Quiet Hubs

danny_scottish
danny_scottish Posts: 37
in Road buying advice
in market for new wheels. Around £1,000. i like quiet hubs. i know DT Swiss are great for this - any others to recommend/avoid? - I hate loud hubs

Comments

  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    Miche Primato are very loud - I have them on my handbuilts from Malcolm at Cycleclinic. I've got used to them now but initially they were quite distracting. Also I had a set of Hope Pro 4 hubs a year or so back and they were loud but not as bad as the Miche.

    I've had Novatec hubs in the past and they are silent as the grave - pretty much
  • ibr17xvii
    ibr17xvii Posts: 1,065
    I have DT Swiss on 2 bikes & if you don't want a loud freehub then avoid them, they are loud. Very loud. Personally I prefer it that way though.

    The quietest I've had are Mavic (although you do need to keep on top of the maintenance) & Shimano.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,495
    You don’t need a bell if you have loud hubs.
    Weight weenery at its best. 😉
    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.
  • def_defyr
    def_defyr Posts: 93
    My Campagnolo Zondas are dead silent, cheap and work well. I had to get a tiny bell so I could ride in the city!

    I have DT Swiss on another bike and they are pleasantly loud. Don't know why you'd heard that they are quiet.

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,868
    arlowood said:

    I've had Novatec hubs in the past and they are silent as the grave - pretty much

    I find mine depend on what I use to grease or oil the pawls. Grease keeps them quiet, light oil and they are more audible.

    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    My DT Swiss 350's with 18t ratchets are pretty much silent.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    2 things...

    1) I've said it many times, the louder the hub, the stronger the pawl, the better the quality

    2) If you spend a grand on wheels, they are supposed to be an upgrade... if you need an upgrade, it's because you want to go faster... so why the heck are you freewheeling? You should never freewheel, never!
    left the forum March 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    ugo.santalucia said:

    2 things...

    1) I've said it many times, the louder the hub, the stronger the pawl, the better the quality

    2) If you spend a grand on wheels, they are supposed to be an upgrade... if you need an upgrade, it's because you want to go faster... so why the heck are you freewheeling? You should never freewheel, never!

    You know more than me but is the volume of the hub also to do with how well greased or not they are?
    _
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    edited June 2020
    rick_chasey said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    2 things...

    1) I've said it many times, the louder the hub, the stronger the pawl, the better the quality

    2) If you spend a grand on wheels, they are supposed to be an upgrade... if you need an upgrade, it's because you want to go faster... so why the heck are you freewheeling? You should never freewheel, never!

    You know more than me but is the volume of the hub also to do with how well greased or not they are?
    They get a bit quieter when the grease is fresh, but ultimately they are loud because the pawls have a stronger spring mechanism, typically they are individually sprung.
    The opposite is something like a Novatec, with tiny pawls, and a metal ring retainer acting as spring.... not a very durable mechanism... quiet as you like, but not very good.

    As for DT Swiss, it can be very quiet when it's freshly greased, but I recall it quite loud when it's not. The double ratchet works quite well and seems reasonably durable... it comes with other issues, which you will discover when it's time to replace the bearings
    left the forum March 2023
  • handful
    handful Posts: 920
    American Classic wheels are quiet and decent quality
    Vaaru Titanium Sram Red eTap
    Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
    Orbea Rise
  • handful
    handful Posts: 920
    Scrub that, no longer making wheels. Sorry!
    Vaaru Titanium Sram Red eTap
    Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
    Orbea Rise
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    My ER1400s could not be described as quiet.
  • kangarouge
    kangarouge Posts: 210
    What about trying some Shimano Dura Ace on some handbuilts. They're quiet.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    My DT Swiss with 18t ratchet are almost silent too and even when you can hear them, its not the normal clicking it's a nice soft buzz.

    I love a loud freehub but not when they're cheap shite ones
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    Mine are 36 tooth and not quiet. Not objectionable though, quite happy with it.
  • thecycleclinic
    thecycleclinic Posts: 395
    Miche hubs are quiet if you put grease on the pawls. Mine are quite quiet and the freehub can be barely heard above tyre and wind noise. With less grease they are loud. I dont mind that. Of course the grease does not persist forever. Rock n roll super slick seems to be the best for this job. A thick grease leads to more drag.

    Dt swiss hub give a loud whrrr even when factory fresh. Never quite got used to the sound.

    Camapagnolo record hubs are very quiet with grease on the pawl. Mine are silent.

    My new rim brake hub is quite loud. I have found I like that. 4 pawls individually sprung and a large shell. Ugo will like them.

    Also deep rims act like a sound box.

    If you want quiet use a tb14 or old fashioned tubular rim 32 spokes to dampen the sound and narrower diameter hub sell. You know how wheels used to be before we went all modern.

    Shimano have stopped making dura ace hubs.

    www.thecycleclinic.co.uk
  • pilot_pete
    pilot_pete Posts: 2,120
    I’ve got Hope Pro 2, 3, 4 and RS hubs. The latest are much quieter because they went from 4 pawl to 2 pawl. I’ve actually changed the freehub to a steel one which has 4 pawls and they are back to their loud and lovely best!

    PP
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    pilot_pete said:

    I’ve got Hope Pro 2, 3, 4 and RS hubs. The latest are much quieter because they went from 4 pawl to 2 pawl. I’ve actually changed the freehub to a steel one which has 4 pawls and they are back to their loud and lovely best!

    PP

    Mine is steel too... :-)
    left the forum March 2023

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