Unca_Sam

First thought seeing that in this thread is "Roundup is a terrible way to clean a bicycle," then remembering that you don't need to always use one of these for poison.

GrainBrain

There was a chain lube thread last year where the OP posted he was using spray canola oil along with an image and I still laugh out loud thinking of it. Nobody really questioned the obvious troll

No trolling in this case though, the sprayer works great! I'll fill it with just hot tap water, and it's nimble and powerful. Makes cleaning the drivetrain a breeze, it's powerful enough to blast away grime on the jocky wheels, chain, cassette and chain rings.

wolfchild

GCN is to be taken with grain of salt.. Personally I would never use high pressure spray around the bearings. High pressure wash is a great way to shorten the lifespan of the bearings.

indyfabz

Link to thread?

indyfabz

But just think of the large cash settlement you might be eligible for. Could buy a lot of bikes with it.

GrainBrain

Found it!

Wgscott called it out on post #34 .

pdlamb

My favorite technique is the Pactour "1-minute" bike wash:
OK, with the chain lube, it takes closer to 5 minutes. Requirements include:
Chain lube
rag
bucket
Dawn
brush(es)
water

OP, you or your wife can run upstairs and bring everything down to the parking lot.

fietsbob

Pay someone to do it for you...

cyccommute 

I've been doing it for decades. Even with loose bearings, it has never penetrated into them. Every bike I own now (and for about the last 20 years) has cartridge bearings and not a one of them has experienced a shorten lifespan. I've only ever replaced cartridge bearings on 3 bikes and I've been using them since 1985. I'm not too worried about bearing lifespan.

I wouldn't put the nozzle right at the bearing and spray but the pressure reduces very quickly after the water leaves the nozzle. It's not really an issue but using a car wash is quick and easy.

Reflector Guy

If in doubt, the car wash usually has a low pressure setting. For those sensitive areas.

rydabent

What is so hard about wiping a bike off with a damp rag?

cyccommute 

Lots of times a “damp rag”, just don’t cut it. Ridin’ through the herd is just one of those times

DSCN1270 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Notso_fastLane

genejockey 

A sponge, a small bucket of soapy water, and a big bucket of straight water. BUT, this is just for getting rid of the dust and sweat. Probably won't remove the lube from your chain, but also won't remove the dirt from your chain, either. So it's mostly just cosmetic and you'll want to figure a way to do a real wash.

Toespeas

hmmmmmm, you could get a large spray tank , fill a bucket in the shower . add dish soap or what ever soap you like , take it out side and get a soft bristle brush for the frame and a hard bristle brush for the drive train .

i personally run sram chains so i can just take the chain off , and soak it in gasoline or lamp oil for a full chain clean, you can just use old bottles and throw the excess away or bring it to a disposable place if you are eco lunatics , for on bike drive train clean spray it with the cheap wd40 lube and scrub the cassette and chain with a hard brush using the ratchet motion of hub then use a rag and spin the crank until the black comes off . RELUBE WITH WAX !!!!!! i use parafin wax most of the time , slow heated over the stove in some tins !

you could just go to the car wash every two weeks and use those hoses .

for polish just use organic coconut oil and a soft rag , and it will take off any dirt , but it will collect some dust !

CGLTD

It's a bicycle! Everything about cleaning it is quick.

A lot of good suggestions here. I would just get a couple of buckets with soap in one and take it outside. A chain cleaner like the one from Park Tool us good to have. Don't forget to lubricate the chain!

CGLTD

Just saw THIS in my email.

pennpaul

I was in the same situation. I went to a self service car wash with a bucket of water, sponge, and chain cleaner. I did the dirty stuff in the parking lot with the bike on the rack (long line of cars), then pulled into the wash bay to hose it all down (rinse setting, not jet spray). Worked fine.

Kapusta

When I lived in an apartment with a similar situation, before coming inside I’d knock of the big chunks that might come loose on the way in, then put something down on the floor under the bike where I kept it in the apartment.

Every so often I’d wash it off outside with a bucket, but only when it got bad.

I just lived with a dirty bike. As long as the dirt stayed on the bike, I did not see a real problem with it.

I am of the school of thought that from a mechanical perspective, washing a bike usually accomplishes nothing. As long as the chain (and rings and cassette) are OK, everything else is fine.

TricycleTom

One local off-road rider used a pressure washer. It was quick, easy, and very, very bad for the bearings.

StillBiking@71

I haven't used them myself, but I have heard that Baby Wipes are great way to clean your bike without making a mess.

cyccommute 

They must have been very old bearings or very bad ones. I’ve been pressure washing bikes since the 80s and never had any problem with water infiltration.

We may not agree on much but I agree with you here. This obsession with making sure a bike doesn’t have a speck of dirt on it is silly. Bikes are meant to be ridden. A dirty bike is a bike that gets ridden.

GlennR

Road bike should be clean, but mountain bikes should be dirty.

I clean my bike every week which is about 150 miles. I do it for multiple reasons:
1) I find problems before breaking down
2) a clean drivetrain lasts longer. I have 26,000 miles on a Sram Red cassette and at $400 to replace i'm way ahead of the game.
3) a well maintained bike simple performs better
4) personal pride, just like you don't wear dirty cloths when you're out in public.

MilfordJohn

Buy yourself a ParkTool foldable bike stand, take your bike and the stand out to a parking lot or other open space, and follow the instructions on the below YouTube video. This has worked like a charm for me since 2015.

cometphoton

Put down cardboard, have bike parked ontop of cardboard. Mix up a spray bottle of alcohol and water 50% add a few drops of dishwashing fluid.
Shake the mix bottle with the alcohol and spray where you want to clean. Wipe with a rag, then rinse the rag in a bucket of warm water. Continue the process until completed. I hope this helps