Ridiculously LOUD freehub?

robgodd
robgodd Posts: 28
edited January 2008 in Workshop
Hi All,

Having been a good boy, Santa brought me a set of Fulcrum EVO 5 wheels. They're great, except for one thing that worries me: should the freewheel clicking / ratcheting be as loud as it is?

When freewheeling, my old wheels were pretty quiet (as are everyone else's on the club runs etc). Now it sounds like a chainsaw going off everytime I coast along. I honestly worry about what old ladies must think is coming up behind them when I approach :shock:

Is it normal, or should I send them back?

Cheers,

Rob

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Campag and Fulcrum wheels are notorious for noisy freehubs - nothing to worry about
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    There's been a bit of discussion on another thread about this. Some say if you pack the freehub with grease it'll make it much quieter but there's doubt as to how long that is effective for. I get annoyed with that noise myself but am sold on Campag wheels so will just have to grin and bear it.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    'Tis a joyous noise! You should learn to love it...
  • dbg
    dbg Posts: 846
    Yeah, I've go the same wheels and they are noisy, hopeless for creeping up on people
  • robgodd
    robgodd Posts: 28
    Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I'll either learn to love it, or ignore it.

    Rob
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Screw on blocks used to have a loud click and no-one ever bothered about it, in fact it was regarded as the sign of a healthy pawl and ratchet mechanism. When they went quiet it was time to worry as it often meant they were about to pack up. Freehubs do seem to be quieter than the old blocks, though i find the loud click from Campag stuff very useful for warning pedestrians you are comming up behind them.
  • tatanab
    tatanab Posts: 1,283
    dbg wrote:
    Yeah, I've go the same wheels and they are noisy, hopeless for creeping up on people
    Simple answer - don't freewheel.
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Every time this one comes up I'm struck by how much more other people seem to freewheel than I do.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Actually aracer, I went out yesterday with that in the back of my mind and I didn't freewheel very much at all so thought maybe I'd misjudged it. I think maybe its just when out with a group I freewheel a bit more when dropping back for a chat or to have a rest. I'll soon find out when I get those wheels as I'll be very aware of freewheeling!
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    If I'm out on my own or with the club, I don't really notice it anymore.

    But if out with the wifey, who isn't a big-time cyclist and cycles a bit slower than me, I'm immediately aware of how *bloody loud* it is

    I end-up dropping down three or four gears and use it as a spin session, just to keep the noise down
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    You're definitely missing a trick there. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a new set of wheels "just so it's a bit quieter when I go riding with you".
  • HungryCol
    HungryCol Posts: 532
    I have a set of F3's and the ticking is a bit comical alright. I took my hub apart one time to see if I could pack it up with greese but the blasted thing was beeach to get back together. Still ticked as loudly as ever when reassembled. Still the look and performance are second to none IMO.
    Every winner has scars.
  • JWSurrey
    JWSurrey Posts: 1,173
    I didn't realise how loud my Campags were until I tried something else.
    I wonder if it's anything to do with noise amplification through the high tension/low spoke count and stiff rim section.

    Oddly, my Campag. "Centaur" freehubs are as quiet as my Ultegras (and the LBS reckon there's a way to replace the freehubs on these if/when they wear out).
    Of course, they're 32H on light box-section rims which overall seem to ride much quieter too - so maybe there's less of a "sound box" amplification going on here.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    HungryCol wrote:
    I have a set of F3's and the ticking is a bit comical alright. I took my hub apart one time to see if I could pack it up with greese but the blasted thing was beeach to get back together. Still ticked as loudly as ever when reassembled. Still the look and performance are second to none IMO.

    I'm sure I was told that Campag/Fulcrum wheels....maybe just high end ones... have a grease port where you can inject some grease easily enough rather than disassembling the hub in the search for silence?
  • HungryCol
    HungryCol Posts: 532
    Thanks Heavy though I don't think it was aluded to in the wee bookets that came with the wheels. I'll have another look though and look at my Zinn book. If there isn't one there should be, likewise for ball bearings. Now there's an idea. Two holes in the hub one for injecting ball bearing wash and the other a drain hole. Once cleaned, bung one hole and inject grease. Job done without disassembly. You heard it here first!
    Every winner has scars.
  • SDP
    SDP Posts: 665
    you think they are noisy ! ...i have some TUNE hubs... :wink:
    www.mjsracing.net

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