Washing my bike using a car wash

[chipmonster]

Local garage does a car wash (jet type) for a quid.

I go mountain biking once a week and the bikes r filthy. I have the Thule roof bike carriers and I wash the bike whilst it's on the roof. I have a full suspension trek fuel ex 8. I conscious of destroying the seals, but I don't really have time to wash it, therefore it stays muddy if I never put it through the key wash.

What do I need to lube to make sure the bike stays in good condition and well maintained

 

[smokeysmoo]

What do I need to lube

Anything that moves.

Can't stress enough though how bad jet washing your bike can be, (but you know this already). I don't even do my road bikes and I don't have all the full suspension shenanigans to consider.

I'd cut my ride time a little shorter to give time to wash it properly when I got home

 

[chipmonster]

With the jet wash, I try to keep it far away from the bike as possible.

The seals should be able to cope?

 

[potsy]

Can't wait for fossy or Ian to read this

Jetwash bad

 

[smokeysmoo]

The seals should be able to cope?

Nope

 

[palinurus]

Once, after a particularly muddy 'cross race, I took the bike to a garage just down the road and jet washed it. I only did this because there wasn't a hose at the venue (there wasn't anything at the venue- I couldn't even wash myself!) and the bike was close to unrideable. Now, I didn't bugger my bike up- but this is my 'cross bike, the headset and wheels get a frequent strip down and I change BBs as often as I change the chain.

I wouldn't have jetwashed it if there had been any other solution available apart from poking the mud off with a stick (I got fed up quite quickly with this)

Normally I use a weed sprayer- the best one I got was from B&Q. It works very well to get the mud off, doesn't use much water, once the mud is off just go over with a sponge and soapy water.

 

[TheDoctor]

So you wash all the crap off your bike onto the car?
This is wrong on so many levels.
Gentle hosing to get the worst off, spray with Muc-Off (or the Poundland knock-off), let it soak in, run a paintbrush over any specially dirty bits, rinse and then Mickle-method the chain. Takes five minutes.
Jet-washing is the quickest way to shag all the bearings and pivots that I know of...

 

[david k]

So you wash all the crap off your bike onto the car?
This is wrong on so many levels.
Gentle hosing to get the worst off, spray with Muc-Off (or the Poundland knock-off), let it soak in, run a paintbrush over any specially dirty bits, rinse and then Mickle-method the chain. Takes five minutes.
Jet-washing is the quickest way to shag all the bearings and pivots that I know of...

poundland do a version of muck off?

 

[palinurus]

Good tip, paintbrushes are dead handy for mud.

 

[Norm]

Paint brushes have their bristles banded by metal and you can cause nasty scratches with that.

I prefer the brushes used for oiling a horse's hooves, as they are smaller, made of plastic and usually cost a lot less than a paint brush if you have a tack shop near you.

 

[lordloveaduck]

So you don't mean this.

 

[screenman]

I have always used the jet wash carefully on all my bikes, as do most professional teams I know of. Look hard and you may find the magic word in there.