"ticking" rear hubs

shiznit76
shiznit76 Posts: 640
edited October 2017 in Road general
Hi, probably a daft question, but why do some rear hubs "tick" when spun and why some louder than others?

Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,750
    Pawl design in the hub. (Or a lack/excess of grease, depending on design).
    Some are silent, some negate the requirement for a bell. :lol:
    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.
  • shiznit76
    shiznit76 Posts: 640
    does it serve any purpose?
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,750
    shiznit76 wrote:
    does it serve any purpose?
    Only if noisy ones go silent. Then you know you will soon have problems.
    Silent ones go with no warning, so I suppose so.
    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.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,467
    shiznit76 wrote:
    does it serve any purpose?
    I actually prefer a noisier freehub, it lets other people know you aren't pedalling and can be a subtle way of announcing your presence to pedestrians on cycle paths when you are trying to pass from behind.

    But if you are really asking what it's for (not a daft question if you are completely new to bikes I suppose) - the cassette has to turn the wheel when you are pedalling, but remain stationary relative to the wheel when you are not (otherwise you would need to keep pedalling as long as the wheel was going round...) The freehub is the device that allows the cassette to turn one way but not the other. It clicks for the same reason a mechanical watch crown clicks when you turn it backwards. Try taking it apart if you want to understand how it works and why it clicks.
  • rnath
    rnath Posts: 176
    neeb wrote:
    I actually prefer a noisier freehub, it lets other people know you aren't pedalling and can be a subtle way of announcing your presence to pedestrians

    Completely agree. Cycling in London, pedestrians stepping out into the road because they can’t hear the sound of a car approaching is a problem. On my single speed commuter, it used to happen all the time with a near silent Shimano MX30 freewheel. Swapping to White Industries made a massive difference, apart from just being a much better freewheel, the sound of a death swarm of bees coming down the road is usually enough for pedestrians to pay attention. Saves a lot of aggro all round...
  • mamil314
    mamil314 Posts: 1,103
    So there is Hope for loud freehubs.

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