Hub shiners

What are the actual hub diameters?

I'll have a look at work tomorrow as there should be some skins knocking around. If I find I'll make some up. Not sure if there will be cherry flavour though.

Cool, if you have trouble, no worries... I'll just go on the hunt for a spare carradice strap to chop.

What are the actual hub diameters?

Front hub around 7 cm (giving a 22cm circumference for a very tight fit).

Rear hub 8.5 cm (giving a 27cm circumference).

These are pretty fat hubs.

The shiners need ample space for them to fall and spin around, so I was estimating an extra 8 cm of circumference a piece.

I know their name is kinda self explanatory, but I dont quite get it. Ok they clean your hub so it looks nice and shinny, but most of your nice cleanshinny hub is covered by a peice or leather (or pink fur/livestrong band).

Tbh I sways thought it was just a way of showing off the fact you had hand built wheels or being alternative. Now a serious perso is talking about them I'm curious.

Well it started with the Rohloff. Did you know these things slowly bleed mineral oil? I didn't. But they do, and it means dirt sticks to them and the hub looks mucky as hell. It stopped bleeding a while ago, but still the hub is filthy.

So I'd like to clean the gunk off, but then I'm lazy... so I figure if I put some hub shiners on there, they'd do the job whilst I ride. I don't need them on there all the time, just the times I want to clean them.

And as I'm doing the rear, why not clean the front. The front seems to get more real filth on it than the rear, and as the front is polished stainless steel it would come up a treat.

The bike is a beaut, so I'm not really inclined to put on the modern toilet brush cleaner thingy... it's too ugly. And the traditional solution seems to work well, a piece of leather tied or fixed around the hub. Looks smart, cleans the hub, remove it when clean, put it back on when filthy.

But it's got to work, so it needs to be large enough to spin freely (to buff the surface), yet narrow enough to move freely (to reach all places) and unfinished (so clean and soak up grime) and not cause damage or create scratches (no metal fixings that would hit anything).

So just a traditional hub shiner fits the bill perfectly. And as I said, if I owned an old belt and a craft knife I'd knock a pair out myself.

Logical as ever.

I know it's not on the same par but my coaster brake does get way shittier than any other hub because of all the greese. So I can see what you mean.

I can shine your hubs with a cloth within seconds. What I hate is the dirt around the spokes (on very old wheels) - no hub shiner will get there.

Like this?

Yeah, bingo :)

Probably needs to be a little thicker to ensure it lasts and soaks up rubbish... but it will certainly do the job.

I've seen these and never knew that was what they did...Thought it was a bit that had fallen off somewhere!

I'll knock up another, and send them to you. If they don't work, nowts lost.

ahhhhhhh NOW I KNOW WHAT THESE ARE ABOUT!

been seeing them for years, mostly a girls hair bobble put over the hub at build stage, and had to pick them off in bits after years of mank.
personally can't see me using one. but for looks a nice strap of leather with an unusual weight would be a pretty neat detail. Maybe a slightly different use for offcuts of brooks leather grip tape? :p

Does it actually work?

Does it actually work?

I'm surprised you haven't seen them Ed...
Yes they work, shiny hubs.

How about cutting up a cheap belt to your liking?

Have you considered cycle training?
Did you lean?
Any resolution yet?

dibs if you do make it out an old belt

I'd use this, if I had one.

I've finally found the box of random leather at work and there's even a shade of cherry. The only issue is it's all been hacked up into 13 x 13cm squares for some non starter of a project. Still, could stitch a couple of pieces together or even brick layer a few strips and bond with glue.

just wash yer bike once a month

just wash yer bike once a month

A bit extreme

ok, every three months then?

Or the Corny approach - once a year, whether it needs it or not.

This was more a response to Velocio's request. Personally, I only ever wipe my bikes down about once a month with an oily rag. They loves a GT85 bath.