Been contemplating buying a self contained washer to clean bikes after rides but not got round to it yet. However as outside tap is on front of house and Thames Water are about to announce a hose pipe ban, am thinking time to buy before there is none left. So the question is which one to buy? Choice is between a nomad or a mobi. Anyone got experience good or bad that I need to be aware of

You do know that you’re still allowed to wash bicycles with a hose during a hosepipe ban? Or are you bothered about hassle from the busybodies?

it’s the hassle and explanation to the neighbours of the actual rules. And if the neighbours think I’m being the good citizen they may not notice the hose being used to keep levels in garden pond as required

Mobile washing device = bucket !

i’ve got a dirtworker. Had it for years. Been a godsend out and about. No probs at all.

Just leave your bike dirty, it works for me.

There’s a strong argument that the hosepipe ban is being introduced because there is a lack of water, so using that increasingly scarce resource to clean your bike is not particularly responsible, no matter what you squirt it out from.

On the positive side – the trails shouldn’t be a muddy…

Move to Yorkshire , our reservoirs are full and the ridings good too 😆

Leaving the whether or not washing bikes is covered by the regs

I don’t think a Dirt Worker or similar is exempt from them

(f)drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use; .

Whether or not the hose on a Dirt Worker is a hosepipe or not may be debatable

(f)drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use; .

Whether or not the hose on a Dirt Worker is a hosepipe or not may be debatable

It is, but it’s not drawing water from the supply is it? Its probably significantly less wastefull than ven abucket of water!

It is, but it’s not drawing water from the supply is it? Its probably significantly less wastefull than ven abucket of water!

They were specific on the last ban that you could collect and use rain water in a butt – but you couldn’t connect a hose to it and use that

Carlosg- we dont want loads of southerners coming up here so they can bath there sprogs 😉

as above, if we are having a drought i do not imagine my bike will need a hose down.

fact is i only hose a bike down if it is really really caked in mud, otherwise its better for all concerned if i let it dry, knock any loose mud off with a brush and drip a little oil on the chain. anything more just speeds up bearing wear.

I continued to use a hosepipe to wash both my bike and m/c during the last ‘hosepipe’ ban – all legal.

IMO water isn’t ‘scarce’; my local water company just hasn’t seen fit to either build more reservoirs or an infrastructure to bring it from areas where its available.

I continued to use a hosepipe to wash both my bike and m/c during the last ‘hosepipe’ ban – all legal.

But not necessarily ethical

IMO water isn’t ‘scarce’; my local water company just hasn’t seen fit to either build more reservoirs or an infrastructure to bring it from areas where its available.

And we’ve seen the lowest rainfall for a loooong time. Reservoirs can’t store water that’s not there in the first place.

There’s a finite amount of water, and it’s not very much, available for use. Yes, there are valid arguments that that amount could be larger, but there’s nothing that can be done about that in the near future. So it is scarce, and using it for non-essential stuff like cleaning bikes strikes me as, basically, incredibly selfish.

It is, but it’s not drawing water from the supply is it? Its probably significantly less wastefull than ven abucket of water!

This may clarify things – but I doubt it 🙂

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2231/part/2/made?view=plain

legalities/ethics aside, I’ve got a Mobi (V12? The small one) and it’s really good. I had one of the cheap brand-x ones for a while but that broke after a few months.
Compared to the brand-x, the Mobi is noticably better thought-out and constructed. The water seems to last longer too but the lower flow rate seems to just as good a job.

IMO water isn’t ‘scarce’; my local water company just hasn’t seen fit to either build more reservoirs or an infrastructure to bring it from areas where its available.

So, are you prepared to pay more for all this lovely new infrastructure?

IMO water isn’t ‘scarce’; my local water company just hasn’t seen fit to either build more reservoirs or an infrastructure to bring it from areas where its available.

‘scuse my ignorance here but who owns the various reservoirs? – is it the local water company?
If so, can one water company insist that another one gives them water?

I can’t believe that when it was nationalised they didn’t put some protection in place to stop big business controlling it all, but then again ??

http://homeharvest.com/waterspray.htm

If so, can one water company insist that another one gives them water?

Any water company (in the west/north) would quite happily sell the water I’m sure, but without a pipeline its bloody expensive – Yorkshire Water had 700 tankers running at one time (1995 I think), when they screwed up.

Yorkshire Water had 700 tankers running at one time (1995 I think), when they screwed up.

They did from just a couple of miles away from me – no doubt chosen in part because it’s on a dual carriageway trunk road with a big lay-by next to it

I’ve had a DW and a Mobi, and would deffinately recomend the DW (I think that’s the one which is now the Nomad?) Just generally better at what it does and has so far lasted much longer.
And I fill mine from the water butt.
.
Also, it isn’t a case of ‘not enough water’ it’s a case of ‘too many people.’

I ask my local supplier (South Eastern Water) for clarification on washing a bike with a hosepipe and got this

“Re: Hosepipe Ban

Thank you for your recent email to our Customer Service Department regarding the hosepipe ban.

Unfortunately the use of a hosepipe to wash any mode of transport is not permitted during the period. We would recommend to all customers that a bucket should be used for this.”

Also, it isn’t a case of ‘not enough water’ it’s a case of ‘too many people.’

potato/potato

Unfortunately the use of a hosepipe to wash any mode of transport is not permitted during the period. We would recommend to all customers that a bucket should be used for this

hmmm, bit dubious, but using a bucket instead is no biggie.

plop_pants – Member
I ask my local supplier (South Eastern Water) for clarification on washing a bike with a hosepipe and got this

“Re: Hosepipe Ban

Thank you for your recent email to our Customer Service Department regarding the hosepipe ban.

Unfortunately the use of a hosepipe to wash any mode of transport is not permitted during the period. We would recommend to all customers that a bucket should be used for this.”

Arguably, filling a bucket or a Mobi/DW is the same thing (pedants will argue that the quantities differ but lets say you fill the Mobi with a “bucketful” of water for the sake of argument). The Mobi just then used ‘lectric to push it out faster – right?

So whats the issue? There’s plentry of Turkish water in the TfC supermarket ’round the corner from my place.

Unfortunately the use of a hosepipe to wash any mode of transport is not permitted during the period. We would recommend to all customers that a bucket should be used for this.”

So I’m okay if I simply ride a bike for fun/exercise rather than a means of transport? Seems very iffy to me.

If they stopped watering the golf courses there’d likely be a fair bit more.

RE: shortage of water. If there was a shortage of water, what is the deal with the eastern european car washes that spring (!) up everywhere? There are many of these near me. There are always q’s on Fridays and Saturdays. I object to letting my ride rot, whilst it is still possible to get your range rover washed every week if you take it to a car wash. And on that, what is the difference between washing you car at home, or going somewhere and paying someone to do it?

I for one will be out on 4th April, giving my pride and joy (bike not car!) its last karcher session before next winter.

Watch the wettest summer ever start on 05 April.

More reservoirs? Will not help much when a lot of your southern water is pumped from the ground. It’s that bit that is struggling to cope.

A hozelock pressure washing bottle as Mr Woppit is pointing to above is about perfect for bikes. You can carry one in the boot of your car when you go riding and spray down your bike before attaching it, or even dismembering to put in the boot to drive home.

They are also good for showers on the top of a hill post ‘exercise’. Strip, spray, soap and spray, then dress in clean clothes for the trip home. Outdoor ‘showering’ is liberating. Perfect at camps too.