Silent vs clicking free wheeling

Baileysim
Baileysim Posts: 7
in Road beginners
After several years of illness where the only bike I could ride was an electric bike I got better sold the ebike and bought a proper bike. I bought a 2015 Specialized Roubaix with Fulcrum 5 racing wheels and absolutely loved it, the total silence when I’m having a rest and freewheeling is a joy, so peaceful. It was slightly too big frame for me and the rim brakes were making me anxious so I decided to upgrade and spent a lot of money on a new bike. A mint condition 2018 Roubaix custom built, full Dura Ace spec, super lightweight, amazing braking with the disc brakes. The problem is the Roval CL32 wheels, namely the ticking noise on the rear hub when it is free-wheeling. I’ve been told that Fulcrum is owned by Campagnola and their hubs are differently made and are silent. What would anyone recommend for me to get my rear hub silent? Can I just change the hub or the bearings in the CL32 rear wheel? Thanks for helping a total novice.

Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,342
    edited April 2020
    I like a noisy hub. Saves having to fit a bell.
    You certainly have to change the freewheel. I don't know if you can do that on those wheels.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,727
    Hi, the ticking comes from the pawls (in the freehub) falling as you freewheel, perfectly normal. Changing the hub is perhaps on option but drastic. I too don't like the loud ticking sound when freewheeling. So I oil my freehub with old style motor oil (20w50), not synthetic or semi-synthetic or any other super slippery stuff, simply because it doesn’t last as long. It’s difficult to get the oil in sometimes, but it does work at least for me





  • Baileysim
    Baileysim Posts: 7
    Thank you for such a detailed reply
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    OP despite what you've been told, roval wheels are not quiet or silent.

    I have two sets, one brand new, both have a loud and to my ears beautifully noisy hub.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    The danger with using a heavier oil is that it may (Charlie's experience suggest not always) gum up the pawls. When they no longer spring out the hub doesn't engage and you'll lose drive. Personally I'd live with the clicking.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    Royal CL32 wheels do not have pawls.

    They use the DT Swiss 350 ratchet system instead of pawls, hence the lovely noise they make.

    You can pull the hub apart by hand, and a little DT Swiss light grease quietens them for a bit, but they will never be silent.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    Ah OK - in that case possibly a bit more resistant to getting gummed up as it isn't reliant on tiny pawls and tiny springs pushing them out ?

    Never used hubs with that mechanism myself. The DT swiss site has a nice illustration of ratchets in hubs and does mention the "distinctive sound"!
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    edited April 2020
    Great system, very easy to maintain. You'll never lose drive as you can with gummed up pawls, which caught me out once a long way from home and was the reason I switched to them.
  • Longshot
    Longshot Posts: 940
    I love a noisy hub. Nothing better than drafting a friend and having them know you're freewheeling in their slipstream.
    You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    I love a noisy hub to so was disappointed when I got my Rovals as the standard DT wheels are quiet in comparison to my old wheels.

    Changing the ratchet to 36T helps massively to make them louder.
  • darrell1967
    darrell1967 Posts: 477
    That’s strange because all my Fulcrum wheelsets have be3n noisy.
    I’m sure I read here a long while ago that this is a trait of Fulcrum.

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