Have wondered this before but was reminded yesterday when I went past a guy who was freewheeling downhill with some Enve wheels and it was so loud it was almost like he had playing cards stuck in his spokes.
So how come the freehubs on wheels like Zipps or Enves are so loud, while more modestly priced hubs (like the 105s on my training wheels) are virtually silent? Normally on moving parts you’d expect silence to be a sign of quality, but here it’s reversed. Is there a technical reason for it? Or has a noisy freehub somehow just become somehow associated with high-end wheels and they’re now built that way deliberately, the way car manufacturers will tweak the exhaust note of a sports car to match what they think their customers are expecting?
i did a road race on the weekend and used my FLO90 rear…when freewheeling, i think the peloton wanted to punch me. When going, they commented mid ride how nice they sound. But then, freewheel for a second and i get a ‘f&*ck they’re loud’!!
im not sure if thats a sign of quality though. Or maybe they need some attention like the poster above said!
I’d say grease it up but it will only temporarily bring the clicking noise down. Once the grease wears off again its back to clickity click click clickaroo and some freehubs just CLICK man.
Higher end hubs have beefier pawls and stiffer springs. This causes the pawls to snap back harder when they are released. At this point, it might be more about tradition than actual hub quality.
That’s true, as well as the type of grease used and the angle that the pawls and hub internal teeth are machine to all have an affect on noise.
The OP’s premise that a quite hub is a cheap hub is not true by the way. Chris King hubs are considered top notch and they are fairly quite. So are the high end Shimano hubs. It really comes down to what the manufacture went for in the design.
Here’s why. It’s the pawls and springs. Different wheel companies have different pawl/spring combinations that cause the ratcheting effect when you coast. The loudness isn’t really a sign of high quality, just more pawl spring pressure (or hardness of materials used) when it’s disengaged against the spinning free hub. Shimano has ridiculously quiet hubs, and they are actually pretty good. It could also be that higher-end wheels use beefy pawls and springs, which more material causes more sound. I haven’t taken apart enough wheels to make that determination yet, but an interesting theory.
I don’t know if you’re reffering to the droning noise that comes from the carbon rim itself or the clicky noise that comes from the freehub when you stop pedaling. If it is the clicky noise from the freehub you are talking about, then it could be that the inside of the freehub could just use some extra thick grease to tone down the clicks. If it is the droning you are talking about then that is just a standard carbon fiber rim, sounds cool huh?
Definitely the freehub, I have some nice carbon wheels myself, it’s the hub noise I’m talking about, not the rims.
Here’s why. It’s the pawls and springs. Different wheel companies have different pawl/spring combinations that cause the ratcheting effect when you coast. The loudness isn’t really a sign of high quality, just more pawl spring pressure (or hardness of materials used) when it’s disengaged against the spinning free hub. Shimano has ridiculously quiet hubs, and they are actually pretty good. It could also be that higher-end wheels use beefy pawls and springs, which more material causes more sound. I haven’t taken apart enough wheels to make that determination yet, but an interesting theory.
Thanks, that at least gives me a technical answer, I guess if it’s possible to make high-end hubs that don’t have the beefier springs and pawls, then it’s probably reasonable to conclude that the decision to beef them up is at least as much down to marketing and tradition as it is for speed reasons!
Normally on moving parts you’d expect silence to be a sign of quality, but here it’s reversed.
Depends on the goal. Sure, helical gears are generally stronger than straight cut, and quieter! But straight cut gives you less axial loads, which can be important if you’re trying to minimize weight-larger axial loads mean a larger housing for the gears. And, as we all know, weight is the enemy.
A lot of hubs have three pawls and are larger, stiffer with a lot of spring tension; some have 6, DT Swiss uses a ratchet system which is really nice that has 16 (but they look more like gear teeth) DT Swiss also has an upgrade to 36 teeth.
They all make different sounds.
The theory of more teeth or Pawls is (less time to engagement). But with the teeth - to fit more means less material hight which means they can (in principal) wear down sooner.
Not necessarily. Shimano hubs - all the way to the superb Dura Ace ones - are quiet. Like, whisper-quiet. So loudness is not necessarily an indicator of quality.
i did a road race on the weekend and used my FLO90 rear…when freewheeling, i think the peloton wanted to punch me. When going, they commented mid ride how nice they sound. But then, freewheel for a second and i get a ‘f&*ck they’re loud’!!
Me and two other buddies of mine have the Flo 60/90 setup. When we ride close, the hum from all wheels sound awesome. But when we free wheel, it sounds like a swarm of cicadas.
I picked up some Williams 85’s a few weeks ago, with hybrid ceramic bearings. Man those babies are loud when freewheeling. It is quite noticeable to other riders when riding in a group. The worst part about the noise is that I usually freewheel towards intersections to slow down. It’s so loud that when I’m way out in the country, I have to almost stop at intersections to sight and listen for cross traffic. It’s very hilly where I’m at. The noise isn’t just annoying, but actually kind of dangerous in certain circumstances. The wheels themselves are very aero and fast. They sound amazing when you are laying into them. I guess it’s incentive not to let up!
i did a road race on the weekend and used my FLO90 rear…when freewheeling, i think the peloton wanted to punch me. When going, they commented mid ride how nice they sound. But then, freewheel for a second and i get a ‘f&*ck they’re loud’!!
im not sure if thats a sign of quality though. Or maybe they need some attention like the poster above said!