At the rate cycling is picking up and bikes getting expensive, I am sure there are commercial opportunities for car washes to extend to bike washes. It will certainly save time doing a proper job without dirtying the house. What with bike pump and tool stations popping up here and there. Even airports have started to move in the direction with plans to have assembly and disassembly stations to facilitate bike tours and such.
I used a jet wash
- Thread starter Pale Rider
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Capillary action can get water into mysterious places, I have stripped many bikes that have never been jet washed or turned upside down and found rusty grease free bits and Bob's.
Mmm, I have just learned the hard way about not washing your bike upside down 
The lower headset race can get dry quite quickly even just with riding in the wet without a mudguard a fair bit, in my experience these bearings are probably the least protected against water ingress.
Are there any better sealed ones on the market that can take a bit more moisture, or are they all pretty much prone to the same fate?
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
I don't know about other bikes, but I discovered that you can get these automotive type sealed bearings to replace the headset bearings, top and bottom, on some Specialized bikes. I now have them on my Tricross and Secteur:
I don't know- I only have experience of my 'cross bike and that is getting on a bit- I tend to choose my headsets based on whatever the bike shop has for a 1" steerer! All I know is that for my few seasons of racing they needed regular attention.
I had an MTB many years ago and for that I bought a little neoprene boot that would go over the lower race to stop the worst of the water getting in- google Lizard Skins fork boot to see what I mean.
numbnuts
Squire
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
Saw this on ebay looks good at the price 12 volt power washer
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-High-...894129?hash=item1c5c6038b1:g:a~cAAOSwpRRWoZti
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-High-...894129?hash=item1c5c6038b1:g:a~cAAOSwpRRWoZti
Nibor
Bewildered
- Location
- Accrington
Doesn't your butler wash yours?
Inertia
I feel like I could... TAKE ON THE WORLD!!
God no! thats the footmans job.
EasyPeez
Veteran
- Location
- Cottingham, East Yorkshire
I degrease all the mechs first when cleaning my bikes (old toothbrushes and paint brushes + Blue Line Degreaser to clean out the mechs), then use garden hose on spray setting, plus soapy water and soft brushes for my CX. Soapy water and sponge only for the roadie.
Bounce them about a bit, dry down with clean rags, then a liberal spraying of GT85 across frame and components. Return after an hour or so to re-lube. Wet lube on the CX, Dry cermamic on the roadie.
I used to jet wash my old MTB, but I think the paint would fall off my Genesis if a jet wash got anywhere near it...
Bounce them about a bit, dry down with clean rags, then a liberal spraying of GT85 across frame and components. Return after an hour or so to re-lube. Wet lube on the CX, Dry cermamic on the roadie.
I used to jet wash my old MTB, but I think the paint would fall off my Genesis if a jet wash got anywhere near it...
EasyPeez
Veteran
- Location
- Cottingham, East Yorkshire
Going off-topic slightly, does anyone use a power washer to successfully clear weeds from cracks in outdoor paving? If so what kind of model would I be needing to shell out on? The previous occupants had the idea disregarding flags and putting down lots of half house-brick sized blocks which now results in me having to spend the best part of a full day 4 or 5 times a year scraping away at them...there's got to be an easier way?!
It would need to be something powerful though as it's tenacious weeds continually taking root rather than mosses etc
Cheers.
It would need to be something powerful though as it's tenacious weeds continually taking root rather than mosses etc
Cheers.
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
Pathclear. Kills everything. Apply, leave for a day or two, apply again. Wash out weeds in a few more days. The stuff seems to affect the soil in between stones, nothing grows. Stays weed free for ages. Nothing like a bit of chemical warfare to sort weeds out.
- Location
- Manchester
Power washing is not a quick process, makes a lot of mess, removes anything that is meant to be between the cracks like mortar and makes it easier for more weeds to grow.
Weedkiller as mentioned above is the answer.
EasyPeez
Veteran
- Location
- Cottingham, East Yorkshire
Thanks, but I prefer not to spray carcinogens around liberally, especially where the kids will be playing.
Please Always Read the Label
Don't use this product on impermeable surfaces such as concrete, tarmac, decking and paved areas, or any other surface, which is underlaid with concrete, cement or any other impermeable material
Justinslow
Lovely jubbly
- Location
- Suffolk
You could try a weed burner, a gas powered blow torch type thing, or salt solution through a watering can, weeds generally don't like either of these things. As others have said regular pressure washing can do a lot of harm to the joints between slabs, to the slabs or bricks themselves and will make a huge splattery mess. I tend to use "Round up" which only affects "green" growth and doesn't persist in the environment like some residual chemicals as mentioned.
