How do I safely wash my giant eMTB when it gets all muddy?

[shayl]

We're getting into the wet season out here in the PNW and I'm wondering, how do I clean up my bike when its filthy? I have a Liv Intrigue E+

During the dusty season I just wiped off the bottom bracket area and kept the hose away from all the electronics, but what about when its absolutely filthy? Can I use the hose in that area? Do I leave the battery on? Do I just keep using a wash cloth and wiping off the muck in that area as best as I can? Should I avoid riding it in the muck at all (I hope not, this is the best time for riding on Vancouver Island, and kind of hard to avoid - I don't want to miss out on riding 7 months of the year)

 

[UnreasonableMuppet]

I use a hand sprayer with water to wet my bike, and wipe it down with a cloth. I use a bucket of water to keep the cloth rinsed off.
I also use some soft brushes.


It's not as fast as a hose, but safer I feel. I take the wheels off and clean them separately.

It's handy to mount the bike in a workstand so you can rotate it and get all the underside.

 

[DaveMatthews]

We're getting into the wet season out here in the PNW and I'm wondering, how do I clean up my bike when its filthy? I have a Liv Intrigue E+

During the dusty season I just wiped off the bottom bracket area and kept the hose away from all the electronics, but what about when its absolutely filthy? Can I use the hose in that area? Do I leave the battery on? Do I just keep using a wash cloth and wiping off the muck in that area as best as I can? Should I avoid riding it in the muck at all (I hope not, this is the best time for riding on Vancouver Island, and kind of hard to avoid - I don't want to miss out on riding 7 months of the year)

A couple of weeks ago I went through a very muddy section. The next day it looked/acted like concrete all over my forks, rear shock, seat tube, and battery.
I took my hose to the non electrical parts and very briefly blasted most of it off including the rear shock area.
The battery I took inside and hand cleaned with a sponge and paper towel.
Bottom bracket area done by hand as well. I don't see any harm in leaving the battery in, but would not hose that area.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Rubinstein]

Hi, absolutely don’t be worried about getting out in the muck. I’ve done 7000k through Uk weather with zero issues. Firstly best advice is decent rear mudguard, protects your dropper and keeps you dry, I use a mudhugger for this, they are excellent. Secondly I tape over any areas that I’m likely to get water ingress from either washing or riding. On my model (21 trance) that’s the battery release catch and the hole in the frame for the torque key. Wash with hose and sponge, only area I don’t really soak is around the charging port. After washing I bounce the bike to shake off the excess then wipe over before removing the battery to check for ingress. Once I’ve done that, replace the taped areas, clean and lube the chain and it’s ready for the next mud bath

 

[Rubinstein]

Example of how effective the mudguard is for the seat and dropper

 

[shayl]

AHHAHA, that's some serious muck. Thanks for showing me! I'm still feeling a bit precious about the bike because its new, but I've gotten previous ones pretty sloppy so I know its coming.

 

[Rubinstein]

Yup I know what you mean. When there new you don’t even want to take them out of the garage

 

[Lee c]

Example of how effective the mudguard is for the seat and dropper

View attachment 127051 View attachment 127052 View attachment 127053

Filthy devil !!!

 

[steve_sordy]

Wet the bike with water from a watering can. I use water from the rainwater butt.
Use a brush and a bucket of hot soapy water. I use cheap car wash shampoo (no wax).
I scrub the tyres with a wooden backed bristle brush.
I use Hope's Sh1t Shifter as a degreaser for the mech and ring if required.
Rinse off with the watering can.
Bounce the bike and then wipe over with an old towel.

When the summer comes, I also use "Silicon Shine" aerosol finish. Look see what it does to the rims! DO NOT get it on your discs"!!
"Before" then "After"

Whole bike. (You should have seen the shit state it was in before!)

 

[Mikerb]

A lot depends on type of mud on your trails. If it is sandy loam ( e.g most forest trails) just leave it to dry and remove most of it with a brush. Then clean more thoroughly with a damp cloth and a bucket of warm water ( not hot..that will cause condensation inside the tubes if ally). What can help is a bike cleaner in a squirt bottle, then the damp cloth.......I use MX bike cleaner ( everything MX is a fraction of the price of anything mountain bike and usually better at its job). Wheels I usually take off and use garden hose and brush to get the tyres and rims clean but avoid going near the hub.. Finally I clean with Silicon Shine sprayed onto a soft cloth ( wheels removed from the area and callipers covered in paper towel). I do the rims with silicon shine separately and cover the discs with paper towel.

BUT...if your kind of mud has clay in it, you have a harder task. Worst thing to do is let it dry, so use a sponge and bucket with warm water to remove as much as possible as soon as you can after a ride. Thereafter clean much the same as the paragraph above.
Note that using any form of hose other than at a very low rate is not only detremental to motor /battery/ controller areas but also anywhere there are ( supposedly) sealed bearings. It does not take a lot of water pressure to get past the seals and what does get past will not be just water but a muddy silt.

 

[Sander23]

I just use a pressure washer with a foamgun.
first spray the biggest mud off,
then foam it In, let it sit for couple minutes and spray off. Bike is clean without a sponge. And I allways blow it dry with air

 

[shayl]

A lot depends on type of mud on your trails. If it is sandy loam ( e.g most forest trails) just leave it to dry and remove most of it with a brush. Then clean more thoroughly with a damp cloth and a bucket of warm water ( not hot..that will cause condensation inside the tubes if ally). What can help is a bike cleaner in a squirt bottle, then the damp cloth.......I use MX bike cleaner ( everything MX is a fraction of the price of anything mountain bike and usually better at its job). Wheels I usually take off and use garden hose and brush to get the tyres and rims clean but avoid going near the hub.. Finally I clean with Silicon Shine sprayed onto a soft cloth ( wheels removed from the area and callipers covered in paper towel). I do the rims with silicon shine separately and cover the discs with paper towel.

BUT...if your kind of mud has clay in it, you have a harder task. Worst thing to do is let it dry, so use a sponge and bucket with warm water to remove as much as possible as soon as you can after a ride. Thereafter clean much the same as the paragraph above.
Note that using any form of hose other than at a very low rate is not only detremental to motor /battery/ controller areas but also anywhere there are ( supposedly) sealed bearings. It does not take a lot of water pressure to get past the seals and what does get past will not be just water but a muddy silt.

Thanks! The dirt tends to be loamy forest stuff (British Columbia) It can definitely mostly be brushed off when dry the next day, though I like to clean my bikes right after the ride if I can - I'll be careful and not spray it with a hose or anything like that

 

[ilostmypassword]

I

We're getting into the wet season out here in the PNW and I'm wondering, how do I clean up my bike when its filthy? I have a Liv Intrigue E+

During the dusty season I just wiped off the bottom bracket area and kept the hose away from all the electronics, but what about when its absolutely filthy? Can I use the hose in that area? Do I leave the battery on? Do I just keep using a wash cloth and wiping off the muck in that area as best as I can? Should I avoid riding it in the muck at all (I hope not, this is the best time for riding on Vancouver Island, and kind of hard to avoid - I don't want to miss out on riding 7 months of the year)

use a bucket of hot water and washing up liquid with a brush. then just hose off.

btw what is that rear mudguard? thanks

 

[Lee c]

Wet the bike with water from a watering can. I use water from the rainwater butt.
Use a brush and a bucket of hot soapy water. I use cheap car wash shampoo (no wax).
I scrub the tyres with a wooden backed bristle brush.
I use Hope's Sh1t Shifter as a degreaser for the mech and ring if required.
Rinse off with the watering can.
Bounce the bike and then wipe over with an old towel.

When the summer comes, I also use "Silicon Shine" aerosol finish. Look see what it does to the rims! DO NOT get it on your discs"!!
"Before" then "After"
View attachment 127060 View attachment 127061

Whole bike. (You should have seen the shit state it was in before!)

View attachment 127062

Looks brand new !!

 

[steve_sordy]

Looks brand new !!

Just over two years old. That silicon shine is the business.

 

[Mikerb]

I

use a bucket of hot water and washing up liquid with a brush. then just hose off.

btw what is that rear mudguard? thanks

Somewhat dependant on brand but most washing up liquids are pretty harsh detergents and will remove any protective finish on paintwork. Better to use a salt free bike wash.

 

[steve_sordy]

Somewhat dependant on brand but most washing up liquids are pretty harsh detergents and will remove any protective finish on paintwork. Better to use a salt free bike wash.

I read somewhere that washing up liquids use salt as a cheap thickener. I haven't used washing up liquid to wash even my car for decades.

 

[Mikerb]

I read somewhere that washing up liquids use salt as a cheap thickener. I haven't used washing up liquid to wash even my car for decades.

Very wise...it will strip the polish and leave salt deposits!!

 

[robguide]

Anybody found a cover to go over the bottom bracket/ motor area to make using a hose safer? Hose is often the only option whereI live.

 

[Montana St Alum]

There are a couple of screws that hold the charging cover in place on the Elite series by Giant. They backed out on my bike so it might be a good idea to do a quick check. Otherwise, a bit of tape over the plug during washing wouldn't hurt.

 

[Pazman]

Example of how effective the mudguard is for the seat and dropper

View attachment 127051 View attachment 127052 View attachment 127053

I use the same mudguard pal, my mates take the piss out of it, but I just laugh at them at the end of the ride with dry clean ass

 

[Pazman]

I just jet wash my ebike bike alteast once a week for the past year after muddy rides.
I use the wider nossle adjustment so the water is not as concentrated and powerful, I blast the bike everywhere apart from the crank arms where they meet the motor,i spry that from about a meter away.
No issues to date

 

[steve_sordy]

Anybody found a cover to go over the bottom bracket/ motor area to make using a hose safer? Hose is often the only option whereI live.

Buy a bucket and/or a watering can and fill them with the hose.

 

[robguide]

Buy a bucket and/or a watering can and fill them with the hose.

I have 4 hosepipes and 6 buckets. That wasn’t the question!

 

[jackamo]

Foam sprayed then hosed off , like I would any bike .

 

[ianiention]

clean your bike, this is a new concept to me

 

[ilostmypassword]

Somewhat dependant on brand but most washing up liquids are pretty harsh detergents and will remove any protective finish on paintwork. Better to use a salt free bike wash.

I very sparingly wash my bikes - but for reference i've done this since the 90's on all of my bikes and never had an issue.

 

[Mrj35]

Hi, absolutely don’t be worried about getting out in the muck. I’ve done 7000k through Uk weather with zero issues. Firstly best advice is decent rear mudguard, protects your dropper and keeps you dry, I use a mudhugger for this, they are excellent. Secondly I tape over any areas that I’m likely to get water ingress from either washing or riding. On my model (21 trance) that’s the battery release catch and the hole in the frame for the torque key. Wash with hose and sponge, only area I don’t really soak is around the charging port. After washing I bounce the bike to shake off the excess then wipe over before removing the battery to check for ingress. Once I’ve done that, replace the taped areas, clean and lube the chain and it’s ready for the next mud bath

Thats a good idea. I was thinking taping the battery area on the bottom of my bike as well for wet rides.

 

[KlaasNorg]

On muddy days I take my Karcher OC3 plus with me. It contains 7 Liter water and the low pressure is safe to use on the bike. It works on battery, so I can clean the bike at the carpark before it is going into the back of my car.

You need the OC3 PLUS version to clean your muddy bike. The normal version contains 4 Liter of water and that is not enough for a really muddy bike.

I must say, it is one of the best gadgets I got for my bike.

Karcher OC3

 

[militantmandy]

I use battery pressure washer. This time of year the bike is filthy almost every ride. I'm careful around potentially risky stuff, dry carefully and store inside. Not had any issues. I definitely try to wash the bike as fee times as I can, but sometimes there's just no choice.