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-   -   How to wash my bike with wash gun? (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1233153)

cycling2012 06-20-21 02:56 PM

How to wash my bike with wash gun?
 
Dogma f10,CP super red 12s,CP ultra bora 50.I don't want water into bearings with water gun.what kind of water gun should I buy?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4174e1d0eb.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...139cfb9465.jpg

10 Wheels 06-20-21 02:59 PM

N o n e

Friend washed his Bike at the Car Wash.
Destroyed All the Bearings

cxwrench 06-20-21 03:14 PM


Originally Posted by 10 Wheels (Post 22110274)
N o n e

Wrong answer. The correct answer is pretty whatever you can afford. It's not going to wreck your bike by itself, you have to make all the mistakes. I've washed hundreds and hundreds of bikes w/ pressure washer and not killed a single one. This one is great, hopefully it's available somewhere: Muc Off bike washer

Sy Reene 06-20-21 04:15 PM

One of these. They come in colors to help match the bike

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4f495605f.jpeg

caloso 06-20-21 04:41 PM

Just don’t aim it at parts with bearings.

Iride01 06-20-21 04:51 PM

Why don't you just wipe it off with a damp towel? Or use those premoistened towelettes that come in a cannister? If it's not caked with mud, I can't see where you need a hose or pressure washer of any sort.

Trakhak 06-20-21 05:08 PM

Garden hose at low pressure plus soft long-bristle and short-bristle brushes. Takes no longer than a pressure washer would. Why risk washing out lubricant?

(My neighbor uses a gasoline-powered leaf blower for the postage-stamp-sized lawn in front of his Baltimore row house. What made me think of that?)

datlas 06-20-21 05:44 PM


Originally Posted by Trakhak (Post 22110387)
Garden hose at low pressure plus soft long-bristle and short-bristle brushes. Takes no longer than a pressure washer would. Why risk washing out lubricant?

(My neighbor uses a gasoline-powered leaf blower for the postage-stamp-sized lawn in front of his Baltimore row house. What made me think of that?)

This

Kimmo 06-20-21 05:45 PM

+1 damp rag.

alcjphil 06-20-21 06:13 PM

Don't do that. No sort of high pressure washer should ever be used on a high end road bike that has not done at least 100 km in torrential rain. Even then, the bike should be completely disassembled and overhauled before it goes back out on the road. Pressure washers are not needed anywhere near a road bike

cxwrench 06-20-21 09:42 PM


Originally Posted by alcjphil (Post 22110458)
Don't do that. No sort of high pressure washer should ever be used on a high end road bike that has not done at least 100 km in torrential rain. Even then, the bike should be completely disassembled and overhauled before it goes back out on the road. Pressure washers are not needed anywhere near a road bike

And you as well are wrong. The 'don't wash your bike' myth is just that...a myth. As I posted before I've washed a metric **** ton of bikes, many of them w/ a pressure washer. I think that most of the people claiming all the crazy stuff about pressure washers ruining bikes have never even used one.

terrymorse 06-20-21 10:34 PM


Originally Posted by cxwrench (Post 22110688)
The 'don't (pressure) wash your bike' myth is just that...a myth. As I posted before I've washed a metric **** ton of bikes, many of them w/ a pressure washer. I think that most of the people claiming all the crazy stuff about pressure washers ruining bikes have never even used one.

A pressure washer is really good at injecting water into the moving parts of a bicycle. Even a garden hose with a nozzle will do the same.

It’s a significantly bad idea.

I’ve had to replace rusted headsets on far too many rental bikes, thanks to a clueless mechanic armed with a garden hose.

Put some soapy water in a bucket, apply with a couple of brushes, lightly rinse off with a fine spray from a garden hose, wipe down the frame with an absorbent cloth.

Or if only the frame needs a quick clean, spray some dilute ammonia on the frame, wipe with a soft cloth. I do that almost daily to get off the sweat drops and spilled drink mix.

That is all.

cxwrench 06-20-21 10:41 PM


Originally Posted by terrymorse (Post 22110737)
A pressure washer is really good at injecting water into the moving parts of a bicycle. Even a garden hose with a nozzle will do the same.

It’s a significantly bad idea.

Some soapy water in a bucket, a couple of brushes, then lightly rinse off with a fine spray from a garden hose.

That is all.

So you're calling me a liar in not so many words, right? Because I say I've done it and you say it can't be done?

terrymorse 06-20-21 10:51 PM


Originally Posted by cxwrench (Post 22110744)
So you're calling me a liar in not so many words, right? Because I say I've done it and you say it can't be done?

If you’re telling the truth, and you’ve power washed many bikes without ruining moving parts, I say you’ve been lucky.

I didn’t write that it can’t be done. I wrote that it’s a significantly bad idea, because it is. And I explained the failure mechanism. And I shared personal experiences of such failures.

The way bearings fail has been studied for at least 100 years. The top causes of bearing failure are loss of lubricant and water contamination. Pressure washing can produce both. Why take the chance?

cxwrench 06-20-21 10:59 PM


Originally Posted by terrymorse (Post 22110756)
If you’re telling the truth, and you’ve power washed many bikes without ruining moving parts, I say you’ve been lucky.

I didn’t write that it can’t be done. I wrote that it’s a significantly bad idea, because it is. And I explained the failure mechanism. And I shared personal experiences of such failures.

When you've washed bikes as a pro team mechanic for the better part of 15 years 'luck' isn't part of the equation. Knowing what you're doing is a big part of it. Of course if you do it incorrectly you can blow right past seals. If you do it the right way you won't ruin a thing. Pretty much every pro team mechanic I've seen and/or worked with uses pressurized water to wash bikes. It's not hard if you are smart about it.

terrymorse 06-20-21 11:30 PM


Originally Posted by cxwrench (Post 22110759)
When you've washed bikes as a pro team mechanic for the better part of 15 years 'luck' isn't part of the equation. Knowing what you're doing is a big part of it. Of course if you do it incorrectly you can blow right past seals. If you do it the right way you won't ruin a thing. Pretty much every pro team mechanic I've seen and/or worked with uses pressurized water to wash bikes. It's not hard if you are smart about it.

Mechanics are not engineers, and they often do stupid things. Tell an engineer that you’re going to fire high pressure water near bearings, the engineer will advise against it in no uncertain terms.

Pro team bicycle mechanics are equally untrained in engineering and tribology, and they are just as susceptible to picking up stupid tricks, passed down from older mechanics who swear they’ve been “doing it for years with no problems”. I wouldn’t trust any mechanic with a high pressure wand, even the “pro team” ones who claim they are “smart” about how they wield it.

Spraying high pressure water anywhere near bearings is risky. Such practice isn’t allowed in any industry that I can think of. Except bicycles, of course, where myth and lore survive.

Kimmo 06-20-21 11:47 PM

I don't think pro team mechanics are a great example to cite if you're talking practices to promote longevity... Replacing stuff regularly is likely to be preferred to spending more time on daily chores. It's certainly expeditious for them to use pressure washers.

Perhaps the clue is in cxwrench 's name? Mud, as opposed to dust, and cross bikes rather than road bikes?

Lazyass 06-21-21 02:43 AM

I use a water bottle fulled with hot water to spray the drivetrain.

Zaskar 06-21-21 06:33 AM

I have used the Hybrid cxwrench method for 40+ years. I wash my bikes.. a LOT. I don't use a pressure washer, but I do use a pre-pressure reducing valve garden hose that has enough pressure to reach the sun (okay, maybe the moon). I use the pressure on the wheels, tires, frame/fork, under the saddle... I dial it back for the drivetrain and hubs, and don't hit the bearings directly. It's not rocket surgery.

In addition to always having very clean bikes, I also ride some old bikes. Somehow, those two are NOT in conflict with each other.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...33fe9abaf2.png

primov8 06-21-21 07:00 AM

At the family home, we've got a 2300 psi electric pressure washer. Anytime I have my bike(s) there and need a good cleaning, I don't hesitate using the pressure washer. I just make sure to switch the nozzle out to 40° and it does the job. I've been cleaning all my bikes this way for the last 14 years and helps rid of all the crud that builds up especially on the cassette and brake calipers.

Sy Reene 06-21-21 07:07 AM

I'm kinda surprised nobody's posted this classic yet.


Zaskar 06-21-21 08:45 AM

One potential downside - you blast Bradley's name off your bike ;-)

indyfabz 06-21-21 08:52 AM

Take it in the shower with you.

Andy Somnifac 06-21-21 09:21 AM

If my bike is on the roof of my car when I take the car to the carwash it gets sprayed down. None of the bikes that I have been doing this with (for years) have self-destructed. I just don't spray down the bearing surfaces with a high-pressure spray. This isn't exactly rocket science. Use common sense and you'll be fine.

cxwrench 06-21-21 09:36 AM


Originally Posted by Kimmo (Post 22110779)
I don't think pro team mechanics are a great example to cite if you're talking practices to promote longevity... Replacing stuff regularly is likely to be preferred to spending more time on daily chores. It's certainly expeditious for them to use pressure washers.

Perhaps the clue is in cxwrench 's name? Mud, as opposed to dust, and cross bikes rather than road bikes?

I wondered if someone would bring these things up. No, we don't just blast away knowing that we can just replace parts if we wash them to death...because we'd have to spend more time replacing the parts. I've worked for CX racers a few times but 90% of my time was spent working for road teams.

Originally Posted by Zaskar (Post 22110924)
I have used the Hybrid cxwrench method for 40+ years. I wash my bikes.. a LOT. I don't use a pressure washer, but I do use a pre-pressure reducing valve garden hose that has enough pressure to reach the sun (okay, maybe the moon). I use the pressure on the wheels, tires, frame/fork, under the saddle... I dial it back for the drivetrain and hubs, and don't hit the bearings directly. It's not rocket surgery.

In addition to always having very clean bikes, I also ride some old bikes. Somehow, those two are NOT in conflict with each other.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...33fe9abaf2.png

Nice work!


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