Jet washers can damage a bike, states professional builder.

[GuyBoden]

Well respected, professional wheel builder, David C.R. Hunt, states that high pressure water cleaning and penetrating cleaners are damaging a bike's bearings.

Quote:
"The problem is, most bikes are covered in sealed cartridge bearings now. You will find them in your headset, bottom bracket, jockey wheels, pedals and – most importantly for us – your wheels. If you introduce a penetrating cleaner or a high pressure water cleaner to a bike, the water and degreaser gets inside the bearings, behind their sealing, stripping them of the lubricant that they require to run well.

We see quite a lot of wheelsets that have knackered rear bearings but front bearings run like new. That is consistent with aggressive cleaning of a drive. The benefit of a sealed cartridge system is that you can remove these bearings and install fresh ones, removing all play and noise. The wheels will run like new again. However, often, this maintenance can be avoided."

Full Article read here:
http://dcrwheels.co.uk/custom-wheelsets/how-to-clean-your-bike-carefully/

 

[huwsparky]

No one with any sense would directly spray any bearing with a pressure washer. Don't think it takes a wheel builder to convince anyone it's bad idea.

 

[freiston]

One bike I used to have got cleaned regularly with a hose that had one of those adjustable nozzles - every time I used it on 'jet' setting on my front wheel, I would feel the difference and have to regrease the bearings. They were 'traditional' ball bearings in a race, so not much expense, just a pita.

Edit/addendum for clarity - this was a common old 'garden' hose with a trigger nozzle going from fine spray to hard jet.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Awaits @screenman

 

[Smokin Joe]

By the time I've unearthed the pressure washer from the garden storage bin where it is buried under whatever junk I've lobbed on top of it, then fiddled about connecting it to the hose which I've had to smooth the kinks out of, followed by at least five minutes looking for the extension lead that I put somewhere that would be easy to remember last time I put it away I could have cleaned my bike thrice over.

So I don't bother with it.

 

[Drago]

What kind of plum uses a degreaser with a jetwasher? It's a bicycle, not a 400,000 mile old diff casing from a Foden truck. Degrease by hand, rinse, then go all Schwarzenegger with the jetwasher, keeping it aimed well away from any bearings.

Bad workers blame the tools.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

"The Pope is Catholic" states a well respected professional clergyman

 

[mjr]

Bad workers blame the tools.

And only complete tools blame the workers, as I understand is the customary reply! The problems are the scarcity of the correct tools (try finding a decent metalwork cleaning brush in a DIY barn) and how widespread bad advice is.

 

[MontyVeda]

The article was probably written/plagiarised by a copywriter as part of their online marketing campaign. I used to do it myself and would write any old crap in as shorter time as possible.

 

[screenman]

Used correctly my jet washer is less dangerous than rain, it is the tool holding the tool that can do the damage.

I used my jet was after every race and training session on my cross bikes when racing, they would get a complete strip at the end of each season and there was still grease where it was meant to be.

 

[S-Express]

Well respected, professional wheel builder, David C.R. Hunt, states that high pressure water cleaning and penetrating cleaners are damaging a bike's bearings.

 

[screenman]

Riding a bike can wear out some moving parts.

 

[screenman]

[QUOTE 4668892, member: 45"]Given how careful you need to be, a jet washer is no more effective on a bike than a normal hose. So, as @Smokin Joe has said, it's not worth the bother of getting it out.[/QUOTE]

A hose would have taken a lot longer than my jet wash did today. Also not all of us live in a disorganized state, my jet washer takes about a minutes to get out, set up and use.

 

[User6179]

We see quite a lot of wheelsets that have knackered rear bearings but front bearings run like new. That is consistent with aggressive cleaning of a drive

I never use a pressure washer or a degreaser but my rear bearings always knacker thousand of miles before the front , It is consistent with the extra weight placed upon them .

 

[screenman]

[QUOTE 4668910, member: 45"]You can't complain about SC&P and then post something like that.[/QUOTE]

Not sure of the point there.