B&Q. Get the model with the wand, not the one in Halfords which has a hose instead and a small brush for washing cars. The jet spray is powerful enough to knock away the gunk after you've have soaked the bike in Muc Off. Not too powerful that it will penetrate seals and bearing grease. Five litres is enough for two bikes if it's just a quick wash after a few hours on the trails. The sprayer requires 40 pumps on the plunger to get the pressure up. It fits easily in the boot of the car and so can accompany you when you're away for the day. Otherwise it sits in the garage or any cupboard in the house. Needs no electricity or outside tap. Saves your car getting muddy when you're hoisting the bikes on top, strapping them on the back or even removing the wheels to wedge them in the rear. All for the price of a Deore 9-speed cassette. (And unlike bike parts the sprayer will last for years).

benneally

thanks for the heads up!