Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Cleaning front hubs

Do any bling-aholics amongst us have any handy tips for trying to clean the alloy front hub area between the spokes on America front wheels? Tried to clean off some stubborn road grime & brake dust last night and couldn't get my fat fingers through the spoke openings.

Simple Green and a bottle brush.

Hey, remember (all you old farts) when we would hang a leather loop from the hubs on our bicycles to keep the hubs clean? WHAT? I'm the ONLY one who remembers this?

Fine, I'll provide some details...

The invention provides a strap, preferably made of pliant leather, with a method of easily and securely attaching its two ends together such that it forms a loop around the hub of a bicycle wheel. As the bicycle wheel spins, the loop naturally moves about on the hub and removes oil and dirt from the hub. The strap includes a pattern of cuts along its two long edges and has a rough inner surface to assist in cleaning and includes an optically reflective outer surface for rider safety. The size of the strap is approximately 16 cm long by 1.4 cm wide by 1 mm thick so that it is large enough to freely spin on the hub yet not too large as to strike the spokes and create unwanted noise. The method of attaching its two ends comprise one or more holes at one end of the strap and an arrowhead with one or more pairs of notches at the other end of the strap. In connecting different notches and holes together, different sized loops may be formed. In another embodiment of the present invention, the arrowhead includes a tab that feeds easily through the selected hole and assists in pulling the arrowhead through the hole. In another embodiment of the present invention, the method of attaching its two ends comprise hook and loop material, which also allows for various loop sizes. In another embodiment of the present invention, the method of attaching its two ends comprise a snap and a complementary snap retainer.

Thanks John, Simple Green isn't too well known down here in Australia to my knowledge but I now have a local contact number. What grade of Simple Green do you use?

Umm, Alright Keith I confess, I have seen those leather straps before but it was on my mums bike. Many decades ago though.

I used to run those leather straps Keith.

Using a cloth, floss that area. If you're talking about the axle's flange where the spokes attach, floss. If you are talking about the hub push the cloth between the spokes at 3 and 12 and work the cloth to and fro. Kerosene works wonders as a cleaner. So get the center of the rag wet with paraffin then fish it 'tween the spokes and get your rhythm down.

I remember the leather strap Keith.

Any auto wheel cleaner, approved for all wheel materials, and a bottle brush in the shade. I use S100 or Maguires.

You can see it here if you know what to look for. It's light beige, just to the left (facing bike) of center.
Maybe some techno-master can enlarge it some.

Always wondered why that was there...guess I just never put that much thought into it.

That's pretty trick there, erle!

Yep Keith, I had those leather straps on the axle of my Schwinn Stingray, and later on, on most of my old 10-speeds too.

However, I recall the strap was always closed with one of those little round screw-backed reflectors, and whenever I was ridin' 'em, that reflector would touch up against the spokes and would make a "plink-plink-plink" sorta sound.

(...btw erle, I don't think I've ever seen one o' these on a motorcycle before)

I'm guessin' NOT!

(and it ONLY "Plinks" when I push it!)

Seems a lot of us DO remember the leather strap on our hubs. I think it was useful mentioning this... some of the yutes around here can get a history lesson!

Otherwise I'm big on using a bottle washer with a bit of dish soapy water. Good for cleaning spokes too.

Man Erle you sure resemble your avatar in the pic.

DUH!

Especially in personality.