Whyte 629 V3 - Rear hub- noise or no noise?

gingoblin

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking of upgrading my Whyte 629 2016 model for a new Whyte 629 V3. My previous 629er's had pretty much silent rear hubs, which is very important, but I have been unable to get a conclusive answer on the new ones. A noisy rear hub is a deal breaker for me, and at £1700 it's not something I can take a chance with. The specs are:

REAR HUB Shimano MT410-B, Cartridge Bearings, centre lock, 12mm x 148mm Boost Through Axle, 32 Hole

Anyone able to give me an answer? Would be very much appreciated.

Also, when is it likely that a new model of this will be released? I don't want to pay full price then a month later find the new one is out.

Many thanks.

reaperactual

As far as I know Shimano dumped the Sylence hub on the XT. Newer XT versions use some of the tech, they maybe quiter but they aren't silent.

The MT410-B on this You Tube clip strongly suggests they sound pretty standard and nowhere near 'silent'.

https://youtu.be/dSxV1RJpSqw

Shimano hubs are usually pretty quiet or you could pack most with grease to reduce noise.

There could be other silent hubs but the Onyx Versper are the only completely silent hub I know of.

No clue when the new Whyte models or most others will be released for obvious reasons.

gingoblin

Thanks a lot for your reply. As I feared then, this bike is now a no-go for me, unless I add extra cost straight off with buying a new hub and getting it installed. Not good when I'm already spending £1700 semi-unecessarily

reaperactual

No worries. Safe to assume whatever your current hubs are they aren't compatible to swap onto the new bike?

There are some high engagement hubs that are buzzy rather than clicky which can make them a little bit quieter.

I agree the Onyx are very pricey and the last thing you need especially after paying for a new bike

Maybe filling with grease could be the best option but they can then have issues with engaging properly as a consequence.

A difficult choice Mate and besides just not freewheeling, 😆 I can't think of anything else you can do. 🤔

steve_sordy

When I had one, I used to use a clicky hub instead of a bell! Very subtle. Unlike when I use a bell, nobody ever complained about being startled.

gingoblin

I may speak to the local very helpful bike shop and see if the swapping of hubs is a possibility. Other than that I'm looking at adding a fair few hundred pounds to the cost. In theory I could always sell on the one that has been removed, but would far prefer a bike I can just use straight away. I've been lucky with the two Whytes I bought- I had no idea noisy hubs were a thing until I got my girlfriend a bike that was noisy- cue added expense and hassle of getting it sorted

The bike will get used in a variety of ways, some of which don't really matter with a noisy hub, but for a gentle evening cycle through some Highlands forests, the noise would be unbearable.

Thanks again for your input.

steve_sordy

@gingoblin Its a clear personal choice of course, clicky or not?

I can remember when Hope first launched their clicky hub. Only clicky on the overrun of course, otherwise silent.
But to call it "clicky" would be a libel, it was more like a machine gun! Overnight clicky hubs became a most desirable option. Then all of a sudden they seemed to be everywhere as other hub manufactures piled in. I have not studied the clicky hub story, just how I remember it. As the Palace said recently - the recollections of others may vary.

reaperactual

Big fan of clicky hubs too. Never considered it causing a nuisance but I can see how in certain situations they might not be desirable. The Girlfriend not liking it is a big reason to want an alternative.😬

There is a decent sized following that desire and love silent hubs. Silent Hubs have unusual and expensive engagement methods, high grade materials and intricate engineering I guess.

On the other hand the manufacturers do know how to make a profit on these desirable products and hit the end customer hard for the privilege imo.

mully79

My trek fuel is practically silent as is my old giant racer. Both are cheap generic hubs. No way of telling unless you ask the shop.

gingoblin

Many thanks for the input.

I think the friendly local bike shop may be the answer- it's just the added hassle and cost when I should just be jumping on my lovely new bike. The new Whyte 629 isn't available locally, and the one mail order place that replied assured me the hub was similar to recent models- I'm glad I double checked on whether recent models were different to my 2014 and 2016 ones which are beautifully silent!
If I can get a reasonably-priced silent hub, and the fitting isn't too expensive, then maybe. At £1700 it was kinda stretching the budget though, particularly as I don't NEED it

Why don't they just make all hubs silent, then people can put cards in the spokes if they want noise?

mully79

"Why don't they just make all hubs silent, then people can put cards in the spokes if they want noise? "

Because ringing a bell to warn an ebiker youve caught them up again going back downhill is painful.

gingoblin

mully79 said:

"Why don't they just make all hubs silent, then people can put cards in the spokes if they want noise? "

Because ringing a bell to warn an ebiker youve caught them up again going back downhill is painful.

Haha, never thought of that- I think I need to noisiest hub possible now!

gingoblin

I received a reply from Whyte saying the following :

"The 2014 and 2016 629’s had a standard quick release rear hub. This was not a silent clutch rear hub but was relatively quiet.

The new 629 has a 12mm through axle rear hub that is stiffer but should not be any louder than the other two."

So I'm back wondering if it WILL actually be okay. But at £1700 I can't just buy and hope. What I really need to do is hear the bike, or at least hear from someone who owns one, which is seemingly impossible these days. The places I've tried that have them on stock can't seem to actually try it for me, and I get the "should be" or "we are confident" which just isn't enough when it's a deal-breaker, and £1700. Fast turning into one of those "why is it so difficult to give you my money?!" situations.

steve_sordy

@gingoblin With the current very poor availability of new bikes I am surprised that you have the time and the opportunity to haver about the hub noise. If you don't make your mind up and buy the bike, you might find that someone else has bought it first.

gingoblin

Yeah, you're right- the poor availability of new bikes is badly affecting how much time I have each day as well as the general opportunities coming my way. Better get right out there and spend the best part of two grand on something I don't like.

reaperactual

As fas as I know you have to purchase Whyte bikes in store from an authorised dealer and they don't do a mail order option?

That being the case why don't you take the opportunity if available to check it out in person, a little test ride and listen to the freehub noise for yourself. If it isn't suitable you can walk away with no commitment to buy first.

JBA

It’s just a hub. If the 629 is the bike you want then buy it while it’s available. If you wait there will be no bikes left to buy.
If the hub is quiet all’s good. If it’s too noisy for you then ride it while you save up to buy a new wheel or a hub to get the wheel rebuilt on to. Or just keep pedalling and don’t freewheel.

gingoblin

Thanks once again for your input. The previous Whyte 629's were bought online, and I was lucky that they're almost silent. It was only when buying the girlfriend a MTB (Saracen something or other) that I discovered the noisy hub was a thing, and it cost about £250 to get sorted, as well as being troublesome finding a place that would/could do it. Not totally the end of the world, but that on top of £1700 is a bit painful to take. Especially as I don't really NEED it. No, no, I do need it

I've tried all the local shops, but nothing available to try which is why I was hoping a mail-order place could check it out for me- I know it's far form the most expensive bike, but at that price I would hope they'd spend 10 minutes checking it out in return for a sale.

The thing is, I generally never freewheel- apart from more "nature cycling", and a beatiful Highlands forest setting full of wildlife would be far less enjoyable when being followed by a swarm of bees. Or even one angry bee.

Anyway, I am indeed havering now and it's a lovely day, so going out on my 2016 629er

mully79

Talking about angry bees. The glorious sound of a chris king hub. Turn it up !
https://youtu.be/GYz0w4B4bgc

gingoblin

Haha, very occasionally I would like that- but mostly no