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Engineer Shares YouTube Video With Instructions for a DIY Hubless Bicycle

Seeing as how the hubless vehicle revolution is catching flight as we speak, here’s The Q, a prolific engineer of all things DIY, with what can be your very own hubless bike.
Hubless Bicycle 35 photos
Photo: The Q / YouTube Screenshot
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The Q is an engineer with a knack for taking revolutionary ideas and designs and figuring out a way to make them himself. His most recent video, and one that has amassed considerable views since its launch just days ago, shows him putting together his very own hubless bike.

Now, why do something like this? Why the heck not!? Hubless bikes, cars, and motorcycles are an idea that’s been around for ages. I remember growing up and seeing 80’s anime shows and movies depicting vehicles with hubless wheels. Finally, forty some odd years later, there’s a YouTube video with everything you need to know to make your very own dream machine.

Hubless Bicycle
Photo: The Q / YouTube Screenshot
It all starts with a 26-inch Fat Bike, basically any kind you want, but for this project, Q decided to use a Crosser brand bike. After dismounting the front wheel, removing the tube and tire, the spokes are next; all that remains is the rim. Once this stage is complete, a minute or so of sponsored material is inserted, followed by the remaining steps.

Up next, a sheet of steel is needed, in which a contour of the rim width is drawn and finally cut. Even though the video doesn’t show this step in full, you’ll need two rims for each tire. However, there's a catch. These extra rims need to include cutouts in which simple ABEC bearings, bolts, and some nuts are placed. It is the real trick behind the bike’s functionality. Once the bearings are welded in place to their corresponding area, the rims are painted.

From here, the bike's wheel and tire are added to the mix and placed onto the fabricated rims with bearings. To help support the weight of riding, several more bolts, spanning the entire width of the rim and including more bearings, are used so that the rim may rotate smoothly. The second fabricated rim is added on top, bolted in place, and the front tire is ready to go, almost. The rear tire receives the exact same treatment, except that there is an additional chainring the size of the rim, which will be used to propel the bike.

Hubless Bicycle
Photo: The Q / YouTube Screenshot
Now come the frame modifications. What, you thought it was that easy? The fork is cut to a length where it will simply attach to the uppermost part of the new rims. With a couple of semicircular plates cut to the width of the rim and welded to the fork, the front tire is ready to be received.

At the rear, a similar treatment is needed. The seat and chainstays are cut, shortened, and equipped with similar support plates as the front. Oh, all your shifting components and brakes have got to go, for now at least. Once the support plates are in place, the rear tire is mounted in the same fashion as the front.

With the wheels in place but no way to make the bike move without looking like a two-year old, it’s time to add a drivetrain. With the initial dropouts removed, Q finds a use for them mounted in front of the rear tire, finally equipped with the gearset and an extra chainring.

Hubless Bicycle
Photo: The Q / YouTube Screenshot
From the crankset, a shortened chain is used to attach to the gearset, while another much larger chain is attached to the new chainring and finally secured around that giant chainring seen on the rear tire. Yes, two chains are in place. Add your brake into the gearset mix, and you’ve got your very own hubless bike.

Honestly, if you’ve got some cash lying around and are pretty good with a steel cutter and welder, then you can officially be the one person in your neighborhood, possibly even city, that owns a hubless vehicle. Can’t wait till somebody takes this design, adds a chainsaw engine to it, and makes their very own prototype hubless motorcycle. What, that’s only a couple of steps away.

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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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