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I've just bought a house with a newish resin bonded driveway and it looks lovely, and I'd like to keep it that way!
I have mucky MTBs and road bikes to clean.
Any issues with doing this on the driveway?
There will be mud as well as oil off the chain etc, and plenty of degreaser and bike cleaning materials. Also, likely to be drips from oiling the chain and spraying degreaser / disc brake cleaner.
Should I use some cleaning tray?
Should I kill the grass instead?
Cheers for advice.
There will be mud as well as oil off the chain etc, and plenty of degreaser and bike cleaning materials. Also, likely to be drips from oiling the chain and spraying degreaser / disc brake cleaner.
Just to be, you know, 'that guy', you can clean your bike perfectly well without using any/most of that stuff. Hose off the worst then use soapy water to get the rest off, rinse, do it on the grass, sorted.
Just wash it on the dining table.
Most stuff should be fine, actual oil? Maybe not so much.
However (1) as IHN, you don't need most of that bar a bit of lube for the chain. (2) a bike is like landrover, they should be covered in mud and sheep poo.
The first thing I would look at is why are you using degreasers and sprays every time you are cleaning the bike? They arn't great for the enviroment or the seals and grease on your bike.
If you chain is black and greasy, change the lube you use.
I use nothing more than water in the worx or the low pressure setting on the karcher to shift the worse off, then all purpose car cleaner sprayed on a sponge to clean the residue off the bike
Find a bit of your garden, ideally close to the outside tap, that can be turned into an attractive and tasteful gravelled area. But never use it for bike maintenance, stick to washing. The reason being that you'll never find a dropped nut/screw/washer/ferrule/valve cap/brake pad spring again.
To be fair I don't use a lot of those things, and usually around chain area and a quick once over on frame when everyone else done with soft brush. Just hose it down afterwards. Also, I don't clean my bike every ride.
So, the answer might be don't clean bike on resin driveway. I like BigJohns suggestion, except I can't afford to lose any lawn as it's daughter play area.
I'd do normal cleaning on the driveway 'as is' and for anything using degreaser/solvents etc. put a sheet down under where you're working
Resin bound driveways are permeable?
If it’s one of those fancy permeable ones (my neighbours driveway has an impressive amount of sook) I’d personally be very wary of flushing a load of organic matter into a localised area of it - over time it’s bound to cause weeds
except I can’t afford to lose any lawn as it’s daughter play area.
Bike, a hose and a brush = hours of entertainment for kids!
I used to wash my bikes on a paved area and it does mark them, even if you hose off afterwards. You'd also be surprised how much mud accumulates over a winter. I just wash them on the grass now, I am yet to kill the grass, in fact that patch is the healthiest patch of grass as it gets more water than the rest.
Just let the mud dry.
Then ride it again.
Bike cleaning is pointless
Hose it down on the grass...the times you need to do something with chemicals do it on the street - in the gutter of the road.
A dedicated kiddies paddling pool that you place bike in to clean, then dispose of pool's waste water away from drive?