Quiet Hubs

pb21
pb21 Posts: 2,171
edited August 2007 in Workshop
I am going to get some new wheels and want something that is quiet when freewheeling, just a purring noise. I currently have mavic ksyriums elits and the are LOUD!

I want to get handbuilts, so hubs only, unless you can reccomend a quiet wheelset.

Any Ideas?
Mañana

Comments

  • SDP
    SDP Posts: 665
    TUNE or DT
    www.mjsracing.net
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    SDP - you're kidding on the Tune hubs aren't you? :shock:

    I've a pair, and whilst they have been perfect so far, it is very noticeable just how loud they are when freewheeling.
  • JustRidecp
    JustRidecp Posts: 302
    edited August 2007
    pb21 wrote:
    I am going to get some new wheels and want something that is quiet when freewheeling, just a purring noise. I currently have mavic ksyriums elits and the are LOUD!

    I want to get handbuilts, so hubs only, unless you can reccomend a quiet wheelset.

    Any Ideas?
    Sorry :oops:
    Real Ultimate Power

    "If I weren't a professional cyclist, I'd be a porn star" - Super Mario
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    +1 for the DT hubs
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • acorn_user
    acorn_user Posts: 1,137
    Shimano silent clutch, if you can find them :) We joke that they were designed for mtb mounted hunters!

    King hubs are very loud. My Campag hubs are not quiet either.
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    Shimano Dura Ace are silent. I love silent hubs as well, though you do loose the ability to bring your presence to the attention of peds, deer, rabbits etc. just by freewheeling a bit.

    the noisiest hub in the world are american classic micros. just ridiculous ... i mean people turning round to look from about 300metres away noisy. ditched mine and stuck on a Dura Ace (7700 series), which isn't the lightest but runs so smoothly and quietly and has great longevity.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Just lube the freehub body. You can even grease the internals, although this isn't recommended. But put thick oil inside and even the noisiest hub will run silent when freewheeling...
  • pieinthesky
    pieinthesky Posts: 417
    All the Shimano hubs I have used (Ultegra, XT) have been virtually silent.

    I have some Campag Protons which are not quiet but not as noisy as some. It gets very noisy however when I have to change the tyres!
  • horizon
    horizon Posts: 91
    Even my humble low end Shimano C201 (Sora?) is completely silent, even with my ear within inches of the wheel, not that I usually ride like that ... I didn't think there was any other way for it to be!
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    Horizon wrote:
    Even my humble low end Shimano C201 (Sora?) is completely silent, even with my ear within inches of the wheel, not that I usually ride like that ... I didn't think there was any other way for it to be!

    trust me ... there is ... get an American classic freehub and lock up your daughters.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Noisy hubs really annoy me. Who wants that noise going on whenever you're not pedalling.
    Is it true though Kleber, that you can oil up any hub so its runs quiet? I might have to pass that on to my buddy. I always have to get some distance away from him on the downhills to avoid the noise.
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    Want them loud so EVERYONE knows I'm freewheeling when they are suffering
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • horizon
    horizon Posts: 91
    Surely noise is created by friction which means wasted energy and accelerated wear?
  • bobtravers
    bobtravers Posts: 115
    Horizon wrote:
    Surely noise is created by friction which means wasted energy and accelerated wear?

    It's the clutch inside the hub that make some noise, not the bearing... But I still don't know if a silent clutch hub is more efficient than a regular one??
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    When you pedal there is no loss of energy. Loud FREEHUBS are only loud when you are not pedalling. The noise is determined by the machining of the internals of the freehub spline.

    The noise has NO detrimental effect on your speed. Unless you're lazy and have stopped pedalling. Campag and many brands have loud freehubs by design and these are race wheels.
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    Down the Road wrote:
    Want them loud so EVERYONE knows I'm freewheeling when they are suffering

    :lol:

    lOL ... i feel that way when i'm having a good day as well. i also like freewheeling downhill past people on my campag wheels, giving the impression that my bearings are a lot better and my position is mysteriously far more aero.

    a noisy freehub can be a devastating psychological weapon!
  • primalcarl
    primalcarl Posts: 579
    Most hubs are quiet for a good few miles from new. It's only when the lubrication runs out that they become really noisy
    www.csimages.info
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    primalcarl wrote:
    Most hubs are quiet for a good few miles from new. It's only when the lubrication runs out that they become really noisy

    not true in my experience of Mavic, Shimano, Campagnolo, Reynolds, Tune, DT, and American Classic. noise levels vary massively out of the box.
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    I feel as though I'm being chased by a swarm of bees whenever I'm on a club run with people on Campag hubs

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