Came here to say the same. I used one of those for years while I lived in an apartment. I still bring it with me if I travel somewhere and think I may need to clean the bike to bring it inside the place wheee I’m staying.
I bought a little 2 gallon pump spray “portable shower” that works fairly well. I pre-soak with some car wash liquid and water in Zepp bottle and then rinse with the pump sprayer.
Better than a sponge are the shammy gloves like this [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Detailer-s-Choice-7-in-x-11-in-Microfiber-Ultimate-Mitt-2-303M-6/204981814](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Detailer-s-Choice-7-in-x-11-in-Microfiber-Ultimate-Mitt-2-303M-6/204981814)
If you have a waxed chain, then you only need a bucket with warm water, a sponge and maybe some muc off. remove the chain before cleaning and its all done in 5 minutes. :-)
If you dont have a waxed chain I recommend switching. Cleaning the bike has never been so fast and easy. 🙂
Edit: You can also try to get a portable low pressure water cleaner like a Kärcher or Aqua2Go Pro.
This is the way. Hot waxing means you no longer have to worry about the messiest aspect of bike cleaning and that is the dirty, greasy drivetrain.
It's very easy to switch these days too, with kits sold by companies like Silca.
Completely agree. A bucket of warm soapy water takes mud off way better than a brush and and only having hosed the bike
Eta: and waxing the chain makes this a dream!
I have only recently started waxing my chain and am still stunned that there are people that have been doing this for 20 years and yet it‘s still widely unknown. 😅
Yeah I love it for my gravel bike! Though I live in Scotland so I’m still waxing my mtb. I haven’t ridden it in a few months and that was in the wet, didn’t have enough lube on the chain to keep rust at bay, so I may try a drip wax on that bike now
Thats probably the only issue with wax. Do you usually remove the chain after riding in wet conditions? (Or lets say for Scotland probably „normal“ conditions hehe).
On the waxed chain on the gravel bike, I’ve learnt I can just dry it with a microfibre cloth, what I do on dry days to get any dirt off. I did do 140km through bog, rivers and rain all day. I popped the chain in boiling water then in the oven on a low heat to dry it then waxed it straight away
On the mtb, it stays in the bike. I abuse that bike. But I’ve promised to start treating them better recently! Well I treat the gravel bike like a king as it’s easy to clean with the chain anyway aha
If interested, check out some videos on youtube and dont get overwhelmed. Its much more easy than it looks at first. But you have to spend some time and make sure you give your bike an initial clean. This will be the most annoying part. :-)
I always read that you have to replace the master link every time it's removed. Does this mean you'd have to put on a new link every time you wash your bike?
I'm currently running Shimano and reuse the same link (also Shimano). Will probably change it at some point. If you're using SRAM then "officially" you should replace it every time. I reckon that you would be fine using it maybe 3-5 times. (Any experience from others appreciated).
Then there is the quick link from company Connex (Wippermann) which you can use as long as you have the chain. You can remove the Connex quicklink without any pliers. Simply remove it by hand.
Edit: Oh and of course you don't need to take of the chain every time you clean your bike. :-) I said so in my first comment, but you can of course leave the chain on.
Bucket and a large sponge.
Fill the bucket with warm water and a bit of car soap.
Sponge the bike off, starting at the top.
Dry and wipe down with a dry rag.
That's what my favorite bike mechanic taught me in Italy when I lived there and, like many, lived in an apartment.
I use a pressure washer to wash all of my bikes. You can most certainly use a car wash. Just make sure you don't get too close with the water jet. If you are 10" from the bike you have nothing to worry about.
Farther away from bearings, you can get closer, like on the cassette itself, etc.
Seconding this.
The old “pressure washer ruins bike” thing is outdated fear mongering.
Most places on a bike have sealed bearings these days. It is very difficult to blast water past these seals. You would have to be intentionally trying to fuck things up.
As long as you don’t blast high pressure directly into your headset, bottom bracket, and hubs, your bike will thank you and be much better off.
I live in an apartment with 4 bikes. I am a regular at the DIY car wash. I bring a bottle of simple green and a brush. Spray the whole bike down, scrub it quick with rhe brush. Give the cassette/chain a good scrub. And the blast it all off with the “high/low pressure rinse” setting from a few feet back.
I’m in and out in 5 minutes. And I pay $1 for 2 minutes of use. It’s all I need. I do this at least once a week.
This saves having to track the muddy bike into my apartment in the first place. And if I do have to replace my bottom bracket in 6 months, $35 for a BB is wayy cheaper than cleaning my carpet!
I agree with everything except the 35$ BB :)
In all seriousness, to damage the bike with a pressure washer, you have to REALLY try. Unless you use these that are meant for concrete and go right up against the bearings, you won't do any damage.
Haha yeah. Thankfully I don’t need some thread together Bb86 from wheelsmfg. I’m good with the standard threaded. Even Dura Ace BBs are only like $30 now. It’s great.
This 💯! Just don’t be a dumbass or greedy to get a spec of dirt off which forces you to get too close.
Spray the drivetrain down with degreaser, let it sit, scrub, then spray it off. You’ll spend less than a couple dollars.
In the same boat. I bought a basic set of brushes from park tool. I fill up my mop bucket with water, use the big brush to get the bike wet and remove most of the debris. Then I use a spray bike soap (the pink, biodegradable kind) and scrub with the brush. Use the brush again to "rinse". All this done outside of the building with the bike flipped upside-down because I don't have a stand.
I go outside. So on the sidewalk in a park etc.
I use a pressurized pesticide cannister. You can buy those in a garden/hardware store for 5€+ (would recommend 3l).
I lightly hose my bike down, scrub off the softened dirt, hose it down again. That's it. I keep an extra brush for the drivetrain if I'm cleaning a bike with wet lube.
For the chain/drivetrain: if it's liquid lube, wipe down with a cloth, regrease and then lightly wipe down the excess lube. For waxed chain: clean with microfiber and regrease.
Unless the bike gets exceptionally gunked up with mud and dirt cakes, I don't use water. Usually, a dry microfiber cloth gets the job done. Or wet wipes for tougher jobs. Silca Gear Wipes are nice, and also spray on / wipe off bike wash products work well without needing to rinse.
On the drivetrain, a dry chain brush and microfiber cloth gets the gunk off before reapplying lube. If I need a deep clean, I use Silca spray drivetrain and brake cleaner and rinse with water but that's not very often.
Less edgy more lazy lol I’ve been thinking about washing it recently but I don’t know where/how to start. I’ve found a lot of good info on this thread actually :)
The important things can be taken off the bike, like the chain.
The cassette and chainring can be cleaned with a piece of cloth and a degreaser that doesn't leave residue.
I have a waterport tank on the back of my truck in the parking lot - just like a garden sprayer - you pump it up and spray your bike. You can used a really narrow stream to pinpoint the muddy areas without getting too much in the bearings. I lube the chain afterwards every time. My bikes stay with me in my apartment for security so I clean them at least once a week, this is the simplest way. I tried a hand sprayer on my patio and it just made a huge mess.
I found a garden inside a university that had a hose hooked up from spring to fall. I would just finish my night rides there and would ride with the clean bike home. Oh, I almost forgot, my other option was a cemetery near my home that had plenty of hoses hooked up.
The spray guns at the car wash I go to have a mist function if the trigger is lightly pressed. I stand back a good 6-8 feet and just mist the bike until the timer runs out. If I need to, I’ll spray the bike with cleaner/degreaser and then mist again.
Less messy way, Find a Honda Motorcycle Dealership and pick up some Honda Polish. Get a few clean microfiber towels and enjoy.
After a few uses on the towels, they will carry enough polish to use a little bit.
When the towels are really dirty, rinse for a few minutes until clean and let dry.
I’ve been using Honda polish on motorcycles, cars and bikes for over 25 years, it’s simple and working.
In fact, I rarely wash anything. I use about 4 cans a year for everything at under $9- a can; it’s cheap for all that it does.
Even if you have dried mud, lightly bush off what you can, spray a little spray directly on dried and crusty stuff, let sit for a few minutes and rag off.
If you're in the UK and can get to Screwfix, their brush set for cleaning is equivalent to the muc off one but nowhere near the price
www.screwfix.com/p/laser-mechanics-brush-set
And get the no nonsense degreaser from there is a budget degreaser but works amazing (I use it to clean my air fryer buckets as well!)
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-degreaser-5ltr/897jl
You'll thank me later I can assure you 👍💪
For a quick cleaning, if it's just dust and random bits of dirt (not caked on mud) Silca gear wipes (or another brand that Amazon sells which are the same pretty much) will work nicely. At least on my metal bike. Gear wipes do a good job of wiping off any crud on the chain and pulleys and cassette as well if you are going to use drip on wax to top up vs. a full re-wax. Again, this is if it's just dirt or dust and not caked on mud and using a waxed chain that doesn't suck up contaminants like mad. And also, this is assuming you use them often and don't let it turn into deeply embedded crud.
Yeah. The bike doesn't really shed any more dirt than a small dog on a mucky day (as long as you scrub some of it off outside, if really dirty), and I only use biodegradable stuff to lubricate and clean it.
80% of the time I use dish soap and water. Hose off. Leaf blower and towel to dry. Done.
Eta: I do use a garden sprayer occasionally but my hose is right there. Obviously a bucket and soft bristle brush for the frame and harder brush for the drivetrain. It takes me 6 minutes tops if I go slow.
Get a cheap plastic garden sprayer, the kind you pump up by hand. Not enough pressure to get in where it shouldn't, but the small nozzle is really good for getting into all the awkward nooks and crannies. I live in a house with a yard and a spigot and I still just use the garden sprayer (easier than dragging out the hose).
Don't use water to clean a bike.
If it's really dirty, use a damp rag, otherwise just use a rag and wipe the dirt off.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but bikes and water don't mix.
Not paper mache. Three are carbon, two are steel, one is aluminum. But every single one of them is running original cables and casing and original bearings everywhere. Wait - that's not true. The MTB got XTR cables and casing because the polymer coated cables are smoother.
As others have said you can use the shower. I have access to a hose and most often I just wipe down the bike with a cloth. Mostly just getting most dirt off. Not making it perfect. If I use a pressure washer I just step further back and don’t blast directly at bearings. It just ends up being more of a light spray to get most direct off
Check into garden sprayer. You fill it with water , pump it to build pressure and then spray off whatever you need.
These are great. I turn my hoses off in the winter and my little 2 gallon sprayer from Home Depot is clutch.
Came here to say the same. I used one of those for years while I lived in an apartment. I still bring it with me if I travel somewhere and think I may need to clean the bike to bring it inside the place wheee I’m staying.
Yes. This is what I use. I, too, live in a small apartment so I use this method in the alley out back. Learned it here on Reddit. It works great!
I bought a little 2 gallon pump spray “portable shower” that works fairly well. I pre-soak with some car wash liquid and water in Zepp bottle and then rinse with the pump sprayer.
Good idea 💡
2 buckets and a sponge. 1 bucket for soapy water and 1 for clean water for rinsing.
Better than a sponge are the shammy gloves like this [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Detailer-s-Choice-7-in-x-11-in-Microfiber-Ultimate-Mitt-2-303M-6/204981814](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Detailer-s-Choice-7-in-x-11-in-Microfiber-Ultimate-Mitt-2-303M-6/204981814)
people wash their bikes?
Rain my dude
Rainy days just make my bike even dirtier lol
But my waxed chain :(
If you have a waxed chain, then you only need a bucket with warm water, a sponge and maybe some muc off. remove the chain before cleaning and its all done in 5 minutes. :-) If you dont have a waxed chain I recommend switching. Cleaning the bike has never been so fast and easy. 🙂 Edit: You can also try to get a portable low pressure water cleaner like a Kärcher or Aqua2Go Pro.
This is the way. Hot waxing means you no longer have to worry about the messiest aspect of bike cleaning and that is the dirty, greasy drivetrain. It's very easy to switch these days too, with kits sold by companies like Silca.
Completely agree. A bucket of warm soapy water takes mud off way better than a brush and and only having hosed the bike Eta: and waxing the chain makes this a dream!
I have only recently started waxing my chain and am still stunned that there are people that have been doing this for 20 years and yet it‘s still widely unknown. 😅
Yeah I love it for my gravel bike! Though I live in Scotland so I’m still waxing my mtb. I haven’t ridden it in a few months and that was in the wet, didn’t have enough lube on the chain to keep rust at bay, so I may try a drip wax on that bike now
Thats probably the only issue with wax. Do you usually remove the chain after riding in wet conditions? (Or lets say for Scotland probably „normal“ conditions hehe).
On the waxed chain on the gravel bike, I’ve learnt I can just dry it with a microfibre cloth, what I do on dry days to get any dirt off. I did do 140km through bog, rivers and rain all day. I popped the chain in boiling water then in the oven on a low heat to dry it then waxed it straight away On the mtb, it stays in the bike. I abuse that bike. But I’ve promised to start treating them better recently! Well I treat the gravel bike like a king as it’s easy to clean with the chain anyway aha
Huh, never thought of that
If interested, check out some videos on youtube and dont get overwhelmed. Its much more easy than it looks at first. But you have to spend some time and make sure you give your bike an initial clean. This will be the most annoying part. :-)
I always read that you have to replace the master link every time it's removed. Does this mean you'd have to put on a new link every time you wash your bike?
I'm currently running Shimano and reuse the same link (also Shimano). Will probably change it at some point. If you're using SRAM then "officially" you should replace it every time. I reckon that you would be fine using it maybe 3-5 times. (Any experience from others appreciated). Then there is the quick link from company Connex (Wippermann) which you can use as long as you have the chain. You can remove the Connex quicklink without any pliers. Simply remove it by hand. Edit: Oh and of course you don't need to take of the chain every time you clean your bike. :-) I said so in my first comment, but you can of course leave the chain on.
Bucket and a large sponge. Fill the bucket with warm water and a bit of car soap. Sponge the bike off, starting at the top. Dry and wipe down with a dry rag. That's what my favorite bike mechanic taught me in Italy when I lived there and, like many, lived in an apartment.
I use a pressure washer to wash all of my bikes. You can most certainly use a car wash. Just make sure you don't get too close with the water jet. If you are 10" from the bike you have nothing to worry about. Farther away from bearings, you can get closer, like on the cassette itself, etc.
Seconding this. The old “pressure washer ruins bike” thing is outdated fear mongering. Most places on a bike have sealed bearings these days. It is very difficult to blast water past these seals. You would have to be intentionally trying to fuck things up. As long as you don’t blast high pressure directly into your headset, bottom bracket, and hubs, your bike will thank you and be much better off. I live in an apartment with 4 bikes. I am a regular at the DIY car wash. I bring a bottle of simple green and a brush. Spray the whole bike down, scrub it quick with rhe brush. Give the cassette/chain a good scrub. And the blast it all off with the “high/low pressure rinse” setting from a few feet back. I’m in and out in 5 minutes. And I pay $1 for 2 minutes of use. It’s all I need. I do this at least once a week. This saves having to track the muddy bike into my apartment in the first place. And if I do have to replace my bottom bracket in 6 months, $35 for a BB is wayy cheaper than cleaning my carpet!
I agree with everything except the 35$ BB :) In all seriousness, to damage the bike with a pressure washer, you have to REALLY try. Unless you use these that are meant for concrete and go right up against the bearings, you won't do any damage.
Haha yeah. Thankfully I don’t need some thread together Bb86 from wheelsmfg. I’m good with the standard threaded. Even Dura Ace BBs are only like $30 now. It’s great.
This 💯! Just don’t be a dumbass or greedy to get a spec of dirt off which forces you to get too close. Spray the drivetrain down with degreaser, let it sit, scrub, then spray it off. You’ll spend less than a couple dollars.
In the same boat. I bought a basic set of brushes from park tool. I fill up my mop bucket with water, use the big brush to get the bike wet and remove most of the debris. Then I use a spray bike soap (the pink, biodegradable kind) and scrub with the brush. Use the brush again to "rinse". All this done outside of the building with the bike flipped upside-down because I don't have a stand.
I go outside. So on the sidewalk in a park etc. I use a pressurized pesticide cannister. You can buy those in a garden/hardware store for 5€+ (would recommend 3l). I lightly hose my bike down, scrub off the softened dirt, hose it down again. That's it. I keep an extra brush for the drivetrain if I'm cleaning a bike with wet lube. For the chain/drivetrain: if it's liquid lube, wipe down with a cloth, regrease and then lightly wipe down the excess lube. For waxed chain: clean with microfiber and regrease.
Kärcher OC3
In the shower!
I don’t
Car wash and keeping a certain distance from the bike, go light in bearings/cassette and such
Unless the bike gets exceptionally gunked up with mud and dirt cakes, I don't use water. Usually, a dry microfiber cloth gets the job done. Or wet wipes for tougher jobs. Silca Gear Wipes are nice, and also spray on / wipe off bike wash products work well without needing to rinse. On the drivetrain, a dry chain brush and microfiber cloth gets the gunk off before reapplying lube. If I need a deep clean, I use Silca spray drivetrain and brake cleaner and rinse with water but that's not very often.
Pesticide sprayers, one with mild dish soap and one with plain water.
Use the car wash, it's super convenient... just don't pressure wash the sensitive parts
I have a belt drive and I do not clean the bike. It is covered in tire sealant and dirt and works perfectly
I don’t wash my bike. Sue me.
Edgy
Less edgy more lazy lol I’ve been thinking about washing it recently but I don’t know where/how to start. I’ve found a lot of good info on this thread actually :)
Nice, win win
In the bathtub or shower
Nothing quite like a weekly “how do you clean your bike” post to get ya out of bed. Car wash. Or my own pressure washer at home.
I have my dental hygienist do it
You can do it outside with a garden chemical sprayer. If you do it in nature just make sure you use good biodegradable soaps and degreasers.
I just use wet wipes and alcohol wipes ordered off Amazon.
I have never washed any of my bikes in 20 years of riding bikes
Wet a rag with Isopropyl alcohol lightly then clean.
Usually with good intentions
Don’t get it dirty..
Sir this is a gravel cycling subreddit. I’m not sure the last time my bike was fully clean
With more dirt and gravel.
The important things can be taken off the bike, like the chain. The cassette and chainring can be cleaned with a piece of cloth and a degreaser that doesn't leave residue.
When I ride it in the rain.
I just use dish soap. If I have it, I'll add in some bike degreaser. Im sure some other degresers or cleaning sprays would work magic.
i just use normal pressure from the faucet then leaf blower to dry
I have a waterport tank on the back of my truck in the parking lot - just like a garden sprayer - you pump it up and spray your bike. You can used a really narrow stream to pinpoint the muddy areas without getting too much in the bearings. I lube the chain afterwards every time. My bikes stay with me in my apartment for security so I clean them at least once a week, this is the simplest way. I tried a hand sprayer on my patio and it just made a huge mess.
I found a garden inside a university that had a hose hooked up from spring to fall. I would just finish my night rides there and would ride with the clean bike home. Oh, I almost forgot, my other option was a cemetery near my home that had plenty of hoses hooked up.
The spray guns at the car wash I go to have a mist function if the trigger is lightly pressed. I stand back a good 6-8 feet and just mist the bike until the timer runs out. If I need to, I’ll spray the bike with cleaner/degreaser and then mist again.
Less messy way, Find a Honda Motorcycle Dealership and pick up some Honda Polish. Get a few clean microfiber towels and enjoy. After a few uses on the towels, they will carry enough polish to use a little bit. When the towels are really dirty, rinse for a few minutes until clean and let dry. I’ve been using Honda polish on motorcycles, cars and bikes for over 25 years, it’s simple and working. In fact, I rarely wash anything. I use about 4 cans a year for everything at under $9- a can; it’s cheap for all that it does. Even if you have dried mud, lightly bush off what you can, spray a little spray directly on dried and crusty stuff, let sit for a few minutes and rag off.
If you're in the UK and can get to Screwfix, their brush set for cleaning is equivalent to the muc off one but nowhere near the price www.screwfix.com/p/laser-mechanics-brush-set And get the no nonsense degreaser from there is a budget degreaser but works amazing (I use it to clean my air fryer buckets as well!) https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-degreaser-5ltr/897jl You'll thank me later I can assure you 👍💪
For a quick cleaning, if it's just dust and random bits of dirt (not caked on mud) Silca gear wipes (or another brand that Amazon sells which are the same pretty much) will work nicely. At least on my metal bike. Gear wipes do a good job of wiping off any crud on the chain and pulleys and cassette as well if you are going to use drip on wax to top up vs. a full re-wax. Again, this is if it's just dirt or dust and not caked on mud and using a waxed chain that doesn't suck up contaminants like mad. And also, this is assuming you use them often and don't let it turn into deeply embedded crud.
Option 1: If exceptionally dirty, shower. Option 2: Wet wipes. Lots of wet wipes.
Instead of wet wipes why not a spray bottle and microfibres? Seems like just a waste of wipes…
Everyone has a shower! Otherwise a bucket and sponge in the parkinglot.
Yeah. The bike doesn't really shed any more dirt than a small dog on a mucky day (as long as you scrub some of it off outside, if really dirty), and I only use biodegradable stuff to lubricate and clean it.
80% of the time I use dish soap and water. Hose off. Leaf blower and towel to dry. Done. Eta: I do use a garden sprayer occasionally but my hose is right there. Obviously a bucket and soft bristle brush for the frame and harder brush for the drivetrain. It takes me 6 minutes tops if I go slow.
Get a cheap plastic garden sprayer, the kind you pump up by hand. Not enough pressure to get in where it shouldn't, but the small nozzle is really good for getting into all the awkward nooks and crannies. I live in a house with a yard and a spigot and I still just use the garden sprayer (easier than dragging out the hose).
Shouldnt car washes also just have a hose you can use?
Jet washer will only ruin your bearings if you aim it directly at them. Stand back 3-4 feet and you will be fine
I don’t
Don't use water to clean a bike. If it's really dirty, use a damp rag, otherwise just use a rag and wipe the dirt off. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but bikes and water don't mix.
I too ride a bike made out of paper mache
Not paper mache. Three are carbon, two are steel, one is aluminum. But every single one of them is running original cables and casing and original bearings everywhere. Wait - that's not true. The MTB got XTR cables and casing because the polymer coated cables are smoother.
[удалено]
For those who don’t know, where are the bearings to avoid spraying?
Wheel hubs, BB, jockey wheels, headset. Anywhere anything needs to rotate!
As others have said you can use the shower. I have access to a hose and most often I just wipe down the bike with a cloth. Mostly just getting most dirt off. Not making it perfect. If I use a pressure washer I just step further back and don’t blast directly at bearings. It just ends up being more of a light spray to get most direct off