Can I Pressure Wash This ?
03-24-24, 11:07 AM
#3
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Soapy water in a bucket, clean with brushes, rinse lightly with a spray nozzle on a hose, wipe dry.
If you aren't careful, a pressure washer can do damage to a bike.
If you aren't careful, a pressure washer can do damage to a bike.
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03-24-24, 11:08 AM
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Just use a regular hose. No need to pressure wash
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03-24-24, 11:12 AM
#5
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Pressure wash? Good God: no. We see the disastrous consequences of this treatment several times a month at the shop. Grease is blown out of every bearing: headsets, hubs, BB etc. Derailleurs are still with corrosion, and after a few months with no grease, bearings are stiff, notchy and dead.
Cleaning a bike? Damp rag with soapy water. Focus your cleaning and maintenance time less on the outside of the bike and more on the critical inside parts.
Cleaning a bike? Damp rag with soapy water. Focus your cleaning and maintenance time less on the outside of the bike and more on the critical inside parts.
03-24-24, 11:23 AM
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It really depends on how you use your pressure washer. If you do like the instructions say and keep the nozzle the distance they tell you to keep from the surface being cleaned, then you should be okay. But if you point it down at the BB, axels or cogs on the rear and get real close with it to get every last spec of gunk off in places the eyes normally won't see anyhow, then you might be a candidate for not using the pressure washer.
I'd just wipe it off with some of those pre moistened towelettes that come in a big plastic canister. Or maybe spay it with a hose. But if for some reason the pressure washer was hooked up and ready to go, I might would use it. But since it's normally not hooked up, I'd not bother for that little bit of splatter that is mostly cosmetic and just offends your visuals.
I'd just wipe it off with some of those pre moistened towelettes that come in a big plastic canister. Or maybe spay it with a hose. But if for some reason the pressure washer was hooked up and ready to go, I might would use it. But since it's normally not hooked up, I'd not bother for that little bit of splatter that is mostly cosmetic and just offends your visuals.
03-24-24, 11:25 AM
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Yea I was thinking a couple meters back pressure wash. The IGH is difficult to clean with a rag because of spokes. Just a gentle pressure wash.
03-24-24, 11:33 AM
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No pressure washer, soap up and rinse with a light touch on the nozzle, you want to rinse off the crud and salt, not drive it into the crevices and openings.
03-24-24, 12:29 PM
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At a couple of meters away, the “pressure” part of the pressure wash is kind of nil. At that distance, the water is more of a heavy mist than any kind of directed spray. Most all modern (quality) components are sealed well enough against water infiltration to resist the spray from a nozzle being centimeters away from the bike. I wouldn’t put the nozzle right against the bearings but GCN has done it in a video on Youtube titled “Should you jet wash your bike?” That’s a bit extreme but it didn’t cause problems.
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03-24-24, 01:28 PM
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Who wants to bother setting up a pressure washer just to hose down a bike?
03-24-24, 03:28 PM
#11
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…a couple meters back pressure wash.
Dan
03-24-24, 04:31 PM
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You can pressure wash a bike, should you, NO! Professional race mechanics especially in CX do it but they are also going through the bikes often and they have little time. I would recommend some rags and maybe a soft brush and a spray bottle with alcohol and something like Dr. Bronners. Alcohol is great at degreasing and is cheap and Dr. Bronners is not really that expensive considering how many uses it has and the fact you don't need a lot of it.
Generally for cleaning a hub I use a moist rag and just floss it in between the spokes. In the end unless you have a 48h hub you probably won't have too many issues. It is pretty easy to do. I do it all the time.
Generally for cleaning a hub I use a moist rag and just floss it in between the spokes. In the end unless you have a 48h hub you probably won't have too many issues. It is pretty easy to do. I do it all the time.
