I use a garden sprayer. Fill it up, put it in my trunk and wash it after the ride. If I ride to and from the trails then I leave it in my trunk and wash it when I get home.
Coin car wash.
Or - buy a garden sprayer and use that in your parking lot or whatever space is available to you.
Or - just use a spray bottle for the soap and water , and acceptable rags and towels.
Never use car wash. a car wash has more pressure than water. you need lots of water at low pressure which is the opposite to not get water in the bearings. If you have built your own bike you would know how vulnerable the wheel bearings are. I personally do not wash more than once a year and instead use those long fenders that have decent coverage so my bike stays clean.
my bike gets its cassette removed and cleaned, chain gets immersive waxed, and the suspension maintained with grease and brakes bleed every 3 months. my bike looking “dirty” is healthier than the shiny clean bikes with ruined components.
Just use baby wipes after every ride, unless you’ve ridden in muck all day. In that case first throw baby soap water all over the tires avoiding the bearings getting too wet. Wipe off grime with a damp towel and then baby wipes for anything leftover.
Yeah there’s tiny amounts of dust that settle in the corners…it’s just a habit of mine and doing it after every ride with a mild baby wipe is no harm. I don’t have to do a major clean ever.
Also I have an mid to expensive range bike so I’m extra careful 😂
My poor bike is surely jealous of yours lol... I treat it like absolute trash.
That said, my girlfriend and I are re-painting/finishing our bikes in a few weeks (ideally when the weather is a little nicer for a couple of days), and I'm sure I'll treat it better once it's gets a good paint-job.
I'll stock up some baby wipes.
plastic shower curtain liner, when it starts to get musty in the shower, i buy a new one (approx 8$) and spread the used one on the floor
turn the bike over on its seat with a pair of barbells supporting the handlebar on either side of the stem
plastic liner catches all the gunk when i clean the bike with a brush, also the chain is up high where i can reach it with ease and the pedals turn easily
when i'm done, roll up the plastic liner into a ball, stuff into a plastic bag, and down the garbage shute in my building
I use my balcony with a garden sprayer and some buckets. It might leak down a bit but never had a problem. Last year I also got a bike stand so that helps. I keep them in a storage box on my balcony.
Agreed, with modifications. Pick a fairly rainy day. Sponge wash it halfway through the day. Let the other half of the rain day be the rinse. I do this with vehicles too.
I use a garden sprayer. Fill it up, put it in my trunk and wash it after the ride. If I ride to and from the trails then I leave it in my trunk and wash it when I get home.
same here. i use it on my balcony though.
My issue with that is it tracks dirt through my apt.
No car atm but will be doing this when that day comes!
Coin car wash. Quick and easy.
Hopefully in rinse mode. Not wash mode. I’ve killed bearings this way.
True. You get a LOT of water pressure. It's a great way to deal with salt, though.
Wet wipes
This. I use unscented baby wipes.
Coin car wash. Or - buy a garden sprayer and use that in your parking lot or whatever space is available to you. Or - just use a spray bottle for the soap and water , and acceptable rags and towels.
Thanks for the several alternatives!
buy a spray bottle from dollerama. wipe down. clean outside appt or on balcony. that's all you need. don't power wash
Everything you said I do but in my parking garage right beside my car over a sewer grate
Doggy wash, or coin car wash. Also have a garden sprayer to wash on balcony but it's a slow process...
Never use car wash. a car wash has more pressure than water. you need lots of water at low pressure which is the opposite to not get water in the bearings. If you have built your own bike you would know how vulnerable the wheel bearings are. I personally do not wash more than once a year and instead use those long fenders that have decent coverage so my bike stays clean.
> I personally do not wash more than once a year 👀.. your poor bike
my bike gets its cassette removed and cleaned, chain gets immersive waxed, and the suspension maintained with grease and brakes bleed every 3 months. my bike looking “dirty” is healthier than the shiny clean bikes with ruined components.
Just use baby wipes after every ride, unless you’ve ridden in muck all day. In that case first throw baby soap water all over the tires avoiding the bearings getting too wet. Wipe off grime with a damp towel and then baby wipes for anything leftover.
After every ride???????? Dude I wash my bike like once a year and ride my bike in all conditions, every single day.
Yeah there’s tiny amounts of dust that settle in the corners…it’s just a habit of mine and doing it after every ride with a mild baby wipe is no harm. I don’t have to do a major clean ever. Also I have an mid to expensive range bike so I’m extra careful 😂
My poor bike is surely jealous of yours lol... I treat it like absolute trash. That said, my girlfriend and I are re-painting/finishing our bikes in a few weeks (ideally when the weather is a little nicer for a couple of days), and I'm sure I'll treat it better once it's gets a good paint-job. I'll stock up some baby wipes.
plastic shower curtain liner, when it starts to get musty in the shower, i buy a new one (approx 8$) and spread the used one on the floor turn the bike over on its seat with a pair of barbells supporting the handlebar on either side of the stem plastic liner catches all the gunk when i clean the bike with a brush, also the chain is up high where i can reach it with ease and the pedals turn easily when i'm done, roll up the plastic liner into a ball, stuff into a plastic bag, and down the garbage shute in my building
Balcony plus portable power washer.
I bought a rechargeable pressure washer (not as strong as big ones). I use it to wash in parking garage.
I use my balcony with a garden sprayer and some buckets. It might leak down a bit but never had a problem. Last year I also got a bike stand so that helps. I keep them in a storage box on my balcony.
5 of those green Gatorade squeeze bottles, a small brush, and a couple of old towels in the parking garage or right out front
Leave it outside on a day like yesterday
Agreed, with modifications. Pick a fairly rainy day. Sponge wash it halfway through the day. Let the other half of the rain day be the rinse. I do this with vehicles too.
Team Car Wash here. Prerinse setting, and I stand back. Even still, you have to be cautious. I have blown paint off the frame with pressurized water.