title says it all. got these wheels (1st vid) used and the rear doesn’t spin as freely as all the other wheels i’ve owned. this test is very crude, but you can see difference with same test on my other wheels, same test and they spin for nearly twice as long by my casual counting.
title says it all. got these wheels used and the rear doesn’t spin as freely as all the other wheels i’ve owned. this test is very crude, but i did the exact same thing with the HED wheels I have on my tri bike and they spun for almost twice as long. is this an issue, and if so what do i do about it/how do I fix? i have video of the HEDs on this test if anyone thinks it’s worth posting but it was 9-10 seconds vs. 4-5 secs on the ENVEs.
https://youtu.be/9gBDP6_nBsY
Is that from the hub bearings or just the freewheel? Try removing the chain from the cassette. and see how smoothly it spins.
i guess i’m not sure, but i could feel the difference in my hand, just holding the bare wheel by the freehub when i first got them. so that’s perhaps a bit vague, but to answer your question i can feel/notice the same pattern when it’s spinning without the chain and cassette on, i’d say.
i guess i’m not sure, but i could feel the difference in my hand, just holding the bare wheel by the freehub when i first got them. so that’s perhaps a bit vague, but to answer your question i can feel/notice the same pattern when it’s spinning without the chain and cassette on, i’d say.
Holding the wheel by the freehub is roughly equivalent to allowing the chain to hold the wheel by the cassette. What I’m asking is, does the wheel spin fine if you allow the freehub to spin with the hub? If so, then there’s not much to worry about outside of a very small amount of additional unloaded drag while coasting.
If that’s a problem for you, you could keep an eye on whether the freehub frees up a bit as it wears in. If it doesn’t, you could see about repacking it with less/lighter lubrication.
It’s probably fine. You can take the wheel off and spin the axle, not the freehub but the axle, and as long as it doesn’t feel gritty or jerkey you’re good. There is no relationship between the test you’re showing in those videos and how well a wheel will ride on the road. A loaded bearing response and an unloaded bearing response are two independent things
Have you recentered the calibers to make sure you don’t have a slight drag?
I haven’t recentered them with the new wheels, but I’m confident that’s not an issue. I have inspected the pad clearance, it looks good, and if there was any rub on the rotor I would be able to hear it.
I have the HED jet black wheels (2 sets) and they are not slow like that. The first video (older HED?) seems super slow to me.
Is that an ENVE hub?
If so, take the freehub off and clean the ratchet in there. They pack it with pretty thick all weather grease. Take out the rubber “silencer†on the inside of the ratchet, leave it out you don’t need it. Lightly grease the ratchet and ratchet port.
You don’t need any tools to take it apart, take the non-drive end cap off first, then stick something in thru the axil to pop off the drive side end cap and go from there.
You need to remove the wheel and put nuts or washers on the ends of the axle, and clamp it down like you do on the bike. Then spin the axle with your fingers. Even resistance is fine… that would be seals. Uneven or gritty resistance is a bearing issue (alignment, bad bearings, possibly clamping too hard or not enough). If it seems fine it means brake or freehub is the culprit.
Is that an ENVE hub?
If so, take the freehub off and clean the ratchet in there. They pack it with pretty thick all weather grease. Take out the rubber “silencer†on the inside of the ratchet, leave it out you don’t need it. Lightly grease the ratchet and ratchet port.
You don’t need any tools to take it apart, take the non-drive end cap off first, then stick something in thru the axil to pop off the drive side end cap and go from there.
Thanks. Yes, enve hub. I watched the video on their website… by ratchet port do you just mean the area where the ratchets sit inside there, or is that port something specific?
Also, what type of grease? “Standard” grease like I’d use on a threaded bolt?
Is that an ENVE hub?
If so, take the freehub off and clean the ratchet in there. They pack it with pretty thick all weather grease. Take out the rubber “silencer†on the inside of the ratchet, leave it out you don’t need it. Lightly grease the ratchet and ratchet port.
You don’t need any tools to take it apart, take the non-drive end cap off first, then stick something in thru the axil to pop off the drive side end cap and go from there.
Thanks. Yes, enve hub. I watched the video on their website… by ratchet port do you just mean the area where the ratchets sit inside there, or is that port something specific?
Also, what type of grease? “Standard” grease like I’d use on a threaded bolt?
You can use the grease used for bolt threads, just make sure you put it on very very lightly with a brush. A small dab goes along way. If you put too much on, it can stick and or skip.
And by ratchet port I do mean the area the ratchet goes in.
You can use DT Swiss, Shimano, Dumonde Tech, CeranicSpeed, there’s a bunch of higher end options.
just quick update, just performed this procedure and it is certainly better. spins smoother.
the hub is noticeably quieter, i sort of knew that hub noise can be a function of the amount of grease, but that’s ok right? i did the lightest greasing of the ratchets/port that i could, applied with tiny paintbrush. so I definitely don’t think I put too much.
thanks for the help! i learned a new mechanical skill today!
Hub noise can certainly be a function of the amount (and ‘thickness’) of the grease.
I’ve had a few Hope hubs across both road and mtb bikes. Most are unbelievably loud when freewheeling. I reduced the volume on the mtb wheels by adding more grease in the free hub to quiet down the ratchet.
I think the only risk is the freehub is too draggy is that when you’re riding at speed and if you suddenly stop pedalling (or worse back-pedal a bit - easily done when depending and getting the feet into the preferred position) then there is some momentum in the cassette and you can momentarily get either a massive sag in the chain, or worse the chain decides to try go into the gap between the smallest rear cog and the frame then jam when you pedal again. (Nothing to do with alignment, all to do with tooth profile) - This can happen on my 11 speed Specialised Tarmac when in the 11 tooth rear cog. Solution being (a) not suddenly stop pedalling when st higher speed, and (b) get a 12 to 3x cassette.