Washing The Bike

[Juan Kog]

Bucket of warm water with car shampoo and a brush, then leather dry, polish alloy parts and wax painted/plated parts occasionally. This used to get the through the winder commute year after year with zero visible corrosion.

Exactly the same here.

Same method for me . Only difference I do my own cleaning, unlike @Drago and @PaulSB I can’t afford to employ a velo valet .

 

[Venod]

Jet wash here, just be careful round the bearing areas, it's also good for removing garish wheel stickers, not changed a bearing yet because of water ingress.

 

[presta]

A bit of Flash in a bucket of water and a big paintbrush, and rinse as I go along with clean tapwater in a garden spray otherwise the suds dry on in the sun. I keep the clean brush clear of the greasy bits, then do those separately with rags, white spirit, and another brush. I don't ride off road so there isn't usually much mud to contend with, just dust off gravel towpaths and black brake residue flushed off the rims by the rain.

if stories about a ban on plastic-containing wet wipes are true.

Not before time, there's enough plastic pollution as it is, and they block the drains. I had sewage all over my drive a couple of years ago when the sewer got blocked with wetwipes downstream of my inspection cover and upstream of the neighbours.

When the neighbour came home:
"Hello, what's the problem?"
"It's blocked with wetwipes"
"I don't use wetwipes I don't use wetwipes I don't use wetwipes I don't use wetwipes"

When she finally let him get a word in edgeways he told her that it couldn't have been caused by her because it was upstream of her outlet, and then she admitted she does use wetwipes after all.

 

[wafter]

Ideally from experience and some idealistic thinking:

- Bike held in a workstand with wheels (and anything else easily detachable) removed.
- Bucket of warm water; either pure or with a bit of car shampoo in it
- Lather bike all over using an assortment of soft-bristled brushes; being careful not to load up components
- Leave for a bit of possible (as long as it's not in the sun causing stuff to dry on) then rinse off with clean water
- Dry with an old towel / chamois; if you have the luxury use compressed air to clear out all the nooks and crannies
- Wax with a good carnauba-based car wax; applying with a cloth / fingers / a toothbrush in the hard-to-reach bits, take off with a clean cloth
- Repeat process with wheels; ensuring that you don't wax the braking surfaces
- Reassemble then go out and get it dirty again


A few other thoughts:

A good set of long, soft-bristled brushes is invaluable as they'll help you get into more areas and reduce the risk of scratching associated with using cloths. I have a Muc-off set which are OK; probably wouldn't buy again though as they're expensive and I don't like the company's business model much. Mostly they all look the same regardless of brand, and what you pay £30+ for as a branded cycle accessory you'd probably get for a tenner when sold as a "general use" item.

Grease can be a problem in some areas and drivetrains can be a nightmare to clean - I find water-based degreaser is good for this; although rarely have this issue as I now wax my drivetrain so it basically never needs cleaning.

Distilled water is good for cleaning stuff as it won't leave water marks (this is especially important if you're cleaning in the summer when it's warm / there's actual sunlight). This can be rainwater or harvested from a dehumidifier / condenser tumble drier if you have one.

Waxing can be a pain but IMO is worth it - protecting the paint and making cleaning far easier in future. I've noticed the front fork on my Fuji is pretty self-cleaning after being waxed; as the mud adheres to poorly that rain / splashes wash the bulk of it off.

 

[PaulSB]

Ideally from experience and some idealistic thinking:

- Bike held in a workstand with wheels (and anything else easily detachable) removed.
- Bucket of warm water; either pure or with a bit of car shampoo in it
- Lather bike all over using an assortment of soft-bristled brushes; being careful not to load up components
- Leave for a bit of possible (as long as it's not in the sun causing stuff to dry on) then rinse off with clean water
- Dry with an old towel / chamois; if you have the luxury use compressed air to clear out all the nooks and crannies
- Wax with a good carnauba-based car wax; applying with a cloth / fingers / a toothbrush in the hard-to-reach bits, take off with a clean cloth
- Repeat process with wheels; ensuring that you don't wax the braking surfaces
- Reassemble then go out and get it dirty again


A few other thoughts:

A good set of long, soft-bristled brushes is invaluable as they'll help you get into more areas and reduce the risk of scratching associated with using cloths. I have a Muc-off set which are OK; probably wouldn't buy again though as they're expensive and I don't like the company's business model much. Mostly they all look the same regardless of brand, and what you pay £30+ for as a branded cycle accessory you'd probably get for a tenner when sold as a "general use" item.

Grease can be a problem in some areas and drivetrains can be a nightmare to clean - I find water-based degreaser is good for this; although rarely have this issue as I now wax my drivetrain so it basically never needs cleaning.

Distilled water is good for cleaning stuff as it won't leave water marks (this is especially important if you're cleaning in the summer when it's warm / there's actual sunlight). This can be rainwater or harvested from a dehumidifier / condenser tumble drier if you have one.

Waxing can be a pain but IMO is worth it - protecting the paint and making cleaning far easier in future. I've noticed the front fork on my Fuji is pretty self-cleaning after being waxed; as the mud adheres to poorly that rain / splashes wash the bulk of it off.

Well, I'm with you every step of the way, every letter you have typed but even I don't go as far as distilled water for bike cleaning.......................though now you've mentioned it I do have about 800 litres of stored rainwater in my allotment butts................🤔🤔🤔

 

[sevenfourate]

@wafter

Good write up.

I’m a seriously avid car detailer. The thought process / actions carry across to alot of other things though.

A million ways to skin a cat. And nothing I can really add to your excellent post - other than noting a process such as defined by you isn’t JUST about the cleaning itself. Or the results / easier cleaning after. It’s also about time spent in and around your bike. Where you might just catch / notice some preventative maintenance that needs doing before it becomes an issue out in the middle of nowhere……

Same goes for cars, motorbikes etc 👍

 

[Mo1959]

Are you supposed to clean them? Now you tell me!

 

[sevenfourate]

Are you supposed to clean them? Now you tell me!

Self cleaning models available soon ?

 

[wafter]

Well, I'm with you every step of the way, every letter you have typed but even I don't go as far as distilled water for bike cleaning.......................though now you've mentioned it I do have about 800 litres of stored rainwater in my allotment butts................🤔🤔🤔

Grand - appreciate the endorsement / reassurance!

The distilled water is obviously far from essential and if you don't have it to hand then I'd not recommend spending money / energy obtaining it for this purpose.. however if you have it kicking about (I save what I can but frequently pour that from the washing maching or dehumidifer away) it's a great use for it. It's also good for washing other stuff and going in the car's washer bottle to prevent water marks

@wafter

Good write up.

I’m a seriously avid car detailer. The thought process / actions carry across to alot of other things though.

A million ways to skin a cat. And nothing I can really add to your excellent post - other than noting a process such as defined by you isn’t JUST about the cleaning itself. Or the results / easier cleaning after. It’s also about time spent in and around your bike. Where you might just catch / notice some preventative maintenance that needs doing before it becomes an issue out in the middle of nowhere……

Same goes for cars, motorbikes etc 👍

Thanks - figures from the text under your avatar

I used to be very much that way too; however loss of facilities or a car I'm obsessed with put paid to that.. in the past I've "happily" spent a whole day or more making a cherished ride absolutely mint.. and as you say the preventative element is a big part of it; investing time initially pays dividends with future work 👍

 

[fossyant]

Must say I've started putting the garage dehumidifiers water into the wash bucket, seems silly to chuck it away, then turn on the tap to fill the bucket.

As for car wash, its far cheaper to buy 25l of the stuff on ebay. You just need storage. Bit of a waste of money if you never wash your car though.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Personally I give it a good spray with the hosepipe and leave it for a while so the mud can soften
then do it again properly and witha bit more force

If it needs more then I give a going over with the car sponge and water - I would use car wash stuff if I thought it needed it

then rinse if needed

then dry it all off by blowing the water off using the leaf blower

then leave to dry in the sun if there is any

 

[chriswoody]

The mountain bike and the gravel bike get ridden all winter and after a muddy ride I'll rinse them off with the garden hose while the mud is still wet, it's not powerful enough to bother the bearing seals. Then every so often I'll get them up on the work stand and give them a proper wheels off wash with a bucket of hot water and car soap. I'm not as meticulous as some, but I do like to keep them fairly clean.

The folder on the other hand is my daily commuter and sadly gets neglected a lot, as evidenced by my recent archaeological dig to locate the worn out bottom bracket and replace it.

In my defence the replacement parts costs on this bike are minimal, €3 for a replacement cog, (It's single speed) compared to nearly €100 for replacement cassettes on the other bikes, means I tend to not be as meticulous as I should be.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Some great replies there🙏 and i'm going to take it all aboard.
A lot of those things mentioned i've already got hanging around..Car shampoo,bike polish and we have a dehumidifier so i'll be using the water from that.
I'm looking forward to giving the bike some TLC.

 

[fossyant]

I've made a ghetto portable jet wash for the MTB. 25l container (like what the car shampoo came in) and a 12v pump and sprayer (google 12v portable jet wash) which was about £25. Bolted the motor to the top of the container, fill with water. Pop lid on container, and when you come to use it, lid off and pickup hose shoved in. If you've driven somewhere to MTB with bike in car, you can rinse the worst of the mud off before shoving it in the car. Its no more powerful than a mains hose on jet setting.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Self cleaning models available soon ?

Easy, ride in the rain.