I used to hate loud hubs, until I got a set of carbon wheels for my summer bike with a loud pawl. When approaching pedestrians I didn't have to shout as I would just stop pedalling to be heard approaching. Then when I switched back to my winter machine I was forgetting that my freehub was much quieter so I had to start calling and shouting again. It shouldn't be a problem if pedestrians looked before crossing the road, or on country lanes walked on the side facing traffic as supposed to do.
I love a quiet freehub. Really helps maintain the feeling of peace and tranquility when out riding. Also if your mates have quiet wheels too its easier to have a chat while rolling.
One of the joys of cycling for me is going out in the early hours in the countryside with nothing but the sound of the breeze in the trees and the birds singing. I personally wouldn't want it to be tarnished by the sound of a load of angry wasps in a biscuit tin, but each to their own I guess.
Sometimes I ride with a guy whose freehub is so damn loud. It's hard to have a normal conversation because every time I start talking, he naturally stops pedaling to listen and his freehub is just obnoxious. I don't get the fascination with loud freehubs.
I got back to biking, and it seems that all the new high-end bikes these days are noisy. I'm getting dirty looks for how quiet my bike is. It was high-end in 2010. I'm jealous. I want a noisy hub😂😂😂😂😂
@@dratonbalat3423 Modern bikes do seem obnoxiously loud whether it's the freehub or issues with the disk brakes. Even shifting seems noiser. I'm riding bikes from the early 2000s built up with a mix of Record and Chorus of the time. The only annoying noise I used to have was a creak in one of the saddles, but I got that nailed.
I usually ride on the Virginia Capital City Trail, and by spinning quickly backwards people walking and riding ahead of me can hear me approaching. Its much more effective than "On your left" since my voice is not as loud. It really gets their attention faster.
A good thought but often people walk around with earbuds in. I find a bell sometimes works but I 'm often reduced to shouting when you get really close.
I actually like my hub to make a little noise… not the Chris King or Industry 9 loud, but just a little… Helps reduce the number of times I have to let non-headphone joggers or walker’s know I’m about to pass them… 😁
Think about this, if you was totally quiet they wouldn't know you was there until you passed them. By that time it's to late for them to do something stupid.
That's about the only thing I like when I ride my mountain bike on paved trails lol, the sound of the tires lets people quite a bit ahead of me know I'm coming.
The amount of grease used has an impact too. I originally used just a bit of DT swiss's grease as per their recommendation, but it was so noisy that I added what I would call a moderate amount of grease and now it's much more reasonable of a noise.
On mtb/gravel tracks where attention is needed (albeit some say also disturbing the quiet nature), noisy hubs are a good point as bicycles don't have audible engine like a motorcycle does. On road commute though? Why?
@@UpsideDownFork a word of advice. Yelling at them is alot more effective. Pedestrians aren't listening for mechanical clicking noises. They likely have earbuds or a phone jammed in their ear.
@@AKSKMY Here ya go, not tools required. I service approx every 1000 k. More often if i get caught in the rain. th-cam.com/video/sC-5-dOvfYA/w-d-xo.html
The decibel scale is unique as a 10dB change equates to a sound being 10 times quieter or 10 times louder. The 7dB difference in the video is actually quite substantial.
@@andy_liga It's rather the opposite. That's why we have the logarithmic scale in the first place. It better matches how we perceive differences than a linear scale would. We don't perceive a 3dB difference as a half/double
In my experience, thicker lubricant, like grease on the pawls will make them quieter..... for a short period of time, until the grease gets pushed to the side. Freewheels have a natural sound, loud or quiet and changing the viscosity of the lubricant only helps for a little while.
I'm not an engineer, but I am a drummer, and I think the resonant qualities of the hub make the main difference. Think if you clicked a pawl against a solid piece of iron, it would just make a little click that wouldn't really carry anywhere, but a hub is hollow and resonates like a little cowbell. I think companies have started to make them louder on purpose, but have no proof, lol!
also, the rim, especially if deep/wide-section carbon , acts as an echo chamber, as the vibration is transmitted down the very taut spokes, and resonates that as well.
@@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589 Ah, I wondered why I always can identify a BMX hub coming down the road behind me, the smaller rim emphasizes different frequencies maybe.
The louder the better! If I'm riding a TT and a moving obstacle appears in front of me, all I have to do is stop pedaling. People get that some time beforehand and I don't have to frantically leave the aerobars to brake. So the louder, the safer.
I removed the horn from my bike just for this reason. Now I backpedal a few revolutions as I approach someone. The only downside to using a free hub an auditory indicator versus a horn is that the horn could be honked loud enough that people could hear it over their headphones.
Louder the better, better than a bell for sure for being noticed 👍after greasing the freehub sounded worse and ever so lame. hash noise is the way forward
Quieter the better. Have Roval, Enve, Reynolds, Dura Ace, and XTR have various ages; the Shimano's are far and away my favorites in regards to being quiet.
I have been bothered by my Rolfe wheels noisy free hub for a couple years and last week I ventured beyond my expertise to try to quiet it. I disabled and lost an hour finding the paw parts on my floor . I cleaned it up and applied a generous amount of Phil’s tenacious oil . After 3 rides it is still 1/4 (estimate ) as noisy as it had been. It may be quieter than my comrades dura ace wheels. .Total success and I despise noisy free hubs.
As others have mentioned, the decibel scale is logarithmic. A sound that is 10db louder is twice as loud. So the difference between 75db and 68db is pretty large.
This is such a good topic. But the analysis was not in much detail. When the noise is mainly influenced by the springs, can one exchange them? I would love to get some HYPER wheels but they are unbearably loud. Is there any chance to silence them? Why do they seem to be extra loud? - Please do more videos on this topic.
Like most normal people who aren't excessively vain and show-offy I prefer the quietest possible drivetrain so that I can concentrate on my actual, you know, cycling, the ambient sounds around me, and some nice conversation if I'm riding with others. But not at the expense of drivetrain efficiency and durability, of course. So I'm wondering what oil and/or grease do you all use when overhauling your freehubs. I'm leaning towards Dumonde freehub oil for the pawls and spring and grease for the ball bearings but if there are perfectly decent alternatives such as chain oil (I have Dumonde Lite) and regular light grease (I have Finish Line Teflon & Bullshot), then I'd prefer to save some money and use them instead as I'm not likely to overhaul my one and only freehub that often and don't ride in cool or cold weather (which to me is below 60F).
3db more is double the noise. Decibel is a Neperian logarithm based measure not decimal . 20 kms is twice 10 kms, but 6Db is half than 9db. Greets from Spain.
Some bikes have incredibly noisy hubs..!!! Mine thankfully is medium to quiet....and the GTX gears are completely silent 😁 It always puts a smile on my face every ride with how quiet it is while peddling away 😁😁 I saw another video on how to make it noisier for which they totally removed all grease and oil from everything in the hub...bearings and all..!! 🤣
Dear All, I have a Triban RC520 from Decathlon, 11-speed cassette, disc brake, quick release. I love it, although I feel (hear, rather should say - not hear) that the OEM free hub is rather a quite-"slow" one. What would your budget upgrade recommendation be?
No need to worry about upgrading, ride enough and the Decathlon hub will take care of itself :) Then you can lace in a nice new (or used, will still be better) Shimano, novatec or whatever hub of your choice and enjoy!
I have done exactly this to a noisy freehub. It does work as described here, but does not work for long term. A month or 2 after adding heavier grease the freewheel noise went right back up to previous levels.
My old freehub at some point stopped making any noise, and it still worked fine. It was cool, however I was afraid it can soon start spinning freely in both directions, so I decided to replace it. I sold it to someone, hope he is OK.
When riding close on someone’s wheel, the free hub noise is your first alert that the person in front is slowing. I don’t need it to be super-loud, but I am glad when I can hear it clearly. Otherwise, the less noise the better!
My stock 18t was quiet after upgrading to a dt swiss 54t and adding dt grease with a brush and add a lightly coat it's loud enough that people move out the way when I'm biking. Used to hate the sound but now it's grown and I want it louder 😂
I personally hate loud free hubs. Especially annoying when riding in a group. The quieter the better. And for those who argue that the noise draws the attention of others in your path: they have invented bells especially for that.
The 6 pawl free hub on my Trek Checkpoint gravel bike is more effective than than my bell, freewheel and the walkers in front of me jump to one side thinking there is some madman with a chainsaw behind them….. :-)
Interesting fact the freewheel on my CVT hub with automatic shifting always clicks at the same frequency regardless of speed. Some will say its annoying but it's a good way to tell if the ratio is correct before I start pedaling. With auto shifting it always is.
I have recently upgraded to a mechanical Novatec from the stock Shimano hub and boy is it loud! Riding through the woods on a hike isn't as pleasant as it was, and my gf makes fun of me, saying she doesn't have to ring her bell to get peoples attention
Fun fact: The most accurate measuring tools are indeed found in smart phones, as apps! Also, I think you degreased at least one of four innocent bearings here. Better service that one, too.
Hi, I upgraded to Hunt wheels which were a fair bit noisier than my Fulcrum wheels but lighter and faster. I will say you would need to demonstrate that on an entry level wheel set as I'm sure I would have to remove my Cassette first to remove the Hub 😀
also i tighten my paws spring not only for being louder but also to lock more secure, cuz sometimes when i tried to pedaling the paws wasnt fully locked and the hub sound is big bang... I use oil becuse spring is weak and if i put greese paws got blocked.
I have several sets of DT 240 hubs and lubricate the freehubs periodically with the recommended DT Swiss grease. Surprisingly to me at least is that some freehubs make considerably more noise than others. Any idea why?
@@Thomas-fy9yc People should walk against traffic, you should be cycling with traffic, so the people walking will be walking head on to you and will see you approaching.
This is why I use Shimano hubs. It's just a shame they don't put the same level of thought into the architectural side (things like a raised flange circle on the drive-side) than Hope or (the other good one).
Quick question, does the performance of the hub or the duration of the spinning of the wheel got a difference ... I mean the 'free hub test' the classic one GNC does... By the way I don't bother a loud ER hub sound... we have a saying here 'el ruidito que enamora' ... translation 'the sound of love' ... more less translation. nice one alex I know someone that might like this tip.
While I like the idea of free-hubbing instead of ringing a bell or some such, I do enjoy being the silent assassin, because when toasting ebikes I need to be opportunistic with the class 3s, by mounting a demoralizing attack they didn't see or hear coming. (I'm just a tad competitive:) )
6:10 what's the point of this comparison if you put the grease away from the place where the pawls actually engage with the drive ring? Industry Nine covered this subject correctly with the Hydra rear hub.
In the city, I like a moderate amount of freewheel noise, both when cycling and when walking, it is usually great indication that there's a bicycle approaching and sometimes works better than a bell 😂... at least here where there's no separate cycling infrastructure and pedestrians are often mixed with cyclists, which sucks...
nothing more annoying than cycling through the countryside and the freehub just making noise... seriously, the quieter the better!! Though I am now wondering what effect changing the springs would have on the noise?
Also worth mentioning is that noise is caused by friction thus, in turn, creating DRAG. I always prefer a silent or stealthy hub. Campy WTO is the loudest hubs I can accept and Onyx Vesper is my other favorite. Total silence bliss.....when u r riding, just you and the wind.....the bike is dead quiet.
In this case, aren't we simply dampening/reducing the already made noise/friction rather than actually reducing the friction? Much like how a waxed chain is more efficient than an oiled one despite being louder
Isn't that a _freewheel_, not a freehub as indicated in the title? The 7s freehub (no reference; the cassette is from Shimano) on my folding bike is a bit loud, and I was wondering if lubrication would make it quieter, and if not, whether it was possible to simply replace it with a quieter model without having to build a new wheel.
If you are going to say pack it with grease to make it quiet... Sorry but it doesn't work, not for more than a few rides anyway. Trust me, I have tried it.
Quiet freehub for solo adventures/commuting. The loudest possible for bunch rides or racing. Lets the rider behind know immediately if the pace drops so they don't crash into you. No-one pays attention 100% of the time... drinking, head check, recovering, etc. If you know, you know.
For accurate sound comparison you would need to fix the distance between the freehub and the microphone. Without controlling for that the tests aren’t interpretable.
Don’t forget that larger cassettes become a resonance box, meaning that the sound as it is, low or loud, becomes even louder with larger cassettes and materials made of
You explained that better than me, and I think companies are making them louder on purpose, maybe with some consultation from drum and percussion manufactures, lol!
so how should that work? A cassette is not hollow, so there is and will be no resonator...But if you believe strong enough, it will surely get louder...
@@hendriksiering9077 Well, a hub is not completely solid like a gold brick, for example, the pawl is not making the sound itself, take a pawl out and tap it on a hard surface, I think the pawl is more like a drum stick and the hub would be the cowbell.
I have 2 remarks: Should you not also add oil to the sprag portion of the pawls to reduce wear as the teeth pass, also quieting it a bit more? For a health and safety view point are you happy using a carcenogenic spray cleaner without breathing protection? I know you didn't do much but it can be accumulative.
#askGCNtech #AskGCN - Hi Alex, or maybe it's an Ollie type of question.... surely those noisy freehubs are less efficient than the quietest ones, on the basis that noise = wasted energy (like in other machinery)? my thinking is that the energy that we hear as noise would be better not generated and therefore used/transferred to power us along the road! I suppose that's hard when you're not actually pedalling (and therefore the energy needs to go somewhere)?
i got a new CANYON Endurace with Fulcrum wheels and the free hub is totally quiet. i wish it was a bit louder so people hear me coming. are fulcrum noticibly quietr?
Campagnolo and Fulcrum freehub mechanism use three pawls and a ratchet ring. It's pretty much the standard freehub mechanism and usually sports a low P.O.E (points of engagement) count, hence the quieter noise. Freehub mechanisms with a higher P.O.E count are the loud ones. Some riders with the latter try to lower the noise by overlubricating the mechanism with more or thicker grease, but this is greatly unadvisable as this will increase the risk of freehub slippage. To put it in a cold tone, I will say get over it. I've never lubricated freehub mechanisms in an effort to alter their noise, but for optimal operation. If it's loud, it's loud.
Suspect this has already been said, but the decibel scale is logarithmic. A 3dB reduction is a halving of sound power. Not an insignificant result Alex
#askgcntech Hi guys and Manon. I'm planning to change either the chain set to 52/36 or chain rings to 52/36 depending on availability. As it is now I have 50/34 (105 R7000) and a 11/28 cassette. If I get a 11/32 cassette will that be aprox simimilar to what I have now when it comes to the easy gears? Thank you for a great channel. Sorry for my bad english, hope you understand my question. Best regards. Patrik.
If you divide the front by the back, you get the ratio of pedal turns to wheel turns. Your current easiest gear is 34 front, 28 back, so 34/28 is 1.21. For every turn of your pedals in your easiest gear, your rear wheel will turn 1.21 turns. If you change your front to 36, and your back to 32, you get 36/32 = 1.13, so for every turn of your pedals, the rear wheel will rotate 1.13 turns. As this is lower, the gear will be easier. Note that the 36 front, 32 rear ratio is the same as 34 front, 30 rear. If your bike came with 50/34 and 11/28, chances are it has a short cage rear derailleur. In order to have a 32t rear cassette, you would need a medium cage derailleur. The largest cassette a short-cage derailleur works with is 11-30, with the B limit screw all the way in. If you need to replace your chainrings and also want a slightly easier lowest gear, get a 50/34 with 11-30 cassette. If you need to replace your chainrings and can't find 50/34 or want the same lowest gear, get 52/36 chainrings and 11-30 cassette. Getting 52/36 and 11-32 will potentially need a new derailleur, and the 11-32 cassette will have larger jumps on the gears, which might not be to your liking coming from the 11-28 cassette.
Test is wrong, you should apply grease and oil also to the slot where freehub engages with the wheel, this is where the noise is comming from. Adding lubricant on the pivot point did almost nothing related to the sound.
I can attest it is very … surprising when the palls (or really the last pall) get stuck retracted and the free hub becomes suddenly free in both directions, especially if you have just turned onto a steep climb…
It's one of the very worst feelings out there, undeniably - maybe a broken chain, but at least you can fix that at the side of the road with (relative) ease!
Do you like a loud one or a noisy one? Let us know in the comments!👇
Definetly als loud as possible!
Love loud rolling hubs!
Quiet one, because im not 12.
Cyclist here in the Philippines generally love the noisy ones.In fact , it usually one og the parts they spend the most money on.
I used to hate loud hubs, until I got a set of carbon wheels for my summer bike with a loud pawl. When approaching pedestrians I didn't have to shout as I would just stop pedalling to be heard approaching. Then when I switched back to my winter machine I was forgetting that my freehub was much quieter so I had to start calling and shouting again. It shouldn't be a problem if pedestrians looked before crossing the road, or on country lanes walked on the side facing traffic as supposed to do.
Let me remind you, the db scale is logarithmic and 3 db less means a reduction of 50% So the difference is actually huge!
The difference between Ollie and Alex doing science ;-p
It is but , most ears probably won’t notice it
I keep forgetting that, thanks for the reminder. Always useful, by the way, bagpipes sound at about 105db. You're welcome.
I went looking for some sort of scale to explain.
Let me remind you that the db scale is logarithmic because we don’t perceive loudness linearly. So a 7 db drop is pretty minuscule
I love a quiet freehub. Really helps maintain the feeling of peace and tranquility when out riding. Also if your mates have quiet wheels too its easier to have a chat while rolling.
One of the joys of cycling for me is going out in the early hours in the countryside with nothing but the sound of the breeze in the trees and the birds singing. I personally wouldn't want it to be tarnished by the sound of a load of angry wasps in a biscuit tin, but each to their own I guess.
Don't stop pedalling!
Have you tried pedalling while you ride?
@@scottelectronic To go forwards yes, whilst free wheeling no, that's kind of the point of a free hub.
@@od1koneod171 Kind of defeats the point somewhat.
I love the metaphor. Mind if I steal it?
Sometimes I ride with a guy whose freehub is so damn loud. It's hard to have a normal conversation because every time I start talking, he naturally stops pedaling to listen and his freehub is just obnoxious. I don't get the fascination with loud freehubs.
Same!!
Choose another bike-buddy! 😂
I got back to biking, and it seems that all the new high-end bikes these days are noisy. I'm getting dirty looks for how quiet my bike is. It was high-end in 2010. I'm jealous. I want a noisy hub😂😂😂😂😂
@@dratonbalat3423 Modern bikes do seem obnoxiously loud whether it's the freehub or issues with the disk brakes. Even shifting seems noiser.
I'm riding bikes from the early 2000s built up with a mix of Record and Chorus of the time. The only annoying noise I used to have was a creak in one of the saddles, but I got that nailed.
@@dratonbalat3423
I have a Canyon Aeroad with a default 36T ratchet on the rear hub. It's loud enough as it is.
Best way to make it quiet is to never stop peddling 😁
And use immersion wax to make the whole drive train a boatload quieter.
That’s called a fixie.
I usually ride on the Virginia Capital City Trail, and by spinning quickly backwards people walking and riding ahead of me can hear me approaching. Its much more effective than "On your left" since my voice is not as loud. It really gets their attention faster.
Try a bell.
A good thought but often people walk around with earbuds in. I find a bell sometimes works but I 'm often reduced to shouting when you get really close.
I actually like my hub to make a little noise… not the Chris King or Industry 9 loud, but just a little… Helps reduce the number of times I have to let non-headphone joggers or walker’s know I’m about to pass them… 😁
Maybe a bell would do?
Cycling? 😆
Think about this, if you was totally quiet they wouldn't know you was there until you passed them. By that time it's to late for them to do something stupid.
@@wasupwitdat1mofiki94 🤣😆🤣🤣🤣
That's about the only thing I like when I ride my mountain bike on paved trails lol, the sound of the tires lets people quite a bit ahead of me know I'm coming.
The amount of grease used has an impact too. I originally used just a bit of DT swiss's grease as per their recommendation, but it was so noisy that I added what I would call a moderate amount of grease and now it's much more reasonable of a noise.
Noisy hubs are the Harley Davidson of the cycling world; especially designed to get attention.
Yep. It's even more annoying when you're in the peloton and it's always the same guy free wheeling and never takes point.
On mtb/gravel tracks where attention is needed (albeit some say also disturbing the quiet nature), noisy hubs are a good point as bicycles don't have audible engine like a motorcycle does.
On road commute though? Why?
I don’t mind one. Helps the pedestrians here me coming.
@@UpsideDownFork a word of advice. Yelling at them is alot more effective. Pedestrians aren't listening for mechanical clicking noises. They likely have earbuds or a phone jammed in their ear.
@@a6o932 no thanks. I'm trying to improve the image of cyclists, not reinforce the negative stereotypes that already exist.
Worth mentioning that some hubs such at the DT Swiss one use a special grease.
Yeah I got the tube too but no idea and don’t possess the tools to remove the ratchet
Special grease for special price 😁
When I recently got my bike serviced the guy said my grease was "off" because it was red, he removed it and replaced it with normal grease....
@@AKSKMY Here ya go, not tools required. I service approx every 1000 k. More often if i get caught in the rain.
th-cam.com/video/sC-5-dOvfYA/w-d-xo.html
@@kidShibuya gg
The decibel scale is unique as a 10dB change equates to a sound being 10 times quieter or 10 times louder.
The 7dB difference in the video is actually quite substantial.
was thinking the same, dB it's a logarithmic scale... A hub 3dB quieter sounds half as loud to our ears
I was hoping for Ollie to point this out! 🙂
@@andy_liga I thought it was 3dB= twice as loud. Thanks for clarifying 👍
@@andy_liga It's rather the opposite. That's why we have the logarithmic scale in the first place. It better matches how we perceive differences than a linear scale would. We don't perceive a 3dB difference as a half/double
@@augustgames6502 A 10 dB difference equates roughly to a twice louder sound, while being a 10x higher pressure wave.
In my experience, thicker lubricant, like grease on the pawls will make them quieter..... for a short period of time, until the grease gets pushed to the side. Freewheels have a natural sound, loud or quiet and changing the viscosity of the lubricant only helps for a little while.
I'm not an engineer, but I am a drummer, and I think the resonant qualities of the hub make the main difference. Think if you clicked a pawl against a solid piece of iron, it would just make a little click that wouldn't really carry anywhere, but a hub is hollow and resonates like a little cowbell. I think companies have started to make them louder on purpose, but have no proof, lol!
also, the rim, especially if deep/wide-section carbon , acts as an echo chamber, as the vibration is transmitted down the very taut spokes, and resonates that as well.
@@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589 Ah, I wondered why I always can identify a BMX hub coming down the road behind me, the smaller rim emphasizes different frequencies maybe.
I've got a fever. And the only prescription is MORE FREEHUB!
The relative quietness after a fresh maintenance is nice, but short-lived as the excess grease "cushion" is pushed aside relatively quickly.
The louder the better! If I'm riding a TT and a moving obstacle appears in front of me, all I have to do is stop pedaling. People get that some time beforehand and I don't have to frantically leave the aerobars to brake. So the louder, the safer.
100% agree a loud freehub is a blessing for commuting to, specially with people walking around
I prefer a quiet hub. Its easier to diagnose any noise from worn out bearings.
I removed the horn from my bike just for this reason. Now I backpedal a few revolutions as I approach someone. The only downside to using a free hub an auditory indicator versus a horn is that the horn could be honked loud enough that people could hear it over their headphones.
Hell no. It's obnoxious. Just yell at them.
Louder the better, better than a bell for sure for being noticed 👍after greasing the freehub sounded worse and ever so lame. hash noise is the way forward
Quieter the better. Have Roval, Enve, Reynolds, Dura Ace, and XTR have various ages; the Shimano's are far and away my favorites in regards to being quiet.
That's why I love DT Swiss, I measured mine at 48db!
I have been bothered by my Rolfe wheels noisy free hub for a couple years and last week I ventured beyond my expertise to try to quiet it. I disabled and lost an hour finding the paw parts on my floor . I cleaned it up and applied a generous amount of Phil’s tenacious oil .
After 3 rides it is still 1/4 (estimate ) as noisy as it had been. It may be quieter than my comrades dura ace wheels. .Total success and I despise noisy free hubs.
Nice one mark! Glad we could help. 🙌
Shimano Alfine is silent and I love it!
As others have mentioned, the decibel scale is logarithmic. A sound that is 10db louder is twice as loud. So the difference between 75db and 68db is pretty large.
This is such a good topic. But the analysis was not in much detail. When the noise is mainly influenced by the springs, can one exchange them? I would love to get some HYPER wheels but they are unbearably loud. Is there any chance to silence them? Why do they seem to be extra loud? - Please do more videos on this topic.
i used to have hyper wheels, most of them comes with little to no grease inside the hub
greasing the hub will make it less noisy
I've been using chain lube in my freehub and freewheels for a few years now, works a treat.
Like most normal people who aren't excessively vain and show-offy I prefer the quietest possible drivetrain so that I can concentrate on my actual, you know, cycling, the ambient sounds around me, and some nice conversation if I'm riding with others. But not at the expense of drivetrain efficiency and durability, of course. So I'm wondering what oil and/or grease do you all use when overhauling your freehubs.
I'm leaning towards Dumonde freehub oil for the pawls and spring and grease for the ball bearings but if there are perfectly decent alternatives such as chain oil (I have Dumonde Lite) and regular light grease (I have Finish Line Teflon & Bullshot), then I'd prefer to save some money and use them instead as I'm not likely to overhaul my one and only freehub that often and don't ride in cool or cold weather (which to me is below 60F).
Noise measurements are dependent on distance. Air dissipates the sonic vibrations. Usually measured at 1m.
I notice that on my carbon bike, the freehub seems to resonate through the frame and be significantly louder than it is on my steel or aluminum bike.
I hated noisy freehubs until I got one. Now I don't need a bell anymore 😊
Always prefer a loud freehub, I use it as a ring bell on cycle paths. Love my DT swiss 240.
3db more is double the noise.
Decibel is a Neperian logarithm based measure not decimal .
20 kms is twice 10 kms, but 6Db is half than 9db.
Greets from Spain.
Ah, Spain. The home of sound.
Why would I want to make it quiet? 🤣
It is the sound of pure joy in my ears, and works great to warn people that I am coming their way 😁
Chris king freehubs are sweet music to my ears. Loud and crisp like no other.
Some bikes have incredibly noisy hubs..!!! Mine thankfully is medium to quiet....and the GTX gears are completely silent 😁 It always puts a smile on my face every ride with how quiet it is while peddling away 😁😁
I saw another video on how to make it noisier for which they totally removed all grease and oil from everything in the hub...bearings and all..!! 🤣
Dear All,
I have a Triban RC520 from Decathlon, 11-speed cassette, disc brake, quick release. I love it, although I feel (hear, rather should say - not hear) that the OEM free hub is rather a quite-"slow" one.
What would your budget upgrade recommendation be?
No need to worry about upgrading, ride enough and the Decathlon hub will take care of itself :)
Then you can lace in a nice new (or used, will still be better) Shimano, novatec or whatever hub of your choice and enjoy!
I have done exactly this to a noisy freehub. It does work as described here, but does not work for long term. A month or 2 after adding heavier grease the freewheel noise went right back up to previous levels.
Holy smokes i literally just got a new wheel in and was wondering why it was so quiet. thanks!
My old freehub at some point stopped making any noise, and it still worked fine. It was cool, however I was afraid it can soon start spinning freely in both directions, so I decided to replace it. I sold it to someone, hope he is OK.
When riding close on someone’s wheel, the free hub noise is your first alert that the person in front is slowing. I don’t need it to be super-loud, but I am glad when I can hear it clearly. Otherwise, the less noise the better!
What's a good oil to use on pawl springs?? And what should we lube pawls/splines with? Grease? But a thin grease correct? How about park tool PPL-1?
how about the change of noise by removing pawls?
I don't use grease, I use gravy... top tip 😎👍
Flavour?
My stock 18t was quiet after upgrading to a dt swiss 54t and adding dt grease with a brush and add a lightly coat it's loud enough that people move out the way when I'm biking. Used to hate the sound but now it's grown and I want it louder 😂
The big question is, which grease is the best to make noisy chinese hub quiet??
Toothpaste
Duck sauce
you should sound test it when the wheel is on the bike, carbon frames will resonate sound a lot more
My campag zondas when new were nice & quiet.....a few years down the line they are typical noisy campag hubs.
I personally hate loud free hubs. Especially annoying when riding in a group. The quieter the better. And for those who argue that the noise draws the attention of others in your path: they have invented bells especially for that.
The 6 pawl free hub on my Trek Checkpoint gravel bike is more effective than than my bell, freewheel and the walkers in front of me jump to one side thinking there is some madman with a chainsaw behind them….. :-)
Interesting fact the freewheel on my CVT hub with automatic shifting always clicks at the same frequency regardless of speed. Some will say its annoying but it's a good way to tell if the ratio is correct before I start pedaling. With auto shifting it always is.
I have recently upgraded to a mechanical Novatec from the stock Shimano hub and boy is it loud! Riding through the woods on a hike isn't as pleasant as it was, and my gf makes fun of me, saying she doesn't have to ring her bell to get peoples attention
I like that the louder hub alerts people in front of me without having to yell “on your left!!” and sound like a tool.
And a nice bell is even more euphonious, and it doesn't make a racket.
Great video any ideas how to deal with new xt 12 speed Shimano noisy hub tried grease but still noisy
If its P.O.E (points of engagement) count is high, don't bother, this is the nature of such freehub mechanisms.
Can you explain why a derailleur hanger extender is considered a bodge in bike shops please
Fun fact:
The most accurate measuring tools are indeed found in smart phones, as apps!
Also, I think you degreased at least one of four innocent bearings here. Better service that one, too.
Hi, I upgraded to Hunt wheels which were a fair bit noisier than my Fulcrum wheels but lighter and faster. I will say you would need to demonstrate that on an entry level wheel set as I'm sure I would have to remove my Cassette first to remove the Hub 😀
also i tighten my paws spring not only for being louder but also to lock more secure, cuz sometimes when i tried to pedaling the paws wasnt fully locked and the hub sound is big bang...
I use oil becuse spring is weak and if i put greese paws got blocked.
A loud freehub is simply shouting, "Get back to pedaling fatty!"
Thanks! Great knowledge.
I love this channel lol
I have several sets of DT 240 hubs and lubricate the freehubs periodically with the recommended DT Swiss grease. Surprisingly to me at least is that some freehubs make considerably more noise than others. Any idea why?
Is there a performance/efficiency hit when making it quiet?
Noise is amplified by deep-section carbon rims. Surprised this was not mentioned.
The quieter the better. On a quiet road I like to hear everything around me. It can be so peaceful. Why not do a vid on silent hubs?
Pedal your bike, problem solved 😜
My shimano dura ace hubs on my C50s glided so quiet I would startle walking people if I didn’t call out.
@@Thomas-fy9yc People should walk against traffic, you should be cycling with traffic, so the people walking will be walking head on to you and will see you approaching.
Hate loud hubs. Silent would be my preference
This is why I use Shimano hubs. It's just a shame they don't put the same level of thought into the architectural side (things like a raised flange circle on the drive-side) than Hope or (the other good one).
Quick question, does the performance of the hub or the duration of the spinning of the wheel got a difference ... I mean the 'free hub test' the classic one GNC does... By the way I don't bother a loud ER hub sound... we have a saying here 'el ruidito que enamora' ... translation 'the sound of love' ... more less translation. nice one alex I know someone that might like this tip.
Does bicycle fender improve aero?
While I like the idea of free-hubbing instead of ringing a bell or some such, I do enjoy being the silent assassin, because when toasting ebikes I need to be opportunistic with the class 3s, by mounting a demoralizing attack they didn't see or hear coming. (I'm just a tad competitive:) )
Lol, kind of sad for you. They are simply enjoying their ride, you're not beating anyone that isn't in on the competition.
3 dB less is actually _half_ the noise and 6dB is four tims less noise.
I want one as close to silent as possible…(?)
6:10 what's the point of this comparison if you put the grease away from the place where the pawls actually engage with the drive ring? Industry Nine covered this subject correctly with the Hydra rear hub.
In the city, I like a moderate amount of freewheel noise, both when cycling and when walking, it is usually great indication that there's a bicycle approaching and sometimes works better than a bell 😂... at least here where there's no separate cycling infrastructure and pedestrians are often mixed with cyclists, which sucks...
nothing more annoying than cycling through the countryside and the freehub just making noise... seriously, the quieter the better!! Though I am now wondering what effect changing the springs would have on the noise?
Also worth mentioning is that noise is caused by friction thus, in turn, creating DRAG. I always prefer a silent or stealthy hub. Campy WTO is the loudest hubs I can accept and Onyx Vesper is my other favorite. Total silence bliss.....when u r riding, just you and the wind.....the bike is dead quiet.
There is something special about having silence - just you and the road!
In this case, aren't we simply dampening/reducing the already made noise/friction rather than actually reducing the friction?
Much like how a waxed chain is more efficient than an oiled one despite being louder
@@robinrai4973 What? My drivetrain is far quieter with immersion waxing.
Isn't that a _freewheel_, not a freehub as indicated in the title?
The 7s freehub (no reference; the cassette is from Shimano) on my folding bike is a bit loud, and I was wondering if lubrication would make it quieter, and if not, whether it was possible to simply replace it with a quieter model without having to build a new wheel.
If you are going to say pack it with grease to make it quiet... Sorry but it doesn't work, not for more than a few rides anyway. Trust me, I have tried it.
My freehub makes sound occasionally when i dont pedal but not always... strange.
is teh grease making the wheel spin less?
terima kasih infomasunya
I prefer quiet freehub on a disc bike, its easy to hear if your disc are rubbing.
Noisy freehubs are annoying to me on group rides, especially when the noise is from someone drafting me.
Quiet freehub for solo adventures/commuting. The loudest possible for bunch rides or racing. Lets the rider behind know immediately if the pace drops so they don't crash into you. No-one pays attention 100% of the time... drinking, head check, recovering, etc. If you know, you know.
In Indonesia, the loudest it is, the coolest the free hub is... We called it "Jangkrik" or cricket,.. krik krik..
Loud is better, it helps let other trail and path users know you're coming. Better than a bell as it's persistent.
It would be interesting to try wax on an old bike to experiment with.
For accurate sound comparison you would need to fix the distance between the freehub and the microphone. Without controlling for that the tests aren’t interpretable.
I found a set of knobby tires and when they're deflated a little bit , it makes a sound like angry bees when going 14 or more kmh
Just as loud as a noisy freehub, and probably more annoying as you're gaining all that rolling resistance!
Don’t forget that larger cassettes become a resonance box, meaning that the sound as it is, low or loud, becomes even louder with larger cassettes and materials made of
You explained that better than me, and I think companies are making them louder on purpose, maybe with some consultation from drum and percussion manufactures, lol!
so how should that work? A cassette is not hollow, so there is and will be no resonator...But if you believe strong enough, it will surely get louder...
@@hendriksiering9077 Well, a hub is not completely solid like a gold brick, for example, the pawl is not making the sound itself, take a pawl out and tap it on a hard surface, I think the pawl is more like a drum stick and the hub would be the cowbell.
The quieter the better
I have 2 remarks:
Should you not also add oil to the sprag portion of the pawls to reduce wear as the teeth pass, also quieting it a bit more?
For a health and safety view point are you happy using a carcenogenic spray cleaner without breathing protection? I know you didn't do much but it can be accumulative.
#askGCNtech #AskGCN - Hi Alex, or maybe it's an Ollie type of question.... surely those noisy freehubs are less efficient than the quietest ones, on the basis that noise = wasted energy (like in other machinery)? my thinking is that the energy that we hear as noise would be better not generated and therefore used/transferred to power us along the road! I suppose that's hard when you're not actually pedalling (and therefore the energy needs to go somewhere)?
i got a new CANYON Endurace with Fulcrum wheels and the free hub is totally quiet. i wish it was a bit louder so people hear me coming. are fulcrum noticibly quietr?
Campagnolo and Fulcrum freehub mechanism use three pawls and a ratchet ring. It's pretty much the standard freehub mechanism and usually sports a low P.O.E (points of engagement) count, hence the quieter noise. Freehub mechanisms with a higher P.O.E count are the loud ones. Some riders with the latter try to lower the noise by overlubricating the mechanism with more or thicker grease, but this is greatly unadvisable as this will increase the risk of freehub slippage.
To put it in a cold tone, I will say get over it. I've never lubricated freehub mechanisms in an effort to alter their noise, but for optimal operation. If it's loud, it's loud.
When we were kids, we used to stick playing cards in our spokes in lieu of a noisy freehub
Did exactly the same thing as a kid… but then I grew up!
saw a bmx channel where they stretched the spring wider and it was way louder.
NEVER spray a bearing with break cleaner! It crawls inside, if sealed or not, and destroys the grease inside!
An ISO680 gear oil - not quite honey for thick… perhaps *warm* honey?
Suspect this has already been said, but the decibel scale is logarithmic. A 3dB reduction is a halving of sound power. Not an insignificant result Alex
Just noting that every 3db is HALF the sounds pressure volume. 67db is a LOT quieter than 72db.
#askgcntech Hi guys and Manon. I'm planning to change either the chain set to 52/36 or chain rings to 52/36 depending on availability. As it is now I have 50/34 (105 R7000) and a 11/28 cassette. If I get a 11/32 cassette will that be aprox simimilar to what I have now when it comes to the easy gears? Thank you for a great channel. Sorry for my bad english, hope you understand my question. Best regards. Patrik.
If you divide the front by the back, you get the ratio of pedal turns to wheel turns. Your current easiest gear is 34 front, 28 back, so 34/28 is 1.21. For every turn of your pedals in your easiest gear, your rear wheel will turn 1.21 turns. If you change your front to 36, and your back to 32, you get 36/32 = 1.13, so for every turn of your pedals, the rear wheel will rotate 1.13 turns. As this is lower, the gear will be easier. Note that the 36 front, 32 rear ratio is the same as 34 front, 30 rear.
If your bike came with 50/34 and 11/28, chances are it has a short cage rear derailleur. In order to have a 32t rear cassette, you would need a medium cage derailleur. The largest cassette a short-cage derailleur works with is 11-30, with the B limit screw all the way in.
If you need to replace your chainrings and also want a slightly easier lowest gear, get a 50/34 with 11-30 cassette. If you need to replace your chainrings and can't find 50/34 or want the same lowest gear, get 52/36 chainrings and 11-30 cassette. Getting 52/36 and 11-32 will potentially need a new derailleur, and the 11-32 cassette will have larger jumps on the gears, which might not be to your liking coming from the 11-28 cassette.
@@PaulingtonGoose Thanks. I have a long cage derailleur so it will work then I guess but I will need a new chain.
All set
Test is wrong, you should apply grease and oil also to the slot where freehub engages with the wheel, this is where the noise is comming from.
Adding lubricant on the pivot point did almost nothing related to the sound.
I can attest it is very … surprising when the palls (or really the last pall) get stuck retracted and the free hub becomes suddenly free in both directions, especially if you have just turned onto a steep climb…
It's one of the very worst feelings out there, undeniably - maybe a broken chain, but at least you can fix that at the side of the road with (relative) ease!
@@gcntech Yes, Rafal Majka illustrated the general issues quite nicely in the Tour de France...