How do bike shops....

[magnatom]

... get bikes so clean!

Seriously I took the bike in for a service and when I got it back the rear dérailleur was spotless. I had spent a good 20 minutes the week before trying to scrub the muck of with brushes and muck-off, but I just couldn't get through all of the grime.

I can't imagine that a bike shop would spend more than 20 minutes cleaning a small part of the bike, so how do they do it, what is the secret? I assume taking the offending parts off the bike help but what else do they do? Acid bath perhaps

 

[Brock]

They have a sheep dip style tank filled with WD40 which the teaboy has to cycle back and forth through with a snorkel. I'm thinking of building one in the garden.

 

[col]

Thought it was the cycle version of what the shoe maker had?

 

[Tynan]

pressure washer

 

[magnatom]

They have a sheep dip style tank filled with WD40 which the teaboy has to cycle back and forth through with a snorkel. I'm thinking of building one in the garden.

If the teaboy ever committed a crime and was on the run from the police I am sure he would be able to slip from their grasp

 

[magnatom]

pressure washer

I thought they were bad for bikes. Anyway where the shop is he would have no room for one of those. Very small bike shop and no big puddles of water!

 

[Brock]

If the teaboy ever committed a crime and was on the run from the police I am sure he would be able to slip from their grasp

Careful mate, Mickle will scold you for suggesting that WD40 is a lubricant!

 

[spandex]

pressure washer

Thats it but some do it wrong ie they have the power up to hi and its not good for the bike. If you are thinking of doing it keep the power down and dont spray ANY moving part.

 

[fossyant]

Nothing more that a rag I'd have thought - you mucky boy.....you need to keep that machine clean....

 

[zimzum42]

Pressure washers are fine for bikes, just don't use them anywhere near any bearings, it'll blast all the grease out.....

 

[gbb]

Compressed air maybe ?

I'm lucky i can clean and service my bikes at work.
Its generally quick and easy with a liberal spray of WD or similar on the derailleurs, wipe with a cloth then blast with an airline. The air blasts off all the crud effortlessly.

I'd never thought about it till i saw the TdeF teams doing it in London this summer.

Also, i spray my cleaned bike with silicone spray and a light buff with some cloth.
Mind the rims and brakes tho

 

[mickle]

Shops use a solvent-tank for cleaning parts. Its like a kitchen sink featuring a hose with a brush on the end of it. Solvent is pumped up from a tank underneath into the 'sink' and flows back through a filter.

 

[Brock]

That's what I said.

 

[bonj2]

are you sure it's not a new one and they've charged you for it?

 

[gbb]

Shops use a solvent-tank for cleaning parts. Its like a kitchen sink featuring a hose with a brush on the end of it. Solvent is pumped up from a tank underneath into the 'sink' and flows back through a filter.

Do they remove the parts or just hang the frame over the bath and clean the relevent parts.
How do you remove all the solvent ? I trust they lube the items well after...i used to watch the guys at work clean a bearing, then load it with grease..without removing the solvent very well. That solvent would immediately attack the new grease...seemed a bit pointless doing it when they couldnt be bothered to do the job thoroughly.

These solvent baths are excellent by the way....commonly used in engineering workshops. They'll clean the greasiest and oiliest (is that right ???) of things.