Paint just a spot on a bicycle frame.

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Location
Loch side.
I was going to quote that vid too.

Absolutely nobody will do what Simon did in that video. He still couldn't wreck the bearings, despite trying very hard.

Personally, I use just a hose, but Karcher would be fine in my mind too. Video is absolute proof.

That video is NOT absolute proof and the experiment is rubbish. I'll explain why, but first, my stance. An idiot can ruin bearings with a jet wash and a mechanically sympathetic washer can wash his/her bike safely with a jet wash.

Back to the experiment. If you listen carefully to his comments, he mentions water ingress but pooh poohs it. In the end he says that water did get in but did not wash the grease out. Washing out the grease is not the problem. It is inconceivable that the grease will come out under those circumstances. However, even the slightest bit of water in the grease will emulsify as soon as the bike rides and the emulsion will ruin the bearings. No ifs, no butts. It is just that he could not see the damage immediately 'cause the crank didn't spin after the wash and he probably doesn't know what emulisfied grease looks like or what it does to bearings. Just a few drops of water is enough. In fact, condensation is enough to ruin bearings. Bearings suck water in through the seal when a bike is stored indoors and taken out in the wet and cold. That's why good wheel makers have special vents to vent the bearing through the axle's hollow section rather than through the bearing seal.

Damage from emulsion takes time, but not as much as you may think. Two days is enough and you don't even have to open the bearings to know that there's damage. A bearing damaged from emulsified grease makes a very particular noise. It crackles and creaks like a small grass fire and is amplified through the frame. You can hear it when you ride. I've experienced this many times and each time I could trace the damage back to an incident a few days prior.

Other bearings on the bike are even more vulnerable than some BBs. He had an ISIS BB on there with a labyrinth and contact seal. Other bearings such as GXP are not that fortunate and have poor seals. Headsets often only have one seal, just a bit of road spray can ruin some. I'm willing to bet that I'll find a vulnerable seal on any given bike. Any one.

The experiment was stupid.
 

GuyBoden

Guru
Location
Warrington
IMHO, Jet washing a vintage bike with greased loose ball bearings and no seals is a bad idea. A good wipe with an oily rag is usually enough, unless you ride in very muddy conditions.
 

davidphilips

Phil Pip
Location
Onabike
IMHO, Jet washing a vintage bike with greased loose ball bearings and no seals is a bad idea. A good wipe with an oily rag is usually enough, unless you ride in very muddy conditions.

Not even a jet wash but i fitted some race blades to a bike and the front blade put the road spray onto the headset bottom bearings needless to say they where destroyed in a mater of weeks, still use race blades on the bike but have had to extend the front blade diy style after fitting a new headset.

Way i look at it i know a friend that i lent a bike to jet washed my bike before returning it to me shortly after both the freewheel and rear wheel bearings failed,
i read Yellow saddles post about jet washs and if anyone does not want to take his very good advice then best of luck to them know the old saying about bike maintenance. Your bike up to you how you maintain it and your problem if something goes wrong.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom