SVTNate

I don't own one, but I've researched electric pressure washers for detailing my cars.

Go to You Tube, and look up the Obsessed Garage pressure washer tests. Spoiler Alert - buy a Karcher.

Keep in mind, that with the factory plastic fittings, all of the consumer-grade electric models will likely leak over time.

They're great tools for cleaning vehicles, the exterior of your house, your concrete (although a gas pressure washer is superior for this task).... honestly, though, on a bike? IMO a hose is better. A pressure washer is going to force water into places you don't want it. I detail the engine bays of my vehicles, including washing them with soap and water.... never ever use a pressure washer in an engine bay, and I apply the same rule to bicycles.

MyRedTrek

There are more considerations than getting dirt off the gears, you don't want to contaminate the lubrication inside. Use purpose-made tools to clean the areas that need cleaning on a bike.

DeadGrandpa

Hey, I'm not pointing a high pressure stream at the end of the cassette. All the water is directed parallel to the cassette cogs. You guys do ride in the rain sometimes, right? I think I'm talking about the same amount of water exposure.

zeeway

Not to get off topic here, but I could not help but notice that the postings on underwear were followed by cleaning your drive train...hmmm, coincidence....I don't think so.

southpier13

yeah; that pretty much went out in like 1960. or when we turned 10 years old; whichever came first.

southpier13

i forgot: why not use proprietary chain cleaners?

cost?

availability?

i'm lost here . . . .

drewtk

I wax my chains. It's a learning process the first time, and switching over a traditionally lubed chain to wax takes a little more time because you have to clean off the lube. But once you convert a drive train to wax, it's pretty easy to maintain after that.

If you want to try wax, the best tip I can give is to buy an ultrasonic cleaner. Manually cleaning a chain is a pain.

cyccommute 

Because they are messy and mostly useless. Chain cleaners might have been more useful in the days of pushing out pins to remove chains (they were still very messy) but we live in the age of easily removed and installed quick links. Taking a chain off is simple and shaking it for 30 seconds in a bottle is far more effective than any chain cleaner. The added advantage of the bottle is that you don’t end up splashing chain cleaner all over everything.

roadsnakes

Sea Foam and or Marvel Mystery Oil seems to work for me.

jadocs

Someone needs to start a wax thread.

wphamilton

"Wax" is in fact the only reason I used a degreaser on my chain. One time. I wanted all of the lube off the chain before applying wax lube. It worked, but I kind of regretted it because it's drastic. "Drastic" combined with "chemical treatment" often leads to unintended consequences IME and I'd prefer to avoid that generally speaking.

I get wanting your equipment to perform as perfectly as possible. But at some point we have to ask, is this marginal gain (or IS there any gain in reality) really worth this trouble?

jadocs

All I can tell you is maintaining my drivetrain is a heck of a lot simpler and quick after wax. Stiff bristle brush and maybe a cursory wipe with some rubbing alcohol.

tomato coupe

They're certainly not as good as an hour in an ultrasonic tank, but they are quick and easy and do a pretty reasonable job.

southpier13

Brazilian wax is the best

drewtk

I also like that I can touch my chain without getting a big stain. I seemed to always have marks on my legs from the chain ring.

My wife's bike requires that you pull the chain in order to remove the rear wheel (it has horizontal dropouts). This is much cleaner with a waxed chain. Plus, she somehow dropped her chain at the beginning of a ride this weekend. I pulled the rear derailleur back and put the chain back on with no mess on my hands.

cyccommute 

Yours is another example of complicating the simple. Yes, wax is simple. Keep it that way. What’s the brush do? What’s the alcohol do? I kind of know what you are trying to do but since you have to rewax frequently, why not just let the hot wax do what the brush and alcohol are supposed to do? The hot wax will dissolve the old wax and anything on the surface will just end up in the bottom.

Don’t do multiple steps if one step will do.

indyfabz

Wax on. Wax off.

jadocs

Huh??? I'm not trying to do anything or imply what I do is required. I like to keep a spotless bike period. Everyone maintains their own equipment their own way.

cyccommute 

I’m just pointing out that the steps you do aren’t necessary and/or aren’t doing anything effective, so why do them? The brush, I suspect, is used to take off excess wax on the outside of the chain. This flakes off so why do it? The alcohol, I suspect, is to remove grit. It’s really unnecessary because grit doesn’t get into the chain nor does grit really stick to the chain.

I don’t really care about a “spotless bike” but I don’t like oily drivetrains. I don’t hot wax but I use solvent wax lubricants which has a similar effect to hot waxing. It keeps the chain clean without requiring more than just refreshing the lubricant. The constant wiping and cleaning that oil based lubricants require is simply unnecessary so why do it? Hot wax is very similar.

jadocs

Because I want to.

cyccommute 

That’s what 99% of the elaborate cleaning schemes boils down to.

jadocs

I do....and?

My 90 second routine does what I want it to do. Where did I say what I did was required for function?

wingless

+1

It is a huge time saver, everything stays clean, the chain is silent and the wax lasts a long time. Despite almost daily usage I can go many, many months w/o having to even think about the chain. The only caveat is even though I am a fair weather rider, if I get caught in the rain then I will reapply the hot wax.

The hot wax cannot be beat if the rear wheel needs to be removed, such as for a roadside flat, because handling the chain does not result in greasy hands.

diggida

After I did my big clean of my Bike and drive train I used DuPont Chain-Saver, which is wax based. I have limited experience, but it seems to work well. I sprayed it pretty liberally on my chain, chainrings, and gears. How does it compare to the hot wax method?

cyccommute 

Just pointing out differences of opinion as well as some agreement.

My questions aren’t entirely rhetorical. What does the brush and the alcohol do that you “want [them] to do”? If it is not for function, what is it for?

That question “...what’s it for?”, does come back to my rhetorical question of “why do it?” I’m an experimentalist and I have a long professional history of developing methods and procedures for chemical processes and chemical analysis. When I develop a procedure or look at someone else’s procedure, I look at all the steps and if there are steps that aren't required for function, I cut them out. If I can replace 4 elaborate steps with a single step, I’ve saved myself time, energy, and money. On the other hand, if someone points out a step that I put into a procedure that is unnecessary, I look at their suggestion and am willing to remove the step if it’s not necessary. I’ll check it first by doing experiments with and without the step while assessing the results. If the results are the same without the step, I’ll remove it.