Kimmo

More than anything, and I'm concerned about bearing seals standing up to it, I wouldn't want to do it to the chain.

I don't like the idea of washing it, or rinsing it, or soaking it, or anything like that. I won't ride my good bike in the rain. When I clean my chain, I wipe it with a rag that's only damp, not wet, with solvent, and I don't go anywhere near it with any sort of emulsifier. I'd prefer not to push any more crap inside it than I can help.

#neverbeenwashed

KJ43

I can promise the one bike I've had for over 30 years that I've "powerwashed" constantly still works. Here is proof.

cxwrench

The whole plan is to NOT aim at the bearings. It's not rocket surgery. When you're a team mechanic the bikes you take care of have to be spotless...every day...all of them. For me that was between 12 and 15 bikes normally. Add in the normal checks and adjustments, and repairs if anyone crashed. I don't want to be up all night every night if I don't have to. I'm going to find the most efficient way to do my job(s) and use that method. For us team guys that means a bucket w/ suds and either a pressure washer or a hose w/ a trigger nozzle thing. Don't worry, we know better than to aim directly at hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets.

KJ43

Exactly. Heaven forbid that there is a reasonable solution that doesn't exist at each extreme (not using a hose or pressure washer at all / destroying your bearings by pointing a high pressure stream at the weak points).

Andy Somnifac 

If bikes were as fragile as most people are making them out to be, I'd be afraid to ride them at all. Use your head, use common sense, and it will be fine.

Or let your bike stay dirty. Or take way more time than is necessary cleaning it with a toothbrush and a teacup to rinse with. Some people posting on here have tens of thousands of miles on bikes w/o major issues after cleaning their bikes with powerwashers and/or garden hoses with spray nozzles. Our bottom brackets haven't seized, our hubs still roll just fine. Imagine that?

Darth Lefty 

Just point the wash gun at the bike and hold down the wash trigger until you're out of wash bullets

terrymorse 

Documentation also is vital for professional liability protection. Some insurance policies require shops to keep written records of work performed, signed by the worker.

Sy Reene

I've got no horse in this race, but really how long do Team bikes have to last.. 1 yr, 2 yrs?

Darth Lefty 

til the end of the stage

cxwrench

Depends...for a World Tour level team, not very long. For the team I worked for most recently they generally had to make it through the season. The parts didn't have to last long, they can always be replaced. But as I posted before I don't want to do anything to damage them as that would just require me to spend more time replacing them. I don't remember ever having to replace a bottom bracket or headset or even hub bearings during a season. We re-used wheels for at least 2 seasons if there weren't any major changes from Zipp. I would take care of them in the off season if they needed it.

Kimmo

So who's down with detergent or degreasers on chains then?

cxwrench

That's how I clean my chain. Pedro's degreaser brushed onto the chain followed by wrapping a sudsy sponge wrapped around it then rinsed w/ water. If it's hot I don't even bother to dry it by hand, I just wait a few minutes a lube it. The horror

NoWhammies

Same here cxwrench

Kimmo

zandoval 

I am selective on where I use high pressure water. I spray the face of my crank rings, not the bearing area. I also very carefully spray the chain and derailuer but not the bearing areas of the freewheel. The rest of the bike gets soap water and soft brush.

I then hit it with the leaf blower and spray the entire bicycle with Armorall Tire foam. From there its a matter of wiping all the foam off.

Next comes Oil and Grease...

That is as many shortcuts as I take, and that's on my Franken Bikes. If I had one of those high dollar bikes I would be even more selective.

popeye

This is why I have not taken a bike to a shop mech in 18 yrs. Never again.

GBK233

No way I’m dousing my bike with a hose. No need.

Mostly, I just mist the bike with detail spray and wipe. On greasy areas I spray some degreaser and wipe.

cxwrench

Why you guys so scared of water? It's borderline psychotic. If you're saying it can't be done then you're ignorant. If you're saying that I'm not telling the truth that makes you a liar. You ever seen a pro team mechanic clean a bike with a pack of moist towlettes? Just admit that some things that are beyond your ability are actually quite possible for others to do.

Kimmo

I've never been under that much time pressure that what seems like a bad idea seemed like a good idea. I lube everything with precision, and regularly wipe off excess chain lube, so my bikes stay pretty clean. Pressure wash just seems like unnecessary overkill, unless I was a team mechanic or tackling something covered in mud.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle

GBK233

You’re confusing “scared” with….”there’s no need”.

Completely dousing and/or foaming a bike is mainly to satisfy owner’s OCD rather than an actual need for that amount of cleaning imo.

If a bike is truly getting all muddied up….then sure, wash it down. But to pressure wash etc it to get road dust off….is a bit of overkill imo.

Kimmo

Like those guys who use a damn blower when they should get some quiet exercise with a broom.

Let's roll that chore with coal.

KJ43

You guys are hilarious and I love the hyperbolic use of comparing the simple act of washing your bike bike using a hose or pressure washer with rolling coal. That's a great touch and really adds a sense of urgency to the point you are trying to make.

There is "no need" to even wash your bike when you get right down to it but a hose sure makes it an easy chore to complete.

cxwrench

"In your opinion".

GBK233

kind of. I wrote “imo” to try and be polite.

one would be hard pressed to prove a “need” to power wash or hose wash a bike…..it’s more of an “I want to” thing. And that’s perfectly fine, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking hosing down a bike is actually necessary unless the bike has been run through mud or crashed into a pile of dirt.
Which of course, brings us back to my original contention….that OCD is the driving factor behind wanting to go to the trouble/hassle of foaming, hosing down, and blow drying a bike just to get road dust off it.

KJ43

You sure are trying hard. "OCD is the driving factor", "blow drying"? "trouble/hassle". Please, try harder to make the simple act off washing your bike to seem as onerous as possible. You could take a cue from Kimmo above, maybe equate using a hose on your bike with the plague or a nuclear holocaust.

Its a convenient and easy way to wash your bike. Of course, imo.