Can you pressure wash your bike?

KevChallis

I'm into my car detailing, and have a foam lance for my pressure washer, is there any reason (apart from being to vein maybe?) that I shouldn't use it on my bike? After a 40 mile ride this morning, the thing is coated in salt and mud.

Thanks in advance

KevChallis

I don't mean blast it either, I mean turn the flow down just to get it clean

Thanks

bendertherobot

Happens at CX races all the time. Remember to re lube the appropriate places and be careful pointing directly at places like the bottom bracket, wheel hubs etc.

But, personally, unless you've been CX racing, hand wash is preferable.

iron-clover

Yup, as you're being sensible there's no reason why not.
If you were using the high pressure then I wouldn't recommend it as you'd probably force water into the bearings, but if it's more gentle like a garden hose (not set to it's jet setting though!) then it'll be fine.

I personally use a bucket of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag/ j cloth, and a brush to do the hubs and tricky bits, then rinse it off with the garden hose set to a flat sprinkler setting just to wash off the washing up liquid (it contains some salt). It takes about 20mins in total, and if the bike it really bad (i.e. cyclocross) then I'll use the hose first to get the worst off before using the bucket and cloth.

norvernrob

I hose off the loose muck first, then use a bucket of warm water with car shampoo in, plus a set of detailing brushes and a large wheel woolie. I can clean all around the fiddly areas like this then just rinse it off after and dry with a drying towel.

DavidJB

Hose my bikes all the time...in fact when you do CX you have to hose the bloody thing down. Then I sponge it, hose it again, clean the chain, hose it all one final time then GT85 all the moving parts re-lube the chain and done!

zx6man

I hose (now), not pressure wash . Last time I did it even while being careful it removed the grease from my front bearings

diy

A fine spray is fine IMO and I regularly regrease all the bits that are needed anyway. You'll find the road crap does a better job of removing lubes than a fine spray does.

downhill paul

Can anyone recommend me a good chain cleaner/degreaser?
the last few times I cleaned my chain, I sprayed it with muc off degreaser first which I let sit while I made and drank my coffee. after which I rinsed the chain off with the hose, put on some rubber gloves, filled a bucket with some car shampoo and water as hot as I could stand it (which turned out to be quite hot thanks to the rubber gloves) then using quite a stiff brush, I gave the whole chain, front and rear derailleur, front chain rings, rear cassette and the rear jockey wheels a good scrub, again rinsing off after with the hose. I then gave everything another light spray of chain degreaser and let it sit again before rinsing it off. after all that I repeatedly ran the chain through a dry white cloth, as well as the chain rings, the rear cassette and the jockey wheels. I wiped everything several times with a white cloth until there was no dirt left. not even when i touched everything with my hands.
I applied a thin coat of dry chain lube, using another dry white cloth after to remove any excess. I turned the cloth over to reveal a dirty black line. probably as dirty as it had been before I started cleaning.
how is that even possible?

ForumNewbie

downhill paul wrote:

Can anyone recommend me a good chain cleaner/degreaser?
the last few times I cleaned my chain, I sprayed it with muc off degreaser first which I let sit while I made and drank my coffee. after which I rinsed the chain off with the hose, put on some rubber gloves, filled a bucket with some car shampoo and water as hot as I could stand it (which turned out to be quite hot thanks to the rubber gloves) then using quite a stiff brush, I gave the whole chain, front and rear derailleur, front chain rings, rear cassette and the rear jockey wheels a good scrub, again rinsing off after with the hose. I then gave everything another light spray of chain degreaser and let it sit again before rinsing it off. after all that I repeatedly ran the chain through a dry white cloth, as well as the chain rings, the rear cassette and the jockey wheels. I wiped everything several times with a white cloth until there was no dirt left. not even when i touched everything with my hands.
I applied a thin coat of dry chain lube, using another dry white cloth after to remove any excess. I turned the cloth over to reveal a dirty black line. probably as dirty as it had been before I started cleaning.
how is that even possible?

I think chain lube always appears black when you wipe if off. I keep my bikes quite clean, but not as thoroughly as you seem to do. I doubt you could do much more to get it cleaner.

crikey

I'm struggling to think why anyone would bother!

Drivetrains get 'dirty' from use. Trying to get them ultra-clean is like polishing the soles of your shoes.

downhill paul

On a similar note. should I use a degreaser or a chain cleaner? I'm struggling to find anywhere/anyone that can explain the difference.

animal72

downhill paul wrote:

Can anyone recommend me a good chain cleaner/degreaser?

Paraffin.

Cheap, available everywhere, works.

rc856

I've recently tried Fenwick's foam chain cleaner and really like it.
Works and I don't use as much as spraying a regular degreaser.

http://road.cc/content/news/13800-fenwi ... -degreaser

markhewitt1978

If the pressure is low then you can do. Personally I use a hose pipe which gets 98% of the dirt off with the help of some muc-off. You still need a sponge to get the other 2%.

rower63

downhill paul wrote:

... I sprayed it ... let sit ... rinsed the chain off ... filled a bucket with some car shampoo and water as hot as I could stand it ... gave chain, front and rear derailleur, chain rings, cassette and jockey wheels a scrub, again rinsing off ... another light spray of chain degreaser ... rinsing it off ... repeatedly ran chain through dry white cloth, as well as the chain rings ... cassette and jockey wheels ... wiped everything several times with a white cloth ... no dirt left. not even when i touched everything with my hands.
... thin coat of dry chain lube, using another dry white cloth after to remove any excess. I turned the cloth over to reveal a dirty black line. probably as dirty as it had been before I started cleaning.
how is that even possible?

At risk of straying off strict topic, the black stuff comes from the internals of the chain which is largely unaffected by what you did above. As soon as you moved the chain around afterwards, it got moved back out with the new lube.
Unfortunately that black stuff is in large part microscopic particles of Aluminium Oxide, ground off the front chainring which is likely the only aluminium part in the drivechain. Aluminium Oxide is one of the hardest substances known to man, hence grinding wheels are made from it. In particle form, suspended in oil, one can hardly think of a more effective grinding-paste, perfect for removing yet more Al2O3 and grinding down your chain cassette. Personally I think the use of Aluminium chainrings is the worst idea in the evolution of bike-design.
The only way I have found to really get rid of that stuff is to use an ultrasonic cleaner, which will get it out from inside as well. But you need to re-lube really thoroughly (see link in my sig to read how I do it). And it will be back and evident after around 20 miles of dry-road riding.