The Horrors of..........

[got-to-get-fit]

Pressure washing!!!!

I can never be arsed cleaning my bike properly so the other day i thought....lets get the pressure washer out and get rid of all that crud and make my Bianchi beautiful again.

I did the wheels ......fantastic, shiny as new.
I did the chain ......Gleaming.
I did under the seat....you could eat you dinner of it
I even did the bar tape (white) ....it came up like Kournikovas knickers.
I did the brake cantilevers......bling!!!
I did the seat post .....wow
I then made the worlds worst decision......i did the frame.

I merrily played the jet of water up and down over and across and it was all looking minty fresh but then just as i was about to stop and go inside for a satisfying cup of Joe i noticed a small chip on my frame that had not been there before .....the water jet had actually chipped a bit of paint or laquer off the carbon frame. I almost screamed. instead i whimpered and smacked my forehead

The moral of the story.......dont be a lazy barsteward, get the sponge and bucket out.

No-one would notice the chip, but i know its there and its driving me around the bend. I nearly didnt sleep last night for thinking about it. Oh and i also lost the 'Handmade' sticker off the frame. This would eventually have come off on its own but it does not make it any easier to bear.

 

[spindrift]

Interesting. pressure washers rock, just done the patio. How d'ya lube it afterwards?

 

[TheDoctor]

No, no, no. As you found out, and as I found out a while back, pressure washer + frame = incredibly bad idea.

Commiserations on the paint chip.

 

[papercorn2000]

Give it a shot on yer expensive hubs. Go on I dare you!

 

[Paulus]

Bad luck, can you get some touch up paint from the dealer, or straight from Bianchi? It is unwise to use a pressure washer on the frame as you could force water into the bottom bracket seals or the hub seals, not only for the reason you found out.

 

[Dave5N]

Make sure you point it directly into the bottom bracket and headset and other bearings to be certain they are nice and clean.

 

[Maz]

the frame may be, in some way, compromised internally and that chip may be more than cosmetic.











doubt it

 

[Paulus]

Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear OOOOOOOOOOOOOH

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Make sure you point it directly into the bottom bracket and headset and other bearings to be certain they are nice and clean.

come on dave5n, that's just naughty

pressure washers pointed at these areas will strip all the grease out and embed water into the bearings. if you want to be replacing these bits soon, no problem, but personally i'd rather not have to.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Ah, bugger it. It's only a paint chip.

 

[Dave5N]

Ah, bugger it. It's only a paint chip.

And a little crack here and there won't hurt.

Alexetc - dirty bearings are a sin. Be sure to add plenty of detergent as you pressure-wash them.

 

[trustysteed]

have you posted the video to 'You've Been Framed'?

the £250 quid can go towards getting a new one!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Yes, in all seriousness, pressure washing a bike is a Very Bad Idea. As you've already discovered.

 

[yenrod]

Pressure washers aint too bad !

 

[got-to-get-fit]

Dave5N ........I hope you get a paper cut this afternoon, somewhere where it really hurts ....then i hope you get some salt in it.