Is it ok to hose wash an Ebike?.

[Alex Ebiker]

Does washing your bike with a garden hose knacker bearings?.

How do you wash your Ebike safely,.

 

[eMullet]

Yes, you can wash your bike with hose.

 

[steve_sordy]

If it's a Speccy Levo, then by many accounts on here, don't even let it get wet!

Otherwise, I guess a low-power hose might be OK (don't even have a nozzle on it). And don't point it at any bearings, seals, or controls. In fact, anything that even looks electrical. Personally, I stopped using a hose on bikes years ago.

I use a bucket of hot water with cheap car wash (no wax) shampoo. For the oily bits, I use Hope's Sh1t Sh1fter.
I rinse it all off with a watering can filled from the water butt.
Then I sprinkle rose petals on it and pray that all will be well.

It works because I have never had any problems with water ingress anywhere electrical, rusty bearings or damaged suspension......so far!
(Focus Jam2 and currently a Merida eOne-Sixty).

 

[Another One]

Does washing your bike with a garden hose knacker bearings?.

How do you wash your Ebike safely,.

Hi use mine on my Levo and current Cube I can see no reason to change and never had an issue.

 

[Tim1023]

I'll use a higher-powered setting just on the tyres (only!) if they're really caked in mud. Other than that, I'll use the rain setting just to get the whole thing damp before using a bucket of warm water and a soft brush.

So far no problems with the electrics or bearings.

 

[Alexbn921]

No. Water is bad for just about everything on your bike.

 

[Tim1023]

...so no riding in the rain then?

 

[aarfeldt]

I'm on my 3. eBike.
Focus > Specialized > Orbea.
I've cycled +20.000 km's only on trails on these 3 bikes..
I cycle all year round from minus 20 degree celcius to +35 - 3 runs a week - between 17km and 30km.

If the bike is dirty, I wash it with my garden hose with a Gardena head attached.

 

[irie]

I'll use a higher-powered setting just on the tyres (only!) if they're really caked in mud. Other than that, I'll use the rain setting just to get the whole thing damp before using a bucket of warm water and a soft brush.

So far no problems with the electrics or bearings.

Ditto.

 

[ebsocalmtb]

not a great idea in general. I would suggest a bucket with a damp rag that you ring out very hard in lieu of a hose and also a spray bottle of automotive soap (a handful of drops) heavily diluted with water. I will rarely hose wash any of my bikes, ebikes or not, and instead opt for cleaning the important bits before every ride (suspension stanchions, clean/lube chain). I think know that I'm going to hose wash it maybe twice a year which is accompanied by a full tear down and re-grease of the pivots.

Ebikes in particular, are killed by water intrusion over all other potential risks. It's just not worth it unless you are completely past the point of no return and a damp rag won't do.

 

[boBE]

I wash it gently with a hose, using a paintbrush to help with the muddy parts and the tires. I have been caught in some biblical rainstorms both riding the bike and transporting it, those are worse than washing with a hose.
I like Steve Sordys idea to sprinkle rose petals but we don't have any roses around the house so I may have to use muscadine leaves.

 

[RebornRider]

I've washed my Levo with a garden hose every one to two weeks for 3 years with no degradation that I can spot. Obviously, don't blast the electric bits or the bearings. I blow it dry with my air compressor (I work on cars a lot) after every wash, with extra attention to the main battery connector and the derailleur to make sure they are completely dry. The blow dry might seem like overkill, but it only takes about 5 minutes and it's really effective for drying all the nooks and crannies (bolt heads!).

 

[mak]

Stop washing it, life's to short, once the newness wore off mine i don't bother. Its a MTB.
Yes i clean the drive train properly but I'm not anal on it.

If it comes back really muddy in winter ( to be honest i try and avoid the worse ) i just stick the hose on the worse and blow dry the crap out of it .
My time has long gone worrying about a dirty Mtb ,

 

[Daev]

Ffs it's a bike. Designed to be ridden in at the very least, in the British weather. Bit of water from a hose will do no harm at all. I'd suggest drying it off before putting it away. I bounce / shake mine then get it dry with a towel. Not a hint of a problem yet.
Probably a good idea to stay away from high powered stuff though.

 

[RebornRider]

I don't ride in damp, wet, or muddy conditions. I ride in the bone dry and dusty California hills. Most rides end in every exposed part of the bike coated in tan clay dust. Even the chain is tan. I wash the bike to (I hope, anyway) keep that abrasive dust away from the moving parts, not to keep the bike "looking new". Washing my bike is a maintenance activity, not a cosmetic activity.

It's important to remember that people on this forum ride in a wide range of conditions. Your methods might not work very well in someone else's environment.

 

[Daev]

I don't ride in damp, wet, or muddy conditions. I ride in the bone dry and dusty California hills. Most rides end in every exposed part of the bike coated in tan clay dust. Even the chain is tan. I wash the bike to (I hope, anyway) keep that abrasive dust away from the moving parts, not to keep the bike "looking new". Washing my bike is a maintenance activity, not a cosmetic activity.

It's important to remember that people on this forum ride in a wide range of conditions. Your methods might not work very well in someone else's environment.

Jealous of your air compressor ( can't find a "green with envy" emoji)

 

[Daev]

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eddie only went out when it was pissing down with rain and he destroyed every bosch motor he had all were replaced under warranty tho.

Nuked

 

[St4nley]

We ride ours in the sh#t & grit of the Peak District, they take a real battering through the winter months, we remove the battery (Trek Rail) rinse off with a hose, wash and them blow dry with a Pet dryer (£40) off Amazon then a bit of TLC to the drive chain and suspension.

Job done. Sleep & Repeat.

 

[Planemo]

Just 3 hours in Morzine turned my absolutely mint, dust free (I shit you not) bike into a caked, tanned beige dust monster. Theres various free jetwashes at the lifts but I dont trust the pressure on the eeb so I will leave it till I get home and use the hose on the shower setting as usual. God knows what it will look like on my return, I very much doubt it will be blue anymore

 

[Daev]

Just 3 hours in Morzine turned my absolutely mint, dust free (I shit you not) bike into a caked, tanned beige dust monster. Theres various free jetwashes at the lifts but I dont trust the pressure on the eeb so I will leave it till I get home and use the hose on the shower setting as usual. God knows what it will look like on my return, I very much doubt it will be blue anymore

View attachment 93518

Is this before or after the clean ?

 

[irie]

Just 3 hours in Morzine turned my absolutely mint, dust free (I shit you not) bike into a caked, tanned beige dust monster. Theres various free jetwashes at the lifts but I dont trust the pressure on the eeb so I will leave it till I get home and use the hose on the shower setting as usual. God knows what it will look like on my return, I very much doubt it will be blue anymore

After 3 hours on the South Downs near Bignor in West Sussex our bikes were a lighter shade of pale. The fine chalk dust is really aggressive so once back home used the hose "shower" setting and a soft brush to get the dust off. From bitter experience with off road mbikes I know that using power washers rapidly removes grease from bearings and bushes.

 

[Mikerb]

A lot depends on how well certain parts of the bike are sealed....pivot bearings, freehub being the most vulnerable. With an EMTB it is equally important how the bike is stored after washing. There are some vulnerabilities that have nothing to do with whether you use a gentle hose or just a wet rag. I f you apply cold water to a warm frame (ally) you wil get condensation inside the frame.........similarly hot water to a cold frame. I f you have a top tube mounted controller that could be bad news since it then sits in a damp at mosphere. If the bike is washed with a hose and then left in a cold outbuilding it will never dry.
Personally, if the trails are really mucky or it is pouring with rain, I dont ride. Spending as much time cleaning the bike as you spend on the a ctual ride is not my idea of fun...especially in the winter. I store my bike in the house so it has to be reasonably clean before bringing it in!
Mostly I use a damp cloth plus a stiff bristle and soft bristle brush to clean the bike. At worst I remove the wheels and use a hose to clean the wheel rims and tyres.
That said most of my rides are in local forests and even in the wettest season the bike does not get very mucky because the forest floor is sandy loam covered in leaf mould or pine needles.............no clay!

 

[TheRealPoMo]

I try to avoid washing and don't go in rain or mud but - and help me out here because I have not heard this from anyone else here - after a few dusty outings the suspension linkages get really creaky and a shower from the hose sorts it. Similarly the brakes quiet down too.

 

[Daev]

We ride ours in the sh#t & grit of the Peak District, they take a real battering through the winter months, we remove the battery (Trek Rail) rinse off with a hose, wash and them blow dry with a Pet dryer (£40) off Amazon then a bit of TLC to the drive chain and suspension.

Job done. Sleep & Repeat.

Interestingly enough i put my battery back on (having taken it off to haul it in and out the back of the car) to hose it down. the theory being it's designed to deal with rain whereas when it's out who knows where the waters going ? (Might be a design thing? Mines trek powerfly frame integrated battery thing). I tend not to focus the jet/shower on the battery and have never found water in there yet when subsequently removing to complete drying and always keep the battery in the house separate from the bike as much for security as ready for the next charge.

 

[irie]

I fitted P seals as below, works perfectly.

Trek Rail 7 upgrades

I’m also on a large frame. I’m 6’1” with a 33” inside leg. Still had about 40-50mm post above collar. Now running a 210mm One-Up dropper. Only just fits but made a huge difference.

www.emtbforums.com

 

[mak]

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That picture above is from riding into a muddy field. Avoid fields at all cost when winter arrives , to be honest i avoid them in all weathers because you can guarantee there's going to be more than one torturous style to lift your bike over .

 

[Mikerb]

Dust on a bike is better dealt with by using brushes...one stiff to clean out pivot linkages and one soft for most parts of the bike.....then a bowl of water and a wet cloth. With a hose you are just forcing that dust past seals and into areas you do not want it. Thick mud is a different issue.

 

[p3eps]

I’m in the North East of Scotland, where the weather is generally awful most of the time. My bike gets layered in thick mud / grime… and lives on a ceiling mount in my spotless garage - so has to be cleaned before hung up!!

Every bike I’ve owned has been subjected to the garden hose with a wide / fine spray type nozzle on it. Rinsed with water, sprayed with MucOff, and then rinsed again. Bounced a load of times to get the worst of the water off, then dried with an old dishcloth.

My Levo SL is now 2 1/2 years old and has had no (touch wood) issues with water ingress.
For the last year and a half I’ve been using a Bosch Fontus portable pressure washer on it too - on a setting that probably has less pressure than my hose. Convenient for cleaning on the trails.

 

[Another One]

I ride in all conditions and never had any issues, If i ever get an issue with my bike electrics then it will go back to dealer for the warranty work.

Really wet and sloppy but loads of fun, 18 Miles left.

 

[Bndit]

I ride my both ebikes year-round, Levo on mud and snow and Aventura snow salt shit commute, wash them both regulary with garden hose, no problems.