Riding your bike through a full-size carwash is one of the easier ways to seriously injure yourself. But who has the time to take a hose and sponge to their bike after a dirty off-road ride? The rich and famous, maybe, but for the rest of us an Italian company has developed a carwash for bikes — or a bikewash, if you will — called the QBike.
Riders hoist their bike up onto a set of hooks so it’s hanging from the handlebar and saddle, and once the waterproof doors are sealed, a set of nozzles blasts it clean with detergent and rinse cycles. Drying is left to the user, but after hitting the seat and handlebar with a towel, the rest of the bike should dry off with a quick ride.
With a price tag of around $US2000, it’s not unrealistic to see enthusiastic riders install one at home for private use. But more commonly you can probably find them popping up at bike shops where they can clean up your ride on a pay-per-use basis. [QBike via Gizmag]