I have a bit of a dilemma here with a couple of my bikes, and purely aesthetic in nature, so only aesthetes need respond to this inquiry.

Soon I will be selling off one of my tandems and the deal I made with the buyer was that I would keep the original White Industries Jockey hubs to build into wheels for my Bilenky 650B Constructeur tandem. The rims are silver Velocity Dyad and though they don't stick out like sore thumbs, I think that polishing them would really make the bike pop since the hubs are also highly polished.

The other bike I am inquiring about with regard to polishing is my 1950 Norman Rapide. Since the bike still has the original wheels and I'm growing increasingly concerned that one of these days the Dunlop Lightweight rims will take a hard hit and I'll be unable to repair the rim, I decided to build a new set of wheels for that bike also. The rims are Velocity Synergy in silver. Obvioiusly, the rims on the Norman are chromed, so shiny would be more in keeping with the original look of the bike.

So, what say ye, aesthetes of the BF Realm: To Polish or Not To Polish?


Bilenky Brunswick to Dargan C&O Towpath Run - 7 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


A Day At The Farm - 3 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr