Cleaning your new not so shiny bike

[Rickshaw Phil]

Here we have a new reason not to use washing up liquid: It starts arguments.

 

[User6179]

And Mr Sheen, dont forget.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Here we have a new reason not to use washing up liquid: It starts arguments.

It'll end in who's 1RM squat is heaviest anyway. Might as well make a lovely big bucket of fairy bubbles and go wash a bike.

 

[Drago]

A young teenage me. New bike, not brand new but bought from my mates Dad and every fastener and bearing replaced by my own Dad.

I'd never owned such a magnificent machine before, and cleaned it weekly using... wait for it... Fairy liquid! It's wasn't long (thks was like 35 years ago, but I recall it was less than a year) and the front wheel started to feel graunchy and rough. My old Feller dive in and the bearing is virtually dry, stripped largely of grease and what we left was soapy and water, almost like slightly runny butter.

A good bollocking followed, by a rebuild, and a strict lesson in cleaning and another lesson in engineering;

Don't let any form of liquid within 6 inches of a bearing while cleaning, except clean water.

And there is no such thing as a sealed bearing.

If you want to use it yourself, then go for , but please don't be telling us that using a degreaser to clean a machine with several relatively exposed bearings is wise pursuit.

 

[fossyant]

View attachment 54684

Fail.

 

[User6179]

A young teenage me. New bike, not brand new but bought from my mates Dad and every fastener and bearing replaced by my own Dad.

I'd never owned such a magnificent machine before, and cleaned it weekly using... wait for it... Fairy liquid! It's wasn't long (thks was like 35 years ago, but I recall it was less than a year) and the front wheel started to feel graunchy and rough. My old Feller dive in and the bearing is virtually dry, stripped largely of grease and what we left was soapy and water, almost like slightly runny butter.

A good bollocking followed, by a rebuild, and a strict lesson in cleaning and another lesson in engineering;

Don't let any form of liquid within 6 inches of a bearing while cleaning, except clean water.

And there is no such thing as a sealed bearing.

Not just the bearings , the free hub needs a light oil to function as does gear cables and mechs , washing with fairy is fine if you were oiling everything afterwards and greasing your bearings.

 

[Justinslow]

Ok thanks everybody, generally what I thought, but it is hard not to get soapy water running into bearings etc, I think really the only way is to strip them all down every now and again and re-grease a la LBS service if you don't have the noggin to do it yourself.

 

[MikeW-71]

I'm with Rickshaw Phil.

Car shampoo and then mickle the chain.

If the bike is really muddy, I will use the pressure washer, BUT, stand well back and do not go near any bearings, all you need to do is get the thick stuff off, then wash as normal.

Every few months I'll strip wheel and headset bearings and re-grease.

 

[User6179]

I'm with Rickshaw Phil.

Car shampoo and then mickle the chain.

If the bike is really muddy, I will use the pressure washer, BUT, stand well back and do not go near any bearings, all you need to do is get the thick stuff off, then wash as normal.

Every few months I'll strip wheel and headset bearings and re-grease.

Pressure washer ??? Bearings

 

[MikeW-71]

Only ever had to use it once on a road bike. The MTB on the other hand.....

 

[PeteXXX]

I've found that the easiest way to clean my MTB tyres after a mucky day out is to ride through long damp grass for several hundred yards.
Cleans 'em up a treat!

As for the rest of the bike..... Hosepipe, car shampoo of a wet sponge & GT85 once it's been dried off.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Many, many years of commuting, riding my bikes in all weathers and cleaning them with washing up liquid tell's me that it has no detrimental effect what so ever on the bearings.

Likewise.

And car shampoo is only washing up liquid with a higher price.

 

[User6179]

Likewise.

And car shampoo is only washing up liquid with a higher price.

Would you wash your dishes in car shampoo?

 

[Smokin Joe]

A young teenage me. New bike, not brand new but bought from my mates Dad and every fastener and bearing replaced by my own Dad.

I'd never owned such a magnificent machine before, and cleaned it weekly using... wait for it... Fairy liquid! It's wasn't long (thks was like 35 years ago, but I recall it was less than a year) and the front wheel started to feel graunchy and rough. My old Feller dive in and the bearing is virtually dry, stripped largely of grease and what we left was soapy and water, almost like slightly runny butter.

A good bollocking followed, by a rebuild, and a strict lesson in cleaning and another lesson in engineering;

Don't let any form of liquid within 6 inches of a bearing while cleaning, except clean water.

And there is no such thing as a sealed bearing.

If you want to use it yourself, then go for , but please don't be telling us that using a degreaser to clean a machine with several relatively exposed bearings is wise pursuit.

Unrelated bearing issue. I've been using washing up liquid on bikes, cars and motorcycles for nearly half a century and never suffered excessive wear to any part of any vehicle.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Would you wash your dishes in car shampoo?

If it was cheaper than washing up liquid.