Pressure washing your bike

[giropaul]

Sean Kelly's KAS pro team mechanics used to pressure wash the bikes every day (they were Mavic equipped Vitus bikes)

BUT - they then stripped, re-greased and re-fitted the brackets, headsets etc.

[andygates]

Charlotte, I use one of these connected to the garden hose, and running (I'm embarrassed to say ) hot water through it for my two wheeled babies.

That's what I'd use if I didn't have a perfectly good bucket and sponge.  And dirty, dirty bikes. 

Hose good, spray of clean water good, but high-pressure bad.

[Mr Larrington]

What is this strange concept you Dirt people call "washing your bike"?  It just gets dirty again the next time you ride it.

[Charlotte]

I may be a dirty girl, but I like to keep my bikes clean 

Cheers for all the advice, chaps.  I don't think I shall be buying a pressure washer any time soon.  Bucket, sponge, and washing up brushes are clearly the way forward.

[andygates]

And so much more versatile...

[chris]

A friend (no, not me!) snapped off their Cateye Cheese-Metal^(TM) light brackets with a jet from a pressure washer.

Are you sure it wasn't gravity that snapped it?

[LEE]

I pressure-washed my Thorn Raven and turned a 15 minute job into a 2 hour job.

I made the mistake of letting the water-jet stray onto the chain.

In the blink of an eye it transferred dirty lubricant from the chain onto most of the rear wheel and rear stays.  A real mess and a pain to clean off.

Back to Soapy Water and a Car Wheel/Spoke brush for me.

[scampi]

I'm a compulsive bike-cleaner* and wouldn't dream of pressure-washing it.

* Some bits of my bike have the paint worn away with too much polishing