cycleWASH, because your bike needs washing
The number of bicycles produced per year as of 2003 has climbed to be over 100 million units. We are seeing streets and roads all around the world have become friendlier for bicyclists with road sharing programs being developed. Bicycle use has been found practical, clean, and affordable method of transportation as it improves the user's’ health and reduces use of fossil fuels used in transportation. A cyclist who either uses their bicycle for city commuting, mountain biking, or leisurely along the beach boardwalk may come across dirt, dust , and old oil along the way. The more active and consistent bikers from different groups have to deal with time consuming task of cleaning their bicycles. The more often the use or longer the time the bicycle is left unclean, the more painful and time consuming the cleaning becomes. What if their was an easier and quicker solution that one can consider as easy as a riding a bike?
The world’s first mobile bicycle washing machine has been created to save cyclists valuable time and efforts, and it is called the cycleWASH. A Travel & Tech Startup from Cologne, Germany invented a machine this year that can clean all kinds of bicycles, founded and invented by Sachin Kumar. The whole machine is built in Germany, with parts sourced from highly respectable German suppliers, and fulfills all international safety and quality standards. Germany has a tourism industry estimated to have more than 22 million overnight stays of bicycle tourists along the German railway, which transports about 300,00 bicycles. Hotels, cities, organizers of cycling events or transport are looking at cycleWASH to opt for a time and money saving bicycle cleaning service. It is also for bike enthusiasts, retailers, repair shops, and bike rental businesses as they are able to use the cycleWASH to clean bikes within 5 minutes and only use 0.5 litres of water.
The cycleWASH has a patented design that offers a sustainable, user-friendly, and time-saving solution for cleaning bicycles. The innovative design of it includes two rotating brushes, a pre-cleaning area, and water recycling using 4 filter stages. The machines contains a water tank with a capacity for 110 litres and does not require a fixed water connection. The water is used in a closed circuit from the tank through the nozzles, with the cleaning agent running with the rotating agents. The sensor controlled brushes rotated evenly along with the bicycle that create minimum effort to while still yielding a good washing. The water that remains is purified subsequent to the washing process through a multi-stage integrated filter system reusing the water. The machine is also environmentally friendly beyond the water reuse as it is designed to run using solar panels. It is also an ideal washing system as it it transportable, fast, and a compact bicycle cleaning solution. The components are all made of a high quality aluminum and plastic. The machine is lightweight, compact, and has a robust construction which allows for easy transportation and the folded machine can fit in a family station wagon.
Technical Specifications… Power Consumption: MAX 240W at 10 Amps Dimension while Open: 1.44m(meters) x .085m x 0.95m Fuel Tank Capacity: 120 Litres Circulating Water Volume: 17 L per minute Primary Voltage: 230 V Secondary Voltage: 24 V Operating Pressure of the Circuit: 3.5 Bar Total Weight of Design: 80 kg User-friendliness is one of the points that cycleWASH works towards and creates through their product. The instructions for the product use and setup can be broken down into a short series of steps. The machine needs to be filled with water from any nearby watering point in order to begin. Afterwards the bicycle needs to be pushed through the system and then turned and pushed again in the other direction, during this the water is constantly filtered and recirculated throughout the process. The gentle washing brushes of the machine make it suitable for e-bikes and pedelecs as well. The machine can clean up to 200 bikes in 8 working hours or more, depending on the washing procedure and the grade of dirt on the bikes.
The items that are offered through the pledges are estimated to arrive between January to April 2017. The levels of the pledges are as follows.
Pledge ~$5.00 or more: You will receive a big thank you for support of the project. Pledge ~$22.00 or more: You will receive a set of 3 Microfaser Cleaning cloths with cycleWASH logos. Pledge ~$44.00 or more: You will receive a set saddle cover with the cycleWASH logo. Pledge ~$75.00 or more: You will receive a practical mini bike toolset and a can of spray oil for your chain for use after cleaning bikes. Pledge ~$140.00 or more: You will receive a cover for your bicycle with the cycleWASH logo to help protect against the elements. Pledge ~$7,351.00 or more: You will receive a cycleWASH duo machine, which enables you to clean both sides of your bicycle so the need to turn and clean the other side of the bike is unnecessary.