Bike cleaning station setup

I’m fortunate enough to have some space outside, near to a tap where I can setup a bike cleaning station for when I get back from mucky rides, I have some options on how I set the area up but I’m currently caught up between having a ~180cm high up hook to dangle the bike by it’s front wheel and an ~110cm high bar to dangle bikes horizontally by the saddle nose or maybe even both(?)

Either option has benefits and drawbacks, and having both is probably more faff and space claim than it’s really worth but I could do it.

Thoughts and personal experiences STW?

Most bike parks have the rail as it’s easy to spin the wheels.

I’d put a sump in to collect mud with a drain at the top.

I have an old Aldi fold down bike rack on the wall of my garage (outside wall) that I was using as a bike wash station (hose is used to get water there) – not used it for a bit though as it’s usually dark when I get in from the commute, and we had a load of ‘stuff’ stored under it – that’s gone now though.

The only issue I had is I’d washed the MTB down after a ride, left the bike on the rack but then went off to the shops, bike still drying.  It’s on the outside wall of the garage, in the side garden, and in view of the road. Yikes… fortunately we are up a cul-de-sac so no passing folk.

Two straps cantilevered out. One loop for the saddle, the other for the bars.

Or buy a cheap work stand for washing duties

I use an Andy Stand for the rare occasions a bike needs washing at home. Benefit is that obviously you can use it elsewhere as well (I have folding version).

https://andystand.co.uk/

I have a vertically slatted fence between us and the neighbours. It happens to have had a slat or two ‘adapted’, making it perfect back wheel holder. I also have an old, holey bucket under the hose reel with all I need to hand.

I’m still thinking wheel dangling might be handy as it puts forks, underside of down tube etc at an easily accessed height and muck water and stuff will run down, front to back when it’s drying (which might be a good thing?) plus it’s quite easy to get around both sides like that. Drawback will be turning wheels, but you can at least backpedal the drivetrain in that orientation…

I think I might just do both as a seat dangler won’t be too hard to knock up as an A-frame or a cantilevered bit of tube on a wall, and a wheel hook on a post/wall literally takes 5 minutes to put up somewhere useful…

I have used my cheapie work stand for cleaning in the past, but I’d rather keep that in the garage for actual work, once it becomes a cleaning stand outside, it’ll get left there to die (unless I buy a new one (Hmmm).

That’s what I did. A jobsworth for washing and a feedback sports for fettling.

I was contemplating approaching a scaffolder to get some old poles, joining pieces and floor pieces and setting something up similiar to this: https://www.mtbproject.com/photo/7013543/one-of-two-bike-wash-stations  . I’d lok to make the feet quite wide so I didnt have to attach it to the floor so could move it out onto the drive to wash the bike from either side.

I used to have a gravelled area, bike sized to do this.

In your situation I’d build a wheel stand out of off-cuts from a fence post or similar that you drop your front wheel in, then you can clean your drivetrain with a chain cleaning device, and all the other bits. The only thing you can’t access will be the section of rim and tyre that are in the wheel stand.

If you can, get a hot water tap outside as well, then get some high temperature hose, a Y connector so you have a mixer set up. It helps with freezing hands, and can be used to rinse yourself / dog / children down too.

I have one of these stands – it lives outside permanently, so I can just wheel my bike into it when I get back from a ride

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114422660627?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=HcWrUX5-RHi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I’ve got a load of 1-1/4″ dia tube I could bolt/weld together for an A-Frame actually.

Just stuck a ladder hook in the top of one of the fence panels to see if it would work, seems ideal apart from the fact that it would destroy the fence panel after a handful of goes.

Reckon I’ll put a lump of timber on an external wall round the back of the house to take a wheel hook too.

Pesonally i wouldnt clean a bike thats hung by its front wheel or just the saddle nose, it will move around a lot if your trying to scrub/get in any nooks and crannies and there is a chance it could fall off the saddle nose hook

I use my Aldi/lidl/ebay special stand for cleaning, nice and stable also easy to pack away and store

Best thing ever for cleaning bikes is an outdoor hot water tap! no more freezing hands, dirt comes off easier, also great for when washing the car/van

I have a custom built bike stand with screwthread for raising and lowering the bike.
I’ve also got an endless supply of water that re surculates and filters it’s self.

My set up is on a pebble soakaway at the top of the garden. Wheel them in one way and out another like a conveyor belt.

Few lengths of spare wood screwed together to hold the rear tyre

In the corner of the garden I’ve got a liftable seat. Supports are spaced to fit a tyre. Offcut of artificial grass catches much of the mud and grit. The crate is great to support the BB to allow the wheel to turn.

I’m aiming for a wildlife friendly approach to the garden.

I’ve got knee of those already Tracey, I don’t find the wheel jammed in a fence or floor frame ideal for cleaning somehow.

Pesonally i wouldnt clean a bike thats hung by its front wheel or just the saddle nose, it will move around a lot if your trying to scrub/get in any nooks and crannies and there is a chance it could fall off the saddle nose hook

They’re pretty stable dangled from either, probably a bit more stable hung by the front wheel IME.

Seems a whole load of overthinking over a simple solution – just lean it against a wall/fence…

A load of overthinking but that’s STW. .

Rather than using scaffold tubes, how about 50mm kee system? Nice rounded cast couplers.

Seems a whole load of overthinking over a simple solution – just lean it against a wall/fence…

I’ve done wedging it in a fence and leaning it on a wall both sub-optimal IME, it’s something I want to ‘optimise’ for my own benefit, not sure if you can “overthink” things ever.

If it’s the difference between getting back cold and muddy having a clean bike in five minutes or spending twice as long and/or not doing a decent job of it I don’t think it’s wasted effort personally.

A good light above too for those winter rides.

My mate has one of these;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sportneer-Bicycle-Adjustable-Removable-Maintenance/dp/B08X4DXCXM/

Are you expecting the bike to be showroom condition clean or just all bits mud-free, smooth running and lubed?

I get the latter done in less than 10 minutes and bike is resting against a wall.

Hanging the bike just seems to be adding time and I’m unsure what hanging the bike will do for cleaning (unless you have a way of proper cleaning a drivetrain whilst it is pedalling forwards that a stiff brush can’t do?).

Sorry if this sounds argumentative, it isn’t meant to be…more a lack of not understanding the need for fancy when a lean against a wall is very practical and simple.

Out of interest, are you drying the bike (or drive train) in any way? Towel, compressor, leaf blowet

Bouncing the bike on the rear wheel, spinning the pedals backwards. I’m not drying it as the Squirt wax tends to stay on…the chain lubing isn’t a regular application after every wash.
My whole bike wash is less than 10 minutes…it isn’t showroom condition clean but it isn’t dirty either.

Well this actually ended up working a treat:

I can get round both sides, I can get under the downtube, turn the hose on anything, get my drill brush in all the nooks and crannies, easy to spin the drive backwards, and if I want to spin the back wheel all I have to do is pull the saddle off the wall and nudge a pedal forwards.

I also pointed a leaf blower at it afterwards which did a pretty good job, the gravel bike is the cleanest it’s been in months.

Despite all my questions and doubt, that appears to be a good result!

 just lean it against a wall/fence…

25 years or so and counting, and my bikes would seem to be clean.