There are a good number of
out in the wild now, which I’m obviously pretty happy about. You can't really tell from the pic, but this one's in Ohio:
It’s been rewarding to watch my little team of red buckets fan out from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, the Midwest, and the Rockies, and to see some finally reach the Pacific. (Only the Pacific Northwest, though. Apparently people in California don’t wash their bikes, but I digress.) They're in the hands of cycling veterans and newcomers, coaches and shop owners. Along the way, I’ve been grateful get some feedback from a few folks (both users and non-users). Here are a few:
“
Short review, it’s the best kit I’ve purchased or assembled.
It has three brushes and they are the exact number you need. No more, no less. Whatever the bristles are made of absolutely shed dirt. No problem cleaning dirty cassettes or mudded up tires, it all sheds off.
The bucket holds A LOT of water and in a secure way. Minimal splashing. Would be a great pit bucket for those days with no hoses.
Cleaning 8 wheels and 2 bikes went at least as quickly as it ever has and maybe faster. An the bikes are noticeably cleaner than they normally would be with no other change in procedures or materials beyond using the pit kit.
Well done.
”
-
Associate Coach
JBV Coaching
Via Twitter:
The wheel brush alone is worth you buying the @SC_Cycling wash kit. Do it kids! pic.twitter.com/ZdIEmQk6tY
— Adam (@followadam) November 9, 2013
Via Facebook, from a totally unrelated Service Course:
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
by
.
And, of course, the ultimate in style endorsements:
@SC_Cycling The wash kit is so rad.
— TATI Cycles (@taticycles) October 14, 2013
If you have feedback, good or bad, please get in touch via email. Or if you'd like to order one, please do visit the store.
A Note on Care and Feeding of Your Wash Kit
There isn’t much to taking care of your wash kit. Nor should there be; after all, the point is to help you to take care of your bike, not to give you something else to take care of. But if there’s one small thing I would recommend, it’s letting your brushes dry after use.
When I say the lid of the Wash Kit is watertight, I really mean it. Water that's inside when you close it stays inside. So if you throw wet brushes in and screw down the lid, you’re going to face some unpleasantness when you unscrew it again. (Note this isn't unique to our wash kits or wash kits in general- anyone who's left their muddy kit in a plastic bag after a race knows this.)
What to do? When I’m at home, I like to shake the water out, or swipe the brush against a leg of the repair stand a few times, then let them air dry for a bit. If I'm on the road, I'll shake them out, throw them back in the bucket, and air them out when I get home.
I hope to get a post with some pics or video on wash procedures up shortly, but if I don't get a haircut and rake my lawn before I do, I'll get terrible feedback from my mom and my dad.