Newbie question on washing

MegaCycle
MegaCycle Posts: 236
edited January 2008 in Workshop
In all the great cycling movies, there is always a scene of a technician hosing down the bikes with one of those pressure washers. I have always shyed away from that and just done it the slow way (with a cloth and bucket) as I am concerned about getting all the mechs, chain, cables etc full of water.

But presumably if the pro-teams use hoses, it must be ok...? Does anyone know?

It'd be a LOT quicker!

Comments

  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    You could wash all the grease out of the bearing with a pressure washer - safer to use a sponge and soapy water.
    I like bikes...

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  • Raph
    Raph Posts: 249
    Garden hose is best - there's never more impact than you'd get with spray from riding in the rain and it's only for a short stint anyway. You can always do the thumb-over-the-end trick to make a more forceful jet for stubborn bits as long as they're not near bearings, and then a quick rub-down with a rag will shift the the worst splats of mud. A properly lubed chain shouldn't suffer from a bit of a drenching - a re-lube straight afterwards is fine, perhaps preceded by a squirt of WD40 if you've got it.

    I often do it in two stages, hose it down and leave it outside for ten minutes for the crud to soften up, then go out and give it another go. I've got a pressure washer but it's a pain to use cos you keep having to be careful. Also it occasionally takes paint off.
  • pieinthesky
    pieinthesky Posts: 417
    I would recommend a garden sprayer, the ones meant for spraying fertilizer or weedkiller about 25 litres is big enough. Fill it up give it a few pumps and its ready to go. You can adjust them from a fine spray to a fast jet, somehere in the middle is OK. Use this and a large soft brush such as an emulsion brush (with no metal bits to scratch your paintwork)

    Leave it outside the back door before you set off or if you are travelling pop it in the boot of the car.

    Wilkinsons do a cheap model
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I give mine a quick swoosh with the garden hose. I have it on a fine spray and just quickly swish it over the bike from a bit of a distance. I gets the whole bike nicely wet without too much risk of driving water into the bottom bracket, wheel hubs, etc.

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