Anyone snow foam their bike?

[Arminius]

When the bike picked to much mud I do it and use the car stuff I have:

ValetPRO snow foam
Gloria FM30 and because I am to lazy for pumping by hand with a compressor

Sprays easy and exactly, makes mud easy to drip off or spray away by mild pressure garden hose. Compatible with mechanics and brakes. After this the bikes gets a small lube & protection service.

 

[Ark]

Most bike specific bike wash is fine on the brakes.

I'd stick to brake cleaner personally.
I hate the howling squeak.
my front brake was making that noise from the factory for some reason annoyingly, I cleaned it and it stopped though

So never get them dirty, right?

You can let the dirt dry and then brush it off, your pads should clean themselves as long as the rotor is free of contaminants

 

[Stihldog]

I can’t disclose the formula or chemicals I use but I’ve used this fluid since the “Dawn” of time. It’s also used to wash ducklings after an oil tanker spill so it must be good. I keep this magical solution close by.

After years of trial and error I’ve eventually devised a cheap solution solution [sic].

19 Remarkable Ways to Use Blue Dawn Outside the Kitchen

Take a look under the sink where you keep your cleaning products. See a bottle of Blue Dawn Dishwashing Liquid?

www.everydaycheapskate.com

I’d still like to keep this a secret because the economy would likely crash and possibility hurt others financially.
Happy washing

 

[B1rdie]

A bucket with luke warm water, soap and some toilet brush is all you need to keep the bike clean. The tyres would be the only part I’d jetwash… after taking the wheels off the frame.

 

[Arminius]

Toilet brush?

 

[Sander23]

Lol no! Just don't wash them everytime! It's really simple and the reason why some people have multiple motor failures. It's just really hard for some people to not wash their bikes! If you have gone through 3 motors in just a few hundred miles you are doing something wrong.

Then you also shouldn't ride in the wet and mud in the winter. That's stupid.
wash your bike, just don't jetwash on the motor.

I wash/rinse my bike every ride (only in the dry summer i dont) with a hose or when its to dirty with a jetwasher. I've never had any real big problems with my bosch motors and I've done 17k km on them.

I keep the seals of the motor clean and good greased with bosch tacky grease every few months.

 

[Bob Orbea Rise]

Never wash your bikes.. never

Really?

 

[Piccirilli]

I can’t disclose the formula or chemicals I use but I’ve used this fluid since the “Dawn” of time. It’s also used to wash ducklings after an oil tanker spill so it must be good. I keep this magical solution close by.
View attachment 113750
After years of trial and error I’ve eventually devised a cheap solution solution [sic].

19 Remarkable Ways to Use Blue Dawn Outside the Kitchen

Take a look under the sink where you keep your cleaning products. See a bottle of Blue Dawn Dishwashing Liquid?

www.everydaycheapskate.com

I’d still like to keep this a secret because the economy would likely crash and possibility hurt others financially.
Happy washing

Dawn came out with a new product called Powerwash. It's much more effective compared to regular Dawn and the sprayer works so well it's almost like foam.

 

[Stihldog]

Dawn came out with a new product called Powerwash. It's much more effective compared to regular Dawn and the sprayer works so well it's almost like foam.

View attachment 113779

Well, that’s just great …any other secrets you’d like to release while you’re at it. Like…The container is reusable btw. .

 

[FirstAscent]

yup! most definitely! also snow foaming isn't as high pressure as your pressure washer due to the foaming action and heavier "foam" by the time it actually hits the surface. stick your hand directly next to the nozzle with your snow foam vs straight water and you'll see.

Also, I'm in the opinion that there is absolutely no issues pressure washing a bike with a couple caveats.
Don't be an (insert choice of word here) and 'jet stream' straight into bearings. my pressure washer can't even do a jet stream and has a fixed 40° angle spray. TYPICALLY most pressure washers have some type of fan/spray nozzle, if you're standing a few feet away from your bike, no issues. just use your judgement and a little common sense and you're safe

I know this is an emtb forum so to be fair, I'm sure there are specific bikes out there maybe with better or worse seals for batteries, electronics etc, so you'll have to use your best judgement there as well.

I wash my bikes a lot as I like them to be clean, and a clean bike runs better anyway (suspension, drivetrain, etc).

 

[Eliadn]

When the bike picked to much mud I do it and use the car stuff I have:

ValetPRO snow foam
Gloria FM30 and because I am to lazy for pumping by hand with a compressor

View attachment 113748

Sprays easy and exactly, makes mud easy to drip off or spray away by mild pressure garden hose. Compatible with mechanics and brakes. After this the bikes gets a small lube & protection service.

What's the price of smth like this? With the compressor.

 

[Arminius]

What's the price of smth like this? With the compressor.

Quick look at the big river sites - Gloria has also smaller and larger sprayers.
Good thing on the battery is that it is a joint system for various brand machineries.

 

[Ou812]

I foam mine from time to time, I use a foam cannon from chemical guys that hooks up to the garden hose. I’ll foam it, let it sit then rinse it off with the hydro shot.

 

[Eliadn]

Quick look at the big river sites - Gloria has also smaller and larger sprayers.
Good thing on the battery is that it is a joint system for various brand machineries.

View attachment 113859

I figured it would be over 150 eur, in that price range I can get a portable battery powered pressure washer, like the worx hydroshot or ryobi or kaercher.
Because this one still delivers around 3 bars of pressure, which is not that much I my opinion.

 

[Arminius]

I figured it would be over 150 eur, in that price range I can get a portable battery powered pressure washer, like the worx hydroshot or ryobi or kaercher.
Because this one still delivers around 3 bars of pressure, which is not that much I my opinion.

This is to make and apply foam only. Not to spray dirt off. A regular Gloria sprayer - the yellow ones with a different nozzle - is used by some guys to clean the bike when back from tour prior loading into car.
However, I have that equipmemt for my car. Use it for the MTB but also for outside shades (raffstores) on the windows or garden furmiture when pretty dirty.

 

[Eliadn]

This is to make and apply foam only. Not to spray dirt off. A regular Gloria sprayer - the yellow ones with a different nozzle - is used by some guys to clean the bike when back from tour prior loading into car.
However, I have that equipmemt for my car. Use it for the MTB but also for outside shades (raffstores) on the windows or garden furmiture when pretty dirty.

Worx also has a foam attachment. I have similar sprayer to that gloria, although the manual version cleaning a dirty bike with it is quite annoying.

 

[Arminius]

Well, that’s just great …any other secrets you’d like to release while you’re at it. Like…The container is reusable btw. .
View attachment 113797

I would not spray it on my bike and risk damages in mechanics, plastics and paintwork. Because of this:
„Cuts through grease 5x faster vs Dawn Non-Concentrated.“

 

[Eduardoramundo]

Never wash your bikes.. never

He’s from the USA. Obviously does not understand UK weather.

 

[RustyMTB]

Ah America, where it famously never rains.

 

[Jackware]

I can’t disclose the formula or chemicals I use but I’ve used this fluid since the “Dawn” of time. It’s also used to wash ducklings after an oil tanker spill so it must be good. I keep this magical solution close by.
View attachment 113750
After years of trial and error I’ve eventually devised a cheap solution solution [sic].

19 Remarkable Ways to Use Blue Dawn Outside the Kitchen

Take a look under the sink where you keep your cleaning products. See a bottle of Blue Dawn Dishwashing Liquid?

www.everydaycheapskate.com

I’d still like to keep this a secret because the economy would likely crash and possibility hurt others financially.
Happy washing

But it doesn't say it's Ebike compatible?

 

[Stihldog]

He’s from the USA. Obviously does not understand UK weather.

View attachment 113990

You and your bike should ride through an automated carwash after that. Make it part of your ride. (Post pics)

 

[target2804]

I wash my bike after every ride because i just want to take care of it. I use all the muc-off stuff. Bike cleaner, bike protect and some silicon spray for the fork.

Regarding water on an e-bike i read the Bosch user manual and they say: remove the battery, cover your display (purion in my case) and cover the contacts after removing the battery. I made myself some covers out of ziplock bags and it was always working fine.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

You don’t have to buy a dedicated “snow foam” any detergent will foam up if it’s used in some kind of foam cannon, even dish soap will foam up given the correct mixture ratios, if your going to use a foam cannon and detergent just don’t get drawn into the hype because that’s all it is, I’ve been detailing cars for years and I laugh at the money some people pay for this stuff when all that is necessary for a bike is a wax free cheap soap, I’ve tried loads over the years, Meguiars, Poor Boys, Auto Glym, Auto Finesse, the list goes on

 

[target2804]

I can say that with a foam cannon you save almost half of your cleaner. I started using the muc-off stuff just with the spray bottle (really don’t know the right English word for that) it came in and I almost emptied it after using it 4 times. With a cheap 20€ Amazon spray cannon for the garden hose I save tons of the cleaner. I think it’s a good investment.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

What ever kind of cannon is used and detergent, it has to be mixed in the correct ratio so it does what it’s suppose to do, it’s what’s known as dwell time, if it’s not doing that it’s not fulfilling it’s purpose, snow foam is designed to stay in place and soften the mud, if it’s thin and runny it’ll just run off

 

[Arminius]

You don’t have to buy a dedicated “snow foam” any detergent will foam up if it’s used in some kind of foam cannon, even dish soap will foam up given the correct mixture ratios, if your going to use a foam cannon and detergent just don’t get drawn into the hype because that’s all it is, I’ve been detailing cars for years and I laugh at the money some people pay for this stuff when all that is necessary for a bike is a wax free cheap soap, I’ve tried loads over the years, Meguiars, Poor Boys, Auto Glym, Auto Finesse, the list goes on

Hi,
You are right, it is to a certain extent a hype. I might be wrong but dish soap will degrease painting, rubber and mechanics (and is said to remove the wax on a car before applying new wax)?

 

[MOTO13]

I have never washed any of my bikes...never. We can't ride on muddy trails due to most trails being closed if wet conditions...and I hate mud riding anyway. The most I do is use window cleaner on the bike to clean her up and use an air compressor to blow out dirt/dust.

 

[target2804]

I have never washed any of my bikes...never. We can't ride on muddy trails due to most trails being closed if wet conditions...and I hate mud riding anyway. The most I do is use window cleaner on the bike to clean her up and use an air compressor to blow out dirt/dust.

Using an air compressor is exactly what I won’t ever do. Too high of a pressure.

 

[MOTO13]

Not if you use lower pressure and know what you're doing. Works great

 

[Dave_B]

Ceramic coated and cleaned with snow foam.