Durability of polished finish on hubs

[Audax1]

Hello,

I have been looking at hubs and have heard mixed reviews about the Phil Wood hubs with polished finish and understand that these would be susceptible to oxidizing and corrosion in the UK winters, however, have seen that the Son dynamo hub is also available in polished finish: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos/32-schmidt-son-28-dynamo-front-hub-polished/

Have always understood these to be highly regarded hubs and fantastically well built, seems odd that they would produce them in raw aluminum. Or, am I missing something in terms of the durability of these finishes?

If anyone has any info this would be much appreciated, am aware they both the Son and the PW come in anodized finishes but still intrigued about what the deal is with the bear aluminum.

Thanks,

[hubner]

Bare aluminium when polished has a almost chrome like shine. Anodised aluminium ranges from quite shiny to completely dull.

Bare aluminium go dull over time but can be bought back to a mirror shine with metal polish like Autosol. Autosol and car waxes will protect the shine for longer.

Corrosion is mainly due to salty water. Waxes and polishes, and rinsing off with water will almost stop salt corrosion completely. Anodising doesn't protect against salty water corrosion anyway.

[Paul H]

Cross posted with hubner, but I'll leave it here anyway.

Plenty of people with  old SON polished hubs, I have two, 21 and 18 years old and I expect a few have older, I also have a polished Rohloff which is also 18 years old, all used year round, no visible corrosion on any of them.  I don't think the oxidizing is a problem and with a little effort you can polish them up like new.  Nothing wrong with anodizing, I don't think it's ever as shiny as polished and when if dulls with age, there's no way to bring it back.  Given the choice I'd always choose polished.

[hubner]

I've got 30-40 year old bare aluminium parts like Campagnolo hubs, seatpins, Mavic rims and they're fine.

For added protection, I suggest:

rinse off with clean water after a ride on wet salted roads, and/or
use a liquid sealant/wax to coat the inside of hub spoke holes as that's where salty water would collect.

[rogerzilla]

Leather hub shiner.

[Audax1]

Thanks very much everyone, much appreciated. Great to be able to hear about peoples experience with these parts who have had them over the years. Will invest in some of the metal polish with wax finish, sounds like a good idea.

[Jurek]

Belgom Alu has form for being an effective protective finish.

[Audax1]

Thanks, looks like a good product.

[yoav]

Polished aluminium is not bare aluminium, its a polished finish on anodised aluminium.

[Paul H]

Polished aluminium is not bare aluminium, its a polished finish on anodised aluminium.

Silver SON hubs are offered in either polished and anodised finishes, there's no anodising on the polished hubs.
It's easy to tell the difference by trying one of the polishing products above, none of them will shine an anodized finish.

[yoav]

Ok, if they are just polished bare aluminium with no other finish then I guess they don’t stay shiny for very long.

[aidan.f]

German engineering. They stay shiny, shiny